In which Aqua takes exception to the potty-mouth this fic's been enjoying recently…

Chapter Twenty-One: Heroes' Welcome

Xehanort's illusions complemented his words as he addressed his "crew" in the captain's quarters.

"After months of pursuit, we've finally defeated James Hook." The image of the Jolly Roger's former captain faded into shades of scarlet, a sharp contrast from his peers indicating his demise. "That leaves six others that we know of.

"Jafar: a sorcerer from an unknown world.

"Ursula: a powerful sea-witch and lifelong enemy of our dear friend, King Triton.

"Hades: accredited god of a faraway underworld.

"Oogie Boogie: little is known of him, so I advise extra caution when dealing with this one.

"Mateus Palamecia: despotic ruler of the Palamecian Empire and Radiant Garden's most immediate threat.

"And finally, there's Maleficent herself: the self-proclaimed 'Mistress of All Evil.' Make no mistake; she is among the most powerful beings I've had the misfortune to encounter. Many worlds fell to her long before she ever assembled this Dark Seeker Council. Pray that you never face her alone."

The Keybearers and Smee closely studied the arrangement of enemy portraitures, all of them wondering the same thing. The projection of Vanitas, a life-sized transmission of the masked boy from the outflying Gummi Ship flown by the Unversed, was the first to voice his and his peers' communal thought. "Basically, we're f**ked." All eyes turned to him at the back of the room—all incredulous, but all agreeing, and that's what scared them most.

Vanitas shrugged. "What? We're all thinkin' it. A single pirate had us bent over for the better part of three months, and if what Terra says is true, none of us could finally stop him. It was some random suburban couple that finally did 'im in. And now, through no feat of our own, we've 'only' got six bad guys left. Maybe more."

Terra challenged him. "What are you saying, Vanitas?"

The masked boy scoffed. "You know damn well what I'm saying. This team is a joke. I got punked by a force-field and lost a quarter-year of my life as a spoil of war, Aqua didn't pick up the pair of Invisibles in the theater until it was too late and got a bunch of civs killed because of it, you had Hook at your mercy and still let him get away and carve up your face, and Ven—"

He forced himself to stop. He remembered far too well the crossroads the false pirate faced when freeing him from his cell. He saw it in the boy's face then, and he saw it now: anguish brought on by his conflicting roles as a Keybearer and a pirate who tasted more of Darkness than he could handle. The spikey-haired punk wavered far too close to the brink of betraying them all for selfish gain in front of that cell, whether he realized it or not. But now wasn't the time to confront him about this—not if he would be leaving soon to play pirate fulltime anyway.

Vanitas forced his thoughts of Ven aside and continued on with his point. "And this is all saying nothing of the collateral damage along the way. And I'm not just talking about London. We lost a lot of worlds chasing Hook these past few months. You couldn't begin to convince me we can take on the rest."

Aqua retorted, a clear disgust in her voice, "I thought you would want revenge, Vanitas, after everything these maniacs did to you—"

"Hey," he shot back, "I ain't saying I don't wanna flay that Maleficent bitch to the bone for what she let Hook do. But look at the bigger picture." He thrust an incensed finger at the façade of Emperor Palamecia, "He's got an army," then at Maleficent, "she's unbeatable," and finally Hades, "and that one's immortal!" He let his words sink in a moment. "And now, look at us."

Terra started, "Vanitas…"

But the masked boy's transmission stormed the distance between them, furiously throwing away his helmet so only that crimson layer of bandages meagerly concealed the myriad deformities that defined what was once his face. Only inches away, he screamed at the scarred, one-eyed brunette, "Look at us!"

And so everyone did. What they saw of the pair—two so-called "heroes" whose split-second mistakes permanently deformed them for all the worlds to know of their failures—was hardly encouraging.

Aqua interjected, "We have the Coalition now."

Vanitas had calmed somewhat, but was hardly appeased. "Please. If they were any real help, we would'a stopped Hook weeks ago."

"Their strength is growing," she retorted. "We find new allies every day, and if they're not enough, there's still the map."

That last bit grabbed Ven's attention. "Treasure Planet?"

Aqua nodded. "That's right. The map you found is going to change the tide of this war." She then spoke to Vanitas more than anyone else, "With the wealth we find on that world, we'll be able to finance armies large enough to eclipse any force of darkness Maleficent conjures. And with the teleporter that map unlocks, we'll be able to strike them from any point in the galaxy, completely unannounced, and vanish without a trace. And the best part is the Dark Seekers don't even know where the planet is. Am I correct, Mr. Smee?"

The little Half-Shadow nodded timidly. "Th—that's right. We never could get the map open."

Aqua resumed, "They could never unlock the map. But we did. Maleficent's had the upper-hand for the better part of a year now, but that's all about to change."

Vanitas' projection grimaced. "We're still shit."

Terra rejoined, "But soon we'll be rich shit with armies to fight for us."

Aqua groaned. "If we could do without the swearing, please."

Vanitas scoffed a laugh, the expression under his bandages reflecting sardonic amusement now that his doubts had been resolved. "Okay, crisis settled. Any other loose ends need tying?"

The room fell silent, wondering where he intended to go with this. Only Ventus noticed that the boy masked in crimson gauze was staring sidelong at him, clearly expecting something. Did he intend to confront him about his doubts when unlocking his cell? Would he really do that here, in front of everyone? The blonde pirate looked away, shamefaced under the ex-prisoner's scrutiny.

Terra, meanwhile, struggled to decide whether or not he should confess the dark fire he unwittingly cast at the opera house. It was a onetime thing, he told himself. It happened once and…he never tried casting fire since. He was too afraid of what he'd find. What does this mean? How did it even happen?

To everyone's surprise, Aqua was the one to break the silence. Her voice fell heavy upon the room. "Actually, there is something important I've been meaning to tell you all. I just wanted to wait until we were all here." All eyes were on her, surprised at her input. "After I slew that Orcus back at the opera house…something spoke through it."

All eyes widened. Master Xehanort queried, "Are you saying some other entity used that Heartless as a conduit to speak with you?"

She nodded. "It called itself 'Chernabog, Bringer of Death in service to the Dark Lords.' "

Xehanort paled at the name. His breath grew shallow. Sweat trickled down his brow. No one else noticed.

Aqua continued, "Judging by the way he spoke, he may be some sort of…Heartless deity, and if what he says is true, there are more just like him. From what I gathered, he resides in the Realm of Darkness, but can project his will onto any Heartless he chooses. He also boasted that Darkness would consume all within a matter of weeks, but that just sounds like fear-mongering to me."

Terra was the first to notice Xehanort's condition. "Master?" he called, his voice heavy with concern and mild alarm.

Soon everyone beheld their Master's bereavement. He staggered back against Hook's desk and clutched at his heart. Smee was closest to the older man and was the first to steady him. "Mister Xehanort?" the half-man called.

They all closed-in an arm's length away, concerned but not wanting to further upset him. Only Vanitas, his projection's movement limited by the catalyst's range, was helpless to reach his master. There was a transparent anguish in his deformed face, but one no one noticed.

At length, Xehanort was in control of himself again. His breathing and complexion slowly returned. "Aqua," he began, his voice still shaken, "are you certain this was Chernabog?"

She stuttered. "W—well, that's what he said. It's not like I have a frame of reference for all these Heartless gods. You knew him?"

"I slew him." That earned the shocked silence of everyone in the room. "Years ago—long before any of you were born—Eraqus, Yen Sid, and I worked together with many other wielders to destroy the demon. He…he can't possibly still be alive."

A silence passed. Ven broke it. "Could it be that he's like the crocodile? Y'know, we killed two forms of him only to find out he had a third. What if this is Chernabog's Heartless, and the one you fought was a Nobody?"

"Impossible," Xehanort replied. "Chernabog was a Pureblood. Purebloods are not made—they're born. A Heartless is and always was that monster's natural state. There can't be more of him."

Terra asked, "Are you sure you killed him?"

"Yes!" the old man returned. "I—I watched him crumble and disperse into ashes of light! Eraqus and I delivered the final blow! There can't by anything left of the demon."

Mr. Smee offered, "Then m—maybe this Chernabog is an imposter."

"A damn powerful one," Vanitas added. "Or maybe we're looking at this wrong. He's not a fake Chernabog; he's his successor."

All considered it for a dreary moment, then Xehanort sighed. "That may just be it." There was no enthusiasm in his voice when he said, "Well done, Vanitas."

But Aqua had another idea. "When I spoke to Chernabog, he boasted that he couldn't be killed; his will would simply transfer to another host. Maybe that's all you and Master Eraqus slew: just one of many hosts."

A disconcerting silence hung. Vanitas broke it with a sigh. "Add one more immortal to our hit-list…"

Xehanort clearly wasn't pleased with the idea. He conjured many excuses and rebuttals in his mind, but at every turn, he was defeated by Aqua's suggestion. A continuously transferring will amid an endless sea of Heartless hosts seemed the most likely answer. Grimacing, the old Master asked Aqua, "Is there anything else 'Chernabog' told you?"

For the fourth time, the demon's poisonous words resurfaced in Aqua's mind. For the fourth time, she rejected them. "He said, 'He shall be your undoing… ' Exactly the kind of vague, strategic lie I'd expect from a demon king."

But Terra wasn't so sure. It all came back to that dark fire he cast. And now that he heard this warning… Was he talking about me? Is this darkness going destroy my family? He kept everything to himself.

Xehanort prodded Aqua further, "He said nothing of allying himself with Maleficent and her Dark Seekers?"

Aqua sighed. "I remember him calling Hook 'a servant,' and only one of many at that. If that's true, then it's highly probable that Chernabog or any of the 'Dark Lords' he serves is the true leader of the Dark Seekers: not Maleficent."

Some silence hung between them, then Ventus wondered, "Does…Chernabog know where Treasure Planet is?"

The old man groaned as he thought it over. "I doubt it. If he did, Hook would never have needed the map. The demon would simply lead the Dark Seekers there and that would be it. So, no, we still have our ace in the hole."

Vanitas smirked. "Bitchin'." Then his projection reacted to something from his end of the transmission. "Alright, we're finally home. Just follow me and I'll clear a landing zone." He walked away and his broadcast diffused into particles of light resorbed by the Treasure Planet map secured into the floor. The crucible was a wonderful conductor for all manner of projections. Seconds later, the holograms of the Dark Seekers vanished as well: the fully-colored forms of Jafar, Ursula, Hades, Oogie Boogie, Emperor Palamecia, and Maleficent, and the crimson-hued façade of the late James Hook.

The radiant beams of the rising sun cast reflections of marigold and scarlet off the Gummi Ship's plated exterior as it entered the world's inner atmosphere.

The Unversed knew the way to the usual landing zone, and so Vanitas entrusted the parking to them, instead recovering his anthracite helm and disembarking on his Keyblade hover-bike to scout an area large enough for the Jolly Roger. The Spanish galleon's onset through the clouds turned many heads of the masses below. Radiant Garden was no stranger to Gummi traffic, but a flying pirate ship…

Terra stood atop the end of the Jolly Roger's elongated bowsprit, arms crossed and his hair and winter coat fluttering in the wind. He grinned broadly, hoping Sora and Riku were awake so they could see their cool step-dad descending into the world on a flying pirate ship. This would make the eyepatch easier to adjust to, or so he hoped. But more practically, he was there to navigate for Ventus at the helm, relaying Vanitas' signals back to him so he knew where to land.

It was in Vanitas' flight, leading the galleon to a promising area of a nearby lake, that he remembered the previous excursion on his bike: specifically, Neverland and all the terrifying new breeds of Heartless the undead world had spawned. Unsettlingly, the flight-capable beasts that pursued him when he reclosed the planetary barrier seemed capable of language, or at least of making loud, angry noises with their mouths in such rapid motions that gave the impression of complex verbosity rather than primal screams, but that was already far more than what most known Heartless were capable of. The masked boy sighed when he realized his missed opportunity. Should'a brought this up during the meeting. Oh well. It can wait 'til we land.

The gathering crowd of civilians and guardsmen wasn't only for the flying pirate ship. A good deal of their collective wonder was at seeing Vanitas return after his two-month absence. Many had assumed he'd perished, and none expected to ever see him again. The sight of this returning hero and the magic vessel from his imprisonment that he now directed served as a magnificent morale-boost for the weary citizens.

Vanitas should've been thrilled at their cheers for his return. But the first thing he felt was an overwhelming wave of self-consciousness. Though these people couldn't see his face, it didn't make it any easier that he didn't have one. It was something no one outside his immediate family would ever know, but that he would always be painfully aware of. It took some seconds, but he swallowed the soul-rending epiphany and feigned enough bravado to wave roguishly to his admirers.

He soon found a clear spot for the ship in the ice-water river where much of the city's marine traffic usually travelled, all of them at some point crossing under the grand bascule bridge. He looked back and directed Terra to the new location. Terra, in turn, did the same for Ven.

Watching Ventus steer the Jolly Roger…Aqua couldn't deny she found it unsettling. For as supportive as she wanted to be of him, imagining him following through with his desire to leave them for a life of piracy after they only just got him back was hardly a comforting thought. And yet, it was also fascinating seeing him handle the rudder with such confidence and deftness of technique. When she asked him questions about the wheel's sensitivity, how effective turning it a certain way was, and what it was like being responsible for steering the vessel for extended periods of time, his answers always impressed her. If he was leaving to pursue a different vocation, it would at least be one he was intimate with.

But Ven also had many questions for Aqua. He'd never seen a world like Radiant Garden before. He wanted to know what certain buildings were, of the districts they passed overhead, what life was like there—everything. Aqua had nearly forgotten how curious and adventurous he was. She smiled and answered, "Tell you what. After we're all settled and rested, I'll give you the grand tour."

Ven beamed back, "Thanks, Aqua. I really appreciate it—oh, hang on."

Terra had relayed the signal to begin their descent, and Ven directed the wheel to do just that.

There was one question Aqua didn't dare ask: How is this ship able to fly? She had a reasonable idea, and she knew enough of Neverland and what became of it to grant the dead world its respectful silence.

The ship's keel breached the river's surface, and soon the Jolly Roger fully transitioned from the aerial stage to the aquatic one. The shipborne heroes then found themselves approximately leveled with the citizens on either side of the river, and Ventus was overwhelmed by the ensuing cheers and desperate cries of victory. He turned to Aqua beside him and asked, "Is this what it's like being a hero to these people?"

"On a good day," she answered between waves. "We've been here half a year. I guess this is our reward for keeping them safe for so long."

The people didn't know him, Ven knew, but he could tell they still registered him as a hero of some sort if he was so familiar with their favored Keybearers. Glory wasn't necessarily something he dreamed of for his heroic pirate career, but he certainly wouldn't mind it…under different circumstances. Where the timid child he once was would've allowed a flustered smile and a sheepish wave or two while steering, Ventus felt no joy in this adoration for his betrayal. No display of gratitude could ever absolve him of his crew's—his family's slaughter.

Xehanort and Smee had since arrived on the deck and had a similar conversation. The small half-man was clearly overwhelmed by the deafening accolades, but the ancient Master placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and encouraged him, "They cheer for you, Smee. They don't know it yet, but you've delivered the Dark Seeker Council right into their hands."

If the crowd held any revilement for Smee's Half-Shadow form, let alone noticed it under his winter layers, he couldn't tell. It had been so long since anyone had praised him for a good deed, let alone on such a grand scale. Where Ven's weary heart curdled and cracked, Smee's trembled and melted under the people's adoration, and he couldn't help but shed joyful tears as his new life welcomed him with thunderous applause. He was ready to be the hero the Keybearers knew he was inside.

Terra spied Ventus u-turning his glider back for the ship after giving the signal for the bascule bridge workers to open the passage for them. He watched the masked boy revert the hover-cycle to its default form and slide from the air to the deck with his arms raised in victory like a rock star. The onlookers' roars redoubled at seeing their long-lost hero's triumphal return after his dreadful absence.

Terra allowed a good-humored scoff when Vanitas pumped his fist in the air and discharged a sizeable waft of flame overhead. Showoff.

He soon joined the masked boy by his side and asked with an amused smile, "This your idea of a victory lap?"

"This is our victory, Cyclops!" Oh, lovely—No-face already had a nickname for Terra's new condition. "These people needed a morale boost? Here's our enemy's ship on a golden platter!"

The brazen nickname, the bravado… Terra wondered if these were just façades for the lost face Vanitas so clearly mourned. That sounded about right. One way to run from pain was to own it.

Through his swaggering, one abysmal revelation bore the heaviest prominence in the masked boy's mind: There's a lot more people here than I remember. Just how many worlds did we lose…?

It wasn't long before they docked. They walked the rest of the way to the castle, taking in the sights and sounds of the snowy streets, catching Vanitas up to speed, and introducing Ven and Smee to the largest and busiest world they'd ever seen. For a boy and a Half-Shadow who'd only seen realms of pirate ports, coastal colonies, and cities built from shipwrecks, Radiant Garden was a grand metropolis surpassing the limits of their imaginations.

But to Vanitas, returning to these streets, now more cluttered and beggar-ridden than ever, was a harsh awakening to all that he'd missed. He spotted a sizeable slur spray-painted over a building wall:

NOTHING MORE THAN A HOLLOW BASTION

He scoffed and asked, "What's that all about?"

The three elder Keybearers grimaced at the sight. Xehanort answered, "A bit of local outcry. The refugees' most vocal critics have a bit of poetic flair to them. They've seen the worlds fall and they know this one will be no different. And so, they've doffed the name of Radiant Garden and rechristened it 'Hollow Bastion.' Many take exception to that."

"Hollow Bastion…" Vanitas smirked, "sounds kinda cool."

"We may have to get used to it," the Master conceded. "Either that or wait for the pessimism to die down."

Ven reflected on the state of the world and the social unrest. A thought occurred to him, "Hey, Vanitas?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you have the Unversed work as extra security or help out the army?"

He was surprised Ven thought of the question, but only shrugged away his brief amazement. "Tried that for a time. Didn't work. Nobody wants Heartless lookalikes prowling the streets. The guards say they can't tell 'em apart. Damn racists. As for making small armies of 'em and giving 'em their own missions…well, they're tied directly to my wellbeing and ability to maintain them. After I was captured, all the Unversed forces we had out in the fields fizzled up, so that was kinda awkward."

Ven followed-up, "So, if having Unversed soldiers otherwise worked, wouldn't it…technically be better if you stayed safe at home or at the palace or wherever so the army never dried up?"

Vanitas didn't stop, but a visible flare of aggression coursed through his body. They all caught it and would've hated to be Ventus right then. But, without slowing, all the masked boy did to vent his anger was turn his abyssal dome to the ex-pirate and seethe, "I am not staying cooped up again."

And that was that.

They reached the upper district soon enough. Smee asked as they neared the capitol, "Do you…do you all live in the palace?"

Xehanort smirked. "No, but we are frequent visitors. Good King Ansem has granted us a smaller estate not too far away. All agree that it's easier for us to focus on our work outside the walls of court intrigue."

Vanitas chimed in, "The palace has nicer bathrooms, though." He stretched and spoke with what all imagined was a languid smirk beneath the helm, "I can't begin to tell you how badly I need a bath."

Ventus snickered. "I could."

Aqua rolled her eyes and teased, "You're one to talk, Grog Beard."

That earned a groan from Ven and a chuckle from the others. Terra added, "On the subject of beards, I think it's high time you saw a barber too."

Ven raised a confused eyebrow. "I don't have a—"

But Aqua panicked before he could finish, spastically darting within mere inches of his face as she gripped his temples for a steadier view, "YOU HAVE A BEARD?!"

Ven, the flustered picture of violated personal space and scrambling to remove Aqua's hands, quickly replied, "GAH! No, I don't! I don't have a beard or—or a stubble or anything!"

It took a moment for the information to register. Fifteen nearing sixteen though he was, Ventus still hadn't grown his first facial hairs. When Aqua finally realized this, her alarmed expression soured into one of annoyance as she released her hold and directed her grievance toward Terra, "Terra, don't panic me."

The uninvolved three sniggered as Terra faced his two inconvenienced friends with some bewildered embarrassment. "I…realize my mistake." He spoke more so to Ven now, "But what I was trying—"

"And failing," Vanitas interjected.

"—and failing to say was you're due for a haircut."

Ven froze in palpable dread. Everyone noticed. He really wished they hadn't.

Aqua lifted a lock of his neglected mop and reported, "Yeah, it is about that time. His hair is even longer than mine now…"

Vanitas shrugged. "Mine was longer."

Xehanort agreed, "So was mine."

The masked boy added, "The problem is he doesn't know how to manage the mess he's got. With great locks comes great dandruff."

Xehanort chucked and said to his faceless ward, "Dandruff…there's something you won't miss."

Mr. Smee added his two cents to the Ven/haircut dilemma, "I was a barber for the cap'n for over two-hundred years."

All eyes were on him.

Terra was the first to reply, "…Two…hundred years?"

Aqua asked just as incredulously, "Were you really in Neverland that long?"

Mr. Smee nodded. "There and the Realm of Darkness." At that last bit, he glanced somewhat accusingly at Xehanort, bringing up some old history from before he'd gained any of these apprentices.

With all present waiting for an answer, the old man chuckled. "It was a different time, Mr. Smee. You worked for a more irascible employer and I still had my hair."

Dread curdled Terra's stomach as he recalled what Hook told him in the opera house. "Have you any idea what your master's done to me?! Promised me an escape from my ageless prison, riches and treasure beyond belief in the Door to Darkness, only to leave me and me crew to die when we crossed the other side! 'Corridors to infinite worlds,' he said! 'Wealth greater than any mind could dream of!' And you know what we found?! Only living death! The Heartless cursed us and we became vessels for their blasted crusade! Neither living nor dead—only becoming slaves to darkness just like them, and all because of Xehanort!"

He previously discarded it all as lies, but now, with what Smee had just brought to light, Terra wondered at his words. Why would Master Xehanort have struck a deal with a Dark Seeker? He obviously meant to betray him, but what's this about 'the Door to Darkness?' I know Master's done some heavy research into the Heartless and how they work…but to think he'd actually use them for a trap… And what did Hook mean when he said Xehanort promised him 'corridors to infinite worlds' and 'riches and treasure beyond belief?' Could he…could he have been talking about Treasure Planet? Has Master Xehanort known about Treasure Planet for over fifty years?

As the others jibed and gamboled over matters calvous, comose, and crinigerous, Terra shook the doubts of his Master from his head. No. 'Corridors to other worlds' could just mean the dark corridors. And 'riches beyond belief' is a pretty generic promise and the perfect bait for a pirate. And besides, if he knew all this time, why never tell us about it? What could he gain by keeping a boon that big a secret now that we actually need it? Still, I'll admit it's an unsettling coincidence.

In his musings, he realized too late that the others had stopped in their tracks. Regaining himself, Terra looked around and realized they now stood before the palace courtyard.

But something was off. The royal enclosure was…quiet.

Deathly quiet. Everyone sensed it.

"Something happened here," Xehanort spoke, stepping forward to meet Terra. "Something terrible…"

Aqua, Ven, Vanitas, and Smee slowly scattered to observe the upturned pavement, the cracked cobblestone, the dried flecks of blood…

Plus, security was tight—far heavier than normal.

But for all this, the palace itself appeared undamaged. And that's where my family would be. Naomi, Sora, Riku…even Kairi and Ienzo. They're more or less family too. If anything went wrong, they would've been safe inside.

A female voice called, "Excuse me! Are you the Keybearers?"

The six turned to the side to find another five approaching. They were royal guards, all privates judging by their bare uniforms and young faces, but they appeared as though they'd seen Hell and somehow come out alive.

Xehanort answered, "We are they, yes. What news, trooper?"

The five youths grew silent and more apprehensive at the reply. At length, their messenger spoke again, "There was a riot here yesterday afternoon. We weren't here for most of it. We were out on a mission into the borderlands and…" The youth tried to steel herself for what came next. "Which one of you is Master Terra?"

Tiny feet scurried across the halls of the palace's second floor. They'd been told to stay inside until the danger passed and their parents returned, but Sora didn't mind. It was an extra day to play with Kairi and Riku.

They'd done and imagined so much the previous night and resumed their adventures in the morning, exploring dark rooms, climbing wardrobes and draperies, playing Keyblades and Heartless with only some ceramic casualties—making the most of a tragedy the grownups kept them ignorant of.

But through exchanges of wooden Keyblades and through breathless scampers across expensive furniture and flooring, tiny thoughts creeped into the toddler Sora's mind. I wonder when Mom and Ienzo are gonna be back? They're not usually gone this long.

Others came less frequently. Dad and Aqua have been gone a long time, too. What if they get home before Mom and Ienzo? He giggled. Wouldn't that be a surprise!

But when he did pause to think, he was always rudely woken back to childish fantasy by a blow from either Riku or Kairi, each always far too eager to take advantage of an open target. These were, of course, followed by squeaks of protest from the spiky-haired Keybearer-in-fantasy, who rejoined the fray more alert than ever before.

Laughter and fancy flooded the empty second-story hall. The three adventurers played to their hearts' content beside the vast panoramic window overlooking the capitol courtyard.

At some point, when Sora paused to catch his breath, he noticed the unusual activity near the far side of the cobblestone enclosure. There, far on the other side of the glass, was a gathering of nine grownups discussing something that appeared to be important. But at the forefront of the boy's attention was a form he knew and loved so well.

"They're back!" Sora called with innocent delight, "Dad's back!"

Riku and Kairi lowered their ligneous blades and joined their friend at the window with visible excitement in their eyes.

But they quickly knew something was wrong. They saw it in the way the five soldiers shifted nervously as they spoke. They saw it in the stillness that followed when the last words were said. They saw it in the varied stages of silent devastation the Keybearers endured in the aftermath. And they saw it in the way Terra lost his breath, staggering back as slowly and noiselessly as a spirit just learning it lost its mortal coil.

Terra's friends caught him, but things only grew worse from there.

It was the first time Sora had ever seen a grown man cry.