Aqua watched Terra run after her sister, all the while knowing that it should have been her. She should have been the one to fix her mistakes. But no, Terra had to be the hero, had to be the knight in shinning armor. Figures. Aero would probably like it better any way.

"Why do I get the feeling I screwed up." Aqua mused aloud, not really expecting an answer. Although she would probably never admit it, her sister had been right.

"Ah…well… you kind of did." Ven said.

"You're right. So what do I do now?" Ven may be rather impulsive in battle, but outside of the adrenalin and danger he was known for his level head. That was why he and Aero got along so well; they were both able to look at a situation and break down what had to be done next. Sure they didn't always have a plain, but when they did I usually worked. Usually.

"You have apologize. I mean we both know that Aero does some sneaky stuff but she's never done it to be mean." Aqua huffed at his comment.

"But she still could have told me."

"That's not what I heard." Lea muttered, causing Aqua to cut her eyes at him. She was contemplating sending an ice spell the pyrotechnic's way but her thoughts were interrupted by the door slamming open. For a moment before she saw who exactly did it, Aqua was afraid it was her sister. She didn't know if tempers had cooled enough for another confrontation.

"Guess what?" Mickey asked, practically bouncing. It was odd seeing him like this, so unopposed, so excited.

"What? What is it?" Sora asked, but Mickey wasn't paying attention. He mouse's eyes were rested squarely on the blond haired boy that had not been part of the group he had left.

"Roxas?" He asked. Good. So Riku wasn't the only one to compare the boy to his best friend's nobody. The face was the same, as was the cloths and voice. It was a chilling experience to have someone who was so much like an old enemy right in front of him.

A new question suddenly came to the dark warrior's mind: if Ven and Terra were such great friends, then wouldn't DiZ have recognized his son's friend within Sora's nobody? And if he did why had he treated him so bad? Why had he been so adamant in his belief that nobodies were not suppose to exist.

"I know it's been a while, but am I that easy to forget? It's me Ventus." Mickey's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"Mickey!?" A booming voice called from behind him. Terra came through the open door followed by Aero. Her face was still a little puffy and her eyes were a little red, but she wore a genuine smile.

"Terra? How?!" The mouse called. Aero felt a kind of bad that the revelation of the situation interrupted his news but it was but a small inconvenient. He could add his share of good news to the pot a little later. She was sure Mickey wouldn't mind waiting a bit.

"I guess I have some 'splaining to do, huh?" Aero asked. Although she was still smiling, Aqua could hear the apprehension and doubt in her sister's voice. She couldn't help it; she knew what she had to do.

"Aero listen, I'm sorry about what I…" But Aero cut her off with a little smile.

"It's nothing. Those words weren't even the sharpest knife I've dealt with today." Aqua gave a confused little look. Aero just took a few steps forward and whispered what Terra had said in her sister's ear. The boy hadn't meant anything by it but…

"Nice. You just can't catch a break, can you?" Aqua said with a little laugh.

"Maybe someday." Aero replied with a voice some where between amusement and weariness.

"Girls are wired." Myde said, causing every girl in the room to laugh. Most of the boys obviously agreed for even Van and Terra joined in the fun.

"You two were just ready to kill each other and now you're acting like you're best friends." Van accused. The sisters just gave each other a loaded little look.

"That's just part of being sisters." Aqua said.

"Can I give you guys the holy grail of advice: never try to figure out girls. It won't work, but don't worry. We don't understand you guys any better." Aero was looking straight at Myde as she said this and for some inexplicable reason, she scared him.

"Or do we?" She continued with a dubious wiggle of her brow.

"Um guys? Ya wan'a explain what's going on?" Mickey said in an attempt to get them on track. Aero just sighed in response. It was going to be a long day.

"We might as well do this where the old fart could hear it. I don't want to have to repeat myself"

Five minuets latter everyone was gathered in the library waiting on the tale. As she looked around, Aero realized that this would not be easy. Some didn't know how much they had truly lost and others would be all too aware of it.

"Everyone here knows different parts of the story, so I'll tell it all. If you have a question just ask and I'll answer it truthfully, but there are a couple things I will not say, so if you ask one of those questions don't be insulted if I don't answer." There were a few unsettled looks at her one demand, but no one said anything. Aqua had learned her lesson for today.

"What we know as the Keyblade War was not the first and probably won't be the last. As far as I know there was at least one other. This war took place about fifteen years before the one we know when one single soldier became so enamored with the darkness that he let it control him." Aero noticed everyone was staring straight at her, captivated with her words. Only one set of ultramarine eyes looked away. It seemed that this part of the story was hitting a little too close to home for one of the keybladers.

"The Dark Crusader, as he became known as, destroyed several worlds before he was stopped. One of those world was the home of the keybladers at the time. These worlds were destroyed in such a manor that they were never able to be restored, instead they were condemned to a hellish existence somewhere between existence and extinction. Between civilization and brutality. They became the Feral Worlds.

"Eventually the Dark Crusader was destroyed. Then Thanroe, Kaine, and Sky rebuilt the order; they spent years training and teaching the new recruits.

"Soon after the refounding of the order, Sky left. He had found a lovely woman and wanted to start a family. He even changed his name so that he wouldn't be bothered by fans of his past. No one begrudged him the choice. He had disserved it. After all he had sacrificed… after all the time he had spent fighting. The only surprise was just how readily he gave it all up. After he gave up his blade he never looked back."

"You can give up being a keyblader?" Donald asked in wonder, his lisp still very prominent.

"Yes. All you have to do is stop calling it. The Keyblade will always be there, but if you don't use it…

"Not long after Sky retired, Kaine fell into similar circumstances. The only difference was that Kaine did look back. He looked back constantly. Every chance he got he would sneak away to Kostose and help train the newbie's. He clamed that Thanroe could not handle it alone, that he was needed. And he was; that's the only reason his wife didn't put her foot down and demand he leave that life behind him. Even after his sons were born he could not give it up.

"His reluctance caused many problems in his marriage. But eventually, about a year before what we'll call the second keyblade war, for simplicity, he caved in. Kaine totally gave it up. On the surface at least. Behind his wife's back he was teaching his sons swordplay.

"During this time, Thanroe was left to oversee the chasers on his own. Aqua and I had been living on Kostose for about four years and Ven had been there for about six months when Thanroe told us he had information that someone was trying to conquer Kingdom Hearts. To do this they would need to capture the seven princesses of heart.

"Thanroe thought it best if the chasers got to them first. It was a sound idea so he sent his best and his brightest." The ever modest Terra squirmed as Ven blushed at being called the best, despite it being more then true.

"Terra, Ven and Aqua searched. They even asked for my help. You must know that at the time, abilities were not what they are now. I could do very little to help that way, so I found another. I used my mechanical skills to build a machine. This machine could scan every world from Kostose and if there were an world with an excess amount of light…

"The identity of the princesses were very soon discovered, but before they could be brought to Kostose for 'safekeeping' Terra uncovered evidence that Thanroe himself was the one to covet Kingdom Hearts." Terra's eyes were suddenly filled with hate at the memory and the color was slowly changing from a deep blue to a kind of amber only seen on heartless. He looked scary.

"Some believed us. Terra had a lot of clout amongst the Keybladers and more then a few thought that there was something off about Thanroe. It didn't exactly hurt that Kaine believed us.

"On the flip side, some didn't believe. Blaze was one of them." Aero carefully watched Yen Sid out of the corner of her eye as she mentioned the boy. She was trying to gauge his reaction but he had none. Rather disappointing. Aqua, on the other hand, was able to keep whatever snotty comments she had to herself.

"He helped Thanroe close Kostose's borders and lock us out. Mickey then let us use Disney Castle as a base for the resistance. Near the time of the final battle, Kaine arrived. Somehow he had found out what was going on and wanted to help. We wouldn't let him. He had a family to take care of.

"The day of the battle everyone fought. Except me. As people started falling, it became more and more clear to me that they would not win. Thanroe was using dark magic. Magic so dark, that in the very moment he began invoking it, Blaze realized exactly who was right and who was wrong. By then it was too late. Thanroe used that black magic to enslave him." Aero got a hint of satisfaction at seeing Yen Sid's surprise. It was almost harder for him to believe that Blaze was a good guy then it was for Aqua, and he, by every right, should know the truth a hundred times over.

"Although he was not in control of his body, he was in control of his mind. Blaze used his abilities to contact me while I was waiting for the inevitable He had a plain. You see Blaze is one of the most talented magicians in all the worlds, except for one little drawback. He knows spells that could make Flair look like a lightning bug's backside, but he is unable to do the simple ones, fire, blizzard, and any type of cure spell always allude him along with several of the upper level light spells.

"During the first minutes of life as the oracle, I experienced a surge of power. My magical strength was multiplied exponentially and that was exactly what we needed." Aero was careful to word this part of the narrative so that one single topic would not come up.

"Why did you do it? Mother," Aqua spat the word out as if it were venom, "told me that you went there voluntary." Obviously all the evasion was for naught. Aqua still asked. Aero briefly considered telling them that this was one of the forbidden subjects but her sister would not have it.

"Please Aero. You did promise."

With a sigh and a pained expression the seer continued.

"I needed the power." The girls three companions shared a look of wonder, horror and understanding. She had condemned herself to that hell for them? Ten years of it?

"Don't give me that look. You guys take hits for each other in battle all the time. It's no different." Her voice did not leave room for contradiction. It was clear that she was not comfortable with her friends thinking that they owed her anything for her sacrifice. Terra understood this mentality perhaps more then anyone.

"You're right, it's not." Terra said with a little smile. Everyone looked at him and luckily picked up on his hint. The matter was closed.

"The magic we used came with a price. We were able to save many of the mortally wounded and send them home, but to do it their memories of anything that had to do with keyblades had to be lost. Some people's memories could not be wiped, like if they were considered a God on their world or if they were close to the center of the conflict, like we were.

"Aqua, you spent your every waking moment since you were twelve trying to keep me from that fate. It was your purpose and that's what it cost you.

"Terra, you know what it took form you." Ven and Aqua looked at their friend for a moment, but when the answer was not forthcoming, the let the subject die.

"What about you Ven? What was taken?" Aero really didn't know. Things like this could be anything.

"I…I…I don't remember." He said in a defeated sigh, after a few moments of thought.

"Well these things take time. It'll come back to you." Aqua whispered, trying to comfort her friend but it wasn't working. His face still held the defeated grimace that was so out of place on his usually sunny face.

"No I mean I knew. Everything I had been missing, my memories form when I was little. I may not have actually remembered them, but I knew where I belonged. Now I don't remember." A spasm of pain crossed Aero's face at the words.

Terra raised his brow and shot Ven a 'look-what-you've-done' look. It was clear to everyone that Aero would have paid the price for everyone if she could have. But she couldn't and there was no reason to add to her burden.

"Well, I figured it out before; I guess I can do it again." His smile was weak, and Aero could tell it was a little fake but that didn't lessen her appreciation of his actions.

"What did it cost Blaze?" Aero stared at her sister for a moment, and once she deemed the question born of genuine curiosity and not maliciousness, she answered.

"You all know how vain that boy was, right? Wouldn't have traded his baby blues for nothing. Well for the last ten years, he's been reduced to almost a literal shadow. Fitting yes. But it did cure him of his vanity quick. Now can I get back to the story?" She said with a little laugh.

"Since Ven was in the worst shape, he was hidden first. His heart was hidden behind that of another. Someone who's heart was already similar to his. Sora." There were more reasons, but they were not ones that should be said in front of a crowd. after a moment of quite taken for them to digest all the information Lea had to inject his own question.

"So Roxas did have a heart!" The exclaimed, earring an annoyed look for boy in question.

"Just who is this Roxas?"

"We'll get there Ven, we'll get there." Aero said to pacify him, while nodded to the red head.

"Next was Terra. He had rushed in without really thinking. I had to bind his heart to the heart of Sunset Horizons.

"Aqua was bound to her armor and Thanroe had his memories completely wiped, although I'm not sure how long it lasted. Ienzo, you would know the next part of the story"

The scholarly boy took over, describing how Xahanort had appeared and his experiments. Terra didn't take lightly to the news of his enemies proximity to his family and to the news of his father's choice to burry himself in to his work.

Once Ienzo was done it was Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Mickey's turn. They told of the attack on the Island and of Riku's stint on the dark side. His turning on "Ansem" did not go untold as did his actions in Castle Oblivion.

As the story turned towards their second adventure, everyone begin to tell their story. Lea and Myde described the actions of the Organization; Riku and Mickey told what exactly DiZ had been up to and Sora told of his adventures.

"Wow." Ven whispered. "So what now?"

"Well, first we let Mickey tell us the good news, then we should stop and let Terra talk to Ansem, and then we should see if we can get on Kostose. If we can, we can probably look through Thanroe's things and maybe get a clue to what exactly his next move will be." It was odd for Terra to watch Aero take charge like this. Normally she was just a rather meek little thing.

"So…?" She asked Mickey, although she already knew the answer.

"Minnie's goin'a have a baby!" The little mouse was so excited, he almost didn't notice the congratulations and excitement. Aero just smiled.

She let her mind slip into fantasies of blue eyed children of her own. Aero could picture them looking exactly like miniature versions of Terra with the same unruly hair and …

"Earth to Aero. Where were you?" Terra asked, waving his hand in front of the violet haired girl's face. Her concentration was immediately shaken and she could not help the faint blush that crept across her cheeks.

"Oh, just daydreaming." She whispered.

"About what?" Van asked with a cat at and canary grin.

"Is it really that hard to guess?" Aqua asked him, playing along. He sisters blush deepened as she prayed that Terra would not get the intimations.

"It's times like this I miss my garage." She muttered just loud enough for Terra to hear, "at least there, there was no shortage of things to throw at them."

When it was finally time to leave, everyone started to file into the Sanzu. It had taken much effort to keep Mickey form coming, but subtle reminders that this priorities were different now forced him to concede.

Aero and Van were last in line to enter the vassal, just as Aero had planed it. When no one else was looking she pulled the blond haired boy to the side.

"What the-"

"Shhh!" She urged.

"Listen, there were more reasons for why it was Sora then just what I told everyone." Ven's eyes widened with curiosity as he silently egged her on.

"The thing is that I don't remember them." The way she said it made you believe that it explained everything when it only added more to the boy's ever growing list of questions.

"Then why say anything?" He was more then a little annoyed, just as Aero was more then a little frustrated at his inability to understand.

"Because there're too many coincidences for it to be a coincidence. There is a good chance that this has something to do with the holes in your memory." His eyes widened at the thought but Aero didn't notice. Her mind was somewhere else.

"Hey, listen. Can you tell the guys that I'll be right back? There is one last little thing I want to take care of. Thanks!" She said, taking off before he even had a chance to reply.

"Sure." Ven muttered, knowing that she was too far gone to hear him.

When Aero approached the Castle's library, she was relived to find it empty of everyone except the one person she wanted to talk to. Yen Sid stood at the desk while putting all his things into a large bag, not unlike the enchanted one Merlin has.

"You know, the entire time I was telling my little story, I was trying to figure out one thing. But I couldn't. Pretty much the only time you reacted was when I mentioned his little drawback." She said as she leaned against the doorway. It was clear that until she spoke she had not been noticed. But even now that she was, she was not given a response.

"Would you morn him if he was dead? Or would you celebrate?" Her tone was not accusing but her words were.

"Would it matter?"

"I think it would. You see if you morn that shows that you care, despite what you say may say to the contrary, and if you cared it actually makes what you did all the more sickening. If you celebrate, then that means you don't care and that you are lying to everyone about being one of the good guys. And if you don't feel anything? Well that would mean you don't have a conscience and I don't feel comfortable having you around my friends." By now she had moved towards him and was moving her finger slowly over the piles of books on the desk without even looking at her pray.

It was unsettling to see one so small, almost as if she should still be in pigtails, try to be dangerous. She was doing a good job of it though. In fact, she reminded Yen Sid of another dangerous woman. Maleficent had acted very similar at that age and the end result wasn't pretty.

"You see, Yen Sid, one of the things my friends my not realize about me yet, is that I can be a manipulative little bitch. And vindictive. It would not be hard to ruin your life and I wouldn't even have to tell anyone what you did to that boy."

"I've done nothing!" The old sorcerer had never felt the need to explain himself to anyone and he wasn't going to start now.

"That's kind of the point. Don't ch' think?" She asked before turning around to leave. Once she was at the door she gave a little half turn and gave one final threat over her shoulder.

"You better hope he's alive, because if he's not, the secret becomes yours and yours alone and I would have no reason to keep it."

Morose was in another one of her snits. All of the chasers had been resurrected including that damnable Blaze. The dark witch had always firmly believed that the boy should have been drowned at birth…or smothered in his sleep. He couldn't even do magic right so what use was he?

"They're back. All of them." She screamed as she barged into Thanroe's workshop. He immediately looked up from his current subject in amazement at the usually unwelcome intrusion into his personal space.

The scientist was currently trying to combine two different specimens into one super rebirth. So far the experiment was not going well. He could not even begin to guess why. Every variable had been accounted for.

"All of them?" Thanroe muttered, not taking his eyes off the experiments.

"What did I say, you nit wit? Yes all of them!" She shouted almost loud enough to wake the subjects strapped to the tables.

"Huh. Experiment on subjects 25423-285536 and 7672543-4253: unsuccessful. Specimens are to be disposed of." The little voice recorder in his hands clicked off.

"Sir?" Asked a little voice from the corner. It was a boy, no older then maybe seven or eight years old.

"What are you doing here?" Morose sneered with disgust, ignoring the boy's flinching response.

"There is no need for that. The boy just wanted to learn the trade." Thanroe said, silencing her.

"Muttsuri, what is it?" His voice showed a certain measure more patients with the boy then his companion did and for that the boy was grateful.

"Well, maybe if you put the specimens back together," he whispered gesticulating to the beakers that held the hearts of those Thanroe was working on, "you could try again latter. Wouldn't it be interesting to see if this experience has any effect on other experiments?"

Thanroe smiled at the boy.

"You are becoming quite the scientist," He whispered with a little laugh as he took the boy's suggestion. "Put these back in their cell." He directed the Neoshadows that had come to do his bidding.

"Now if you are done being sentimental, can we get back on subject? What are we going to do about the chasers?"

"Easy. We take a page out of your mother's book." He suggested. When Morose simply answered with a snort, he offered another one.

"Or we could always ask your father for help."

Instead of throwing a fit like a reprimanded child, as he expected she would, at the suggestion, she actually looked thoughtful.

"We could do both. But we don't have to ask my father for anything. Last I heard he got exactly what he wished for. Don't worry his futility can be used to our favor."

In the hast to manipulate more members of Morose's family, no one noticed a single black coated figure in the dungeons of The Castle That Never Was. The coats were standard enough but he stood out by his very nature. Said figure had no grace. It was as if he were but a dangly teenager after a growth spurt.

He came to one of the many cells that lined the hallway and opened it.

In it stood five figures huddled around two others that were currently unconscious. When he entered, they moved in to protect the wounded.

"I'm here to help." He whispered.

"Edward?" The blond haired male asked his companion. It was obvious that they all knew each other and that the bronze haired male had a high standing in the group.

"Nothing." He could not read the boy's mind.

"Look, if we don't leave now I can't promise your safety. He will experiment on you and not everyone survives it." The figure urged.

All the conscious figures looked at each other. It was clear that they were concerned for their friends.

"Emmett? Jasper? Jacob?"

"You mean your friends that have already been taken? They survived and they are with the chasers, now." The cloaked stranger informed them.

"Chasers?" The blond male asked again.

"They're the good guys. I think." He replied while opening a portal through the darkness.

"Common. If we don't hurry then we'll be caught." At those words, the two wounded members of the coven were lifted up. Apparently the small one with dark spiky hair had woken up while he had been explaining the situation.

"Thanks Sunny." She said to him.

" Tsuntsun." He insisted.

"It's not your real name, so what does it matter? I'm still calling you Sunny. It's cutere."

"Humph."

I know that there is a lot of information in this chapter. With the back story comes the setup for the sequel and with the translated names comes clues. Hehehe. Also just what did Yen Sid do that was so bad? It's evil. I know. Just as I reveled what the big secret about our resident princess is I put up another one about the sorcerer and the 'villain.' Also you may just be able to figure out who Morose's father is. Hint: he is not an OC.

I must be out of my mind. A 4800 word chapter when the last one had no reviews and only eight views. I can't even get my best friends to even look at the sucker. :(