AN: Here's another chapter and kinda a bigger-ish one to make up for the two weeks of lack of chapters! :) I gots more coming too! Some really substantial plot turns...

Luxu had no idea how it had happened - but he wished he would have been far better dressed for it.

Oh, he could wine and dine with the best of them - no problem - look as affable and unconcerned as he pleased, too...but there was nothing to be done about muddy clothing.

That was a bad first impression you couldn't shake.

"So you're Luxu - Keyblade Master Luxu?" Sora's mother was saying, as she strolled around the dining table, handing out plates of steaming food. "I've heard a few mentions of you before, especially when the kids have gotten to talking about these two." She dipped her head toward Namine and Roxas. "Though, wasn't your name something different - I've heard a few different ones? Xigtar? And Brag...No, Braig, sorry-?"

"Xigbar and Braig," Kairi supplied, forking some noodles into her mouth and sharing a secretive look with Namine. A little smile from Kairi - a little look of relief from Namine in return, and something mouthed...

Luxu laughed. Simply at the absurdity of it all - or maybe his discomfort? "I've had a lot of names over the course of my life," he said honestly. "The one I go by now is my...real one, though. My first. Luxu, yeah."

"And you were in this - Organization - with..." The woman managed to somehow gesture toward Namine and Roxas with her eyes alone. Impressive.

"The brainwashing death cult that no one was allowed to leave," Kairi spoke again. "They were turned into Nobodies - people who couldn't feel emotions anymore. Though, Namine and Roxas always could; they grew Hearts of their own quick enough."

"Right," the woman nodded. She strode past Namine and Roxas again, after giving Sora and Xion their plates - pausing to reach down and squeeze at the former two kids' shoulders. "It all sounds terrible. And I'm sure I don't even know the half of it - though I wouldn't want to force anyone to talk about it-"

"It wasn't all bad," Roxas said, shrugging. "I met Axel there - and Namine, too."

"And I met Luxu," Namine said. "We had people we cared about - and who cared about us...but not too much," she added, with a look of daggers at Luxu.

Damnit. She was back to passive aggressive, teenage attitude mode. And Luxu had been hoping he'd never see that one rear its head in her again... The little princess could hold a fucking grudge. She could go real low and petty with it, too...

"Haha - yeah, yeah - there were some people who were able to...look out for the little ones, at least as much as they could, given the circumstances," Luxu said, avoiding Namine's gaze of sheer seething spite.

"And others were giant dicks that we just hated," Namine commented in sweet tones. "It made us want to stab them with our Keyblades."

"I can't even imagine," Sora's mother almost cooed at the girl, passing her by again and giving her hair a caress. "But thank god you're out of all that now. I understand you're living with Master Luxu here, now? Over in that...what was that world-"

"Twilight Town, mom," Sora said brightly.

"If you say so," the woman nodded. "Twilight Town, then."

"Yeah, that's true," Luxu nodded as well.

"What is it like there?" the woman said curiously, as she came around to Luxu's side - setting a plate down in front of him, too.

"It's okay," Roxas said.

"It's okay," Namine agreed. "We don't get much time with Luxu, though. He doesn't really have time to talk to us."

Luxu restrained a growl, plastering a grin over his face. "It's not like these islands of yours, that's for sure."

"All of these places Sora and the kids have talked about traveling to sound so...different," Sora's mother responded, nodding. "But in a good way, you know what I mean? It's all so fantastical - like our storybooks."

"There might be more of a basis of truth to that than you think," Luxu said casually. "All these worlds used to be one, back in my day." He paused, cringing internally. Damnit, did I really just say that? "And, anyways, even thousands of years down the line and an ocean of stars apart, old knowledge and stories still managed to be passed down and spread around."

"Stories do have a habit of doing that, don't they?" she agreed, smiling at him. "Our oldest island traditions go back thousands of years too, and we still practice them today. We still remember even our earliest ancestors, and their cultures."

"Yeah, sure," Luxu said politely. He adjusted himself in his seat, gazing across the table at Namine - who was distracted with eating now, at least. Except... "Namine - eat...better," he murmured out to her. "I know we've gone over table manners at some point..."

Namine glared at him again.

"Excuse her, she's young," Luxu informed Sora's mother. "Only a few months old, if you can believe it."

"Sora did mention that - but it's still difficult to get my head around..." the woman replied. She shook her head as she sat down at the end of the table. "Not that I don't believe it," she added, with a flash of a smile at Namine.

Namine smiled back. Then she turned and stuck out her tongue at Luxu, letting her fork "slip" from her grasp and clang loudly against the plate.

Luxu glowered back now, clenching a fist in his lap. "Namine..."

"What? I'm only a few months old. It's still hard sometimes!" Namine said quickly - in that sweet little voice of hers.

"Dooon't..." Luxu warned.

Don't you dare make me look bad...er, worse than I already do look - who the hell am I kidding?

Riku suddenly jumped to his feet, clearing his throat. "Uh - I need to-" He didn't even finish the sentence before he was stalking off out of the room.

Next second after, Sora was up, too. "Uhhh - just remembered I've got some homework to finish up! Not feeling too hungry - bye thanks mom!"

"Hey, Sora-" the kid's mom called after - then gave up, shaking her head. She moved to collect their plates, then disappeared into the kitchen.

Kairi took that opportunity to turn and ram an elbow right into Namine's ribs. The latter girl gasped, staring with wide eyes of hurt and disbelief. Kairi glared hard, raising a hand and slicing it across her throat.

"Ow - what?!" Namine hissed. "You risked my entire existence just to hit me for no reason!" she added on swiftly.

"Stop it!" Kairi hissed back furiously. "I don't care how angry you are with him - don't ruin things for everyone else!"

"I'm not - I'm just-"

"Nuh-uh! Don't try it, girl. You know, you're a lot more like me than even I thought you were," Kairi retorted. "And in this case it's not a good thing! I don't like that part of myself - that ruthless, vengeance-seeking part of me - and I don't like seeing it in you either! So cut it out!"

Namine half-heartedly glared at Kairi too, then gave up on it and sank down into her chair. She threw another nice glare at Luxu, though (thanks for that).

Xion, meanwhile, was looking around the table in pure confusion (something mirrored by Roxas, funnily enough).

Sora's mother came back into the dining room, looking at the now much emptier table with a frown. She sighed and set her gaze on Luxu. "Luxu - would you mind if I had a quick chat with you in private?" the woman spoke.

Luxu sat there glowering at Namine. He stood, pushing off from the table. "Sure thing."

From the corner of his eye, as he followed Sora's mother out into the hall, he was able to catch Namine sticking her tongue out after him.

Luxu was going to- do whatever it was parents did to wildly misbehaving little shits like her. He swore it! He'd have been fine with it if it were just them - well, no, but he'd have been a hell of a lot less pissed - but that she was pulling this crap in someone else's house...as a guest, at a dinner hangout...totally unacceptable!

Sora's mother led Luxu all the way down the hallway - past the stairs to the second floor - and out a back door, stepping out into the fresh night air.

"This should be good enough," the woman said, after taking them several feet away from the house itself.

Luxu stood there, letting out a breath and looking up to the dark sky. "Listen, I'm sorry about Namine back there. She's really just-"

"I'd say it's none of my business, but it is inside my house."

Luxu's head dropped, and he peered at the woman in the dim lighting of a nearby lamppost. "Then I'll make sure it leaves your house."

"No, it's staying - and so are you."

"What?" What was wrong with this woman?

"It's clear you have something going on - trouble in the family - so-"

"So I'll take my troubles and leave you be. Sorry for the inconvenience."

"Take your troubles and leave? Is that how you see them, or is that just your response to problems in general?"

"Excuse me?" Luxu snapped.

"Kairi mentioned some things earlier-" When the hell had that girl had time to secretly talk to this woman?! "- and I know you're a new parent-"

"A new parent?" Luxu laughed. "Me?! I'm not anything but a fool! I'm making a fool of myself - and I'm not doing them any good with it, either, am I? I've been screwing things up for weeks! I'm not even qualified to be a parent!"

"Really?" the woman said mildly.

"Yeah! They'd be better off with someone who actually knows what they're doing, instead of with a guy who doesn't know up from down! A guy who hasn't got a handle on anything! Someone who could give them all the- the encouragement and support and- and love that they deserve! Someone who can actually guide them through life, tend to their needs - see all their little problems and just...just fix them for them! They've only been with me for a little over a month now; it'd be a hell of a lot better for them to be moved to a better home, before we get too far into this! Before I ruin their whole childhood development any further!"

The woman's unexpected laughter rang out, halting the tumbling words from Luxu's mouth (and seizing Heart). "For being hundreds of years old, you're not too bright, are you?"

"What?" Luxu said, narrowing his eye at the woman.

"Do they get food every day? Healthy food?"

"They don't exactly need to eat - yet - but...yeah? What about it-"

"Do they have rooms? Beds?"

"Yeah, of course they do!"

"They go to school? They have friends, hobbies?"

"School, yes. Hobbies, yes. Friends? I think they'd only count your group of kids as friends, right now."

"Do you want them to have long, happy, healthy lives?"

"I wouldn't have tried this if I didn't!"

"That's the problem."

"What?"

"It's only been a month, and you've hit your first real challenge - and you want to wash your hands of it? Dump them onto someone else and run away? You'd think someone so old would have learned a little more patience and perseverance."

"This isn't about me!" Luxu snarled, that last remark of hers stinging. Stupid to let it, but it did all the same. "It's about what's best for them! And I'm not it! I can't give them everything they need! Kids need a hell of a lot more than beds and food! And I can't do that for them."

"Have you even tried?" she said simply, blinking at him.

Luxu clenched his jaw. "Tch..." He couldn't find it in himself to deny it, despite the outrage he felt at her judgements and assumptions.

"Do they talk to you? Do you listen to them?"

"Apparently, that's the problem..."

"Then why not give it a try?"

"And that's just going to magically make everything better, is it? Smooth sailing, from here on out?" Luxu said, sarcastic.

The woman laughed again. She shook her head, her hair waving about. "Not by a long shot. Not forever. But it's a key tool in the parent's arsenal. You keep it on hand, you be ready with an ear open if anything comes up again later. Down the line, you apply it again, and again, whenever it's needed. And it does help things. It can help them, and you, work through the situation - get past the problem at hand. And later, yes, there will be more problems. A dozen, a hundred, a million more, a million times. But you get through it, you get past it! With them! For them! Welcome to parenting!"

"You're nothing like your son, you know that."

"You obviously don't know my son as well as you think," she responded, waving a hand. "But that's besides the point."

"What is the point?"

She looked him in the eye with crystal blue. "I lost my husband, seven years ago now," she said, flat and factual.

"I- sorry..."

"I'd known him for almost twenty years, before he was lost to me. Since we were children. And then, when Sora was seven...we got the news. It took a few days, but then we knew. The ship he was on had been damaged in a storm, and nearly all hands were lost. Except for one boat, with four survivors. He wasn't on it."

"I'm sorry to hear that..."

"I wouldn't lie to anyone - least of all to myself - and say that I wasn't a complete mess of a woman at the time. And for a long time afterward. And I wouldn't even lie and tell you that there weren't a few times that I didn't think it would be better if Sora were to go and stay with someone else for a while. In fact, he did: he spent a lot of time at Riku's house, and with Kairi, too, that year. Their parents were more than happy to help him - to help me. But I never would have thought of making it permanent. Of just giving up on him. I thought I was useless, I thought I was too lost and grief-stricken to be a good mother again. But...I had help. I had people all around me. Family friends, people at the school, and even people around town who just knew and wanted to do what they could. But...I had to reach out for that help first. And once I did, I got through it. We both did."

"So this isn't the time to give up - to wash your hands with them. This is the time to recognize that there is a problem, yes, and to admit that you need help - and to ask for it from the people around you. And if you do, they'll help you get through this, gladly! But it's not the end of the world. It's not so unsalvageable and terrible that you can't climb your way back out of it and keep going! Keep trying! Parents need support too, just like anyone. Just like the kids. And that's fine. But you need to be able to ask for it. To look for it, if you think you can't find it. But in my experience, it's always closer than you think - it's all around you. But you're the only one stopping yourself from seeing it."

"I take it back, I can see where your son gets it from..." Luxu uttered.

"Thank you. Now?" The woman raised her eyebrow at him, crossing her arms.

Luxu shuffled, flushing intensely. "Eh...All right: you want to help me out here with these kids?"

"Of course. What do you need?"

"To not feel like I've got no clue what the hell I'm doing."

"Well here's my first piece of advice: that's universal. Literally, now, I suppose..." the woman added thoughtfully, shaking her head in amusement. "No parent has a handle on things. No one knows exactly what they're doing . We just do our best. We get help, we smarten up - read some books on the subject. There are plenty of resources out there for struggling parents. And plenty of people willing to help them. But generally, you just have to get up the courage to try, and keep trying, and work at it, and hope it all works out in the end. That you have done your best for them."

"And what if I can't do that?"

"If you truly, honestly feel like you can't take care of them properly - you can find them a new home. But I'm telling you that that would do more harm to them than keeping them, and buckling down and trying a little harder for them. Because from the sounds of things, you haven't been trying all that hard. You haven't exhausted all your resources, you haven't reached out to anyone else. That is a problem. You can't say you've done all you can, and that you're unsuited for the job, until you've done all of that and then reached rock bottom. You're not nearly there yet."

Luxu sucked in a breath. He nodded. "Okay," he said quietly. "All right. Yeah. Try harder. Great advice."

Her eyebrow raised again.

"Ah - no, I meant it that time. Thank you. Err...Ms...Mrs..."

"Just call me Nia, please," she said idly. "If I'm going to be your support, you're going to have to get used to that. We're going to be good friends, you and I, Luxu. It's going to be a necessity, if our kids and each other are going to be entwining our lives like this."

"Uh..." Luxu didn't often find himself totally speechless - and that was saying something - but he was right then. "Right...Okay. Friends. Thanks."

"It's no trouble. Can I give you another bit of advice? No, more of an observation."

"Sure. Hit me."

"Watching you all through this visit, do you know what I noticed about you that's related to the problem at hand? Or maybe it's the source of it?"

"What's that?"

"You go through all the right motions, but your Heart's not in it."

Luxu froze, staring at the woman now in disbelief.

"Now, I believe you can do it - I've seen glimpses of it - but you're not putting your all into it," the woman continued.

"Right. Thanks," Luxu repeated. He turned and headed for the door to the house - but her voice stopped him.

"Luxu."

"Yeah?"

"Come back tomorrow morning. Bring them with you."

Luxu looked back at her. "Why...?"

The woman flashed a grin, her eyes glinting. "So I can help you."

"Alright..."

Luxu finally left, striding back inside the house. The woman was right behind him, quick on his heels, as they came back into the dining room again.

"What did you two talk about? Or, wait, is that something you're going to keep to yourself forever too?" Namine said instantly.

Luxu gritted his teeth, forcing in and out another breath. "I'll tell you when we get home," he said, holding her gaze. "And then, I'll tell you...whatever else you want to know. All right?"

Surprise came over the girl's face. Then, skepticism and suspicion. "Really?"

"Yes."

She stood immediately, heading for the front door of the house. "Okay. Let's go. Roxas, come on!"

Luxu strode after the pair, scowling. She wanted to act like she'd won anything? He'd have to set that straight when they got home.

He stopped at the front door, looking back to see that woman gazing after him. She gave a small wave, and a small smile.

"Good luck - and don't forget," she called after him.

Luxu flushed. "Eh...sorry for abandoning the dinner like this," he offered pathetically.

She just kept smiling. "It's not a problem."

Luxu gave a nod, then slipped out the door quickly.

Maybe this was the start of some great friendship, as the woman claimed.

Not something Luxu could ever claim he'd had in his life - not even thousands of years ago. Even way back then, he'd always been apart from the other Foretellers...

That was him, wasn't it?

Always apart from the rest of humanity.

Off on his own, closed off.

Not anymore, he told himself.

Time for a change. A real one. A risky one. But...one he knew now he had to take. For them. And maybe...maybe for himself, too. No more just thinking about it - time to put his money where his mouth was. With this, with the kids, with all of it.

He had to go and put his old habits down with an arrowgun if any of this was going to work.

And he had to keep on trying - and put his whole Heart into it.

More than that...he had to...open his Heart up.

Because the people around him, he found, kept reaching out to him lately. That Aerith woman, back in Traverse Town, and now...that Sora kid's mother.

He'd just never actually taken their hands before.

But maybe it was time to be bold and try for it.

Time to stop holding himself apart from everyone else.

"Okaaaay...what do you want to know? Fire away. Ask anything you like."

Luxu dragged the chair over, sitting down before the two kids on the couch. He spread his hands, then folded them together and sat back.

Back in their own home again - back in Twilight Town.

Luxu had decided that the chewing out part for Namine could come later - after he tried...this for them.

"I still don't get all that stuff about you being really old - or a Keyblade wielder," Roxas spoke up. "Tell me about that."

"You still don't...? I told you all about it back in Traverse Town!" Luxu said, exasperated. "You were at the meeting!"

"I didn't get it, then," Roxas glared. "Tell me again."

"Alright..." Luxu shrugged. "Long, looong story short here: thousands of years ago, I was an apprentice to a man with a plan. A plan to start a war, end the world, so that he might have a shot at destroying ancient enemies. Sapient entities made of pure darkness - called Darknesses. Go figure, eh? You know Ven and Lauriam, and Elrena, and Skuld and Strelitzia were apprentices back in those days, as well. They jumped ahead, across thousands of years, to arrive here in the future." He paused, taking in the kid's blank look. "Uh...let's say it was like going to sleep for a really long time, and then waking up again now? Instead of going to sleep for one night, they went to sleep for...millions of nights and days. Get it?"

Roxas nodded slowly. "I guess I get that. What else?"

"Well, uh, for me, I had to take the long way. I had to...stay awake, all this time. I had to live on through the ages. I used a Keyblade technique to...move my Heart from body to body - from person to person - so that I wouldn't just die of old age. Like-"

"Like Xehanort did to Terra," Namine stated.

"Yeah..." Luxu said, looking away, his face growing hot with that immortal guilt. Except now, wasn't just guilt - it was shame, along with it. That was a new one, these days. "Except my method was...better. More complete."

"So - that's not you? You don't look like you? Like I...don't look like Sora?" Roxas spoke.

"Sort of, actually...I guess," Luxu replied carefully. "It's complicated, okay? Real complicated." He sighed, looking between the two kids. "The real guy whose body this is - that guy's Heart - it's still here. Just...dormant. I fused mine with it, and took over the place."

"Like Ventus's Heart was inside of me, then?" Roxas said.

Bless the kid for trying, Luxu supposed. He really was. "Sort of," Luxu repeated.

"Why don't you put his Heart back where it came from, like Ventus's was?" Roxas persisted.

"It...is. I'm the one who's not..." Luxu trailed off. He blew a breath, running a hand through his hair. "I'm waiting, all right?"

"Waiting for what?" Namine asked, staring at him.

"Until you kids get your Replica bodies from Even. Until that's sorted out there over in Radiant Garden," Luxu answered. "Look, I know the guy - I had to watch him for a long time before I...jumped in. I had to know who I was dealing with, how to act, and to know if he had the right personality for me to be able to act the way I needed to without arousing suspicion from those around me. And I know...that he's not the best guy around. If I let him go now, if he goes back to Radiant Garden, he could...screw you all over. And I can't take that chance. I want you guys taken care of first, before I let him loose. When I know he can't threaten...you. Take that from you."

"But that isn't...right," Namine said softly. "You can't just- that is being like Xemnas. Or, Xehanort."

"I- I know. Okay? I know. But...he'd cause everyone problems. Problems no one needs right now. I'm not...holding him hostage, he's not- it's just- temporary. It's like...timeout. Or - jail time, for badly behaved adults. Right? If you're a danger, you get locked up for a while. So you can't hurt anyone else. Then, later on, they let you go again. That's all I'm doing."

Neither kid looked convinced.

Luxu closed his eye, sitting back. He balled a fist on his lap, then let it go. He opened his eye. "Listen, it just wouldn't be smart right now. He'd - hurt a lot of people. He'd...I know him. I watched him for weeks. I know what kind of guy he is. That's why I chose him. Because he wasn't the most upstanding character in the city."

Namine peered at him, her eyes intense. Then she sat back, and closed her eyes. She let a breath go, and her whole body relaxed.

Luxu went rigid, staring at her. He half rose, reaching for her. "Namine..." he said slowly. "Hey - you're not-"

Namine's eye cracked open. "Not you - don't worry. I promised you I wouldn't do that to you again."

Luxu sat back down. Then he almost jumped up again. "No! Namine - not him - don't-"

"Don't WHAT?" Roxas said, looking between them. "What's she even doing? What did she promise not to do?"

"He needs someone to talk to," Namine said, raising her chin at Luxu. "I spoke to Terra before, when he was trapped in Xehanort's Heart, you know! I didn't understand it at the time - but I do now! And the way he sounded, the way he felt to me...what I saw...If that's how Braig is too-"

"Don't," Luxu gritted. "Look, that's - kind and noble and sweet of you - a million shades of good! But he's a clever bastard, and if he starts putting thoughts in your head, convincing you to do things for him- you don't know what kind of guy he is, not like I do! I need you to trust me here! You're young and impressionable, cute and naïve as hell, and he's the slick fucker who'd take advantage of that and-"

"You could be talking about yourself," Namine cut him off sharply. "When I didn't know who you were, when you were telling me all kinds of lies! You know, Lauriam never trusted you! He always thought you were doing something like that with me! What if he was right? Or what if you're wrong?"

"He did? Well, that sure as hell explains a lot..." Luxu shook his head. "Namine, just trust me. Please? Don't."

"It can't hurt," Namine said firmly. "And you can't stop me, anyways! I could do it the second I go up to my room. Or when I lay awake at night in bed."

Luxu froze. He growled, deep in his throat. He jumped up and whirled away, stalking off from the room. "Goddammit! Fuck! Come on!"

"Namine, what're you doing?" Roxas's voice came from the living room.

"Trying to talk to Braig. To find his Heart inside Luxu," came Namine's determined tones. That voice she used whenever she was never going to let something go (as she'd proven to Luxu in front of Twilight Town's mansion, weeks back now). "Like I found Ven's in you before, actually. Remember?"

"Huh...yeah, you did say something about Ven before, didn't you...way back then?"

"Right. So...I need it to be quiet so I can focus, okay? I'll tell you when I find him."

"Uh - okay."

Luxu gripped the counter top so hard it started to crack under magical force and pressures. He released it, spinning back around. He kicked at the nearest chair. Then he snatched it up and fell down into it, slamming his hands onto the table.

Fuck!

What the hell would a real parent do in this situation?! How did you protect a stupid, dumbass kid who was literally reaching out for the danger? Trying to find the threat with her own hands? Willingly, stupidly walking into something that could be terrible for her, in so many ways that she could never understand right now? Ways that any real, actual teenage girl her age would have probably, fully understood...!

What the fuck could he do to stop her? To stop this?

Luxu stood again, shoving the chair back and turning on a heel.

He brought his hands up - then froze, staring down at them.

And he knew what he could do.

Trade one risk for another...yeah...but at least the one he'd be swapping for would put the danger far enough away from her - and it could be controlled from there...managed from there. And, better out in the open than left alone in shadows with her...

Luxu's fingers curled, and lightning and light flashed as No Name appeared in his grasp.

He wasted no time in turning it around, and driving it into his own chest.

Light emerged from his chest, his Keyblade vanished away...and the world drifted away from him, as the body he'd inhabited for the last decade now began to disintegrate.

As he fell into the darkness, he focused his intentions and powers, and two Hearts began to separate...

It really was time to go all in, wasn't it?