AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I'm alive!

I am so sorry for the delay. This last *checks calendar* month (Really? Almost a month since my last update?!) has been… there's been a lot, both personally and in the wider world. It'll probably take me a while to get back in to my old posting schedule, so updates might be a little less frequent for a little while, but I promise that I am still writing. I will finish this story.

Thank you to Crestoflight3, YumeTakato, Scarlett-95 and to Guest for your reviews and messages. To Guest, as I can't DM you with a reply, thank you for joining the journey! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far, and I hope I'm able to keep you guessing right up until the last chapter.

I hope you enjoy today's update.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN | THE TALKING SNAKE

The Feast of Fools had been an explosion for the senses, and Kairi was sure she would be brushing confetti from her hair for the rest of her life.

Naminé was the only one of them who had been to La Cité des Cloches before. Riku had brought her here two years ago to check up on their friends, and whilst Riku had never spoken to them during their visit he had pointed them out in the crowd, meaning that Naminé at least knew who they were looking for.

They'd come across Quasimodo first, wearing a colourful motley coat and a hat made of several drooping points that ended in jingling bells. After Naminé had explained who they were and why they were here, Quasimodo had led them to the heart of the festival to find Esmeralda and Phoebus before leading everyone towards the cathedral. Kairi had been struck by its beauty, but seeing the building from the ground was nothing compared to seeing the city from the top (though she was certain that if there was something she would never forget about this world, it was the three talking gargoyles waiting for them among the rafters).

While Naminé had worked with Quasimodo and the others Kairi, Donald and Goofy had explored the city, drinking in the colourful stalls and street performers. Donald swore that none of the magicians were using actual magic, but Kairi remained unconvinced as they meandered past fire breathers and jugglers and tricksters. Music poured from every corner of the city, seeping out of every nook and cranny, and everywhere Kairi looked there was dancing and drinking and singing.

And heartless. Lots of heartless.

Kairi had been disappointed when she had spied the little shadow running between the stalls. For a moment she managed to convince herself that she'd imagined it, but then she saw yellow beady eyes watching her every move and she knew it was time to get back to work. They led the heartless to the other side of the river where the streets were less crowded before drawing their weapons, after which the shadows descended upon them with a vengeance.

As the sun was beginning to set Naminé sent word that she was all done and they regrouped in front of the cathedral. They bid farewell to Quasimodo, Esmeralda and Phoebus (the gargoyles had remained in the cathedral rafters) before returning to the ship, exhausted.

"I need some sleep!" Donald announced through a yawn. Goofy soon found himself yawning too; he attempted to stifle it behind his fists, but that only made his long ears stand on end and shiver violently. Naminé laughed.

"You guys get some rest," she said. "I'll let you know when we're almost there."

"Are you sure you're okay to fly?" Kairi asked. "You need to rest too." Naminé only smiled.

"It's not as tiring as it used to be," she said, "and they didn't really have that many memories of Sora. I'll be fine." Kairi hesitated, halfway between coming and going, and after watching the hatch shut behind Donald and Goofy she made a beeline for the co-pilot's seat.

"Mind if I keep you company?" she asked. "I won't be able to sleep for a while." She could still feel the adrenaline racing through her veins; there would be no sleeping until it had run its course through her system.

"Please do," Naminé said brightly as she fired up the ship. Kairi settled in to the seat and smoothed her skirt down, pausing as her fingers brushed against her phone.

"I forgot to take pictures," she sighed. She often forgot; she supposed it was because she was still getting used to having the phone in the first place. Naminé smiled.

"I managed to get a couple," she said. "The sun was setting right as I sent my message to you, so I have a great picture of the sunset if you want to see-" She was interrupted by Kairi's phone ringing. Kairi wriggled in the seat in order to fish it from her pocket, and was surprised to see Ven's face waiting for her.

"I've got some good news and some bad news," he said after they'd exchanged greetings. He was grinning from ear to ear and bouncing up and down like an excitable puppy, and she tried not to think of Sora as she smiled at him.

"Good news first," she said. His lips parted in to a big toothy grin.

"Guess who I found!" The video was blurry for several seconds, during which she heard the sounds of rustling and disgruntled grumbling ("You didn't find me, idiot."). Finally the camera refocused on Ven with his arm slung around a familiar (and very angry) face.

"Vanitas!" Kairi exclaimed. Naminé leant over then in order to be in view, and she smiled and waved at him.

"It's good to see you," she said. Ven shot Vanitas a mischievous look and Kairi could have sworn she saw Vanitas' ears flush as he mumbled something that might have been, "Yeah, you too."

"So what's the bad news?" Kairi asked, deliberately changing the subject before Vanitas imploded (or exploded, judging by the furious glares he kept sending Ven who had yet to remove the arm around Vanitas' shoulders). Ven's smile faltered a little then, and he barely objected when Vanitas weaselled his way out of Ven's grip.

"There's another Apprentice."

"Another?" Kairi asked. Ven nodded solemnly.

"Her name's Ava. She wears pink robes, and her mask is a fox. That's all we know." Kairi's heart skipped a nervous beat and she forced herself to remain calm.

"But how can we not know about her?" Kairi asked. "Surely Luxu or the others would have mentioned her."

"Unless they were trying to keep her a secret," Vanitas grunted. "Did any of them say anything about another person or some kind of secret weapon?" Kairi frowned, casting her mind back to the labyrinth and trying not to shudder. (She was grateful when Naminé's hand found hers and she clung to it like a lifeline.)

"Not that I can remember," she answered at last. Vanitas frowned and Ven deflated with a heavy sigh.

"What did the others say?" Naminé asked. "Has anyone seen anything?"

"We haven't told them yet," said Ven. "We wanted to tell you guys first in case Kairi could remember anything."

"I wish I could," she said. "I don't like the idea of an Apprentice out there that we don't know about. What if she's managed to blend in somewhere like Luxu did? She could be anybody." Ven nodded solemnly.

"We thought of that too."

"You need to be careful," said Vanitas, his golden eyes no less piercing through the screen of the phone. "If she's not with Luxu and the others then there must be a reason." Kairi nodded.

"Don't worry, we will be."

"We'll let you know if we come across anything suspicious," Naminé added. Ven nodded.

"We should go. We need to tell the others," he said, glancing to Vanitas who promptly stood with a sneer.

"You can tell them," he said curtly.

"Vanitas-"

"And don't tell them about me," he added as he walked out of sight. Ven pouted.

"Vanitas…" he whined. There came a strange sort of hissing sound – distorted by the phone – and Ven's pout quickly turned in to a defeated frown. "And he's gone." Naminé giggled.

"I'm glad he's safe," she said. Ven perked up a little at that and nodded in agreement.

"Me too," he said before bidding them goodbye and ending the call. Kairi slipped the phone back in to her pocket as Naminé turned her attention back to the controls.

"Another Apprentice…" Naminé murmured. Kairi's stomach tightened. "The mask of a fox… I wonder if that means anything."

"Foxes are supposed to be smart and cunning, right?" Kairi asked. Naminé nodded slightly.

"I guess that would make sense if she's been hiding all this time." The thought left a bitter taste in Kairi's mouth. The thought of another Apprentice out there, waiting in the shadows, made her blood run cold. She shivered. Five Apprentices were bad enough, but six… And if there were six, did that mean there was a seventh? The universe seemed to like grouping things up in sevens. Seven Princesses of Heart… Seven Guardians of Light… Sora had even told her of seven enchanted heartless scattered throughout the world shaped like giant flans (and she'd thought he'd made them up in an attempt to make her smile until he'd showed her the pictures). Seven Apprentices… She had nothing substantial to base her theory on, but once it entered her mind it refused to leave.

She pulled her knees in to her chest, curling in to the chair and tucking her toes in against the armrest, trying to clear her mind. There was nothing they could do right now, after all; they would need to tell Donald and Goofy before they left the ship, but they would both be sound asleep by now. Kairi envied their ability to be out like lights once they'd decided to turn in.

It felt like they had been travelling for months, though in truth they were barely halfway through their third week, and yet so much had happened in such a short amount of time. So much had changed. Already she felt as though she knew Donald and Goofy like close friends; it hadn't taken long to learn about their habits, or their likes and dislikes, or how they fought. It had taken a mere handful of encounters for them to learn to adjust to each other; Kairi was used to Axel's brash, explosive style and she quickly learned that Donald and Goofy were calmer and more metered by comparison. They, meanwhile, had to adjust to the fact that Kairi was more inclined to rely on her magic and long-range attacks, unlike Sora who often dove headfirst in to the fray with reckless abandon.

As for Naminé… Kairi watched as her delicate fingers expertly navigated the controls while her eyes stayed focused on the stars. The changes in Naminé were perhaps less obvious. Her smiles seemed brighter, as though the cloud of exhaustion that had hung over her since the start of their journey had finally begun to disperse. She spoke up more, offering to take control of the ship or make tea or food. And whilst she and Kairi still held hands more often than not when neither of their hands were in use, there was something less fervent about her grip now; as though she no longer lived in fear that Kairi might disappear as soon as she let go. And then, of course, there was the change in her abilities.

"You're getting a lot faster. With your powers," she added at Naminé's confused frown. A flush blossomed in Naminé's cheeks and she smiled a little.

"It's a lot easier than when I first started," she answered softly. "Most of the people we're meeting now have only ever met Sora for a day or two. Not like everyone in Radiant Garden or Olympus."

"Still," Kairi pressed, "it seems like your powers are getting stronger." Naminé smiled and gave a bashful nod.

"It's easier now I know what to look for and how it should feel," she answered. Kairi wanted to smile – it was probably the closest she would get to Naminé acknowledging her own strength – but the thought of how the process might feel left an uncomfortable weight pooling behind Kairi's navel.

"What does it feel like?" she asked. Naminé paused, her lips pursed thoughtfully as she considered the question.

"It's a bit like when you and I have shared memories," she answered. "It's like I'm there while it's happening, and I get to see and feel what they felt. It was strange at first, but I'm used to it now."

It was the answer Kairi had been expecting, but not the one she wanted to hear. To know that Naminé would see her memories was one thing, but to know that she would feel what Kairi had felt… She smothered a grimace.

For Sora, she reminded herself. And it was Naminé, after all; one of two people who possibly knew Kairi's heart better than Kairi knew it herself. Still, there were some memories – some feelings – that Kairi wished she could keep for herself.

"Do you want to fly?"

Kairi blinked at the sudden question. Naminé was watching her carefully, her concern barely hidden behind her encouraging smile. Kairi swallowed thickly around a nervous laugh.

"I'm not sure anyone wants me to try and fly again." Naminé smiled and stood, leaning over to take Kairi's wrist and pull her out of her seat.

"You weren't that bad," she laughed. "Besides, it'll take your mind off things." The worry in her eyes undercut the gentleness of her smile and Kairi found she couldn't really argue. So she allowed Naminé to guide her in to the pilot's seat, and she listened as Naminé ran her through all of the controls.

"Are you sure you don't want to give Donald and Goofy a warning?" Kairi joked as Naminé turned off the autopilot that had been keeping them steady. Naminé smiled.

"I think it's better if maybe they aren't here right now." Kairi couldn't help but laugh at that; Donald and Goofy were competent enough fliers, but they hadn't been the best teachers (especially once the ship had started to roll uncontrollably). Naminé, on the other hand, seemed to have an endless supply of patience and calm. She gave Kairi one last reassuring smile before switching the controls to manual; Kairi felt the steering column grow heavy in her hands as the ship shifted from one mode to the other. She swallowed thickly past the lump in her throat and tried to ignore how clammy her hands felt. Memories of rolling violently resurfaced and Kairi swallowed bile, locking her arms straight in an attempt to keep from veering off course. Naminé giggled.

"Relax," she said, placing a soothing hand on Kairi's elbow. "And don't forget to breathe." Kairi hadn't even realised she'd been holding her breath in the first place, and as she let it out slowly she found the ringing in her ears began to fade. She laughed somewhat nervously.

"I still don't think this is a good idea," she warned. Naminé only smiled.

"You're doing fine. Just take it slow."

It was surprisingly easy to learn without Donald's anxious flapping or Goofy's well-meaning mother-henning. Naminé stood at her side, correcting her when she did something wrong or giving encouraging comments or suggestions here and there. Slowly Kairi allowed herself to relax, and her white-knuckle grip on the steering column eased until her fingers no longer ached and her shoulders no longer trembled. She was doing it! She was flying the ship! She allowed herself a small smile and readjusted her grip on the controls, sitting up a little taller. For a long while she almost lost herself amongst the stars, guiding the ship this way and that until Naminé finally broke the silence that had settled between them.

"It's all right, you know," she said softly, "to want to keep some of your memories of Sora to yourself." The sudden change in topic caught Kairi by surprise. The steering column shuddered as the ship veered too close to a crystalline boulder and Kairi gently eased them back on course.

"But… Sora-"

"You have plenty of memories of Sora," Naminé said with a fond smile. "I'm sure I don't need to see every single one. You two already have an unbreakable connection, after all." The words should have been reassuring, but as Kairi reached out to the shard of Sora's heart and the ties that bound them together she found herself wondering if unbreakable was enough.

"I still can't feel him," she said, placing a hand over his heart. "Not like I used to. The connection is there but it's not the same." Naminé's smile sobered a little and she nodded solemnly.

"I know," she murmured. "I can feel it too. Every time I trace a connection to him…"

"What does it mean?" Kairi asked, twisting in her seat as though she might find an answer hidden in Naminé's expression. To her dismay, Naminé looked as lost and unsure as Kairi felt, though she quickly hid it behind a smile.

"We'll figure it out," she said. "Right now all we can do is try our best to help him." Kairi nodded and turned her attention back to the ship. The shard of Sora's heart sent out a warm wash of love and hope, but it was weak and felt like a poor imitation of the real thing; a painful reminder of the thing she needed most and just how far out of her reach he was.

"You should get some rest," Naminé suggested. "None of us have been to the Dwarf Woodlands before, but Ven said it's a big world."

"We shouldn't be that long," Kairi countered. "We only need to find Snow White, and she only met Sora once."

"Still, you should sleep." There was something mournful in her smile, and Kairi wondered if perhaps she regretted the turn their conversation had taken. Naminé reached over and flipped the ship back on to autopilot before tugging Kairi lightly to her feet. Kairi almost wanted to protest, but as she relinquished control of the ship she found herself stifling a yawn. Naminé smothered a knowing smile and Kairi smothered a sigh.

"Fine, you win," she murmured through a resigned smile. Naminé gave her a tight hug before ushering her towards the hatch. Kairi pulled it open and bid Naminé goodnight as she lowered herself carefully down the ladder. Her body ached, and as she tiptoed past Donald and Goofy's room she found herself wanting nothing more than to curl up in a nice hot bath with some candles. And maybe a good book. She slipped silently in to her room with a heavy sigh; the closest she would get aboard the ship was the tight shower cubicle that never seemed to get hot enough, but she supposed it would be better than nothing…

She would wait, though, because the shower was right next to Donald and Goofy's room and she didn't want to disturb them. Instead she forced her leaden limbs in to her pyjamas and crawled in to bed. Despite her promises to sleep she instead reached under her pillow to withdraw her journal and pen, curling up against the headboard and turning to a new page.

Dear Sora…

Axel had been having a good day.

Their arrival at the Castle of Dreams couldn't have been more discrete, with Isa managing to find them a perfectly secluded spot in the woods near the castle in which to disembark. They'd made it to the castle entirely unseen, and managed a full sweep of the castle perimeter without encountering more than a handful of heartless. They'd even caught a glimpse of the former Princess of Heart and her Prince Charming taking an evening stroll through the palace gardens. Both seemed well and safe enough, and Axel had been quick enough to fire off a quick picture of the pair to several others, sparking a heated debate about the name of Cinderella's prince (Kairi dragged Aqua and Terra in to it, given that they had met Cinderella way back when, only to find that they didn't know either).

Even Isa was… Well, Axel wouldn't exactly call him happy, but he'd been noticeably less grumpy. He'd only told Axel off once for stopping to take the picture, and had resorted to mere frowns whenever he heard the tell-tale buzz of Axel's phone instead of his usual disparaging sighs. He'd even smiled when Axel had shown him the picture he'd gotten back from Xion of her and Roxas riding a rickety rollercoaster with overflowing mugs of beer and donkey ears sprouting from their temples.

Axel should have known it wouldn't last.

He'd spotted Gula first. The yellow eyes of his leopard mask gleamed ominously from within the trees. Axel had turned to grab Isa's attention, only to find that Isa had seen Invi approaching them from behind. Axel didn't have time to summon his keyblade before Isa gripped his wrist tightly.

"Not here," he murmured in a low, cool voice. "We're too exposed."

He wasn't wrong, of course; it wasn't just the lack of cover and shelter from attacks, but the risk of drawing unwanted attention that drove them to keep walking. Axel kept one eye on Gula, and to his surprise the Apprentice merely nodded and disappeared in to the shadow of the trees. As soon as Axel lost sight of him he turned his attention to Isa who nodded discretely, his eyes never leaving the small gap in the treeline where Gula had been standing.

It took Axel's eyes too long to adjust to what little dusk-light managed to pierce the thick canopy overhead. By the time he was able to see again, Invi and Gula were standing side by side. Isa came to a halt and Axel fell in beside him, fingers twitching anxiously at his sides.

"We have been following you since you arrived in this world," Gula began, his voice so soft that Axel almost had to strain to hear him over the quiet murmurs of the forest. "It has taken you this long to notice us. If this is what makes a Keyblade Master these days, then it's no wonder Sora and Kairi were so easily overwhelmed." Axel's keyblade appeared in a furious wash of fire, and only Isa's vice-like grip on his other wrist kept him from charging.

"What do you want?" Isa asked coolly. Gula dipped his chin; Axel could feel his focus shifting to the flaming keyblade.

"Resorting to violence should be a Master's final act, not their first." Isa squeezed hard enough to make Axel grimace.

"Then what did you come here for, if you weren't looking for a fight?" Isa asked.

"We were interested to know more about those who claim the title of Master," Gula answered. "So much has changed since we were last in this worldline. For the most part, we remain… underwhelmed."

"We merely came to observe," Invi added, though her voice was somewhat strained.

"Observe this!" Axel hissed. Isa's grip didn't stop him from lifting his keyblade and launching two sizzling balls of fire at the pair who easily sidestepped the attack.

"If that is how you wish to proceed, Master Axel," Gula said calmly. His keyblade appeared then, a gleaming assortment of golden spikes that jutted out like criss-crossing lightning bolts. Gula charged.

"Could you not be so hot-headed for once?" Isa hissed, pulling Axel behind him and summoning his claymore to block Gula's incoming swing. The weapons clashed with a deafening CLANG that left Axel's ears ringing. Gula made no attempt to separate their weapons, and instead he seemed to study the claymore.

"An interesting keyblade," he said calmly. The vein in Isa's neck pulsed.

"It's not a keyblade." Gula shifted his weight, dismissing his keyblade and making a non-committal hum. Isa lowered his claymore but didn't dismiss it.

"Does that amuse you?" he asked. Gula stepped back, his hands falling to his sides and disappearing in to his sleeves.

"Nothing, nothing," Gula answered. "Only… I sense that you have been touched by the power of the keyblade. Perhaps I am wrong." Isa smirked; Axel pretended he couldn't see the tension tucked in to the corner of his lips.

"You will not get a rise from me, Apprentice," he replied coolly.

"Nor was I looking for one. It's just…" He folded his arms and held his chin thoughtfully. Axel clenched his jaw and tightened his grip on his keyblade. "It used to be the case that when one who had been touched by the keyblade was unable to manifest its power within a week, they were no longer considered for training."

"Well a lot has changed since then," Axel bit back.

"It is merely interesting that a Master would continue to burden themselves with such an unworthy apprentice-"

Axel lunged, swinging his keyblade high overhead with a guttural yell. The element of surprise did nothing to help him, and Gula easily span out of the way. From the corner of his eye Axel saw Gula's keyblade reappear, and there came another deafening clang as Isa intercepted Gula's blow.

"If you are looking for a fight," Isa said curtly, "you are welcome to fight me."

"I've never fought anyone who wasn't armed with a keyblade," Gula murmured.

"We came to observe," said Invi, her hands clenched in to fists at her side. Gula cocked his head slightly, lowering his keyblade and stepping back.

"There is no harm in observing how he fights," Gula countered. "Ira and Aced have undertaken similar observations, and we must follow our leaders. Besides, if I engage the neophyte then it leaves you with the Master. I know that's why you wanted to come." Invi's lips – the only part of her face visible beneath her mask – flattened in to a thin white line. Before Axel could object Gula had charged, sending Isa stumbling backwards in a desperate attempt to avoid the blow. They were quickly lost to the darkness of the trees, with nothing but the sound of their clashing blades to reassure Axel that Isa was fighting back. He grit his teeth and turned to Invi, tightening his grip on his keyblade.

"What do you want with me?" he demanded. Invi remained silent; he could feel her watching him from behind her mask and the sensation made his skin crawl. "Well?!"

"You are close to Kairi."

It wasn't a question, and it certainly wasn't an attack. It left Axel uncertain, confused and more than a little defensive. He jutted out his chin and sent a wash of flame dancing along his keyblade.

"So what?"

"Where is she from?" Invi asked. Axel frowned.

"Why should I tell you?" The Apprentice clasped her hands together, her head tilting slightly.

"She has family on Radiant Garden, but also on Destiny Islands," Invi continued. "The two worlds are so far apart from each other-"

"Have you been spying on her?!" Axel demanded. "It's not enough to torment her, now you're stalking her family?! Why can't you just leave her alone? Why can't you leave all of us alone?" Invi frowned, her lips pressing in to a thin white line.

"There is something about her," she answered at last. "Something… I can't quite explain. Tell me, where did she get her keyblade?"

"What does it matter?" Axel snapped. Invi jumped, and Axel almost felt bad until he heard Isa and Gula clashing in the distance. Invi was the reason Isa was taking on Gula alone, because Axel knew he couldn't turn his back on her. Knew that he couldn't fight her alone. She was watching him carefully, so silent and still that it set Axel's teeth on edge until she finally clasped her hands together.

"I don't know why our Master wants Sora." Her voice was soft and almost… uncertain. It took Axel by surprise, especially when she began to wring her fingers together in a gesture that was almost nervous. "I don't think Luxu knows. Even the Book of Prophecies doesn't say what-"

"Wait a sec," Axel said with a frown. "The Book of What-now?"

"The Book of Prophecies," she answered. "Our Master gave us each a book containing his visions of the future, but some pages are missing and there are things that have happened that were not written in the book. Our Master's plans aren't in there, or if they are then they are well hidden."

Axel bit the inside of his cheek, watching Invi carefully as she fell silent. He saw the tension in her shoulders and the uncertainty in her trembling hands. He shifted his weight, rocking on to his back foot and twirling his keyblade almost lazily. The weight in his fingers was a reassuring comfort.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked. Invi ducked her head a little; the scales of her mask gleamed in the speckled moonlight.

"In the hopes that if I answer some of your questions, you might answer some of mine." She lifted her head again, releasing her fingers and turning her palms towards him. "I just want to understand."

Axel smothered a frown. There was no way to know if he could trust her (and his every instinct was telling him not to), but talking seemed a lot more appealing than fighting. And there was nothing she had asked that she couldn't find out on her own with a light bit of digging. The distant sounds of fighting were muffled by trees and leaves; Isa and Gula seemed further away now, but Isa seemed to be holding his own. He hadn't called upon the moon's light yet, which was a good sign.

So Axel grit his teeth and dismissed his keyblade, ignoring the warning in his gut that told him this was all a trap. Invi seemed to relax somewhat, which only made Axel more nervous.

"Why are you so interested in Kairi?" he demanded.

"Sora is the key to our Master's plans, but in his current state it is difficult to understand why," she answered. "We saw how close he and Kairi were, and Luxu believes they have a special connection. I thought that if I could understand her then I might understand this connection and Sora, and maybe our Master's plans."

"What about your-"

"I believe I have answered your question," she said firmly. "Now it is your turn to answer one of mine." Axel grimaced and folded his arms. Suddenly he wished that he could change places with Isa, even if it meant a thrashing from Gula; Isa had always been better at navigating these sorts of conversations. He would know how to give Invi just enough information to keep her satisfied without really giving her anything at all. But if this was a genuine opportunity for answers, he couldn't let it pass him by.

Sorry, Kairi, he thought bitterly.

"Kairi's from Radiant Garden," he answered through gritted teeth, speaking slowly to buy himself time. How could he answer without giving away too much? Less is more, he told himself. "She ended up on Destiny Islands because of Xehanort." It seemed enough for Invi who frowned thoughtfully before gesturing for him to proceed. "Who is your Master? What's his name?"

"His name?" Invi asked. She pursed her lips and folded her hands together, lowering her head. "I don't know. I have always called him Master. We all have. He was the first of us – the one who bestowed upon us the power of the keyblade and showed us how to pass it on to our disciples. Beyond that… I do not know him." She lifted her head; Axel could feel her staring again. The eyes of her mask gleamed and he swallowed bile as he nodded. "How did Kairi get her keyblade?"

"I… I don't know." It wasn't technically a lie; he knew bits and pieces, but he couldn't tell the whole story even if he wanted to.

"Who performed the ceremony?" Invi pressed. "Who must know who awakened the power within her?"

"Aqua," he answered with a grimace. Invi frowned again.

"Who did she inherit the power from?" Axel narrowed his eyes and folded his arms.

"Why is it so important?"

"Kairi's power… there's something familiar about it, but I can't determine what."

"What do you know about-"

"You didn't answer my question." Axel huffed.

"Because I don't know," he answered. "It's not the kind of thing we talk about. Probably her master, Eraqus. And don't ask me where he got it from. I never even met the guy." He paused, glancing at Invi who finally nodded in response. "So what do you know about your Master's plans?" Invi shifted her weight with a deep frown.

"Far less than I want to," she answered softly. "I know that they involve Sora and the Master's box, and us."

"A box?" he asked. "This wouldn't be a black box, would it?" Invi nodded.

"Our Master entrusted it to Luxu shortly before he disappeared. Luxu's mission was to keep it safe."

But he hadn't, had he? He'd lost it, and he'd tasked a handful of members of Xehanort's new Organisation to look for it.

"Luxu has it, then?" he asked. Invi nodded. "What's inside it?"

"We don't know," she answered with a shrug. "The Master forbade Luxu from ever opening it."

"So why don't you open it?" Invi opened her mouth to answer, but her words seemed to catch in her throat. "Your Master didn't forbid you from looking inside, did he?" Her lips seemed frozen, parted just enough to let out a little squeak which hung in the silence between them.

Silence.

Axel span on his heel, peering in to the darkness and straining to listen. The creatures in the undergrowth had stilled and the owls had fallen silent. Even the wind in the trees seemed quieter than when they had entered. The moon's pale light pierced the canopy of leaves overhead.

"Summon your weapon!" Invi hissed. Axel turned in time to see her summon her keyblade in one hand while the other lifted the cowl of her hood to cover the bottom of her face. Axel barely had time to wrap his fingers around the hilt before she charged. She easily shattered his hastily-erected shield, and with a single blow she sent him barrelling backwards. His back struck the trunk of a tree and he collapsed to the ground, winded.

Gula appeared not a moment later, emerging silently from the shadows. He glanced at Axel for the briefest moment before turning his attention to Invi.

"There is nothing more for me here," he said softly. Invi nodded and banished her keyblade.

"We should return to the others." Her voice was stronger than it had been before, and Axel wondered if Gula knew why she had wanted to spend time with Axel. Likely not, given how quick she was to make it look as though they had been fighting. His suspicions were confirmed when she allowed Gula to open the corridor and step through the portal first; after he was gone she turned to Axel and lifted her finger to her lips before following.

Axel allowed himself a moment to lie in the silence, still trying to wrap his head around the conversation. How much could he trust? Did the Apprentices truly not know what their Master had in store? Or Luxu, for that matter, given all that Invi hadn't said; it seemed that he was somewhat higher on the pecking order, or at least on a different page to the rest of them. And if they truly were so blind, why was Invi trying to figure it out on her own? It suggested either some complicated sort of mind game, or dissent among the ranks, and Axel wasn't sure what to make of either option.

"I should have known… I'd find you slacking…"

Axel rolled on to his side with a painful wheeze. Isa was leaning heavily against a nearby tree, his eyes weary and his face covered in blossoming bruises. Axel forced a grin.

"Well hey there, handsome." Isa rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh.

"Pass me a potion," he wheezed. "I'm… all out." Axel reached in to his pocket and withdrew an elixir which he threw over both of them.

"You okay?" he grunted, dragging himself up to lean his back against the tree.

"Never better," Isa grunted. "You seem to have fared better than I did."

"We weren't really fighting," he answered. "We were… talking."

"Talking?"

"Yeah," he murmured as Isa pulled him heavily to his feet. "It was… weird."

He recounted the conversation in bits and pieces as they made their way back out of the forest, both leaning heavily against each other. His retelling was disjointed, and he jumped back and forth so many times it was a wonder that Isa was able to keep up.

"You should call Kairi," Isa said firmly once they were inside the ship. He limped towards the pilot's seat and sat down heavily. "And soon. If Invi has taken an interest in Kairi, it does not bode well."

"I know," he muttered. His phone was already in his hand, his thumb hovering over her name. There was someone else he needed to call first. He tapped out a quick message and fired it off before slipping the phone back in to his pocket. "I'm gonna go make some calls. You sure you're okay to take the ship?"

It was perhaps a testament to how badly Isa had been defeated that there was no cutting retort. He didn't even glance over his shoulder when he uttered a quiet, "Go. I'll be fine." Axel hovered by the hatch, one foot on the ladder.

"Don't listen to what Gula said," he said quietly. "It took me a while for me to summon my keyblade. And Kairi, she touched Aqua's keyblade when she was a little girl and it took years for hers to appear." Isa huffed a dry half-laugh.

"Not the most reassuring story, but I appreciate the sentiment." A hand appeared then to give a dismissive wave and Axel descended to the lower deck.

Not for the first time, he wondered if Isa would ever be able to summon a keyblade. Despite Axel's reassurances, it did seem to be taking an awfully long time to manifest. Then again, Axel didn't truly know how long it was supposed to take. The only real point of reference he had – outside fo his own exceptional circumstances – was Kairi, who seemed to have had several years between touching Aqua's keyblade and being able to summon one of her own. He'd never really thought to ask any of the others how they'd become bearers, or how long it had taken. It seemed somewhat invasive to ask, as though it was the kind of thing that should have been personal.

As he collapsed on to his bed and pulled out his phone, he paused with a thought. Whilst he didn't know the full story of anyone's first summoning, he could vividly remember the details of his own. He remembered the time chamber, with Mickey and Yen Sid watching expectantly as he summoned his chakrams over and over again while trying to reach for the power blossoming in his heart. The weapons he had used as a Nobody had just been so easy to summon – a force of habit so ingrained that it took great amounts of focus to bypass them in order to summon his keyblade. In fact, it wasn't until several weeks in to training with Kairi that he was able to summon the keyblade as easily as he used to summon his chakrams, and over time the two had sort of blended together, allowing him to easily switch between them.

He frowned down at his phone, his thumb hovering over the screen. Could the claymore be the problem? Isa would have been more familiar with it now than Axel had ever been with his chakrams, given his return to the Organisation and the battles since being recompleted a second time. Perhaps he was going through the same thing – trying to figure out how to overcome his dependence on the claymore to trust in his heart and the keyblade waiting to take form.

The phone started buzzing wildly in his hand, drawing him from his thoughts. Ienzo's name was on the screen, but it was Aerith's face that appeared when Axel answered the call.

"Is everything all right? Ienzo said you needed to speak to me." Her face was pinched with concern and Axel tried to smile.

"I… uh… I was just wondering if I could ask a favour."

"Of course," she said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'll help if I can."

"Can you… Have you seen Kairi's grandma recently?"

"Earlier this morning. I bumped in to her at the market."

"Is she doin' okay?" he asked. "She didn't… I dunno… She didn't mention anything weird happening? Anyone snooping around or getting in her way?" Aerith frowned and shook her head.

"She seemed fine," she answered. "She asked if we had any news about Kairi or you, and then she invited us for tea tomorrow afternoon. Why? Is something wrong?" Axel frowned and sat down heavily on his bed, running a tired hand over his face.

"Maybe," he answered at last. "I'm not sure. Would you keep an eye on her for me? You and the others?"

"Of course," she said in a tone that suggested it was an affront to think that she wouldn't. "Axel, are you sure you're all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he sighed. "Listen, I gotta go. Tell… Tell Kadira I said hello." Aerith gave him one last scrutinising glance through the phone before finally bidding him a quiet farewell.

Next on his mental list was Riku, who seemed equal parts surprised and confused when he answered the call. Axel wasn't much in the mood for pleasantries; if the encounter itself hadn't been enough, the thought of going behind Kairi's back was leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. Still, he knew enough from Naminé's infrequent texts that she still wasn't too excited to be going home, and she seemed to be getting more anxious as they crossed more and more worlds off their list.

He quickly ran Riku through his encounter with Invi, noting how Riku's expression seemed to grow more somber by the minute. By the time Axel was done, Riku seemed to have aged several years and he ran an exhausted hand over his face.

"Thanks for the update," he said, his expression grim. "Have you told the others yet?"

"No. I came to you first because I wanted to ask a favour. Invi mentioned something about Kairi's family and I just wanted to make sure they're all right, but we're way too far out to double back now. I figured you've got access to the master lists and could probably figure out who's closest to Destiny Islands to check if anyone might be close enough to stop by." Riku pursed his lips and glanced at something unseen for several long moments before answering.

"I'll go," he said at last. He turned his gaze back to the phone and there was a sudden fire in his eyes that had been missing before. "I'm not really much help here right now. Luxord's come up against some kind of wall in his memories, so he's training with Aqua instead, and Ven and Vanitas seem to be doing just fine on their own." Axel didn't miss the grimace that passed over his face as he uttered Vanitas' name. "Write down as much as you can remember and send it to Chip and Dale. They'll make sure it gets to the others."

"I will," he promised. Riku made his excuses then, and they shared an awkward farewell before the call disconnected. Axel sighed heavily as he scrolled through his contacts until he found Kairi's name. The call's gentle chirping filled the room for far longer than it should have, and by the time Kairi finally answered Axel was halfway to the door to demand that Isa turn the ship around so they could go after her.

"Hey Axel!"

"Kairi!" he breathed, sitting down heavily on the bed again. "You took your time!" She blushed and ducked her head with a nervous laugh.

"I couldn't get the auto-pilot to turn on," she grumbled.

"They're letting you fly?"

"If you called just to bully me then I'm hanging up," she grumbled through a pout as the flush in her cheeks quickly spread to her ears. Axel couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

"I'm just happy to have finally found something that I'm better at," he said through a smirk. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please. You're better at a lot of things than I am."

"Most of which don't get mentioned in polite company," he said with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. She laughed a little at that.

"So what's up?" she asked. The camera jerked from side to side as she repositioned, curling her legs up in the chair. "I know you didn't call for a chat."

"Says who?"

"Says the look on your face." It was said with a smile, but he didn't miss the way her eyes were pinched and studying him intently through the phone. He forced a weak smile.

"Guess there's no foolin' you, is there?" He followed it up with a laugh that only made her more concerned.

"Axel…" He sighed, letting the smile fall away completely.

"We… we had a run-in with the Apprentices today. We're fine," he added hastily as the colour rapidly drained from her face. "They… Well, Isa's a little banged up, but he'll recover."

"What about you?" He brushed off the concern with a lazy wave of his hand.

"I'm fine. I managed to keep her talking so we didn't really do that much fighting."

"Her? So it was Invi? What did she say?" He tried not to grimace; she really was too sharp for her own good sometimes (would it kill her to pay slightly less attention to stuff every once in a while?).

"Asking questions, mostly. Not sure what she was trying to get at but… she seemed very interested in… in you." Kairi frowned slightly, though to Axel's surprise she didn't seem overly taken aback by the news.

"That's all?"

"What do you mean, 'that's all'?" She bit her lip and looked away from the phone, glancing over her shoulder before curling up tightly against the pilot's seat.

"We only have a handful of worlds left," she said, her voice a near-whisper. "Why haven't they stopped us? First Terra and Mickey, now you and Isa, why haven't they come after us?"

His stomach dropped in to his shoes at the thought. Gula and Invi had seemed to know exactly where they were going to be, and if Gula was to be believed then they had been following Axel and Isa for the better part of the day before choosing to reveal themselves. And while Mickey and Terra had been caught off-guard by Ira and Aced, it had certainly sounded as though the Apprentices had found them intentionally.

But why?

"I… Maybe they're distracted," he suggested. "Invi made it sound like they're not too sure what the big picture is."

"She said that?"

"Well… kind of." He ran her through his conversation with Invi, recounting her answers as best he could. When he was done Kairi let out a short, thoughtful hum before lapsing in to silence for several seconds, her gaze lowered to her lap.

"We need to tell Xion and Roxas to be careful," she said at last with a troubled frown. "I'd bet munny that they'll be the next targets, and it wouldn't surprise me if it's Luxu that goes to see them. He's already tried to get inside Roxas' head once." And succeeded, if only for a while, though Axel didn't say it aloud. He thought it was kind that Kairi didn't either.

"How do you know he won't come for you?" Axel asked.

"Because I think if that was his plan, he would have done it already." She seemed so confident in the thought that Axel's heart skipped a nervous beat.

"You'll still be careful, though, right?" he asked. She looked confused for a moment before her frown melted in to a gentle smile.

"Of course," she answered. "You too."

Here's a fun fact that I learned in order to write this chapter: Cinderella's prince is never referred to as Prince Charming in any of the animated Cinderella movies. According to Wikipedia, the only direct reference calling him Prince Charming is in Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep.

And what do you think Invi's up to? The plot thickens…

I promise I will try my very best not to keep you waiting so long until the next update. In the meantime, if you're able to drop a review or add this story to your follows/favourites, it would mean the absolute world to me. Thank you to everyone who reads, likes, follows, favourites and – of course – a special thank you to everyone who leaves a review (anonymous reviews are currently enabled as I know it can be a hassle to log in sometimes).

Take care, stay safe, and I'll see you in the next chapter!