Chapter 4

After the explosion that had sent them all flying had died down, Mickey went in search of his new friends and it thankfully wasn't hard to find them. They were floating together each of the girls hold one of Ven's hands in one of their own, Aqua left, Jessica right. Seeing that they were not moving Mickey grabbed Aqua's available hand and using the Star Shard, he took them all to Master Yin Sid's Tower.

Aqua was the first of the three of them to wake, a bit surprised to see that there were not in the Keyblade Graveyard anymore. "Where am I?" she asked as she sat up. She then spotted not only Mickey's relived face but Master Yin Sid's as well.

"Aqua you lost conciseness. Fortunately Mickey found you, Jessica and Ventus drifting in the lanes-between and brought you back to me to receive proper care." Master Yin Sid explained bring Aqua attention to her two still sleeping friends. "I am sorry but there was no sign of Terra."

"I see." Aqua said sadly as she retched out to Jessica, who was next to her, placing a tender hand on the other girl's stomach, wondering if the baby was alright.

Seeming to understanding what she was worried about Master Yin Sid said. "There is no need to worry about Jessica and the little one she carries as I have checked them both and found that they will be just fine." He assured her with a smile.

Aqua returned it as she turned her attention to Ven, going to his side and tried to shack him awake but he didn't so much as stir. "Ven. Ventus!" she called his name softly, and it was this that Jessica woke to, with a groan escaping her.

"The boy's heart is sleeping." Yin Sid informed them causing Jessica to gasp as she swiftly move to Ven's side and called on the Light Shard to check. It didn't take her long to confirm what he said was true, and her head fell in sadness.

"When will he wake?" Aqua asked as she placed a comforting hand on Jessica's shoulder.

"I could not say." Master Yin Sid confessed as he turned in moved to sit in his chair. "It is almost as though his heart has left. Should it return he may very well wake. Should it not, then he may very well sleep like this for all eternity."

"No." Aqua said sadly as she and Jessica locked eyes. Aqua could see a deep sadness in her remaining friend's eyes but it was not because of Ventus's condition. There was also conviction in Jessica's eyes and it was that emotion that Aqua knew that both girls were thinking the same thing. "We'll keep him safe, until he wakes. Forever if we have to." She informed Master Yin Sid and Mickey, well Jessica nodded.

"I will tell you what your friend needs right now." Yin Sid informed them. "It is not protection. He needs you two to believe. You see Ventus's heart hangs in the balance, it sleeps a place between light and darkness. From all I can perceive, that means that he will be looking for a friend. One who believes in him, to show him the way home. Just as long as you both love him, then Ventus will be able to find you when he wakes. He can fallow that love back to where he belongs. The realm of light."

"Ah, don't you worry Aqua, Jessica, I'll believe in Ven too." Mickey informed both if them happily. "Gosh, he's been as good a friend to me as anyone and if both of you and me believe in him with all our hearts, then he'll have three lights to fallow instead of just one."

"I think we better make that 4." Jessica said a she laid a hand on her stomach with a soft smile. "If he still asleep when I bring this little one into the world I'll be sure to tell he or she all about him."

That along with Mickey's kind words cheered up Aqua greatly, which helped Jessica as well. "5 lights, Terra." Aqua was confused as Jessica's smile disappeared.

"But Terra's gone, maybe for good." Mickey said sad.

Aqua disagreed as she shook her head. "I think- I know how to find him." She told him as she pulled out her blue wayfinder well retching out to grasp Jessica's hand, hoping to comfort her. After that Aqua and Jessica decided they would take Ven a safe place to hid and recover, though they were not sure where that would be. Jessica help put Ven on Aqua's back as she refused to let Jessica carry him and as they disgusted their options of places to take him. Just then something surprising happened. Ven's hand raised up, his keyblade, Wayward Wind, appeared in his hand and he opened a gate. Both girls smiled as they walked through the gate and soon found themselves arriving in their home, The Land of Departure, or at least what was left of it.

The castle was in ruins, well dark clouds filled all of the skies above them as they walked towards the steps to the main doors. It was there that they found Master Eraqus's keyblade abandoned on the ground, making both girls hearts sink lower than before as Jessica picked it up at Aqua's request. Jessica fallowed Aqua to the main audience room where Aqua planned to leave Ven, though Jessica wasn't sure what Aqua was planning. Jessica left Master Eraqus's keyblade against the wall, telling Aqua she was going to see if she could recover somethings from her room and asked if she wanted Jessica to grab anything.

When Jessica arrived in her room she was sad to see it in disarray, that the once clean and organized room was now a mess. It took some digging but she soon located a small pack she had and put only a few selected items in it. A photo album she had made, her camera that Ven had somehow found and given to her and a few keepsakes she had been given over the past two years. As she was about to leave, closing the pack, she spotted one of Terra's shirt that had been discarded in her room one night lying on the floor in front of her book case. Picking it up she brought it up to her face, right away she could smell Terra on the fabric and she took in an unsteady breath to steady her nerves. To break down and cry now when Aqua was waiting for her to get back would not help to protect Ven.

Once she was calmer she left her room, putting Terra's shirt in her pack and headed towards the main room. Aqua smiled as Jessica joined her before she proceeded to lock the land away, and hid Ven until she came back to unlock it. Jessica looked around in awe at the change that the room had taken and she wondered what the outside now looked like. Then Aqua and Jessica approached the seat where they had placed Ven. "I know it's a lonely place but you'll be safe. Terra, Jessica and I will be back to wake you up before you know it." Jessica was only just able to keep the grim look off her face as she doubted after this she would be seeing any of them again. Aqua scuffed up his hair affectional making both her and Jessica smile, well Jessica placed a small kiss on his forehead in good bye. They left soon after and was when they made it outside the castle that Jessica stopped Aqua. "Jess, what's wrong?"

Jessica sighed as she closed her eyes, trying not to cry as she really didn't want to do what she had to do next. "Aqua- I can't go with you- I can't go after Terra. Xehanort- removed his own heart from his body and put it in Terra." Jessica proceeded to tell Aqua all that had happened in the fight with Terra and had lead to their friend's fall to darkness. "I couldn't stop him and Xehanort would have either taken me and the baby or killed us both if Terra- some how Terra's mind has taken control of his armor, he saved me and sent me to help you and Mickey save Ven"

Jessica was crying again, thankfully Aqua was holding her and was also crying but not nearly as hard, later they both blamed Jessica's hormones. "Jessica, thank you for telling me and I agree that you shouldn't come. As of right now your top priority is taking care of the new life inside of you. It's clear that yours and Terra's child will be a strong beacon of light in the future."

"I know." Jessica agreed as they finally let go of each other. "If- no when you get our friends back come find us, in my world, go to my uncle's home and I will be sure that he will know where we are. Don't worry about him telling the Xehanort or anyone he sends to find us. My uncle was keeper before me and he still has a few tricks up his sleeves."

Aqua nodded, a relived smile on her face. "I will, as soon as I save Terra and Ven wakes, well come find you and the little one." She fought to keep from crying further as she gave Jessica one last hug before they finally parted ways. As Aqua left to locate Terra, Jessica pulled out the pouch that held the Star Shard and let it fall into her open palm. The moment she grasped it, it flashed and took her way from her two year home, and back to her old one and the life she had left behind.

-o0o-

Jessica landed outside the entrance to the tomb of who she now knew was her ancestor Quill and that Starlight to the Rising Sun was once his keyblade. Turning to face the tomb she summoned her keyblade and held it up. "I know I said I would bring it back but something tells me that if I did put it back, you'd rise from the grave and kick my ass." She told Quill as she bowed to the entrance before she used her keyblade to seal the entrance.

The walk back to her uncle's home for Jessica seemed like she was walking into the past as she saw the garden where her family were all still gathered. Just up to their same old crap, without a care in the world, it made her sick, so she walked over to a side entrance out of sight of the gathering. She went up to the room she was staying in and after a shower she had just finish changing when there was a knock on her door. Jessica sighed. "Go away mother. I'm not feeling well so I'm just going to take a nap and see if the helps."

Uncle George poked his head in, a frowned at her as he saw that she did indeed look pale but he also saw the deep sadness in her eyes. "What's happened Bright Light? Why is your heart so full of sadness?" he asked as he walked in to the room and wrapped her up in a hug. His presence, though calming broke the dam that was holding back her despair and she broke down. She cried long and hard as George held her, rubbing her back in a soothing manner, till she fell asleep. When she woke a few hours later it was dark outside and her Uncle was sitting in an arm chair reading a book. "How much trouble am I in with my mother and the rest of the family?" Jessica asked as she tried but failed to sit up as the events in the Keybalde Graveyard had finally caught up with her.

"No more so then usual." He informed her as helped to prop her up and then placed a plate with a simple ham sandwich in her lap. "Well you eat that tell me everything and don't you dare leave anything out lass."

Jessica did tell him everything and was not surprised to see that he believed every word of it, though he was over the moon when she not only summoned her keyblade, she let him hold it. With the situation being what it was Uncle George took all of her cloths and other things that were not easily recognizable from their world and placed it all in a trunk. Jessica was reluctant to let him let him pack away Terra's shirt, and her photo album of time with her friends but she knew that what he was doing was to protect both her child and the family secret.

Jessica was able to cut her trip short with the rest of her family, happily ignoring her mother's protests as she got in the taxi that would take her to the airport. Jessica was thoughtful on the flight, in those hours she came to a decision and she so hoped that her boyfriend Ben would not only be forgiving but able to believe all that she was going to tell him.

10 Years Later

Jessica ended up giving birth to a beautiful girl that Ben and her named Alexandria Maria Smith, as before she was born, Jessica and Ben had married. When she had told Ben everything, showing him her keybalde, the Light Shard etc. he had agreed to her plan. Deep down Jessica still loved Ben, she had the whole time she had been with Terra, which Terra had understood. Thankfully as Ben had a son of his own from his first marriage, which had ended when his high school sweet heart had run out on them. Jackson did not know that his "half-sister" really wasn't, as they never told him the truth, even Alex, as she preferred to be called didn't know.

Despite this Jessica still did tell both of her children about her friends, though leaving out keyblades, magic and journeys to other worlds. They both loved to hear the stories of Terra, Aqua and Ventus, along with their Master Eraqus, asking to hear their favorites when ever they could. In fact well they were on a holiday in a cabin that was owned by a friend of Ben's, Jessica was retelling the story of the time that Terra was subjected to a prank that Jessica had helped Ven pull on the older boy. "When Terra stormed into the dinning room the next morning, his always styled brown hair puffed out and around his head, even Master Eraqus broke out laughing at the sight."

Both Alex and Jack laughed, simply imagining the sight, well Jessica smiled at her girl that Terra had been so kind to give her. Alex was in every way was a smaller version of herself, not only by the way she acted but she also had her face. The parts that were Terra was the brown hair that Alex had tied back in braids and the bright blue eyes. There were times when Alex would show traits that were all Terra, his compassion and desire to help, that often led to her getting in over her head. "Mom you have that sad look on your face again." Alex pointed out as she looked up at her mother confused.

Jessica blinked as she coughed then tried to clear her throat before taking a drink of lemonade. "Sorry sweet heart, I got lost in a sad memory for a moment is all. Nothing to worry about." Jessica assured her as she got up from the chair she was sitting in, grabbing a soccer ball as she did with a smile. Ignoring the weariness she was feeling the last few day, thinking she was just coming down with something as she asked. "Say are you two up for a quick game before I go in to make us all some lunch?"

Everything that happened after that was a blur as she felt a pressure in her chest, there was shortness of breath, the world turned as all of her strength suddenly gave out. All she could do was watch the happy smiles on her children's face disappear as she colassped in front of them, Jack running inside to get his father well Alex knelt over her.

-o0o-

Being told that you have lung cancer and that the chances of survival are slim is almost as bad as a death sentence. Jessica tried to not let it get her down as she took each day as a blessing and did the best she could to not only take care if herself but her family as well. Ben and the kids didn't like the fact that despite being as sick as she was that Jessica tried to do everything she always did. It soon proved too much for her, so Ben made her take things slower well he took more on himself, so she could recover. It seemed to work as did the treatments she received as she began to improve but then tragedy struck. Ben and Jack, who had been out that evening for Jack's baseball game, were involved in a car accident. Jessica and Alex, who had offered to stay behind and help her mom, were told that when the semi had hit the car Jack had died on impact. Ben on the other hand had passed on the way to the hospital, the same one that Jessica had worked in until she became too sick to keep working.

After that Jessica fell into a bit of a depression but tried to be strong for Alex, but her health soon declined. In her weakened state of mind an old colleague of hers, Dick Collison took advantage of her and her dear Alex paid the price. She didn't recall the conversation where she agreed to marry Dick or that he would move in to their home but one day after a treatment he brought her home and she saw the fear in her daughter's eyes and the changes he had done around the house. Jessica tried to undo what had happened in a state of sick delirium but Dick had everything figured out. There was no way out of the abusive situation he had forced on Alex, which made Jessica die a little inside, which worsened her condition. It was when Dick forced himself on her daughter that Jessica was able to find what she needed to remove the monster from their lives. Unfortunately it proved too late to save Jessica as her body was no long reacting to treatments and she only had a short time left to live. So taking what she had on Dick, that would prove him the monster he was, and had Alex secretly mail it along with a detailed letter to her Uncle George. Little did she know that the package would soon be lost in a warehouse and not be deliver for over two years.

Jessica, filled with a bit of hope for her daughter well lying in bed one night, Alex curled up next to her, wide awake and thinking of her old friends. Wishing with all of her heart that she could see them all one last time. The Light Shard heard this and reaching not only across worlds but time its self, it took her mind to Aqua, who was also in need if help, in the realm of darkness.

-o0o-

Aqua didn't know how much time had passed since that fateful day she said good bye to Jessica and went after Terra. She had found him in Radiant Guardians, his hair white and not like himself, much like Jessica had told her. They ended up fighting, with Xehanort in the end trying to use his keybalde to remove Terra from his own body. As a gateway opened to the realm of darkness and Terra had fallen in, Aqua didn't hesitate to dive in after him. She tried to save them both at first but she quickly realized that she could only save one of them. So she chose to fall into the darkness and save Terra, silently promising Ven that one day she would return to wake him up.

Aqua fought the dark beings in the realm she was stuck in, time passing with her being unaware of how long until she came across worlds that she was once traveled in the realm of light. She also started to see phantoms of her friends, everywhere she went in these fallen worlds. Aqua tried time and again to talk to her friends, longing to be with ones she cared so much for, but it was only after she defeated a group of dark beings, and found them again that she finally talked to two of them.

"Terra, Ven, Jessica!" Aqua called out as she saw her three friends up a head, their backs turned to her, until Jessica and Terra turned when she called out this time.

"Aqua- your-" Terra started to say but words failed him.

Aqua was surprised. "Terra- you spoke?"

"Terra- Aqua-where are we?" Jessica asked as she looked around confused.

"Jessica, you too?" Aqua asked surprised further but over joyed to hear their voices once again.

Terra looked equally surprised as he asked. "You can see me?"

"Of course I see Ven and Jessica too."

"Ven- he's here too?" Terra looked around, searching for Ven, who to Aqua and Jessica perceptions, he was standing right next to the tall brunette.

"Terra, what's wrong? Don't you see him?" Aqua asked greatly confused.

"Where are we?" Jessica askes again, worried.

"A world the darkness has consumed, its Enchanted Dominion." Aqua sadly informed both of her friends.

"Consumed?" Terra asked, still confused. Aqua began to doubt that it was indeed Jessica and Terra that she was talking too. Terra just seemed confused and Jessica looked too sickly to be her friend. Terra was able to assure her that it was him, before saying that she was seeing him as she remembered him. Jessica didn't know how to convince her so she decided to stayed silent and enjoy being with her friends, one last time. "The real me is lost in shadow." Terra sadly informed both girls.

"Then you're here, trapped in the realm of darkness?" Aqua asked fearing that she had failed to save him.

Terra shock his head. "No, my heart has ties to the dark. That must be way we can talk but I can't see anything Aqua. If you say Ven is there, then he's like me, an illusion created by your heart."

The two girls looked at each other, Jessica shrugged, an idea in her head of how she was there but not sure either. "I understand. Then you and Ven are safe in the outside world?" Aqua asked.

"I think."

"That's good." Aqua said truly glade and over looking his uncertainty as she turned to Jessica. "And you Jess, how are you and the baby doing?"

Terra gasped as he turned, only now remembering she had been pregnant with his child all those years ago. Jessica smiled, which took away the sickly look her face had as she said fondly. "Well it's been 10 years here, so shes not much of a baby any more but-" she hesitated, closing her eyes as tears threatened to fall. "I have to face the facts. Terra, Aqua, I'm dying."

"WHAT?!" both of her friends shouted in shock.

"Its lung cancer and the treatments are no longer helping. I don't know how much longer I'll have but I'm happy that I got to see both of you again one last time. But Terra if your heart has ties to the darkness dose that mean-"

"Don't worry about me." Terra said cutting her off as he moved away from both of them, but then he turned back to them both, determination on his face. "Aqua, Xehanort is trying to locate Ven. You and our daughter as well Jessica."

Both girls exchanged knowing smirks. "He'll never find him, we hid Ven well. I think the reason he's not talking to me here is because he still there sleeping." Aqua explained as the two looked at his silent phantom fondly but the moment was ruined as Jessica noticed that Terra was holding his head, his hair turning white, clearly in distress, well darkness started to come from him.

"No- I can't control-" Terra said as he lost the battle and Xehanort looked up at Jessica's fear filled ones as he asked. "This place- is it the chamber of waking?"

"Yes, but-"

"Aqua don't." Jessica said standing between her and Terra. "He's not Terra anymore."

"Who are you, really?" asked Aqua as she stood ready, a hand on Jessica's shoulder, shocked to find her friend trembling.

Xehanort smiled smugly. "You don't know? My name-"

He didn't get a chance to finish as Terra, the real one formed behind his dark counterpart and grabbed him. "Jessica, Aqua! Get back!"

Terra!" both girls shouted.

"I messed up. Xehanort is part of me." Terra told them as he and Xehanort struggled. "Now he's using me- so you'll tell him where you both hid Ven."

"Silence!" Xehanort snapped as he fought Terra's hold on him.

The girls could only stand and watch as the two men struggled against each other, Terra still taking. "I won't give in. Aqua- you have to-"

Terra was cut off as Xehanort grabbed his face and lifted him up. "Still you struggle." He growled.

"Terra, remember what our child said? Fight the darkness!" Jessica shouted hoping to lend him strength. Just then a hug dweller of darkness appeared behind the three, grabbing Ven. Thinking fast and with what little energy she had Jessica made herself into light and wrapped around Aqua before the creature grabbed her. Despite Jessica's effort to protect her, Aqua still felt the creature squeeze, as she looked at Ven, wishing he would say or do anything. Looking back at Terra as he continued to struggle against Xehanort Aqua watched as he was able to find the strength he needed, right then and there. "That is ENOUGH!" he shouted as light and gold chains shoat out of him and wrapped around Xehanort as Aqua's eyes grew heavy and closed.

She felt herself drifting or was it sinking like if she was in water as Jessica's weak voice filled her ears. "I'm sorry Aqua. I'm done but I'm glade I got to see you and Terra one last time. Listen I'm going to use what strength I have left to not only to pass on the power of the keyblade to my daughter but the Light Shard to her as well. She will become the new Keeper of Light but she will not know it as I do not have time to explain it to her. Please find her and teach her the ways of the keyblade and of the light. You, Ven and Terra." With that Aqua felt the light that was her dear friend Jessica leave her for the last time and she felt her heart ache.

-o0o-

Jessica woke back in her bed with a jerk and a cough that left her breathless, waking Alex in the process. "Mom are you ok?" Alex asked sounding half asleep.

Jessica nodded as she tried to gain her breath back, well retching up and undoing the hidden clasp behind the Light Shard, took it from around her neck and proceeded to secure it around her daughter's neck. Once she found she could talk again Jessica said. "Take this, a stone of pure light and goodness, protect it from those who would use its power for evil and darkness."

Alex looked at her mother shocked, for as long as she could remember she had never seen her mother take this neckless off. "Mom, what are you doing?" she asked as tears filled her eyes.

Jessica didn't answer as she summoned Starlight of the Rising Sun and offered her wide eyes daughter its hilt. "In your hand take this key, so long as you have the makings then through this simple act of taking, its welder you shell one day be. And you find me dear daughter." Jessica resisted as Alex tenderly took the keyblade's hilt in her hand well she looked the blade over in wonder. After a moment it vanished and Jessica was fighting to breathe as she pulled Alex against her, holding her one more time. "My dear one, I am so sorry for the mess I am leaving you with, I think your father would be furious at me if he learned that I had let it happen if the first place."

Alex shook her head as she cried. "No he wouldn't."

Jessica smiled as she gave her one last squeeze. "Alex, I want you to remember something, its important. Outside this tiny world, is a much bigger one, and you have people out there that love you with all of their hearts. One day you will find each other, that I can promise you my dear child. When they do never let them go." Then with one last breath Jessica took her wayfinder, the one Aqua had given her so long ago and wrapped Alex's hand around it. Alex then felt her mother slip away from her, gone forever. Alex cried as she hugged her mother's body, wishing she would come back.

-o0o-

In the days that fallowed after her mother's death, Alex was nothing but a shell of herself as Dick's treatment towards her went unhindered. On the day of Jessica's funeral Alex stood next to Dick, who had an iron grip on her shoulder, as he pretended to be a man locked in grief over the lost of his wife. Alex was the only one who knew the truth of the monster that was her step-father. What she didn't know was that her real father was still out there fighting to free himself from darkness, to return not only to his friends but to her. Or that night when she cried herself to sleep, the Light Shard that now rested around her neck, would hear her heart's deepest wish and grant it. That it would take her mind well she slept across the worlds to a white hair boy, who lived on an island and become her closet friend.

The End… For Now

A/N: Now I know that some of you may not have enjoyed this story but I enjoyed writing every minuet of it. In fact up in till I wrote the last word this story has consumed me, my thoughts at all times of the day and night, a bit anyway. So please tell me what you think and don't hesitate to read my other stories that coincide with this one. I admit that they are not yet posted as they are still in the works but The Keeper of Light (Power Rangers) and Kingdom Hearts: Return of Starlight of the Rising Sun (Power Rangers/ Kingdom Hearts crossover), will be up in the near future.