Here are the ages of the main characters seen or mentioned:

Balle/Lexbal: 26

Sora/Roxas: 15

Aqua: 19

Terra: 18

Mickey, Donald and Goofy: Unknown (Does ANYONE know?)

Riku: 16

Ventus: 15

Kairi: 15

"Wow, you guys have been through a lot" Balle said weakly after the four of them had finished trading stories of their past adventures. Sora grinned at him.

"Yours was pretty cool too!" the brown haired boy said. "I'm sorry about your world though..." Balle nodded sadly. They had explained to him what the Heartless did to the worlds they entered and that his world was likely consumed in darkness by now. The train was suddenly covered in light once again as the train came to a stop. The side doors opened and the four walked out. Their eyes were glued to the large tower standing before them. As they moved away from the train Balle looked back in time to see it disappear in a flash of light.

"There goes our ride..." Sora said, laughing nervously. Balle just sighed, things could never be easy could they?

"Well, guess we only have one place to go now." Balle declared. The others nodded and with that they made their way to the tower, where they saw a large person looking through a crack in the door.

"What's going on?" Donald asked. The large figure laughed.

"I sent in some of my lackeys inside to see if the master of this here tower's as big and tough as they say." he told them. "Word is, he's a real powerful sorcerer; which would make him the perfect bodyguard for me. See, doesn't matter how tough he is- once he's a Heartless, he'll do as I say!" he finished, still not looking at them.

They started at that. "Heartless?" Balle repeated as they got into fighting stances.

The large figure nodded and continued. "That's right. They're the things that come out of the darkness in folk's hearts. Why, with all those Heartless at her side, my dear friend Maleficent is gonna conquer everything! And since I've got me a dept to pay, I'm going to make an army of Heartless, special for her!" He paused, still not looking at them. "Aw, why am I talking to you pipsqueaks anyway? Go on, scram! I'm behind schedule as it is!" Balle scratched the back of his head as he and the others looked at each other.

"You oughta find somethin' nicer to do." Goofy suggested

The figure turned around, revealing himself to be a cat-like being. "Oh yeah? Says who?" His eyes widened comically upon seeing them. "Wha... AAAH! It's you!" he exclaimed angrily.

Donald and Goofy's eyes widened at the sight of him. "Pete?" they exclaimed. Balle and Sora looked at him.

"What're you two nimrods doing here?" Pete demanded, pointing at them.

"What are you doing here?" Donald shot back.

"You know this clown?" Balle asked jerking his thumb at Pete. Causing him to glare at the dragon angrily.

Goofy nodded. "We sure do!" he exclaimed. "Pete's been causin' trouble for ages! His magesty banished him to another dimension a long time ago. I wonder how he escaped."

Pete laughed, looking smug. "You wanna know how, eh?" he asked. "Well, Maleficent busted me out, that's how! And now your world- no, no. no, all the worlds- are gonna belong to yours truly. Cause Maleficent's gonna help me conquer 'em!"

"Maleficent, huh..." Sora asked sarcastically as the quartet began to laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Pete demanded. "Why, Maleficent's power is so great -" He was cut off by Balle.

"Sorry to break it to you but..."

"she's toast!" Sora finished for him as they grinned at each other.

"Sorry, but Maleficent can't help ya now." Goofy told him.

"Whaddaya mean?" Pete demanded as Donald chuckled. "You! So you're the ones that did it!"

"Well..." Sora said, putting his hands behind his head. "We might've had somethin' to do with it."

Pete began shaking with rage. "Grr... Heartless Squad! Round up!" he shouted to the sides of the stairs. Several black shadows appeared on either side of the stairs. Sora and Balle summoned their Keyblades as Goofy and Donald brandished their respective weapons. In no time the Shadows were all gone. Pete was furious after his minions were defeated so easily. "You just wait! Nobody, and I do mean nobody, messes with the mighty Pete!" he shouted at them angrily.

"So 'mighty' Pete," Balle said snickering. "who lives in his tower anyway?"

Pete seemed surprised before putting on a smug face. "Oh, you don't know, eh? Why it's old Yen Sid," he turned towards the tower. "Course he's probably a Heartless by now."

Donald did a huge double take. "Master Yen Sid lives here?" he asked in shock. He dashed to the large door of the tower and pushed it open before running inside.

"Master Yen Sid is the King's teacher," Goofy explained after seeing Sora and Balle's confused looks.

"Wow, sounds powerful!" Sora remarked as they all went in after Donald. Pete began jumping around in a temper tantrum after being ignored.

Upon entering, they were immediately in awe of the huge magical tower. "Master Yen Sid probably lives at the top." Balle reasoned. They nodded at the logic before proceeding up the stairs. After entering the first chamber they were immediately attack by Heartless. They took care of them easily as Balle began getting more comfortable with combat.

After the Heartless were defeated, they continued upward. However upon entering the second and third chambers they were again ambushed by the Heartless and Donald was getting fed up with it. "Heartless, Heartless, Heartless!" he complained. "Things haven't changed one bit!"

"Well, it's a good thing we're on the job, then." Goofy said, trying to be optimistic.

"So... the worlds aren't at peace after all?" Sora asked, looking disappointed. Balle sighed.

"Guess not..." They continued to the final floor. Balle and Sora entered last, looking around as Donald and Goofy saluted and bowed to the person sitting at the desk. Before them sat an old, but wise-looking old man in blue robes and a pointy hat, with stars on it. "Master Yen Sid!" Donald greeted. "It's an honor!"

"Hey there!" Sora acknowledged the wizard with a wave. Balle simply waved.

Goffy and Donald appeared appalled at their informality. "Sora! Show some respect!" Donald demanded. They two keybearers chuckled nervously, before hanging their heads.

Yen Sid waved their formality aside. "So, you are Sora and Balle." he confirmed. "Now then, have you seen the King yet?"

Goofy nodded. "Yes we did, Master. But we didn't get a chance to talk to him."

Yen Sid nodded. "Yes... the King has been quite busy of late." he muttered. "Therefore, it would seem that the task of instructing you four falls upon my shoulders. You have a perilous journey ahead of you. You must be well prepared."

Sora blinked. "You mean... we have to go on another quest?" Sora asked. "I was looking forward to finding my friend Riku, so we could go back to the islands."

The old sorcerer nodded. "Yes. I know. However, everything in your journey, Sora, is connected. Whether you'll find your way back to the islands," he said. "whether you'll return alone or with you friend, and whether or not the islands will still be there. And the key that connects them all, is you, Sora."

"I'm... the key?" Sora repeated, pointing at himself. He held his hand out as the Keyblade appeared in a flash of light.

The old wizard nodded. "You are the key that will open the Door to Light." Sora nodded. Donald and Goofy nodded as well. Balle just sighed. Yen Sid chuckled at him.

"Not to worry, Balle. You will understand completely soon enough." With a wave of his hand, a book appeared on the desk. "This book contains valuable knowledge that you will need on your journey. Study it carefully." The book floated over to their side of the desk and opened up. "Once you are ready, we will discuss the enemies that you will surely confront." They nodded and began to read:

"The Beginning"

Each journey gives rise to chance encounters, and each encounter brings forth a farewell. When a farewell leads to a journey, the worlds open their hearts. Those chosen by the light, or ensnared by darkness. Friends who share the same bonds, though their paths may differ. When you doubt the path trod thus far, when the hand you held is lost to you, gaze anew at the heart that once was… for all the answers are within.

"Interlude"

A long dream. A sad farewell, hanging in the air in that "world between." What is reality? What is illusion? The path chosen by the young boy leads to his memories. When caught in the stream of the days and nights going past, gaze anew at your steps… for there all confusion will end.

"The Future Story"

Will the day come that this battle, born of confusion, will end? It is different things to different people. Can the reality be that which is hidden? The reason is mere existence. Still, memories can be believed. Be not afraid. Entrust your body to the soothing waves of your memories. By and by, your fleeting rest will be over… and everything will begin.

"But wait a sec..." Sora started. "Why are the Heartless still running around?"

"Your past endeavors did prevent an immense effusion of Heartless from the great darkness; make no mistake about that," Yen Sid assured them. "However, the Heartless are darkness made real- and darkness yet lingers in every heart. So long as darkness exists in a single heart, it will be difficult to eliminate them."

The four slunked their heads at that, then Goofy got an idea. "Gawrsh, that must mean… if everyone's heart was full of light, them Heartless'd disappear!" The others in the group agreed with that with a nod.

'That's very unlikely though,' Balle thought. 'There's darkness in every heart, like Master Yen Sid said'

Yen Sid nodded. "Now it's time to speak of the enemies you will encounter." he said. With a wave of his hand, a beam of light appeared on the floor next to them. An image of Donald appeared, making the real duck jump in surprise. The image suddenly transformed into a Shadow. "If one such as you, Donald, yields to the darkness in their heart, they too will become a Heartless. But you know this."

"Aww..." Donald sighed, annoyed at being used as an example.

"The Heartless are always lurking and ever seeking to capture new hearts." he continued. "Never let you guard down! Now then..." He waved his hand once more and an image of a silvery creature appeared next to the Heartless. "At times, if someone with a strong heart and will- be they evil or good- becomes a Heartless, the empty shell they leave behind begins to act with a will of its own." The Heartless image faded away. "An empty vessel whose heart has been stolen away... a spirit that goes on even as its body fades from existence - for you see, Nobodies do not truely exist at all. They may seem to have feelings, but this is a ruse - they only pretend to have hearts. You must not be decieved!" he told the wide eyed quartet

"Nobodies..." Sora whispered. "They don't exist..." Suddenly two more Nobodies appeared next to the original.

"Now then... the being you see before you is know as a Dusk." Yen Sid told them. "They are the most common form of Nobody. The Nobodies can plan, while the Heartless act on instinct. They are a much more dangerous force, and they will all try do you harm." The images of the Dusks turned into three hooded figures. "Now these powerful Nobodies formed a group called Organization XIII. It commands the lesser Nobodies."

"Organization XIII…?" Sora muttered again, taking this all in. He asked Donald and Goofy if they ever heard of the group, but unfortunately they haven't.

"It seems that Organization XIII is working toward a goal, what that goal is I do not know…" Yen Sid said, shaking his head at the last part. The images disappeared, braking Balle out of his train of thoughts. "Now then, let's talk about your part in this journey, Balle."

Donald looked at Balle, who turned to face the wizard. "Yeah, why are you here?" he asked.

"Zip it up, you stubborn turkey!" Balle growled with fire in his eyes threating Donald.

"Balle... it is your duty as the Messenger of Light to find and purify those who are lost and consumed with darkness..." Yen Sid said, looking at him meaningfully. Balle realized what he meant.

"Those... you mean, there are 'others'?" Balle asked him. The old wizard nodded.

"One who is lost in darkness, one who has been consumed by it, and one who must have his heart returned to him." Yen Sid hinted. Sora, Donald and Goofy just looked between the two confused. "You must go with them, Balle. Until you find what it is you search for." Balle nodded. "The King has sensed the dangers, found the Realm of Darkness' Keyblade, and journeyed forth to fight it. He went out, traveling from world to world, fighting the Heartless while trying to solve the riddle of the Nobodies and Organization XIII."

"Then the first thing we need to do is find him!" Sora figured. "He should know where Riku is, too. They were together when we closed the Door to Darkness. I mean, after we defeated Ansem."

Yen Sid gestured to the door beside them. "You'll need some new traveling clothes. Those look a bit too small." he said. Sora looked himself over, finding his clothes indeed were too small. "Through that door, you'll find three good fairies. If you ask, they'll make you new clothes."

"Yep, you sure are growing fast, Sora," Goofy said with a laugh.

"I guess so…" Sora said, then put his head behind his head and chuckled sheepishly.

"I'll be with you guys later..." Balle said as the three nodded and left.

"So Balle. I believe you know about... Master Xehanort?" Yen Sid asked with a concern look.

"Yes Master Yen Sid. My master Aqua told me about him and that... 'Ansem' is his Heartless. So I have a hunch that his Nobody is the leader of the Nobodies and Organization XIII..." Balle proclaimed.

"That is a possible hunch. Those two met their end. However therein lies exactly our problem. Their destruction now guarantees the original Xehanort's reconstruction."

"What?" Balle asked confused as Yen Sid continued.

"Xehanort's heart, once seized by his Heartless half, is now free; and his body, which had become his Nobody, will be vanquished. Both halves soon will return to the whole: in short, this means Master Xehanort will return." Yen Sid explained as he projected the true Xehanort, an old man is bald except for thin eyebrows and a curled, silver goatee. His ears are pointed and his eyes are yellow. He has broad, hunched shoulders and a crooked back. He appears overall as a somewhat feeble old man, certainly deceiving given his immense power. His clothing is the same as that worn by his eventual Heartless Ansem. It is composed of a white and black coat with a red inner lining, which is worn over a white shirt with two thin black belts, as well as white gloves and calf-high black boots.

"And do you think that he and I will clash Keyblades one day?" Balle asked worried.

"A man like Xehanort can leave many roads ahead of him." Yen Sid said.

"Well, It doesn't matter what he cooks up because I'll be ready for it. Balle will do his best!" Balle said with a lot of determination.

"Hmhmhmhm... Now that is why your the Messenger of Light because of your everlasting courage. Now before you go meet Sora, I would like to present you with these new garments. They will protect you from the darkness." Yen Sid said as he uses his magic to change Balle's clothes. Balle now wears a black form-fitting short-sleeved shirt. He still has on his hakama only now it's brighter with orange flames on the bottom. He now wears a flowing red vest with a long backside that is secured with a blue obi tied over it at his waist and blue armbands. The silver badge is still on his chest as well as the Keyblade Armor on his left arm.

"Thank you, Master Yen Sid." Balle said while Yen Sid nodded.

Balle then meet with the triplets who's entered the next room where three small ladies are. One is red, one is green and the third one is blue. The things noticeable about them are small wings on their backs. The ladies are talking to each other when the quartet spotted them. "You guys, me, Riku and the King," Sora started to say, catching the other's attention. "I don't care what Organization XIII is planning, so with the six of us… I mean, the seven of us, we'll get though."

"Yeah!" Donald and Goofy agreed.

Balle glanced at the two, took a few steps forward and cleared his throat. It caught the fairies' attention. "Um… are you three the fairies that Master Yen Sid told us about?" He asked them.

"Why, yes we are young man," replied the red one. "You four must be Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Balle. My name is Flora." As Flora said the last part, she bowed like a lady whose been taught proper manners. She turned to the green one, "This is Fauna," then to the blue chubby one, "And this one is Merryweather."

"If you came for some new clothes, you've come to the right place," Merryweather said as she and Flora walked over to them.

"I'll do the designing," Fauna said cheerfully.

Flora and Merryweather walked over to Sora. Fauna used her wand, which made Sora's clothes turn green, to the others and Sora's amazement. "Oh! That will never do," Merryweather said, then she also used her wand to change Sora's outfit blue.

"Now girls!" Flora said as she did the same, turning Sora's clothes red. They began squabbling as they fought over whose color would look good on Sora.

Balle was getting irritated as was Sora. "Would you just decide?" they cried in unison.

The three fairies chuckled nervously at that. "Alright girls, a and no more squabbling." The three fairies waved their wands and the three beams of colored light flew toward Sora. When they made contact with his clothes, a bright flash of light appeared, making the others to shut their eyes.

When the light died down, they opened them they were in awe. "Whoa!" Balle exclaimed at the sight of Sora's new clothes. Sora is now wearing a midnight blue short-sleeved shirt with red hoodie-like pockets on the front of his shirt under a black short-sleeved jacket with a hood with dark gray shoulder guards, black/yellow/white fingerless gloves, a black belt, big baggy yet short pants (that extended to the middle of his shins), and big yellow and black shoes. The big pockets on his pants were red and were supported by a few yellow straps that intersected his lower body.

"Oh my!" Flora said in awe as Sora looked over his new clothes, also in awe.

"What a charming outfit!" Merryweather complimented.

"Looks good!" Balle said with a thumb up. Flora turned to Balle.

"Would you like us to give you a new outfit as well, Balle?" she asked catching the others' attention.

"Nah, Master Yen Sid already did that." Balle grinned, confusing his friends. "My new outfit has a few tricks up its sleeve."

'More like on its sleeve' Balle thought to himself.

"Really?" Sora asked excited. "Like what?"

"You'll just have to wait." Balle chuckled. Sora looked away disappointed.

"Oh, and before we forget, Sora could you come over here for a second?" Fauna asked Sora. Sora walked over next to her. "Now those aren't ordinary clothes, dear." Flora informed the two. Both she and Merryweather waved their wands, which made an orb appear in front of him. "Now touch the orb, dear." Sora hesitantly touched the orb and was absorbed into his body.

"And watch what happens!" Merryweather finished. Sora waited until his outfit burst into a shower of light. When the lights died down, Sora's outfit is now bright red and black. And he had another Keyblade with star designs on it. "Whoa!" Sora exclaimed at the sight of the other Keyblade. "Alright, now I can use two, like Balle but he can still use three!"

The fairies turned to Balle. "Is it true, dear." Flora asked in shock. "Can you really use three naturally?" Balle nodded and summoned Oathkeeper, Oblivion and Starlight. "You truly are something special, dear." she said shaking her head.

"So I've heard..." Balle muttered. The fairies didn't seem to hear him.

"This journey will be twice as difficult as your last." Merryweather warned them, causing Sora, Donald and Goofy to slump over.

"Your garments also have other powers," Flora told Sora. "but you will have to discover what they are as you continue on your journey."

Sora nodded, still grinning over his new power. "Okay, I'll do my best." he said happily as his clothes reverted back to normal. "And thanks a lot!"

"Oh, and there's something else for you!" Fauna remembered suddenly. "From Master Yen Sid."

"Oh boy!" Donald exclaimed excitedly.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Balle asked grinning. He dismissed his Keyblades, as did Sora. "Let's go!"

As they walked into the Sorcerer's Loft, they saw Master Yen Sid looking out of a window. He spotted the four and gestured them over. They walked over to him and spotted a large orange and yellow ship floating outside.

"Hey!" Donald exclaimed. "It's the Gummi Ship!"

"Sweet!" Balle cheered. "You guys ready to go?" The four of them looked at each other before stepping into a line and looked at the wizard. "Now, now just a moment!" he interrupted them, making them fall over. "Because of your previous endeavors, the worlds have returned to their original states. That means the pathways between them have disappeared." he said as they picked themselves up.

They four of them hung their heads. "How do we get around?" Donald asked.

"Do not fear." Yen Sid said. "If what the King suspected proves true, the worlds have prepared new pathways along which you may travel. These pathways may be utilized by unlocking special gates. How these gates are opened, I'm afraid I do not know... However, the Keyblades will serve as your guides. When a beam of light radiates from the Keyblades, return to the Gummi Ship. Though the worlds may seem far apart and out of reach, they nonetheless remain connected by invisible ties. As do our hearts."

"Our hearts are... connected." Balle repeated as he absentmindedly touched his good luck charm hidden under his jacket.

"That is correct, Balle." Yen Sid smiled at him knowingly.

Sora nodded. "Got it."

"But be warned!" Yen Sid said. "As you proceed... The Heartless and the Nobodies will be using their own paths: Corridors of Darkness, to travel from world to world. They may be attempting to link these dark pathways to the gates between worlds."

"Hey!" Donald complained. "That's not fair!"

"Now then, Balle." Yen Sid said as the four of them turned towards the Gummi Ship once more. They looked at him in anticipation. "Remember, so long as there is something left to restore..." he trailed off. They leaned in to hear what he had to say. "That is all the information I can give to you." he said, turning back to his desk. They all fell over.

"Seriously?" Balle muttered, rubbing the back of his head. They snickered at him.

"Go forth, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Balle!" he instructed them. "Everyone is waiting."

They all nodded and snapped to attention. "Master Yen Sid!" Donald declared.

"We sure to appreciate the help." Goofy finished as they all saluted him, then ran out the door. Balle looked back just in time to see Yen Sid disappearing in a flash of light…

"WHAT'S THAT?" Merryweather shouted as the three fairies looked out the window. A crow, cawed at them then he flew to them with a black cloak in its claws. As soon as it landed on the ground, the crow flew away leaving the cloak behind.

The three fairies looked at the cloak. To them, it looked oddly familiar. "Have we seen this before?" Fauna asked, staring at the cloak.

"It looked awfully familiar," Flora said as they looked at the cloak some more.

Merryweather gasped when she realized something. "Malefi-" She began to say, but caught herself and closed her mouth.

"No, no, we mustn't remember her name," Flora told Merryweather. "Oh dear…"

"She sure is a mean old witch," Merryweather said then held her head as she realized something. "Oh no, the memories are coming back! What do we do? Oh, what do we do?"

The cloak started to move and began to rise. The fairies became worried. "We must tell Master Yen Sid," Fauna said the others.

"Yes, that's what we must do!" Flora said in agreement. She and Fauna ran to the door and disappeared in sparkly light.

Merryweather was left behind, watching in horror as the cloak continued to rise and took form of a being the fairies never wanted to see again. "Maleficent!" Merryweather cried, then ran to the door and disappeared in the same fashion as Flora and Fauna.

Maleficent, a woman with green skin, horns at the top of her head, purple eye shadow that goes from the top of her eyes to under her eyebrows, a black robe with some purple on it, and an olive green scepter with a green orb on top; looked around her surroundings. She began to chuckle and laughed the traditional evil laugh…

A/N: I would like to clear something up. NO, Donald and Goofy did NOT know Balle before he met them in Twilight Town. Only Mickey did, but not personally. Look back to the first few sentences in chapter 4.

About Balle using the teeth to fight, there isn't exactly a 'blade' on the Keyblade. There's the hilt, the guard, the shaft and the teeth. Him using the teeth will have SLIGHT significance later on.