Here we are folks. The bridge between Act 1 and Act 2. Act 2 is still in the works, but I figured I could put these up first. As I said, these are pre-written in advanced, and I did a couple of edits over the months.

This will be short compared to Lost in Darkness, however. But just because it's short doesn't mean I'll just update them at once. I want you guys to enjoy them for about a weak until I post the rest. I hope you understand.

Though, a word of warning: this would have some spoilers if you hadn't gotten to certain points or played certain games.

Now the Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts nor Final Fantasy nor Disney characters. I only own my original characters and this timeline is mine (if that made sense). So, my story, my rules.

With that, enjoy!

The Lanes Between. The ancient passageways used by Keyblade users back then, to travel between worlds. While it wasn't used as much before, considering certain events, the Lanes had…changed.

Instead of just empty space with 'paths' leading to a world or two…it was like a large, grand ocean. This is perhaps the result of the walls keeping the worlds separated being destroyed nine years prior. With there being a change…there might be new dangers.

~o~

Within his tower, Yen Sid sat at his desk. Contemplating recent events. The door to darkness has been sealed. That is good. Yet, Mickey is trapped in the dark realm. It would take time for him to escape from there. IF there is a means to escape…

…But, he was also thinking about the presence of three hearts. Two of which are young, that had vanished nine years ago, but had returned. Hearts stronger than ever…and with particular gifts.

The third…is something he hadn't felt in a long while…

He raised his head. "…I must not make assumptions. I have to see with my own eyes…if it is her, or not," he said to himself.

He couldn't keep his hope up. Even though he would want to.

~o~

In the space before Radian Garden…a portal manifested. Two 'ships' shot out, before they stopped. A pair of 'bubbles' of light surrounds the two vehicles, protecting the occupants within.

"Whoa!" Lea breathed out, looking around. "It's practically space!"

Aqua looked around. Something feels…different. She hummed. "Based on what I seen…the Lanes Between seem to be in the midst of reforming by Masters like me. Now that the worlds are restored…" She looked at the two, watching them look around in awe.

It's the very first time they had seen anything like it.

"…It's…beautiful," Isa breathed out.

She gave a soft smile. She remembered the first time she set her eyes on the Lanes Between. The same wonder she felt. 'I guess no matter the age, you can still be amazed by something,' she thought. She let them enjoy the view for a while, they'll be done soon.

Soon enough, they looked to her. "So…where do you think the Tower's located?" Lea asked her.

"Like I mentioned, I don't know," Aqua responded. "But the world itself can usually be seen closer to where a threat is." She thought back, seeing it near Radiant Garden ten years aback. "I remembered at one point that it was originally near Radiant Garden and another cluster of worlds."

"Huh. Considering the Unversed, I guess that made sense," Lea remarked as Isa looked around.

"…It doesn't look like it's near here," he reported. "But let's take a look around."

"Right, we gotta start somewhere," Lea agreed as he looked around. "Hm…you know, I think we could take the time to get used to our rides. That okay, Aqua?"

She hummed. "Well, all right, but be careful," she warned them, "It might be possible that we could end up engaging with Heartless out there."

Noting that, Lea groaned, slumping. "Oh great…it can't be a pleasure flight, could it?" He huffed. "Well, let's get going then."

"Well, let's hope it would be," Isa said, trying to be optimistic. "But…let's be cautious."

"I know, I know," Lea said before the two turned and flew off.

For the most part, the flight was enjoyable…but, they knew better than to let down their guard at this point. Even though they could never get enough of the sight before them.

During their flight, Lea is reminded of something. "Oh yeah. Didn't Mickey say that we need to upgrade and maintain our Keyblades?" He looked over at the two. "How do we do that exactly?"

Isa hummed. "I dunno. I'm sure Yen Sid could tell us."

"He's right about that," Aqua responded. "I do remember that we could do that by finding materials from defeating certain things…to be honest, the three of us never thought about doing it, since there were no Heartless. But considering new circumstances…Yen Sid could know more than I could."

"Well, I guess that made sense," Lea figured. "Not like you'd need to get materials to strengthen your Keyblade." He looked up. "But considering a few things, we'll need to figure out on what exactly we need, so we don't go around blindly to find stuff we don't actually need. I'd rather not have mine break, thanks."

"And you were making an earlier complaint about it," Isa teased him.

"Well, that was before I was reminded, man," Lea defended himself.

"Right."

The two continued to fly before they soon spot something. "Hey…is that…?" Lea began, trying to lean forward a bit. Aqua had to lean back to prevent them from being flipped.

Up ahead, it looked to be…a tower. It isn't straight, but not completely crooked either. The top looks like a cone, with a waxing crescent moon on it and some stars.

"That's it," Aqua announced. "The Mysterious Tower."

"So that's our destination? About time. Let's land." He opened the way with his Glider before he flew through.

Isa shook his head but smiling before he soon followed after his friend.

~o~

A portal formed near the island. The two guided their Gliders to the 'land', floating over it before they stepped off. The 'bubbles' of light disappeared around them once they set foot on land. The Keyblades turned back into their blade shapes, before the boys dismissed them. They looked up at the tower. "So, we'll find him here?" Lea asked.

Aqua nodded. "That's right. He should be at the top."

The two took the time to look around. It's a small island, with a few plants, like bushes and shrubs about, and a few trees. The sky around the 'island' is like they're in a twilit sky, with thousands of stars above them.

…

Well, they can check it out later.

Lea ran his fingers through his hair. "We're about to meet an old, retired Master of the Keyblade, huh?" Lea asked. He lowered his arm. "Well…let's get this over with."

He heads up the stairs and pulls open the door. Aqua and Isa followed him inside.

…And the boys stared up, dumbfounded at how there's a long staircase before them. "…Magic, right?" Isa asked.

"Yup."

"Figures."

Aqua stepped forward. "Let's go, you two."

"Fine," Lea sighed as Isa nodded before they walked up the stairs.

~o~

As they walked up the stairs, the boys are just…startled. Of how big this tower is on the inside. If they hadn't seen magic firsthand or gone through strange scenarios within the realm of darkness, they would be questioning it all, trying to make sense out of it.

Funny of how one's experience can change how you think…

The climb to the top is long. Pretty long.

"Do you think he would be expecting us?" Lea asked them at one point.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Aqua responded. "He's…sort of a watcher. Though he did teach Mickey how to use the Keyblade, he observes what happens."

"…So you'd think he could have stopped Xehanort," Isa said. "Or, he was just unable to interfere?"

Aqua hummed. That is a good point. Yen Sid could have stopped this before it happened. Was there…a certain restriction to be able to 'observe' things? Forced to never interfere…unless he has to? Hm. "…I'm not entirely sure," she admitted. "He could have stopped all of this, could he? Unless all he could do is watch now."

"So why teach Mickey then?" Lea asked her, looking back.

"Maybe he needed a successor," Isa figured, thinking. "Someone to help protect the worlds."

"Maybe," Aqua responded. "You know, I never exactly questioned it. It probably wouldn't even cross my mind."

"If you were the 'old' you?" Lea asked.

"Yes."

Soon enough, they came upon a door that has the symbol of a sorcerer's cap.

The two looked up at it. They looked at each other, and Aqua. Lea approached the door. But instead of knocking, he just opened the door a crack. He peeks inside, looking around. The room seems to be a loft. An enormous desk is in the center of the room, framed by uniquely shaped windows. Lea could notice that there are nooks filled with stuff. He couldn't see much of the full room yet, with how he's positioned.

"…Hello?" Lea cautiously called out.

"Please, come in," a man's voice responded.

He jumped at the voice, not expecting it. He hesitated…before he opens it all the way, for the three to look inside. Standing before the window shaped like a crescent moon, is a tall figure. There's a third window, framing the desk. To the right of Lea is another door.

They entered the room, the man turning to them. Upon seeing Aqua, who entered first, his eyes lit up. The three stood before the desk, with Aqua bowing. "Master Yen Sid, it's been a long time. 10 years to be exact."

The two boys looked over at the man. He wore a blue robe, mostly, and a long, grey beard. He wore a sorcerer's hat on top, adored with yellow stars and a waxing crescent moon.

"…That it has," the man said, getting their attention. "I am…relieved to see you back in one piece, Aqua." He soon heads over to the tall, imposing chair, sitting down in it. "But if I may ask, what has happened to you that had led to your disappearance?"

Aqua lowered her head. "It was a trap by Xehanort," She answered, with Yen Sid's eyes widening a little. "In a sympathy for trying to help Terra, Xehanort tricked me to being entrapped in the realm of darkness. I was…trapped there, for ten years. But I wasn't alone. A year after I 'fell'," she gestured to the boys, "these two, Lea and Isa of Radiant Garden, escaped with their hearts and lives to the realm of darkness."

The man regarded the two, with Lea and Isa intimidated. Noting those, he waved his hands. "At ease, you two."

Lea's shoulder's slumped as the two relaxed.

"As I said, I was trapped for a year…and spent the last few years with these two boys, finding a way to escape the realm of darkness," Aqua continued. "Eventually, we met up with Mickey by coincidence. But he told us on what happened, and we helped him, Sora and Riku close the door to darkness. Yet, so much had happened in the last decade…and we have much more to discuss."

"How so?" Yen Sid asked.

Isa hesitated…before he answered, "About Xehanort's continued ambitions. Let's start with the beginning, before we go into the other details." Isa cleared his throat. "We found out what happened to Aqua's friend, Terra. Xehanort was able to utilize his power to separate his own heart from his body and sent it to take over Terra from the inside out. He most likely had done it during the three's confrontation."

Yen Sid looked surprised…before he lowered his head. "I see…so that was why we couldn't find neither Terra nor Xehanort."

"Yeah. Uh, but it's because of that, that Aqua was suckered in – sorry – to a trap Xehanort made," Lea spoke up. "After Aqua fought him, he was going to fall into darkness with Aqua trying to help him. Unfortunately, Xehanort's ambitions continued. A year later, we tried to break into the lab but…odd thing was, well, we met a girl there. No memories of what happened to her, except a Keyblade and a particular phrase."

"A Keyblade and a phrase?"

Lea nodded. "Yeah. 'May your heart be your guiding key'."

The man looked intrigued. "…The old saying." He nodded. "Continue."

"Right. Um. We eventually tried to rescue her…but, she disappeared," Lea continued. "So, we decided to become apprentices to Ansem the Wise. Though, he disappeared not long after…and Xehanort sprang his attack."

"…It was only by luck that we escaped," Isa spoke up. "A voice spoke in my head…and I just thought 'take us somewhere, I don't care', and a dark portal manifested. I grabbed Lea and jumped in. After that, though, we got separated."

The man hummed, stroking his beard. "…either something had interfered with your 'escape', or an unforeseen anomaly caused your separation." He looked at the two. "But…you two are indeed lucky to have survived until meeting Aqua."

They would agree that it was indeed luck. That much IS true.

"Yeah…and we've been with Aqua since," Lea finished.

"I see…"

Aqua soon spoke. "Master Yen Sid. They may not look like it, but they actually had the ability to wield the Keyblade." Yen Sid looked intrigued. "Lea attained his ability from the mysterious Subject X…and Isa, while I Bequeathed one for him, he mostly got his through the relay strategy they utilized to survive."

"A relay, you say?" Yen Sid asked as Lea glanced at Isa on that part.

Lea looked back at them. "Uh…" he scratched his cheek. "Yeah. It's the only thing we could think of when we were separated from Aqua for a time. It isn't exactly perfect, per say."

"Yeah…Lea was worried, so he let me borrow his for a time to defend myself," Isa admitted. "It was through an accident that we came upon that strategy. So we alternated in being a vanguard and a rearguard when necessary."

"It isn't perfect because anything could disrupt it," Lea shrugged. "But…Aqua and Mickey helped us get better with magic. " he held up a hand to form an orb of fire before he shifted his hand to hold up a finger. The orb got smaller as well, smaller in size over his finger. "Eventually we managed to get better enough to help them at critical moments."

"Hmm…in the realm of darkness, you two were forced to adapt to beings dangerous to ordinary people," Yen Sid said to them. "Reckless as it has been, to even escape down there, you two knew that luck couldn't always save you. The relay strategy did work, as you said, for a time. However, a Keyblade would normally disappear in those who are unworthy and reappear within the hand of its wielder."

Lea scratched his cheek. That is true. Isa had mentioned that back at the Enchanted Dominion. Lea's Keyblade could have, at any time, disappeared in Isa's hand and reappeared in Lea's. "Well…maybe it sensed how much I trusted him?" Lea figured. "The again, my Keyblade wasn't a 'true' Keyblade at first. But after everything, I called it forth." He held out his hand to summon his Keyblade for Yen Sid to see.

Yen Sid notes it curiously. "I see…" He looked over at Lea. "But…from your skill level, it must have been in 'ideal' situations. Normally in training, someone with your skills it would be like teaching a cat to bark."

"…Huh?" Lea blinked.

"I think he means 'it's possible but without serious effort'," Isa explained to his friend.

"Wait, seriously?" Lea asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Isa nodded. "Though…you certainly put in the effort so far."

Lea grunted. "…Well, I wanted to get better," he admits. He has his blade in his other hand. "It isn't just 'us' now, you know?"

"I can get why." Isa manifested his own Keyblade, having the 'tip' into the ground. "Meanwhile, I just awakened to mine before we arrived here. To be honest, I treated it like I would manifest magic."

"Really?" Lea asked him.

"Well, I did what you did mostly," Isa admitted. He smiled softly. "You inspired me."

Lea's cheeks turned pink, before looking away modest. "Ah…I didn't do much."

"You don't give yourself a lot of credit, you know," Aqua said to him.

"I'm just being modest here," Lea said. "I'm still a newbie, despite it all."

At least he acknowledges that he still has a lot to learn, Yen Sid mused. "At the very least, you acknowledged that you still have a lot to learn, as newfound Keyblade wielders."

They returned their attention to Yen Sid, with the two before nodding. "We could use the training," Lea said. "But we came here first to talk about what happened. Especially since we might have an idea on what happened to Ven's heart."

THAT got Yen Sid intrigued. "Have you now?

"Yeah," Lea nodded. "Isa and I met Ven in the year when he visited Radiant Garden. We both got a theory of what happened to him…as well as a clue of where his heart is now."

"Vanitas, the being of darkness that most likely created the Unversed, had to have come from Ventus who had his darkness extracted," Isa explained. "We thought of that, because Vanitas fused with Ventus easily."

"But for him to be extracted out of Ven, whose heart NEEDS darkness…Ven wouldn't be able to last long. Our theory is that another heart had saved his life, filling in the 'piece' that was taken from him. Like…a newborn heart."

"Yet…the strangest thing was that when Lea and I interacted with Ven's illusion in the dark realm…we saw Sora. So, we thought maybe Sora could be connected in all this."

Yen Sid looked surprised. "Is that so…?" He closed his eyes in silent mediation. They stood there for a while. Yen Sid opened his eyes. With a wave of his hand, he manifested several files. "Aqua, I heard that you recovered both reports you got from Terra and Ventus. I had kept it here for safekeeping." He looked through them, before pulling one out. "however, there was but one entry that got my attention that seems to corelate to what happened. The 9th report confirmed where Vanitas originated. But…" he pulls it out to hand it to them. "The next one might confirm your theory."

Aqua takes it, with Lea and Isa looking over to read it.

"Xehanort Report, Number X
As was to be expected, Ventus lacked the constitution for such an ordeal. I was able to remove the darkness inside him and create Vanitas, a heart of pure darkness, but Ventus drifted into the clutches of sleep.

Ventus' heart of pure light and Vanitas' heart of pure darkness… If both could be made strength enough to one day clash, I know the χ-blade would be forged.

But Vanitas took too much of Ventus' heart, and from that fracture, I can see the last of Ventus' light was slipping away. The boy deserved a place to spend his final moments peacefully. And what should come to mind but my own boyhood home.

My legs took me there unbidden, and as I stood there on the same beach where I had made my choice so many years ago, I thought: 'not a single thing has changed'. Here, in this quiet world, time marches in place. Content that Ventus would find peace here, I started to walk away – but just then, the boy held up his Keyblade. The light within him had not died."

"…This confirms that Vanitas DID come from Ven," Lea muttered. He narrowed his eyes. "But…his 'boyhood home'?"

"Master Eraqus was raised at the seat of power where Keyblade wielders once trained," Yen Sid explained. "But I can say that the date of this…was March 29th. If a newborn heart had indeed saved him, it would more than likely be a day old when it happened. As for where… I believe Xehanort's homeworld might just be the Destiny Islands."

The three looked surprised. "…He came from the islands?" Isa muttered. That's…ironic. The same homeworld Sora and Riku came from, was also the homeworld of Xehanort.

But Lea…well… He slammed his hands onto the desk. "PAYDIRT!" He shouted, making the two blue haired people jump in surprise. "That just confirms it!"

Isa looked comically mad as he tried to regain his composure. "What were you trying to do? Give us heart attacks?"

"Sorry," Lea apologized, smiling sheepishly. He shook his head. "But I just figured it out! If Ven was on the islands in his state when a certain baby was born – with the ability to connect with him… Ven was able to return! That's what happened! Sora must have connected to Ven's heart – so if Ven was missing his heart… It would follow the link to Sora! Because what's the safest place than to be within the person who saved him, right?"

Isa and Yen Sid stared at him in surprise. Isa looked at Yen Sid. "…Well? Do you think that's sound?" Isa asked him.

"Hmm…that MUST be the case," Yen Sid strokes his beard in thought.

"If that's true…then…" Aqua looked at Yen Side. "Is there a way to safely awaken Ven's heart from Sora's?"

Yen Sid closed his eyes, thinking about it…and nodded. "Yes." That got their hopes up, "But," it faltered, "it would involve undergoing a unique requirement."

"Such as?" Lea asked.

Yen Sid shook his head. "At this time, I have yet to ascertain a solid plan. But even then, it would be treacherous in itself. Need I remind you, that you two have only recently acquired your Keyblades…and Aqua had not been in the realm of light for long. It would take time for you two to be able to handle your Keyblades effectively."

Lea's lips scrunch a bit. "…Let me guess: years?" He asked. "I don't think we have that much of a luxury. Especially with what's going on."

"Right…" Isa sighed. "We still don't know what Xehanort is planning. His Nobody anyway," he amended. "His Heartless was defeated by Sora a little while ago."

"Nobody?" Yen Sid inquired.

The three of them soon described in one of Xehanort's reports on what happened. About Nobodies, and what they speculate could create a Nobody. Yen Sid had to take it all in…and could only nod. "I see… I'll have to ask Mickey to perform a reconnaissance when he returns. But, if what you are saying is true…then we might have a problem."

The three blinked. "What do you mean?" Aqua asked.

"During the adventure, Sora came into using a Keyblade formed form the seven princesses to release his friend's heart from within. But in doing so, he released his own heart."

The three looked shocked at that. "Okay, WHAT?" Lea exclaimed in shock. "Then what happened to-"

"It's possible that our enemies had already collected the Nobody of Sora," Yen Sid answered. Lea retreated a bit, as the man continued, "But, the friend who had her heart within Sora…she is the seventh Princess of Light. Her power was able to restore Sora's body and form. But if what you mentioned is true…then perhaps the Nobody created from that process might be of some semblance to Sora and Ventus."

"…So there's a Nobody of Sora running around?" Lea stated, getting the gist.

Yen Sid nodded.

Isa hummed. "But considering that Ven's heart was within the kid…that means the Nobody would have quirks from both Sora and Ventus."

…And Sora may as well have been completely oblivious to that, not knowing his Nobody is around.

Aqua hummed. "If that's true, then that would mean that the Nobodies – including that of Xehanort's, would have collected," Isa perked at the word 'collected' and rubbed his chin, "Sora's Nobody by now."

Isa hummed. Thinking back to his previous thoughts. Specifically, the thirteen darknesses. How he thought Xehanort couldn't just magically produce thirteen users of darkness.

He was half-right – Xehanort can't…

But he could find thirteen suitable beings to use.

Beings without hearts.

Isa jumped before he slammed his hands onto the desk. "I just figured it out!" He declared with Lea and Aqua jumping.

"Jeez!" Lea had a hand over his heart. "Now YOU nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"No, this is important!" Isa shook his head. "Why Xehanort is collecting Nobodies! In fact, he's only collecting thirteen of them, specifically."

Isa turned to the two. "Aqua told us that old legend," he said to them, "Because the Nobodies are 'empty', then they would have their own thoughts and memories. Even hearts if necessary. They may not seem to exist…but in reality, we can seem like any other person. So…what if Xehanort was trying to recomplete his objective, but in a legitimate way?"

He held up one hand. "His Heartless, trying to collect seven pure hearts of light…" He held up his other. "And his Nobody, finding thirteen vessels of darkness." He gave them a significant look. "One side failed, but the other would still try to make the 'vessels' like him."

The two noted it. Lea's eyes narrowed, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. "…Then we got a problem," he muttered. "What exactly would they do then to make sure THAT is a reality?"

Yen Sid strokes his beard in thought. "As the Nobodies are 'new' and barely researched…they would perhaps believe that they would have 'no heart'. But the heart is so much more…memories…feelings, If Xehanort concocted a lie to make them believe that Nobodies have no heart…" Yen Sid's eyes soon went wide a little as he notices it. "Then he would have his vessels being in preparation."

"…Okay, that sounds sick and wrong," Lea says, disturbed.

Aqua looked concerned. If all of that is true…then, the realm of light is nowhere near safe. She knew that but…how naïve would she have been to think Sora and Riku could protect the realm? Just them? She had her hand curled up over her chest. "…It seems Sora really is trapped in a predicament of Xehanort's making…his Nobody too…" Her hand curled a little bit more before a determined look crossed her face. She turned to Yen Sid. "Master Yen Sid, I want to request helping Lea and Isa undergo training."

The two looked at her as she continued, "I trained them thus far…but, I was unaware of the dangers that's still happening in the realm of light. I want them to at least be able to handle this new threat, not just the Heartless."

"I see… But you don't exactly require my permission, Aqua," Yen Sid pointed out to her.

"I know. But I felt I need the guidance of an experienced master anyway. This mission is important to me as well. Not just because of what happened to Terra and Ven…but," Aqua made a serious expression, "Xehanort is my enemy too."

The man grunted…before nodding. "I see. Then you're in luck." He looked to the stars outside. "There was movement that preparations are being made. It seems that now that Xehanort knows where Ventus is, they're going to search the castle for his body, while using it as a research outpost."

"So they'll be at Castle Oblivion?" Lea asked.

"From what I am told…some of their members will be sent there. So yes." He looked at Lea and Isa. "However, you two should be careful. One of the traces of darkness on the move now is…familiar to me."

The two tilted their heads at that. "You say 'now'. Why?" Isa asked.

He looked between the two. "Tell me this. What would you do if you fought what could have been 'you' through a possibility made real?"

The two blinked. "…What we would do?" Lea parroted.

As Isa parroted, "A possibility made real? What are you saying?"

"A vessel, after all, reflects what we see and feel before us. Even Nobodies are no exception…or perhaps even puppets. You might not like what the results can be leading towards, but you should prepare yourselves well…and steel your hearts."

The two glanced at each other…suddenly feeling uneasy. What could he mean by that?

"I see," Aqua said softly.

"Ah, but first…" Yen Sid looked at the two. "you're in need of more 'fitting' clothes."

The two looked at themselves at that. They're still in the spare clothing they had gotten after they had taken their first bath in ages. Lea picked at his shirt. "…Yeah. Our old ones were tattered and been through hell."

"Well, then I believe I can prepare some garments in mind," Yen Sid said with some mirth. He looked at Aqua. "Master Aqua, do you remember the three Good Fairies from the Enchanted Dominion? After their world fell, I came to take them under my protection."

Aqua looked surprised. "So they're here?"

Yen Sid nodded. "They have been of help to me for some time." He gestures to the door near them. "They could help provide new vestments for our young wielders to be."

That got their attention. "Really?" Lea asked excitedly. "Then we'll go speak to them then!"

"Well, go along now, you two. I would need to talk with Master Aqua for a little while."

The two looked at her. She nodded to them to assure them. "It'll be all right. Go get yourselves a new outfit."

"Well, all right then," Lea said. "See you in a bit." The two soon head for the door.

Once it closed behind them, Aqua looked back at the man. "What is it?"

Yen Sid looked at her. "It seems that you have undergone a growth of heart yourself since we last spoke, Aqua."

Ah, that. "…Admittedly, it was terrifying," she admitted. No point in lying about it, really. "We each faced a phantom of ourselves. Lea had overcome his first, before he helped Isa…and the two then helped me overcome my own. I was able to confront certain things about myself…especially what I have been withholding." Yen Sid gestured for her to continue.

Aqua had a hand over her heart. "I've made myself hollow unintentionally…by my own master's teachings no less. I never relied on my own personal experience." She shook her head. "That was a mistake."

"Ah." Now Yen Sid understands. "I could not blame you for that. Eraqus feared the darkness, especially after his slight fallout with Xehanort back then. The two of them were close, like brothers. They had trained under the same master, after all."

Aqua noted it before sighing. "…perhaps I wasn't ready at all to be a Master yet, in all honesty. Especially if I lacked my own experience."

"Perhaps," Yen Sid said, "But even with training, experience is the true teacher for anyone. You could read a recipe from a book, but it could not teach you of how to make it delicious or make it look 'right'. It's only through experience could you do so, after all."

Aqua looked up, before she nodded. "Right. That is true."

"Still…the boys are curious cases," Yen Side strokes his beard in thought. "Lea has an extraordinary affinity for fire…while Isa has an affinity with the moon. Magic seems to run through their veins."

Aqua hummed at that. "…I see…"

She still doesn't know much about the two. While Lea had told her bits of their lives, she never knew they were orphans until the depths. Who were their parents and how did they become orphans? Lea mentioned his mother when he told them about the Lunar Tears and of how they could make any wish come true…

Talking to Aerith and Leon didn't yield anything, only that they were pretty young when an…incident happened. They had been together since then, but…

Now she wishes she had asked what that 'incident' is.

Would Lea and Isa even remember it?

Hm…perhaps they had a bit of time. She could try to ask…or ask Yen Sid if there were any odd incidents back then. For now though…

Aqua looked up. "In that case…I'll have to probably prepare something before we can depart. It could at least let us slip by undetected until then."

Yen Sid looked at her, intrigued.

~o~

Lea and Isa stared at the three ladies before them. They're in different colors; red, blue and green of various ages and sizes.

"Oh my, so you're the boys Yen Sid has mentioned," the woman in red said.

"And you three must be the three Good Fairies from Aqua's story," Lea responded.

She nodded, "That's right. I'm Flora. With me are Fauna," the green one waved at them with a smile, "and Merryweather," the short one in blue nodded to them with a grunt.

"Nice to meet you," Isa responded politely.

"We're so relieved to hear that Aqua is all right and well," Merryweather said with a smile. "That said, Master Yen Sid said that you'll be needing new clothes for the road ahead. Well, you've certainly came to the right place."

"How did he even tell them ahead of time?" Lea whispered to Isa, who shrugged in response.

"Well then, shall we get started?" Flora asked them.

"Right…so, how are we doing this?" Lea asked, scratching his head.

Merryweather floated over to Isa, who looked startled at her. "Well…I'd say that blue can fit him best," she said. "It'll match with his hair!"

"Uh…"

"Well, I suppose red could go good for him," Flora mused, looking over at Lea. "Not sure if I approve of the black though."

"Now, now, ladies," Fauna spoke up as she fluttered over. "It's their clothes, so they should at least decide. Though, I suppose that they could use unique vestments for training."

Well, that is true. They probably may need new outfits to withstand what could happen…and who knows on what they would go through during their training. "Well…it doesn't have to be fashionable," Lea said, scratching his head. "It could be…something basic."

"By the way, what did you do with your keffiyeh?" Isa asked him, with Lea noticing.

"Oh. Well…I kind of had to leave it behind," Lea admitted. "Considering." He'd rather not get choked again, thanks.

"Well then, any specifics to them?" Fauna asked them.

Silence.

"Pockets."

Even Isa stared at Lea in confusion at that specification. "…What?"

Lea looked at him. "I talked with Yuffie last night. Apparently they make clothes without even real pockets."

Isa blinked. But mostly at the information he just learned. "…They make fake pockets?" He questioned. 'That's a thing? Why is that a thing? ?'

"I know, right?" Lea then looked over at himself. "And I'd probably want durable pants…and good boots. Because, while sneakers are good, they're not good for long distances." He looked at his arms. "…Might have to skip on protective arm wear." He looked at Isa. "So how about you?"

Isa blinked. He thought about it. Well, he isn't much for fashion…but, having practicality over fashion is more conservative, really. Though, a part of him missed his blue jacket. Hmm…

"…Well, I'd probably want something similar to my old jacket, but with longer sleeves," Isa figured, thinking. "Probably invest in steel toe boots."

"Steel toe?" Lea parroted.

"Mostly to not just protect our toes but to also give a good kick if we have to."

Lea blinked. He thought about it. "…Huh. Steel toed boots. That's pretty good. I think I might invest in that. But I'd rather have pants."

"Pants are good, to cover your legs. I'd rather not be a Heartless scratching post, thanks."

Lea's lips are flat. "…Yeah. Having a pair of pants that only show ankles isn't productive."

The two chattered on about their outfits. The three Good Fairies watched as they traded ideas…before they gave each other sly grins at their interaction. "Well, a pair of teenage boys is different from a teenage girl, isn't it?" Fauna asked the other two.

"You said it," Merryweather agreed.

Flora cleared her throat, getting their attention. "I know you two are excited, but how about discussing it with us?"

…The two of them blushed, Lea scratching his cheek while Isa rubbed his arm.

The five spent the next few minutes talking about their ideas. Tossing them back and forth to get the general idea of the outfits. Lea found some art supplies and did some doodles. Isa's surprised that Lea could still draw pretty well, even though they've been out of practice. Then again, he hadn't forgotten how to cook himself. But he thinks he could get into the swing of things later with practice.

Lea stared at the drawing, humming. He twirled his pencil. "…I dunno. Something feels missing…" He mumbled, twirling his pencil the other way.

"What could be missing?" Isa asked him.

Lea only hummed, showing Isa the drawing so far. It gave the basic concept of what the outfits would look like. In fact, there were several of them that were drawn, based on certain suggestions. Isa flipped through them, looking them over. He left the page he was shown alone, as it's the one Lea apparently likes. Isa then noted the jacket in one of the drawings. It resembled his old one, but it has longer sleeves…and zippers on the sides?

"Why the zippers on this one?" Isa asked him, showing him the drawing.

"Oh. Well, in case you gotta pull the sleeves back better to do stuff," Lea answered. Isa looked back at it.

"…I think I'll take that design," Isa decided. "The jacket. Simply give me boots, some pants…and we're all set."

Lea rolled his eyes with a smile. "You and high collared stuff, I swear," Lea said as he took back the sketchbook, to sketch in the design. Isa looked over his shoulder- but Lea noticed it and looked at him. "D'ya mind?"

"You looked over my shoulder when I cook," Isa said flatly.

"Well…" Lea paused. He pursed his lips. "Okay. Fine, you got a point." He finished the sketch, looking over at it. He nodded. "What do you think?"

Isa looked over at it. He nodded. "Yeah. That can work."

"Okay." Lea tore out the pages. He hands them to the Good Fairies to let them look over at them.

"Hm…interesting designs," Flora mused. "Though, there isn't any color to them…"

Lea shrugged. "I'm sure you guys can figure something out. Just…no embarrassing colors, please."

The three ladies turned their backs to the two, whispering between each other. The boys heard bits of chatter, like 'blue', 'unique theme', 'unique enchantments' and the like. The two boys looked at each other, then at the women. Soon enough, they looked back at the boys. "All right, we got the basic idea of what to do!" Flora announced.

"…You do?" Lea asked.

"Of course! Now stand still," Merryweather spoke up as they got out their wands, "this won't take long at all."

…Isa sighed. "Let's get this over with."

'Oh boy.' Lea thought, nervous.

"Now, ready?" Flora asked the two. They nodded. The trio soon put their wands together, then flicked them in unison. The lights hit the duo with an explosion of light and sparkles that the boys had to cover their eyes…

…Once the light had faded, Lea recovered first. "Geez, that's bright," he muttered…before he took note of a silver, fingerless glove. He looked over his hands then at himself. A red sleeveless jacket with pockets sits over an orange sleeveless high collared top. The belt is black with a couple of pouches connected on the sides, nearly covering the big, box-like pockets of his brown pants. Golden greaves cover the shins, tied up by strong rope to keep them in place. On his feet are a pair of leather boots with a small belt in them, with steel toe covering. Over his chest is two metallic red bands in the shape of an 'X'.

Soon after, Isa recovered. He rubbed his eyes a bit before looking over at himself. His gloves are a soft gold color, with him noticing silver metal bracers over his arms and top part of his hands. His high collared jacket is light blue with silver lines at the sides, the collar itself a slight shade of blue. His pants are dark navy in color, also with box-shaped pockets. Finding the zipper, he pulled it down to find that there's a white shirt under it. True to form, there are zippers at the sides of the sleeves as well, just below the pointy shoulders of his jacket. Finally, his boots are slate grey with a pair of straps on them, with metal around the toes. Like Lea, he also has two metallic blue bands in the shape of an 'X' over his chest.

"Whoa! Not bad!" Lea praised, tugging his jacket a bit with a big grin. "This is pretty awesome!"

Isa tugged at the straps. "What are these straps for though?"

"Apparently, they were tradition for some Keyblade users, especially in training," Fauna explained. "Aqua and Ventus each has one as well, though they have an emblem to them."

"Huh. I guess it made sense, considering," Lea mused, before he stuffed his hands into his pockets…and he smiled, making gleeful noises. "Real pockets…!" He wiggled his fingers in them, grinning like a loon.

Isa shook his head at his friend, but with a smile on his face. 'Goof,' he thought fondly as he put his hands in his pockets.

…Wow. Roomy. They outdid themselves.

Lea is still laughing as he hugged the three fairies in delight (the three of them yelping in surprise at the energetic redhead). "Thanks! These are awesome!" He looked at Isa expectantly.

The smile never left Isa's face, feeling amused by all of this. He approached before he bowed to them slightly. "Thank you for the outfits," he said politely.

"Hey, give them a hug too, man," Lea lightly reprimand him.

"I'd rather not," Isa said as Lea released them. "Just…" Lea gave him a bored look, hands on his hips.

"Oh, it's fine," Merryweather waved it off. "We're just glad you like them!"

"Now you two, we had put a few enchantments onto your clothes," Flora said to them, with them noticing. "It can not only just protect you from the Lanes, but it can also be a form of protection as well, from magic and to keep them from being torn."

Fauna nodded. "Though, just because they could do that, doesn't mean you shouldn't take care of them," she added. "And they're not indestructible."

"Okay, magic clothes, not indestructible, other goodies…" Lea listed off with his fingers before nodding. "Anything else?"

"Well, it's also normally that you are to be given armor as well…but, we are not blacksmiths per say," Flora admitted. "You could ask Aqua or Master Yen Sid about it later."

"Right, we'll keep that in mind," Isa nodded. "Again, thank you."

"Of course, dearies," Fauna smiled brightly.

"Now, hurry on to Yen Sid. Aqua's working on something right now," Merryweather told them. The boys looked at each other.

What could she be doing?

"All right," Lea nodded before waving at them. "Later."

Isa nodded at them.

~o~

They returned to the loft, with Aqua missing. Yen Sid is still at his desk, eyes closed.

The two approached the desk. "Um…" Lea began- and the man's eyes opened.

"If you are wondering where Aqua is, she went to create a passage towards Castle Oblivion," Yen Sid said to them.

They blinked. "Oh. Really?" Lea asked. "How long would that take?"

"Normally it would take minutes. However, considering that she would like to keep our enemies from detecting their movements, she'll have to be delicate on the approach. It might take a day or two to prepare a path and exit to remain undetected."

Isa crossed his arms. "That...does make sense. Considering how little we know about the Nobodies," he said.

"So...what do we do in the meantime?" Lea asked, tilting his head.

"First off, there's someone I'd like to introduce you," Yen Sid held up a hand to a space. "I had requested his aid in magical training, and he accepted."

In a puff of blue smoke a man appeared wearing a blue gown with at with small glasses and white beard. "Ah, Hello there boys! We meet again!"

Lea blinked at him- but, again when he recognized him. "Hey, aren't you that wizard guy living in that house near the shop?" Lea scratched his head "What was his name...?"

"Merlin." Isa answered.

"Oh yeah," Lea muttered.

They had seen the kooky man from time to time back then. They interacted with him a few times, but only for a couple of odd jobs they got around him.

Merlin fixed his glasses. "I must say, when Yen Sid told me about what happened to you two, I'm surprised of how you managed to survive the dark realm for as long as you have. Oh! We should catch up later."

"It's cool," Lea held up his hands with a nervous smile. He lowered his hands, looking at him. "So...you're gonna be our teacher?"

"For a little while, yes," Merlin confirmed. "But, I'd like to see of how well you two could do, fledgling Keyblade wielders and all. Though, I heard that the two of you wish to help rebuild Radiant Garden?"

"Yes/Yeah," Isa and Lea responded.

"Though…who did you hear that from?" Lea asked him.

Yen Sid held up his hand, getting their attention. "Aqua had told me of what you two planned to do, and I relayed it to Merlin," he answered. "Admirable that you would want to rebuild your home. Though, it would be best to have a 'base' here as you two train, no?"

"A base?" Isa parroted. "You're not…going to keep us here, are you?"

"As it stands we can't exactly intend to keep you here. However Merlin does have a special place he set up to allow you to rest and prepare accordingly."

"Really?" Lea asked, tilting his head.

"Ordinarily, it's mostly used to give a sense of having no time pass," Merlin said. "But it would be an ideal place for you two to hone your magic." He held up a finger. "Why back on my world it was used for…" He trailed off, thinking before shaking his head. "Well, it's still around, but I opted to travel the worlds now, but I still have a few tricks to use."

He gave them a meaningful look. "Perhaps to also let you two get used to utilizing your Keyblades as well," he added. The two looked at each other.

That…sounds like a pretty good deal. They got all the time they wanted to master their abilities…but…well, at least they could perfect them and then figure out the rest from there.

"Well…I can see where mastering the Keyblade can still come into effect," Lea muttered. He nodded. "All right, we'll take it."

"Yeah," Isa nodded.

"All right, then as soon as you two are ready, we can begin!" Merlin declared.

"Yes sir!"

And so start their training.

I'm applying a rule from BlazBlue for Yen Sid's situation here. There is a 'chosen' person known as a 'Bystander' from the games. A Bystander's role is to watch everything that happens in the world. They also have tremendous power...however, the only condition they have to even keep it is that they cannot interfere with certain events. If they do, they lose their power. If you had played certain games and you're either waiting to re-spawn or watching the current game as you wait for your turn...it's like that. You can't interact with what's going on, but you DO talk to the people.

I'm not sure if it'll apply here to explain Yen Sid's inaction until Kingdom Hearts III, but...some people decide to be watchers, some people decide to be seekers, and others decide to be teachers. I can't even imagine how all you could do is watch and yet you couldn't do anything to stop what's happening. It's ass.

I put in training outfits for Lea and Isa...but the one thing they didn't notice (for now) is that the two have the sigil of the sun and moon on the back of their jackets. Lea's is gold and Isa's is silver. I'm going for practicality here - and the 'x' straps ARE traditional, as Dark Road shows. They won't wear these for long though - they will have their own outfits for Kingdom Hearts II as they grow during the year.

Oh, and uh...keep Yen Sid's note about the boy's affinities in mind.

They got at least 12 days until then. For now though, they gotta train.

I'll see you all next time. Stay safe everyone.