WolfieRed23: Hello everyone, we're back in a much shorter period of time! We had a bit of a creative burst, so to speak, which probably explains that. Dunno if it'll keep up or our schedules will continue to line up, but we'll see! Thanks to Antex-The Legendary Zoroark (Thank you for all the nice reviews, they mean a lot to us!) for reviewing, all 6 followers, 4 favorites and 269 readers! Now, this chapter was written mostly by Legacy with only one scene really written by me so I give most of the credit to them (don't believe anything they say against that). And here's a little message from them about the chapter too!

LegacyReturns: Hey guys, so let me apologize in advance for how exposition-heavy this chapter is, especially since, as the title suggests, the characters will be debriefing each other. There is a lot for each party to cover, after all. Not to be worried, though. This chapter will have character development and characterization for several OCs and canon characters you guys love. Anyways, Wolfie and I had lots of fun writing this so we hope you guys will have fun reading it!

Chapter 4: Debriefing

Location: The Land of Departure - Castle Gardens

The garden that Aqua and Sari tended to on a daily basis had become about the most peaceful area in the entirety of the Land of Departure so this is where Aqua brought her newest apprentice to for meditation. The woman and her apprentice sat with their legs crossed at the entrance to a grotto with a small stream of water running between them down off the edge of a cliff. They sat in complete silence, breathing in and out slowly as time flowed around them. The trees wafted in the slight breeze, the fish swam through the water, and the sun slowly pushed further away from the center of the sky, casting longer shadows by the minute.

Despite the calm environment, Alexina could not keep from shaking her leg. It had fallen asleep, making her uncomfortable and she could not shake the feeling from her thoughts. A single pale green eye cracked so Alexina could sate her curiosity. She thought it improbable that her master could sit there completely still and undisturbed even by her own thoughts so she had to see it to believe it. But it was true. Aqua sat with a peaceful look on her face. Having a daughter and, at the moment, three apprentices to look after had aged Aqua more than the woman liked or cared to admit so meditation was something she took to religiously for self care

Alexina closed her eye to try clearing her thoughts again. She took a deep breath and exhaled to relax herself. Not long after that, her mind began to stray, thinking about different things such as her home, her training, and that woman. Suddenly, she shot up and said, "Master, I can't do this!" She let out a groan of frustration.

Aqua's face scrunched but melted into a calm smile. She looked up at her apprentice before cooly saying, "Alexina, you have to remember that meditation is not something that comes easy to everyone. Just like with everything, it takes practice, but more importantly, it requires effort." Alexina's gaze fell so Aqua said, "It sounds counterintuitive doesn't it?"

"It does."

Aqua gestured for Alexina to take her seat again, which the apprentice did obediently. "What are you thinking about when you meditate?"

"Nothing." Aqua knew better. She raised an eyebrow. Alexina sighed and said, "Well, I think about home."

"It's understandable to miss your home. When I was brought here by Master Eraqus, I too felt homesick. If it weren't for…" Aqua paused, which Alexina took notice of.

"Master?"

"Y-yes. As I was saying, if it wasn't for Terra, I wouldn't have been able to feel like the Land of Departure was my home. Do you regret leaving your home?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. When you came to my Thebes with the offer to train me on how to use a Keyblade, I felt like I'd finally found a way to save my father from Ares."

Aqua gave her a soft look. "Alexina, you must realize that as Keyblade wielders, we have a duty to protect the world order. There are some things that we cannot, in good faith, do, even if it means we keep ourselves from the things we desire the most."

Alexina simply nodded. She would figure out a way to preserve the world order and rescue her father, as well as be worthy of the Keyblade that was to be bestowed upon her. Before they could resume the meditation, Maia's voice could be heard from around the edge of the grotto wall.

"Master Aqua!"

"I'm in here, Maia," Aqua called.

Maia's face brightened when she saw her fellow apprentice. "Lexi!" She then turned to Aqua and said, "Master Ventus has called for you in the main hall. He said something about a meeting."

"A meeting? We weren't expecting anyone."

"Should I tell him you're busy?"

"No, I should attend."

Aqua walked with the girls up to the castle entrance and into the main hall where Ventus stood with Silva in his arms.

"Look Silva, it's Mommy!" The child practically fell out of Ventus' arms to go to her mother but the blonde was quick to set her down gently so she could run over.

Aqua smiled warmly as she lifted her daughter into the air. Silva spread her arms wide and giggled as Aqua brought her back into her arms, in a secure hold. Aqua then asked her colleague, "You called, Ven?"

He nodded. "It's Riku and Ienzo."

"Is everything okay?" Her brow furrowed with worry.

Ventus shrugged. "I'm not sure. Riku just told me that he needed both of us here to listen to some developments."

Aqua nodded and turned to Maia and Alexina. "Girls, would you mind taking Silva to the playground in the back?"

"Of course not, Master," Maia said as she took hold of Silva and carried her outside.

Aqua and Ventus took a seat in their respective thrones and generated a light blue holographic wall in the center of the room. Ventus dialed Riku's Gummiphone and rested his own phone on his throne's armrest, which linked the device to the projection. When Riku answered the call, Aqua and Ventus could see a lot of familiar faces standing in Ansem's lab. There was Riku, the apprentices that were with him, Ienzo, Aeleus, and Isa.

"Aqua, Ven, can you hear me?" Riku asked.

"We can hear you," Aqua responded. "Hello everyone." Greetings were quickly exchanged between them all.

Riku opened the conversation. "Alright, we'll make this brief. So it turns out that our investigation might be linked to Aeleus and Isa's own local investigation."

"How so?" Ventus asked.

Isa stepped forward and began explaining. His hair had been cut very short to draw away any attention from himself during his mission. "Recently, we have noticed that there has been an increase in illegal activity going on in the Radiant Garden Underground." He was direct, almost militarian in his approach. His hands were held behind is back, straightening out his posture. His voice was dry and calm but he spoke eloquently. "From when we last spoke regarding the shortage of materia and the dwindling number of Moogle shops, Aeleus and I came across some information that a lot of this world's Munny was going through the black market so we decided to do an investigation, going under our Nobodies' aliases."

Ienzo added, "We believed that since Aeleus and Isa have been seen in public the least, they would be the best candidates to operate underground and our speculation was correct."

Isa nodded. "In a short amount of time, Aeleus became the champion of the Underground Fighting Circuit and we were close to meeting the ringleader of that operation until your apprentices appeared down there and I was forced to break my cover to save them and evacuate. Luckily, Aeleus did not reveal himself and will still be allowed entrance below."

Aqua asked for clarification. "So you believe that this fighting operation is the cause of the materia shortage in your world."

Isa and Aeleus both nodded.

"Well it does sound pretty likely," Ventus said. "So what do you propose be done?"

Riku answered, "We still need to find Sari and Rickson as well as spread our search out to Montressor since Rickson's Keyblade pointed in that direction so I'm requesting that reinforcements be sent to Radiant Garden while my team and I continue our previously assigned mission."

"Send more of our ranks out?" Aqua asked. She remembered that Kairi was looking into Sora's disappearance and had to consider that there could be someone lurking in the shadows just waiting to strike especially with what Jack had told her about the silver-haired men.

"Aqua?" Ventus asked.

Aqua blinked quickly and realized that all eyes were on her. She straightened herself out in her throne and said, "The leadership of Radiant Garden have been trusted allies of the Land of Departure so it is with a heavy heart that I must respectfully decline this request." This surprised everyone. "As Grandmaster of the Land of Departure, I have to think about the safety of this world since it is the first defense against the denizens of darkness. There have already been too many slips in our defenses recently and in order to protect the balance between light and darkness, we have to keep the Land standing. We cannot weaken our defenses."

Ienzo bowed his head respectfully. "We understand, Aqua."

Ventus disagreed. "Aqua, the sooner we get to the bottom of this, the quicker we can pull all our defenses back to the Land of Departure. I can go with Mahir to offer a helping hand with Aeleus and Isa's investigation. After all, I couldn't think of a better candidate to help with the infiltration than Mahir."

Aqua had her back against the wall. She needed to convince Ventus and Riku that this was not the best course of action. "We need to think about this carefully because this could mean risking not only a Master, but an apprentice as well." Aqua retorted. She knew, it was logically sound argument.

Ventus responded, "Aqua, you heard them. Our own apprentices interfered with their investigation. Put aside the fact that they're our allies and that their work might directly tie into ours. We are liable for anything the apprentices do. We should assume responsibility by lending a helping hand."

Back against that wall again. Just like last time, Aqua redirected. "Wait, which apprentices?"

Before Gia could make an outburst to protect her sister, she was cut off by Lia. "It was Marta and I." Her head was held high. "We were investigating for our own mission and ended up involved in a fight against Aeleus. To protect the world order, I summoned weapons for us to use."

"But that means‒" Ventus cut himself off before he shot a worried look at the holographic ninja, one Aqua felt mirrored on her own face. "Lia! Don't tell me-"

"Yes, I used my Ninjutsu Arts." Lia confirmed. "It was the only way to both protect the world order and our identities."

"But it all worked out! See? Lia's fine, and so am I!" Marta grinned, knocking the side of her head as if to say 'knock on wood'.

Aqua had a questionable look on her face. One that said that she was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the team Riku had put together. Ventus, too, was growing concerned for Lia's safety and how any future incidents could affect her and the rest of the team.

Riku told his colleagues, "It's true that Lia may have used her unstable power but this is what I'm here for, to make sure she doesn't go too far off the deep end."

That's when Lia realized why Riku had joined the team so last minute. It was because of her. He had doubts about her ability to lead a team on such a delicate mission when she couldn't control that damned power of hers. Lia's fist tightened and her gaze fell.

Ventus noticed the change in her behavior. "Lia looks fine to me, Aqua. I really think Riku's team should continue with their mission and I should take Mahir to Radiant Garden. The longer that Jack is alone on Crescentia, the more vulnerable we leave him for his attackers to finish the job. Not to mention that Sari and Rickson haven't reported to us since yesterday. Finding them should be our priority, even above these investigations. We're on a timer, here, so I think we should put it to a vote."

Aqua sighed. Despite having a rank higher than Ventus and Riku, she always respected majority rule. "If you two think this is the best course of action, then that's what we'll do." She did not like how this meeting turned out but was unable to do anything about it except hope for the best outcome.

"I'll go fill Mahir in and we'll make our preparations," Ventus said. "We'll be there within the hour."

Riku nodded. "Understood. Cid called me just before this to let me know that he's already installed the Warp Gummi that I paid him for so we're going to Crescentia now."

Before the call adjourned, Isa said one last thing. "Ven, I look forward to your arrival."

"Me too." Ventus smiled and nodded before shutting the call off. He then looked over at Aqua, studying the worry marks on her forehead. She was clearly uneasy by his and Riku's decision but he did not understand why.

"Aqua," he said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. When she looked back at him, he reassured her, "Everything will be okay."

"Ven, we're stronger together and now it feels like we've never been more separated." She also referred to Sora's disappearance, Terra's absence, and just how distant they'd been with their friends and allies lately. Aqua realized that she had just denied Ansem's people aid but what could she do given everything that was on her plate?

"You're right. We are stronger together. That's why we have to build bridges, not burn them. We might be divided physically but that doesn't mean we have to be divided in our beliefs and mindsets too. As long as we work together, with each other and our friends, there isn't anything to worry about."

Aqua cracked a smile. "How do you always do that?"

Ventus was confused. "Do what?"

"How do you always manage to see the good in the bad?"

"I don't know. I like to believe in my friends."

"That must be where Sora gets it from…" Just saying his name made Aqua feel the sting of guilt that she had been trying to ignore.

"I can tell you miss how things used to be. When Sora and Kairi lived here with us. When Terra, Roxas, and Xion visited more frequently. When Naminé actually talked to us. I miss it too. It felt like we were all a family and-"

"And now it feels like all of them are just people we used to know."

"Yeah…" Ventus' sapphire eyes fell. The two of them were quiet for a moment before the blonde continued, "But now's not the time to dwell on what could be or what could've been. Now's the time for us to get to work." He stood up from his throne and walked toward the stairs but stopped before descending them. "You'll see, Aqua. Things will turn out better."

Ventus was gone. Now that she was all alone, Aqua slumped in her seat and looked up at the ornate ceiling. She muttered to herself, "I sure hope so."

Location: Radiant Garden - Ansem's Castle - Ansem's Study

Ansem the Wise, the great scientist and researcher, had been the ruler of Radiant Garden for several decades, but his power had been usurped for thirteen of those years. Since the end of the Second Keyblade War, Ansem had returned to his position as leader of his world and a man of science. It was this very science that brought about the near destruction of the entire universe all those years ago so to atone for his sins, Ansem's was an all-around more empathetic and generous man. When Naminé requested that he speak with Kairi, Ansem gladly provided the redhead some of his time. He had even told Ienzo that he would no longer be going to the lab for the meeting with Riku and the other Keyblade masters because Naminé had expressed urgency and discretion in the matter.

Ansem met with Kairi, Roxas, and Xion in his personal study - his thick walls preventing anyone from hearing the conversation they had. There, Kairi explained her journey to the man and waited for his advice. Ansem stroked his gray beard with his thumb and index finger. He was thinking, carefully considering everything Kairi had told him, including the secrecy that she was working under.

Despite keeping a calm front, Kairi was choked up on the inside. She needed any sort of advice that could send her in the right direction. She did not even notice that when he began speaking, she made a slightly audible gasp.

"Kairi, when was the last time you set foot on this world?"

The redhead was going to answer but she needed to think about the answer. "When Sora and Riku‒I mean Xehanort's Heartless‒fought here." The answer shocked Roxas and Xion, both of whom had been to Radiant Garden at least a dozen times since their conception.

Roxas asked, "Kairi, are you serious?" Kairi nodded.

Xion reiterated the question. "You never came on a mission here while you lived on the Land of Departure?"

She shook her head. "Honestly, I think I've always just tried to stay away from this world because of my last visit. There was never a need for me to actually come here so I never did." Ansem had been silent during this exchange so Kairi looked to see what he would say next but when she noticed that he was giving her a knowing look, she thought about why he asked about her last visit. Then it dawned on her: he knew the answer before asking it. "You think that has something to do with why I was brought here."

He nodded once. "In all of the discussions regarding the inner workings of the heart that I've had with King Mickey, the one thing that those discussions all came back to is that the heart seems to have some sort of connection to other hearts."

"Hey, didn't Sora say that he followed hearts to find yours when Xehanort-agh!" Xion cut Roxas off by elbowing him in the ribs.

"Yeah...he did. So does that mean that he vanished again? Was he using the Power of Waking again? No, that can't be. My heart didn't lead me through other people's hearts. He said that that's how he found me."

Ansem continued. "You must keep in mind that worlds also have hearts and hearts have memories. I hypothesize that these memories are a key part to the essence of a person and therefore, a place with a strong connection to the memory will lead you ever closer to that person if your heart wishes deeply enough and the connection is strong enough."

Kairi processed Ansem's advice. She slowly followed his train of thought. "So you mean to say that...if worlds have hearts and by extension memories…" Ansem nodded along. "Then that means that my heart led me to Radiant Garden because the world is remembering something?"

"I believe that it remembers something that links you to Sora."

"It remembers when Sora gave his life for mine."

"That could be a possibility. Shall we test that hypothesis?"

"You mean...go to where it happened?" Kairi was hesitant. She was not haunted by memories of that day because she had repressed them, choosing only to look at what she had in her life rather than the tragedies of her past. Now that Sora was gone in her life, she realized that she had to face those tragedies. Kairi's grip tightened as she nodded. The others could sense the conflict in her but also the resolve that came after. She was serious about finding Sora and it was clear that she was not going to let anything come between her and achieving that goal.

Location: Radiant Garden - Ansem's Castle - Ansem's Lab

After the call with Aqua and Ventus ended, Riku turned to Ienzo and Aeleus to discuss some final details regarding the arrangement he and Ventus pushed for. Isa would be filled in on those details later. Two of his guests caught his attention. The blue-haired man walked toward Gia and Lia, greeting the twin he was already familiar with.

"Gia, it's good to see you," he said.

Gia turned to Isa and rushed him with a hug. "Isa!" she said excitedly.

Isa welcomed it with a single hand on her back. "It's good to see you, Gia. I'm surprised to see you without Lea, though."

"Hothead had another mission or something," she waved.

"Yes, he told me before he departed from the Land."

"Worried about him?" Gia teased.

Isa smirked and shook his head. "Never." His eyes shifted over to Lia, which made her stand as straight as she could. There was nothing wrong with her posture before but first impressions were important to her. "You must be Lia. Your sister talks a lot about you." He placed a hand forward.

Lia met it and politely responded, "I am honored to meet one of Lord Ansem's elite guards."

Isa gave a curt nod. "I'm impressed with the skill you showed today, Lia. Perhaps once your and Gia's training is complete, you two could join the guard."

Gia teased, "You just want Lea back home without a reason to leave again."

He was stoic as he turned to Gia and said, "You, on the other hand, need a long way to go to complete your training. Dilan told me what happened in the courtyard."

"Stupid Muscle Head," Gia muttered under her breath.

Isa turned back to Lia and said, "Please do consider my offer. Both of you. And Gia, you know you're always welcome at my house whenever you visit. That goes for you as well, Lia. Just give me a call. May I see your Gummiphone, Lia?"

"Yes, of course."

He quickly saved his phone number in Lia's phone and handed it back to her before excusing himself and exiting the room to reunite with his colleagues.

Ryo approached the twins and said, "Ms. Gia, you're v-very familiar with the castle guards."

"Well this is Lea's home world so we stop by here every once in a while during our travels. I like coming here because when we do, I get to stay at Lea and Isa's house in their guest bed."

"Master Lea and Mr. Isa share a house together?"

Lia responded, "They're married. You didn't see the ring on Isa's finger?"

Ryo's eyes widened by how insensitive he must have sounded. He stammered while trying to explain himself. "I-I-I-I didn't mean them any d-d-disrespect!"

The young women laughed and reassured their fellow apprentice. Gia said, "You don't have to apologize, Ryo. I had no idea Lea was gay until I actually came and met Isa."

Gia was an anomaly to Ryo. For some reason, she had no trouble putting Ryo at ease, something Lia had seen her fellow apprentices try and fail. This put a smile on Lia's cowled face.

At that moment, Riku walked back in and said, "Alright team, let's get going back to Cid's shop."

Location: Land of Departure - Outer Courtyard

Mahir carefully eyed his surroundings, watching the seemingly docile Flood Unversed that had him surrounded. There were six of them, three in front of him and three behind him, but none of them moved. Any second now...any second...now!

At the exact moment Mahir jumped in the air, the Unversed who were behind him leapt forward, attacking right where he had been standing previously. Quickly, the thief adjusted himself in midair so he could land on his feet, skidding slightly as they touched the ground.

A second later, another Flood leapt at him and Mahir raised his Keyblade, Golden Wonder, to lock the claws aiming for his eyes in place. Using his leverage, Mahir pushed the dark creature away. Unfortunately, another Unversed took his moment of distraction as a chance to go for his unguarded legs.

Quickly, Mahir attempted to step back, out of the way, but he wasn't fast enough. He grunted in pain as the dark creature's claw scraped his ankle before kicking out with his uninjured foot to send the Unversed into the air, allowing him to cut through it with Golden Wonder. He then spun the Keyblade in his grip, cutting through two more Floods that attempted to attack his seemingly unguarded back.

That just left three.

Mahir moved swiftly then, barely able to be seen as he shot towards the three remaining Floods, who met his challenge head on. He dodged the first one that leapt at him, punched the second one with his free hand so it fell to the ground and backflipped right as the third one leapt, his extended legs hitting the Unversed as he did so. In midair, Mahir twisted his body so he landed in kneeling position, stabbing the Flood he kicked directly as he landed.

He rolled out of the way of the last two remaining Floods before quickly using his Keyblade to slice at both before they got the chance to attack again.

That just leaves…

As soon as the thought crossed the thief's mind, the Bruiser Unversed that had been waiting for him jumped right behind him. Moving as fast as he could, Mahir stood up and turned, only to earn a sharp smack across the side of his head.

Damn, too slow...he mentally cursed himself, backflipping a second later to avoid another hit. That was when he saw his opening.

When the Bruiser swung again, Mahir ducked under the swing at the last possible moment, using the Unversed's open stance against it and digging Golden Wonder right into its neck, where a human's jugular vein would be.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the Unversed burst into darkness and Mahir could distantly hear clapping behind him.

"Not bad, Mahir." Ventus praised him, an easy smile on his face as the dark aura around him faded. Instantly, Mahir banished his Keyblade and bowed.

"Thanks, Master." He said. "I've still got some improvement to go but pretty soon, I won't have to call you Master anymore, am I right?"

Ventus chuckled. "What makes you so sure you're ready for your Mark of Mastery?"

"Well, I just feel it, Master."

"The confidence is good. Just remember not to get too cocky. Anyways, I think this is a good time as any to end your training for today. We're heading out." Ventus said, entirely serious as his smile faded. Mahir straightened with a confused expression on his face.

"Wait, seriously? But we just sent out Master Riku and the others. Why are we needed?" The thief questioned, confused. He knew that. excluding Lea, Aqua didn't like sending out more than one master at a time for any jobs, it was an unspoken rule that two would remain at all times at the Land of Departure.

"Something came up in Radiant Garden and we need to focus on it as well as the case with Jack, Sari, and Rickson." Ventus explained before a small smile grew on his face. "You up for it?"

"Yes sir, Master!" Mahir grinned even as he politely bowed. As he straightened up again, he smiled wider. "When are we leaving? What's going on there, anyways?"

"We're supposed to leave by tomorrow morning at the latest. Come on, I'll explain while we head back to your room." Ventus gestured back to the castle.

Mahir nodded in agreement and followed behind his master. Things just got very interesting, if he did say so himself. Maia was going to be so jealous!

Location: Radiant Garden - Ansem's Castle - Grand Hall

Kairi stood in front of the double doors that led to the grand hall. Ansem waited for her to give him a signal that she was ready to proceed. Roxas and Xion stood behind their friend, ready to support. With a heavy sigh, Kairi said, "It's time. I need to go in."

Ansem nodded before turning to unlock the doors. They opened with a long groan until they hit the wall, sending a booming thud deep into the hall. The sound echoed back, sending chills up Kairi's spine. She took a step back but Xion wrapped her hands around the redhead's, patting her back to encourage her.

"You can do this," she said warmly.

Kairi smiled and closed her eyes. She took slow deep breaths and one step forward. Then another and then another until she stood in the hallway where her former fellow Princesses of Heart were kept while Xehanort's Heartless crafted the Keyblade of Heart. Her gaze lingered on the spot where Belle once stood captive in stasis. Ansem and his former apprentices had ridden the room of the pods that once held the princesses which eased Kairi.

The young woman continued forward to the staircase, which she forced herself up. The first step was the most difficult, or at least that's what Kairi hoped. Each step after the first became more sluggish with gravity dragging the redhead's feet. Halfway up the staircase, Kairi just stopped and turned around to face Roxas, Xion, and Ansem.

"I can't do this."

Roxas approached Kairi and put his hands on her shoulders. "Kairi, we're not making you do anything you don't want to do but I want you to know that you can do this. You've done harder things before."

"Like what?"

"You stood by your friends as a Guardian of Light against the Thirteen Seekers of Darkness."

"Yeah and look what good that did us. I cost Sora his life for a while. I know he came back but that doesn't mean death has no consequences." Roxas and Xion raised an eyebrow at her. "You guys weren't dead!" She crossed her arms. "Your hearts were in Sora's."

Roxas responded, "Yeah and thanks to him we're all alive."

He was right. Sora had given up everything for her and their friends. Even when he had nothing left to give, he somehow managed to give more and all with a smile on his face. Kairi needed to find him. There was no question about it. Without any hesitation, Kairi turned on her heel and marched up the staircase, finding herself in front of the balcony that Sora and Xehanort's Heartless fought on. It was smaller than she remembered but at the time, she was running for her life from the Heartless.

Kairi took several steps forward and closed her eyes, reliving the moment but not from her point of view. She saw the events unravel from Sora's. She could feel dark energy spilling from the Heartless machine that glowed with various darkened colors. She could feel the weight behind Riku's swings. Above all, she felt the determination that came from Sora. He knew that he could not lose that battle. There was no thought that crossed his mind except the thought of saving Kairi. "I'll never let you have Kairi's heart!"

Kairi realized that she had yelled that out as she swung Destiny's Embrace out as if she were the one pushing Xehanort's Heartless back. Her eyes widened with shock when she realized how heavy her breaths were. Sweat beaded down the side of her face. Adrenaline pumped inside her as if she were mid-battle. Then the fatigue of battle came and she lost her balance, staggering backward until Roxas caught her.

"Woah! Kairi, are you okay?"

Kairi's eyes fluttered. She had trouble keeping them open. "W-what happened?"

Ansem answered, "I believe that you just re-lived one of this world's memories through Sora."

"Is that possible?" Xion asked. "Because it felt like watching some kind of possession."

"Out of respect for the Princesses of Heart we have never ran tests on them, so there is still much we do not know about them and their unique powers. Kairi is the only princess to have retained both the title and pure heart once Xehanort's Heartless was defeated. She is an enigma in every sense of the word."

Kairi had regained control of her balance so she stood back up, thanking Roxas for catching her. She heard everything Ansem said and thought about what that meant for her and how that could help her on her mission.

Xion asked, "What if your heart led you here to see that moment in time?"

"I'm sure that it did," Kairi responded. "But the question is why? Why did I have to remember that?"

"Maybe it's to get you closer to Sora," Roxas suggested.

"You think it's taking me to him?" Kairi clutched her chest and said, "Ansem, thank you. You've been a great help but I think that we need to go. I think my heart will take us to where we need to go next."

Ansem nodded. "I do not doubt that. I will continue to think upon this. Please contact me if you learn anything new so that I may aid you in any way that I can."

"I will. Thank you again, Ansem." Kairi put her hand forward to shake the man's hand. With that, he led Kairi, Roxas, and Xion back to Naminé so they could be on their way.

To Kairi's dismay, Naminé had heard from Dilan that Riku was inside the castle. Ansem chuckled at the irony. He said, "Young Kairi, it seems fate has intentions that stray from yours."

Kairi's gaze fell. Her voice was low as she said, "I need to decide my own fate, Ansem. I can't tell Riku yet."

Ansem sighed. "I do not feel right keeping this from him, Kairi. I kept much from him during our tenure as associates."

Xion chimed in, "Before you make any decisions, I have to ask, do you know what Riku is doing here?"

"From what Little Ienzo told me, he and some of the apprentices from the Land of Departure are currently on a mission."

Roxas asked, "Did Xion's boyfriend say what the mission was?" Xion was not amused. She glared daggers into that spiky head of his.

Ansem did not acknowledge Roxas' comment about his former apprentice. He simply answered, "He mentioned that it was regarding the shortage of materia, something that has happened here and apparently, across all worlds."

Kairi answered, "I hadn't noticed any shortage, but then again, the Islands are one of the few worlds Moogles don't inhabit."

"We had," Xion said. "We actually haven't synthesized anything in months and the prices at Moogle Shops have gone through the roof."

"We've faced the same dilemma," Ansem added.

That's when Kairi struck. "This means that Riku has to stay focused. You mentioned he had apprentices with him. As much help that learners can be, it also requires attention and focus to lead them. If Riku can't properly lead them, then there'll just be more losses."

Ansem sighed. He was now faced with the same dilemma that everyone else who knew of Sora's disappearance had been plagued with. Ansem regretted that he too would have to share his decision with the rest. His eyes closed and he shook his head. "Kairi, I will not tell Riku. But in exchange, you must never tell him that you were here. He must not know that I have betrayed him."

"More lies…"

Roxas placed a hand on Kairi's shoulder and said, "It doesn't have to be this way, Kairi."

She looked back at him, guilt clear on her face. Kairi's face hardened as she grit her teeth and sighed. "Yes. It does." She turned back to Ansem and said, "You have my word. He will never hear of this."

Roxas and Xion shared a look. The blonde stepped forward and said, "I won't throw you under the bus, Kairi, so I'll promise too."

"Same."

Ansem nodded solemnly. "Thank you. Is there anything else that we can do for you before you leave?"

Kairi shook her head. "No, you've done more than I could have asked for. Thank you."

Ansem nodded and turned away from them, walking down the corridor and around the corner. As he walked away, he chuckled to himself, "Little Ienzo Xion's boyfriend." He was out of range for the young adults to hear and now, they remained in silence. No one knew how to break it until Naminé felt it best to remind them that they were on a mission. She then led the three through an intricate pathway of corridors until they were back in town, where Naminé found them. They had successfully avoided Riku...until they heard his voice around the corner.

Kairi really started to panic. She looked everywhere for a way out of this dilemma. There was nowhere to run or hide, except one place. Her nose crinkled with disgust.

Location: Radiant Garden - Market Place

Riku led his team through a shortcut that he knew of the city, wanting to get to Cid's as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, he did not know it as well as he thought he did, resulting in them getting lost through a long string of alleyways.

"Master Riku, I think we should've made a left back there," Gia said.

"No, that's a dead end. Besides, I think this is the way to the church. I can find my way back to Cid's shop from there." Riku's eyes widened when he saw some old faces. "Roxas? Xion? Naminé..." His voice had taken a steep decline from excited confusion to painful discomfort.

The blonde squeezed her arm and looked off to the side. "Riku."

Riku looked back over at Roxas and Xion and said, "You guys! What are you doing here?"

Xion was quick to answer. "Well considering that this is one of the few worlds that still has Moogle Shops, we're here on a supply run and we ran into Naminé." Riku tried his hardest not to look at the blonde when Xion mentioned her name. "What brings you here with the daycare?"

"You're one to talk," Gia responded. "Are you on summer break right now or are you just ditching school?"

Xion laughed. "Aw, Gia, are you saying I still pass for fifteen? I'm flattered." The black-haired woman went over to hug Gia. "And you must be Lia! We've heard so much about you!" Before Lia could offer a handshake, she was wrapped in a tight hug.

When Xion released her hold, Lia said, "So I've been told. It's a pleasure to meet you, Master Xion. Master Roxas."

Roxas shook his head, "No need to add 'Master.' We were never inducted into the Order. Just call us by our first names."

"Hey Roxas, get a load of this one. When did we have a child together?" Ryo sank his head into his shoulders and avoided eye contact with the stranger.

Riku chuckled and said, "Now that you mention it, he does have Xion's black hair and pale skin, but that hair is all Cloud's. Roxas, Xion, this is Ryo and she's-"

"Hi there! Where are we? Who are you two? I'm Marta."

"Awake," Riku finished.

Marta continued, "Do you guys want to-" And just like that, she was back asleep.

Roxas and Xion looked at each other confused. Though she said nothing, Naminé shared the sentiment.

"And that's Marta," Riku finally said.

There was a strong thud from one of the barrels which caught everyone's attention. Gia was quick to summon Faerie Whytkin.

"W-what was that?" Ryo asked.

Naminé was quick to answer. "Probably just a cat trying to get into that fish barrel." Her grip on her arm tightened.

Gia made her Keyblade disappear. "Oh, so that's what that smell was. Hey, Master Riku, can we get out of here? The smell is kind of making my head hurt."

"Well, we should get going, either way," he said. "Roxas, Xion, Naminé, it was great to see you guys."

"Likewise," Xion said. She went to hug her friend and said, "It sucks that we only ever see you passing by."

"I know, but the work never stops."

"We understand," Roxas said. "Our job doesn't exactly give us much free time either. You should give us a call one of these days, though. You know, whenever you get the chance."

Riku smiled. "Yeah, I will. Well, we'll be on our way." As he passed by Naminé, he offered a very small smile, one that felt much bigger to him because of all the effort that went into it. Naminé simply kept her arms crossed and looked forward.

Riku and his team soon arrived in Cid's shop where he found the man mid-conversation with a woman in her thirties with long brown hair. This was yet another familiar face ‒ Tifa.

"Riku," she said with a smile.

"Hi, Tifa. How are you?"

"Well I'm perfectly fine, but Cloud…"

Ryo whispered to Gia, "D-didn't he m-mention that name earlier?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he did."

"Is he okay?"

"That's the thing. I don't know. Cid was just telling me that you're currently on a mission. I'd like to come with you."

[Bonus Scene] Location: Market Place

Kairi kicked the lid off the fish barrel and tipped it over with her weight, spilling its contents all over the floor.

"Kairi!" the others yelled as they tried to keep the fish and the water they soaked in from touching their shoes.

"Well excuse me but I think you all forgot about me while you were being chummy with Riku!"

Roxas nudged Xion with his elbow. "Ha! Chummy. Like fish. I get it."

Kairi grunted as she stomped away from them.

WolfieRed23: Yeah, remember that completely innocent mentioning of the fish barrels...? Surprise!

Sorry there's not a lot of fighting this chapter, but we had to set up a bunch of stuff, involving the plot AND all the characters! Still, this was a fun chapter to work on, planning out how all the characters would interact and stuff while keeping track of who is involved in what plot and knows what information. And, of course, plenty of little hints for future developments (cause Legacy and I going AU into this, did you expect anything less from me?)

In any case, we're gonna get back to chapter planning now and see where we decide to go from here! Hope you all enjoyed and we'll probably be back sometime after Re:MIND comes out! Who knows?

May your heart be your guiding key!