"Before I explain, I want you to know that nothing I did was out of ill intent. That said, there's been a little mix-up that I want to straighten out." Braig cleared his throat, meeting her eyes evenly. "I was at the Keyblade Graveyard, and from the sounds of things, you were too."

Her heart stopped. "How did you-? But I didn't see you," Mira trailed off.

"I didn't stick around – probably just missed each other."

"What were you doing there?"

"Your master gave me a role to play." His lips quirked up in the ghost of a smirk, as if remembering a funny joke but not actually laughing.

Blood rushed through her ears; his lips were moving but she couldn't hear him anymore. He knew her master. Master Xehanort said he had a way of keeping an eye on her – had Braig befriended her for that very purpose? Anger flooded the empty spaces between grief and confusion. "You bastard... how long have-" she clambered off the bed, gripping his jacket in her fists, "-were you just spying on me this whole time?!"

Braig stared at her, gently placing his hands over hers. "The only spy in this room is you, miss airduct." He pried her hands away. "No, I didn't know that old coot had an apprentice. In fact, I only figured it out just now."

Mira jerked away as if burned. "What was your role?"

His lips twitched. "Originally, he wanted me to fight some kid – your friend, Terra, actually." Her lips parted in shock, and he glanced at her apologetically. "I didn't think it would be such a big deal, but he was stronger than I thought. Or, at least, the darkness within him was. That's the reason I got these scars."

If his account was true, Terra's brutality had almost killed him... Even Aqua had alluded to darkness within Terra. But that level of violence wasn't in line with Master Eraqus's teachings. What happened to him? "Why would my master want you to fight him? That doesn't make any sense." What made even less sense was why he asked random strangers to be part of his plans, but not her.

"It was a test – to see if Terra would succumb to the darkness inside him."

And he had, if the hatred he turned on her was any indication. What did Master Xehanort stand to gain from corrupting Terra? "Why would you help do something like that?" She stared at the scarred man as if she'd never him before.

"Don't look at me like that," he said drily. "When you've seen the things I've seen, you learn that right and wrong are flexible concepts. I have a good reason for going along with his nonsense – I wouldn't be sticking my neck out if there was nothing to gain."

"By that logic, I should've let you die from your injuries," she said coldly. "What are you getting out of this?"

"That old coot promised me a keyblade of my own, and I intend to collect."

Mira stared at him like he grew another head; hysteric laughter burst from her mouth. "That's all? Just a keyblade? You could've died for a stupid keyblade!"

"There's a grander scheme at play than you realize."

"Not anymore! He's gone and nothing can bring him back," she warbled, barely holding back the wave of emotion washing over her. Her was gone gone gone and never coming back-

Braig cleared his throat. "That's... not exactly true. But I'll get to that. After the incident with Terra, the old coot wanted me to buy him time at the graveyard. I ended up having to stop this little blue-haired chick from interfering."

For a guy who claimed he only looked for number one, he sure was reckless. "You're lucky you didn't get injured again; Aqua's a master – she could've seriously hurt you..."

He scoffed. "Your concern is touching, but you need to get your eyes checked Princess. Your little blue-haired friend doesn't have it in her to maim anyone."

"Do you?" she asked quietly. After the revelations of the past few days, Mira doubted she truly knew anything about anyone – not her master, not even her friends.

Braig hesitated. "Look, I didn't hurt your friend. In general, when people fight, someone gets hurt. But if you're asking whether I was gonna end her dreams of being a keyblade 'master,'" he air-quoted, "then I'd have to say no."

That was something at least. Mira exhaled heavily. "So, after you distracted her long enough you... what? Did you leave or something?"

He nodded. "That pretty much sums it up. I didn't wanna stick around for whatever climactic end the old coot dreamt up. Out of curiosity though," Braig raised a brow, "don't you think it's weird that your master doesn't trust you with his plans?"

Her eyebrow twitched. That was the crux of the problem, wasn't it? He either didn't trust her enough to include her, or he thought she was a liability – just like Aqua – and wouldn't be of help. "Yes," she snapped. "I do, but there's nothing I can do about it now, is there? It hurts me more than I can say that I'm useless to him, but he asked me to trust him before he-" she swallowed thickly, cutting off her words.

His lips twisted into a pensive frown. "Do you think he deserves that trust after what he's done?"

That wasn't something she'd considered asking herself, but now she couldn't shake the thought. He saved her but neglected her training in favor of his ambition. His drive to discover inspired her, but only when he included her in his plans. "I don't see how it matters anymore."

"That's where you're wrong, Princess. Because he's just down the hall."

Her breath hitched.

Mira had to stop herself from rushing ahead as Braig led her to the common room. Her master, down the hall? How could this be? They stepped through the threshold, and she scanned the room. Dilan and Aeleus sat at a nearby table, teaching Ienzo a card game, and Even was in deep discussion with an oddly familiar, silver-haired man. There was no way. It was impossible. As if sensing her scrutiny, the mysterious man glanced up, brown eyes meeting grey, holding her gaze in his.

Even looked between the young man and Mira, rolling his eyes. "Xehanort, I asked if you were agreeable to undergoing-"

Mira ignored the rest of Even's sentence. "What's the meaning of this?" she whispered to Braig, unable to look away from the young man who'd returned his attention to the blond after one last searching look. "That's not – why is he -?" Who was this imposter?

He slung an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close enough to whisper in her ear. "It's him. That old coot found a new vessel for his heart."

"Vessel?" she breathed, heart pounding as everything fell into place. "Terra..." But hadn't Aqua come to Radiant Garden looking for him? If he was here, where was she now? The two of them were supposed to wake Ven up; how could they do that if Terra had been taken over?

"Yep. We found him in the main square and brought him back here. But since then, he's pretended he can't remember anything."

Her master was more cunning than resorting to feigning amnesia... but his gaze didn't hold the warmth of recognition when it fell upon her. It was clinical, like she was nothing to him. But perhaps that, too, was an act? What was he playing at?

Xehanort stood, straightening his white lab coat, and approached them. Mira grimaced. With every step closer, the resemblance to Terra became increasingly obvious. "Well look who's finally awake. How's it goin' sleeping beauty?" Braig's tone was light, but his grip on her tightened imperceptibly, and his mouth was set in a firm line.

"Actually, I've been about for several days," he muttered coldly. "I won't keep you long; I only wished to introduce myself to the lady." He turned to her, giving a short bow. "I'm Xehanort, and you are?"

"Mira." She stared closely for even a twitch of recognition. But he gave nothing away, only nodding quietly. Without a thought, she blurted out, "Can you really not remember anything?"

"No, I can't," he replied, perplexed. "Why do you ask?"

She blanched, heart sinking. "N-no reason. I'm sorry to hear that..."

"No need to be sorry. Your-our master," he corrected himself, "is working hard to help me recover my memories."

Mira didn't bother correcting his assumption. "How does he plan to do that?"

"We're going to run some tests on my heart to see if we can unlock my memories."

That sounded dangerous; especially if her master was hiding deep down in there. She narrowed her eyes. "I hope you find the answers you seek."

Xehanort nodded, glancing between her and Braig with a raised brow. Braig's smirk melted away. "What?"

"Nothing. I thought..." He shook his head. "I just wanted to introduce myself. You see, I met everyone else the other day, but not you, Mira."

She scratched the back of her head, giving an awkward laugh. "Yeah, I was... sick."

"I see," he said, giving a perfunctory nod. With that, he returned to Even, who was impatiently tapping is foot by the door. The two men exited the common area, but not without directing one last glare at Braig. Her master was a skilled liar, but this was too much. Had he truly forgotten himself in all but name?

"Well, that was awkward," Dilan chimed in. "Though, you two look awfully cozy together. You sure she was sick, and you didn't just want to keep her to yourself, Braig?" He grinned, waggling his eyebrows.

Mira twitched and slid out from under Braig's arm, moving a respectable distance away. "You've got the wrong idea."

"Uh-huh. Could've fooled me." He laughed and even Aeleus gave a low chuckle. "The way you sat vigil at her bedside was very moving. I didn't know you had it in you to be so romantic."

Her neck warmed and she pointedly fixed her eyes on the wall across the room. The atmosphere was stifling – even with Even and the imposter gone. She had to get out of there.

"Like she said," Braig began in an unreadable tone, "you've got the wrong idea."

Dilan shrugged, shaking his head. "Whatever you say-" Mira turned on her heel, unmindful of the questioning looks sent her way, and Dilan's comment of, "Was it something I said?"

She took the stairs two at a time until she burst from the castle into the frigid winter air. Already, a thin blanket of white covered much of the ground – not that Mira had ever seen snow before. Rubbing the gooseflesh on her arms, she set off, letting her feet carry her into town.

White hot rage boiled within her; how could he do this to her? To his closest friend and his pupils? Part of her was relieved he was alright, but at what cost? What he'd done was monstrous, beyond cruel. She dared not think of what Terra was going through. And Aqua was still searching... Unless Master Xehanort had gotten to her first. Master or not, Aqua stood no chance of beating him in a fight. And with a younger vessel to lend him strength...

Perhaps it was a blessing she'd been excluded from these plans; if she had known, could she have gone along with such a scheme? Could she have struck down her friends to further his goals if he'd asked her to? Mira feared the answer. Her breaths came in short pants as she struggled with herself. The dizziness she thought she'd left behind returned with a vengeance and she stumbled in the snow. The answer should've been simple – it would've been for Aqua. Did that make her a bad person? For being unable to turn from the one who actively shaped her into who she was?

By the time Mira reached the town square, her teeth were chattering uncontrollably, and she had lost most of the feeling in her fingers. Few people were about, and those who braved the cold donned thick coats and warm hats. She dashed into the building closest to her – the inn. The warmth inside welcomed her like a loving embrace. She sighed in relief and made a beeline for the fire, defrosting a little more with each step. It was a welcome respite from the chill outside.

"Long time no see, girly," came Gast's gruff voice. "What brings you here?"

Mira turned away from the roaring fire, offering a small smile that looked more like a grimace. "Hey Gast, just borrowing your fire, if that's okay."

He took a seat in a nearby armchair, tucking a polishing rag into his waist apron, and looked her up and down. "You're not dressed for the winter."

"Yeah, I didn't think about it. I don't really have clothes for cold weather..." Mira was clad in her usual sleeveless coat, turtleneck tank, shorts, arm sleeves, long socks, and shoes. She'd never lived anywhere that required winter clothing, nor did she have the munny to burn. She perched in the closest chair to the fire. "Guess I'll have to make do warming up in fine establishments like this one."

Gast snorted. "You don't have to flatter me; I won't charge you for fire time."

"So, what's new? Anything interesting happen lately?"

He raised a brow. "Now that you mention it, you caused a bit of a stir 'round these parts. Braig doesn't often lose his cool, but when he barged in here asking about you..." He huffed. "And when you were found, I'd never seen him so beside himself. I think he's got it bad for you."

She scowled, but her pink cheeks betrayed her. "I'm his responsibility while I'm here. He was probably worried about himself," she mumbled. But it was a weak denial, given how he'd taken care of her. Not that Gast knew that.

Gast laughed, the booming guffaw reverberating through the inn. "Keep tellin' yourself that. Lea and Isa were worried too; carried you all the way up to the castle and everything."

Mira bit her lip. She hadn't meant to worry so many people – to be such a burden. And yet, she was humbled by their regard for her wellbeing. "Yeah, Braig told me... I wanted to thank them. Have you seen them lately?"

"Yep, they're off doing some odd jobs for me right now. They should be finished soon." He crossed his arms, appraising her. "Until then, I wanted to ask – have you met the newest apprentice? Xeha-something?"

Mira shifted under his gaze. "Yeah..."

"That bad, huh? He gives me the heebie-jeebies just by the look of him." He shook his head. "I've got a bad feeling about that one-"

"Daddy - oh hi, Mira!" Aerith ran out of the back room, coming to a stop in front of them. "Cid wants to know how much dried fruit to buy."

Gast got up from his seat. "Why don't you keep her company while I talk to him, alright? She's waiting for Lea and Isa to return from their errands. Make sure you pay them too."

She bobbed her head, the picture of childhood exuberance. "You can count on me!" Aerith took the seat Gast vacated and turned to Mira. "You're friends with dad's favorite troublemakers?" When Mira nodded, the little girl grinned. "Yeah, they're nice. They bring me ice cream from time to time! Although," she tapped her chin, "that might be so my dad doesn't kick them out for loitering..." The younger girl shifted in her seat, fidgeting with the hem of her jacket.

"What is it?"

"Well," she began, "me and daddy were really worried when we heard what happened to you. And now you don't have a coat and it's snowing... Are you sure you're okay?"

Mira's cheeks burned in shame. "I'm okay, Aerith-" The front door slammed open, interrupting Mira and blowing icy air inside. Four figures struggled to get through the door, all trying to be the first ones in.

"Hey! Watch it Lea – I was first!" squealed a smaller, dark-haired girl. "Move it!"

"Outta my way pipsqueak!" Lea pushed against Isa before falling to the floor. Isa rolled his eyes and ushered the other small child, a boy, into the warmth of the inn.

A blond man popped his head out of the back room. "Shut that damn door! You're lettin' the cold in!"

"It's her fault!" Lea whined. "She should've waited-!"

"Pipe down!" He waved his fist at them.

The little girl slammed the door shut. "Sorry Cid!" When he turned his back, she stuck her tongue out at him and ran toward the fire. "Aaah so warm! Hiya Aerith!"

Aerith smiled. "Hi Yuffie. This is Mira-"

Yuffie's eyes widened, and she leaned in close. "Woah! I've heard about you!"

"Eh, hi? You've heard of me..?" Did everyone know she'd fainted in an alley? Hardly the reputation she wanted for herself.

"Uh-huh!" Yuffie nodded vigorously. "Is it true that you fought off all the guards and scaled the castle walls with your bare hands? Lea said-"

"Mira!" Lea pulled himself up, bounding toward her; Isa followed closely behind. "Are you feeling better?"

"We were worried about you," Isa chimed in, taking the seat Aerith vacated to go to the back room.

She smiled shyly. "I am, thanks to you guys. Thank you for helping me... I don't know how I can repay you-"

"No way! That's what friends are for! We're just glad you're okay." The three shared easy-going grins.

"You don't wanna be friends with these losers," Yuffie cut in, jabbing her thumb at the two older boys.

"Hey now, you little twerp!" Lea grumbled. "Don't go saying rude stuff like that, got it memorized?"

Mira stifled her snigger. "And why's that?"

"That's why," Yuffie deadpanned. "Only losers have a catch-phrase."

"I see." She covered her smile with a hand, thoughts wandering to Braig always saying 'as if'.

Aerith returned with a pouch she handed to Isa. "Here's your wages!"

Lea tried to grab the bag, but Isa held it out of his reach. "Remember the last time I let you hold the munny?"

"That was one time!" Lea pouted.

"What happened the last time?"

Isa crossed his arms. "To put it simply, he didn't make sure the bag was closed all the way, and he lost all our munny on the way home."

"Impressive." What a buffoon.

"Like I said: he's a moron!" Yuffie said in a sing-song voice.

"Hey-!"

Gast returned, stopping short at the sight of the small crowd hovering around his hearth. "Alright alright. How many of you are paying customers?" The children shifted guiltily. "Aerith, why don't you take the other kids and go play in your room for a little while."

"Yes daddy." She grabbed the quiet boy's hand. "C'mon Squall, I got a new game for us to play." He nodded quietly, cheeks turning slightly pink. "Coming Yuffie?"

"Yeah!" She made one last face at Lea and scampered off with the others.

Once she was gone, Mira raised a brow at the redhead. "I take it you have a little history?"

Lea collapsed in the chair dramatically, draping his legs over the side. "She is such a pain!"

"Ahem." Gast smacked his legs off the chair. "If you want to laze about, go home!"

"And to think, I just ran all those errands for you out of the goodness of my heart!" Lea complained.

"You did it because I was payin' you to."

Lea waved a hand. "Details."

While the two squabbled, Mira glanced out the window. She had to squint to see through the blinding whiteness; it was just like at that cursed castle... She shivered, pushing the thought away and turned to stare at the fire again.

"You okay, Mira?" Isa asked quietly.

"I'm fine," she whispered. This was ridiculous; she needed to pull herself together. She'd gotten away from that awful place, and she wasn't going back. She escaped. She was safe. "Um, Gast? I was wondering if I could rent a room for the night? I don't want to go back out in... that." Mira pointed to the snow. She had enough munny at least for the night.

The innkeeper bobbed his head in agreement. "Quite right; you'd likely catch your death dressed the way you are."

Lea leaned forward in his chair. "Ooh, can we stay too?"

"No. Your houses are much closer than the castle. And you have coats." He eyed the two boys. "Coats that are dripping water all over my floor!" They shared a sheepish grin. "Clean it up then get home; you don't want to have to go out when the weather gets worse."

"Yeah-yeah," Lea grumbled, walking to the backroom and returning with two mops and a bucket.

Isa grabbed one but hesitated at her side. "Are you sure you're okay? You look pale..." he trailed off.

"I'm just tired." Her jaunt in the cold probably hadn't helped either. She needed to get her head on straight; she couldn't afford to act impulsively and put herself in harm's way. No one was coming to save her.

"If you're sure..."

Mira patted his arm. "I am. Sorry to have worried you."

"Not just us. I've never seen Braig look as intense as when we found you. He," Isa shivered, "he was like a completely different person. Very serious." He looked like he wanted to say more, but the floor was dry and Gast ushered the two boys out. What did Isa mean? A little friendly concern was one thing, but the way everyone was describing it, it was almost like Braig liked her... Mira shut down that train of thought. She must've still been exhausted; there was no way he could feel that way for her.

Later on, Mira stared out the window of her room, clutching the quilted coverlet and pondering the revelations from the morning. The boys had been a good distraction from everything, but the silence made room for doubts to creep in. How could she hope to reach her master's heart? He didn't teach her anything about what to do in that kind of situation-

There was a knock. Mira stood from her perch, wincing at the shock of cold wood on her bare feet. She summoned her keyblade and threw open the door. "What do you - Braig?"

He tapped the end of her keyblade with a gloved finger. "Were you expecting someone else?"

Mira stepped aside to allow him entrance, shutting the door behind him. "No. What are you doing here?"

"I came looking for you." The unspoken 'duh' hung between them.

She narrowed her eyes. "Why? Did something happen?" Did her master remember something-?

"Just you running off like a crazy person. Here." He thrust a bundle into her arms and shoved his hands in his pockets. It was a coat – one of his, to be precise. Her cheeks warmed at the gesture.

"Thanks," she mumbled. "Sorry you had to come all the way out here..."

"Don't worry about it. I wanted to get away from Dilan anyway." He let out a derisive huff. "I also wanted to check on you after, y'know. You good?"

Mira took a deep breath. "Did my master tell you anything else about his plans?"

"No, I know as much as you at this point."

Just her luck. Mira paced back to the window, staring into the vast whiteness. Braig came up beside her; the clean scent of soap and something heady that was uniquely him pervaded her senses. Every part of her was keenly aware of his presence and she unconsciously leaned into him. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to his side. His hair tickled her nose.

"You sure you're going to be okay?" he murmured.

Mira bit her lip and glanced up. He looked down at her with genuine concern reflected in his eye. When was the last time someone asked her how she was doing and truly wanted to listen? Her cheeks flamed. "Not yet, but I will be."

His lips quirked, drawing her gaze downward, and he tightened his grip. Her breath hitched and she clutched the coat tighter. "I'm here if you need me."

She ducked her head, throat tight with emotion. She knew she needed to get stronger; but as Mira looked at the sharpshooter, she hadn't considered that maybe she needed something else as well.

She'd already paid for the room for the night, so he returned to the castle alone. Mira was far more resilient than he'd given her credit for; her situation wasn't an easy one. He'd know. But she was determined to move forward; with a little help, she could be a formidable ally. Yet, she was more than that. The way she looked at him stirred something in him he hadn't felt in a long time. With her tucked into his side, he could almost forget his role and pretend to be what she thought he was.