Chapter 04
The journey of seven

Ienzo's POV

The bands appearing and changing into circlets is something I personally find fascinating and helpful as my Lexicon was able to register the beams heading this way – along with three heading for the Land of Departure – but not what they were meant for or where they came from. I open my Lexicon again and say:
"I was able to detect their presence arriving with my Lexicon just when the beams split into four heading this way and three heading somewhere else. The location of the other three is The Land of Departure, but while I could not detect their starter location or what they were for as lights, should I be able to now that they have changed."
My friends nod and I touch each of their headbands, magically plucking a hint of the magic – and with that four small balls of light – from each of the gems on the circlets and spread that out over the Lexicon, the book paging back and forth, while I try to discern if any of the information is alike to what I currently know.

Then suddenly I stop the paging and say: "Here, I found something." And everyone turns to stand behind me as I say: "In 1214 – on a planet called Earth, very far out of our Universe – there was a man named Atricius Potter, who had a mate that was from Agrabah." This confuses my friends and Lea asks: "Sorry, but mate?"
I nod and say: "Apparently, 4500 years ago there were the Potters and there were families who had Redhead Ladies as the head of their family. The Potters were against this – the reasons seem unknown – and finally a Lady of such family had enough and cursed the Potters to, from that year on, only fall for redheads.
The problem was that the first Potter hit by this curse instantly fell for her and he loved her so dearly and treated her so well that, upon her death bed, she changed the curse and it is now known as the Curse that – upon the age of 15 – brings young Potter males together with a partner perfect for them by magic, character and destiny."

My friends look shocked and I say: "According to this information about Atricius, he was already 21 years old and his magic was dying as he was a Submissive and needed a Dominant. In the end, he sacrificed half his magical core and the band he created allowed his mate to find him, while the beam of light first found the mate."
Lea touches the metal again and asks: "So this band bonds us to some unknown Potter boy and makes us perfect for him by magic, character and destiny?" I nod and he looks around before he asks: "How, we're all so different?" But I had already expected that question as I had kept reading up on Potter History while he talked and say:
"It seems that – in 1444 – Elenious Martinfield Potter did a magical inheritance test and was found worthy of the eleven Ancient Lines he descended from. He therefore also gave up some of his magic and the bands were changed to now either find a perfect Potter Curse mate along with anyone worthy of the titles."

"What a mess." Lea mumbles and he asks: "Will we ever get peace? We just defeated Xehanort – well, Sora did." But then Aerith says: "I don't see the problem. To have a younger mate to take care of and to love, that sounds like a reward for all our suffering." And the redhead has to agree with her, while my eye spots something.
I look shocked and say: "Eeh, Lea." The redhead looks at me and I say: "It might just be you who is chosen by the Potter Curse." The man looks shocked and asks: "What makes you say that?" And I answer: "The mate is, two out of three times, a redhead, remember?" And a slender hand instantly finds its way into red locks.

Then Even says: "Even if Lea is the Potter Curse mate, we still better track down those other three bands, tell their new owners of our discoveries and then use the magic of the bands to find the lad, don't you think?" Everyone nods and Aerith says: "You guys go on ahead to the Potter lad. I'll inform everyone of what happened."
I smile at the kind-hearted, brown haired woman and we all wave her goodbye while she leaves for Merlin's house, probably to use his magic to track down the other circlets. I then lie my hand on the pages and say: "Okay, I connected the magic of the circlets to our own Corridors. We should be able to use those for travel now."
My two comrades nod and Lea himself seems to focus as he conjures the doorway, dark mist swirling and filling up the pathway, which I know leads to a pathway filled with blue, pink, yellow and other soft colors along with the ever-present sign of the Organization colored in white and swirling around the edges of the path.

Ventus' POV

My friends have yet to answer my questions about the headbands and I wonder if they even know why we have them now. Then suddenly Merlin shoots down from the sky, together with a young woman of Aqua's age with brown hair, pointy ears and forest green eyes – who also wears the same circlet as Aqua, Terra and I do.
I look at it shocked and barely hear Merlin say: "Well, I certainly did not expect to arrive here of all places." And the woman asks: "Do you know this world, Merlin?" And the man answers: "Yes, yes I do, Aerith." For some reason I find the name suiting the young, elfish kind of woman and I hear Merlin talking further:
"This is where my old friend, Master Eraqus, used to live. He was a good and loyal friend, he was, and a true mentor. Too bad Master Xehanort had to end his life." To this I see Terra wanting to interrupt, but Merlin stops him and says: "I know what you did, Master Terra, and I don't blame you, I blame him and I always will."

Glad that this amazing wizard doesn't accuse my best friend – and first of my two crushes – of killing our master, do I ask: "Merlin, why are these bands around our heads? What is the meaning of them?" And Aerith answers: "We only just discovered it ourselves. You can best see them as a reward for all our suffering."
This confuses me and she says: "It seems that there is a living world outside our Universe and that world once connected with our Universe, only to call someone from Agrabah there, so he could join with a man named Atricius Potter." I feel shocked at the information Aerith gives me and Aqua asks: "But what does that mean for us?"
And Aerith answers: "This line, the Potter line, is very ancient. More than 4500 years old. But back then, it was cursed to only let the males of the line fall for the one hair type that their family so despised if someone with this hair-color became Head of a family. Redheads." This makes me look at my friends and I say:
"But that makes no sense. None of us are redhead, so why do we have these bands?" And Merlin says: "Apparently, because the line is so ancient, it doesn't just need this redhead mate to keep strong, it needs someone for all the lines it descends from." Aerith nods and says: "And that is where the four of and three of my friends come in."

Instantly Terra stands up, while I had slightly wanted to lie my head back on his shoulder and he asks: "Wait, three of your friends? You don't mean Sora, Riku and Kairi, do you?" Aerith shakes her head, causing the light to further accentuate her dark brown hair and the red ribbon holding most of it out of her face before she says:
"I meant friends from my own home world. Ienzo, Even and Lea. We were all chosen and it was thanks to Ienzo's Lexicon that we were able to find out about this. The bands also send out a signal for us to find this new Potter and see if the bands are right, that we can really fit him thanks to magic, character and destiny."

I look from Aqua to Terra and Terra asks: "So this new Potter is someone who we don't know and who doesn't know us?" Aerith nods and Aqua asks: "Then how does he know if we're perfect for him?" But Merlin answers: "It's not always the caster that knows, Master Aqua, sometimes the Magic knows better than the caster."
And I ask: "So you're saying that this Potter male lad might not even know that he has send us these bands? And what if we don't fit him?" To which Merlin says: "Now, now, don't worry. That curse wouldn't have existed for 4500 years if it even chose wrong, would it?" And I smile as I have to give him right.
Merlin then swishes his walking cane – which I know is also his magic wand – and asks: "So, are you three ready to go? He must surely be waiting for you by now." I look at my two friends – and secret crushes – and then nod at Merlin, while thinking: "Loving a stranger and getting the chance to show my love for Terra and Aqua. Sweet."
And while I have no idea that my two friends think exactly the same thing as I do, do we all stand up and walk over to Merlin, grabbing onto his robe as he swishes his cane and with speeds unlike any I have ever travelled with, even with my own personal scooter, we shoot up into the sky and out of our Universe – onto the Potter lad.