Taking Back the Crown

by JCMorrigan

Mozenrath. Archibald Snatcher. Roman Torchwick. Mad Madam Mim. Yzma. The Huntsman. Wuya. Ayam Aghoul. Their mission: take over the multiverse, or look fabulous trying. Rated M for swearing, steamy implications and VERY bloody battles. Contains slash and het shipping.

101. Chapter 101

A/N: Warning for character death. I don't mind spoiling that much, since it's someone who has literally not been relevant until this chapter.

...

The PA system crackled to life, broadcasting audio throughout the Cyclonian warship.

"Attention," Mozenrath's voice said to everyone on the base. "As of now, every skimmer in the hangar has been enchanted to carry a passenger across interspace without any of the associated risks. You may all go wherever you want, whenever you want, in any number. This was, of course, done out of the goodness of my heart and my interest in fostering a team dynamic of give and take. I know I may seem high-strung, and some of you may even have described me at one point or another as a 'man-child,' but I hope this puts across my true colors."

A long pause. Then: "That should keep everyone calm for a while. I wouldn't even have had to go to all that trouble if Roman hadn't blown up our primary mode of transportation. Oh, well, it's not like it matters. At least this will allow me to cash in a few favors later. Ohhh, you don't want to go get the important artifact we need because you're scared of the big bad Maweficent? TOO BAD. I GAVE YOU A SKIMMER FOR PERSONAL INTER-WORLD TRAVEL, SO YOU – not NOW, Yzma. Can't you see I'm soliloquizing to myself? Wh – WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE PA IS STILL ON – "

...

Within a small marble pavilion beneath the darkened sky, a cast of odd-looking characters circled up a pool of water. There was the immortal hunter, hair stark white against his coat of black. The gargoyle, red hair over light blue skin, who had lost all of her spark due to the hypnotism fed her. The three witches, all of whom were suspected of playing more to their own goals than their leader's.

And then the leader, twofold, speaking to himself.

"All of the pieces are now in place," the Archmage observed. "Goliath and his clan are doomed."

"Isn't it time for you to go?" asked the other, also the Archmage.

"I was just about to," the Archmage replied.

"Are you certain you know what to do?" the Archmage asked.

And to the Archmage, the Archmage replied, "I should. I watched you do it."

He clutched the Phoenix Gate mounted over his chest.

But he did not go directly back to himself, to where he would meet himself, to teach himself the route.

Avalon was in no way a sure thing. No matter how confident the Archmage was, and he was confident indeed. No, he aspired for more, and he wasn't going to walk away from this venture without something.

After all, he had all the time in the worlds at his fingertips. It would be a waste not to use it.

The worlds he visited were numerous. Several trips he made to the World of Twelve, taking in the living doll Dathura as apprentice, coaxing her into breaking the heart of Ogrest and leading to him flooding the world. When he flashed forward to the fallout, however, he found not a world drowned and ready for the taking, but a rescued world thanks to the actions of a few heroes who had gotten very, very lucky.

And what a strange contingent of villains had shown up to greet the Archmage as he observed this. The least he could do was toss them Dathura's heart as a consolation prize. Not that any of them would know what to do with it.

Other plans were set up, like dominoes in a chain. Whenever he fast-forwarded to the conclusion, however, the scheme was toppled. Still he refused to simply turn tail to Avalon just yet.

In the present time, he arrived on a beach made of round stones, hard beneath his feet. The early morning mist cast a gray pallor over the coastline of the Giant's Causeway in Ireland.

This was a world of many wonders. A world of magics and science beyond the dreams of most. Gigantic monsters roamed here; they were tamed by teams of heroes who dressed in bright colors and harnessed unbelievable powers.

There was one tale that interested the Archmage more than any other regarding this world: that of a mystic artifact in pieces that had been arranged by one such hero team and sought after by no fewer than four warring villainous factions. Once and only once had all of these villains been brought together, united to take the artifact for themselves. The attempt had failed – but things were different now. Back then, pieces were still scattered. Now the sacred headpiece was whole again, and they needed only band together once to take it in full.

The Archmage set about drawing on the stones of the beach with a thick white chalk, forming a sigil. The problem was that all of the people he wished to enlist to his cause were currently deceased. But this was a minor annoyance, truly, for the Archmage was well-versed in necromancy, and once the proper rites were enacted, he soon found himself in good company.

Five stood around him, looking all the more perplexed at their current state of events.

"What is the meaning of this?" a high-voiced man in black armor edged with orange asked indignantly. Though his helmet masked his face completely, the Archmage knew that beneath it was no human head, but instead the visage of a tiger given humanoid proportions.

"And what are THEY doing here?" cried another, the partner of the first. His armor was black with green accents, hinting at the purple-and-green fur of the body beneath. He pointed around to the other three.

"The only good thing about dying was that I never thought I'd have to see any of YOU again!" This from a crimson-skinned man clad in an equally red breastplate, which sported a pattern of interlocked fangs, and a headpiece with ornate horns.

"You're all here to come after ME, aren't you?" roared a cyborg shielded in light blue armor that was embellished on every plate, his face obscured completely by a helmet. "You couldn't stand that I got so much farther than ALL of you!" (Which wasn't true, and more than one of them knew it.) "And now you're here to stop me from outdoing you in death!"

"YOU outdo ME?" the crimson man yelled. "I will never see the day, in life or in death!"

"I think we should just eliminate them all now, Benglo!" the green-armored cat decided.

"A wonderful idea, Mig!" the yellow-armored tiger, "Benglo," cackled.

"Silence, you FOOLS!" This came from the fifth and final member of the outfit. His skin was pale blue, his hair formed by plates of ice that spiked back from his scalp. He wore not armor but a tunic composed of black leather and opalescent ice. "We obviously are dead no more! And we owe it all to our…friend here." He strode up to the Archmage, kneeling in a gesture the Archmage knew was completely empty, given who he was dealing with. "My apologies for the behavior of my brother and the rest of these fools," the icy man said dramatically, smugly. "You of course have my utmost thanks for rescuing me – for rescuing US from the cold grip of death."

"I will require more than your thanks," the Archmage stated. "I have given you all a new lease on life. As such, I require something in return. After all, I can quite easily put you all back where I found you. You were assembled for a distinct purpose."

"What purpose would involve making ME put up with THEM?" the crimson man asked.

"HA!" the cyborg crowed. "OBVIOUSLY he meant to bring back me and me alone! The rest of you were mistakes!"

"I seldom make mistakes, Kamdor," the Archmage stated.

"Wha – " the cyborg sputtered. "HOW DO YOU KNOW – "

"I know all about all of you," the Archmage stated. "From the beginning to the end. How the Fearcats – " he inclined his head toward Benglo and Mig. " – terrorized countless planets, bringing the Mercurians to their knees. How all of this started with a fight between two brothers over a treasure beyond worth. Those brothers who stand before me now: Moltor…"

The crimson man sniffed indignantly.

"…and Flurious," the Archmage concluded, looking directly at the icy man.

"I see I need no introduction," Flurious said calmly as he rose to stand. "And yet we do not know your name, rescuer."

"You will simply refer to me as 'Archmage,'" the Archmage stated coldly. "It is the only name YOU will need. I'm sure by now it must be settling in. What you all have in common. What purpose I might have assembled you five for. What you five have encountered, and are capable of obtaining if you work together."

"NOT AGAIN!" Kamdor burst out.

"Then you know," the Archmage said with a smirk.

"We know?" Mig said in confusion.

"He means the Corona Aurora!" Benglo cried. "He wants US to fetch it for him!"

"That would certainly explain your choices in who you assembled," Flurious grumbled, less than happy with the prospect.

"I'd rather die again than work with THESE morons one more time!" Moltor growled. "Especially my substandard sub-zero brother!"

"You think I'm happy about working with you, hothead?" Flurious shot back, momentarily losing his composure.

"All of you have come into contact with the crown," the Archmage stated. "And if memory serves, then you have been allied once before to seek it."

"But what about – " Kamdor began, not even realizing what he was saying or why he might have thought of it.

"I took the liberty of relieving you of your less competent second-tier allies," the Archmage stated. "Those you would have disposed of anyway. And if I am being perfectly frank, they would have been too much trouble to find in the first place. All of you, I could resurrect. But the gods only know what happened to the crystal that contains Miratrix, and there are countless reasons Norg was not worth the trouble."

"Good!" Kamdor said gruffly. "It's bad enough I'm stuck with THESE four! I wouldn't be caught dead playing mentor to Miratrix again! Not after how she failed me! She served her purpose, and I think of her no more!"

"As is obvious," the Archmage said knowingly.

"I suppose I owe you my thanks yet again for sparing me from Norg's rambling," Flurious grunted. "But what makes you so sure we will join forces to bring the Corona to you? After all, Thrax once attempted to unite us for a smiliar purpose. That failed spectacularly. What will make this different? And what's more: the Corona Aurora is an item we all seek. What's to say I will not decide to simply keep it for myself, if I do indeed pursue it rather than parting ways with these imbeciles to find a new method of taking power?"

"You will bring me the Corona Aurora because if you do not, you will suffer for it," the Archmage threatened.

The Eye of Odin affixed to his forehead crackled. Dark energy surged up from the stony beach into all five of the warriors he had gathered, drawing cries of pain from them and bringing them all to their knees.

It was a dangerous gamble. The Archmage relented after a short display. Any one of them on their own, he could have taken on, and maybe two at once, but if all five chose to stand against him, he would surely lose. Therefore, he had to give them the illusion that he was in control without letting them have the chance to realize they held the power. And it was all because his next point was entirely the truth:

"And the reason you will work together to do so is because any less than all of you would be unable to retrieve it."

"The Corona Aurora must lie in the hands of the Rangers!" Kamdor accused as all five rose up. "We already tried fighting them once before! It's a waste of time!"

"Are you finally admitting that the Power Rangers are stronger than you?" Benglo cackled.

"NEVER!" Kamdor roared.

"Things have changed," the Archmage stated slyly. "The Corona Aurora no longer lies with the Power Rangers of Operation Overdrive. It was instead granted to the Sentinel Knight for safekeeping."

"The Sentinel Knight!" Moltor gasped. "That's even WORSE than the Power Rangers."

"Is it?" the Archmage asked teasingly. "After all, the Corona Aurora is now assembled in its entirety. You will not have to fight separate battles for the crown and its gems. All it will take is one fight: one defeat. And all that stands in your way is one man."

"The Sentinel Knight is more than a man," Flurious stated coldly. "Surely you know this. The only item on this world that could slay him was the blade Excelsior, and he has absorbed that sword into his very being."

"That was the only item on THIS world that could slay him," the Archmage reiterated. "I offer you a gift. An advantage in the battle that lies ahead."

He put out both arms, palms up. In a shimmer of light, a golden sword with a thick blade lay bridged across both of them. The glaive's hilt was carved in the shape of a radiant sun surrounding a blue-white crystal; the metal of the weapon was a golden yellow throughout. Light crackles of electricity ran live across the blade.

"A sun goddess fell," the Archmage explained, "leaving her world to darkness." And once again, what an interesting, interesting group had done her in. "The Divine Instruments she once wielded have become divided. Some have been lost. Some have been returned to her acquaintances. But the most powerful of them all, Thunder Edge, remained unclaimed…thus did I seize my opportunity. This is the blade of a goddess, forged of pure lightning itself. In the right hands, it has the power to overcome even Excelsior."

"In the right hands, you say?" Flurious said smugly. "I will be more than happy to wield your divine sword." He reached out to grasp the hilt.

Moltor surged up behind him, batting his brother's hand aside. "YOU won't get your mitts on the goddess' weapon!" he growled. "That honor is MINE!"

"You're BOTH fools!" Mig cried. "That sword belongs to me and Benglo!"

"And how do you expect to wield it in all four of your paws at once?" Flurious countered.

The blade was suddenly swiped; Kamdor's fast reflexes had allowed him to swoop in and pluck it by the hilt. "I will be the one to do in the Sentinel Knight!" he declared. "I have wanted to do this since I knew of his existence!"

"No more or less than the rest of us have," Flurious reminded him.

"GIVE ME THAT!" Moltor made a grab for the blade.

"NEVER!" Kamdor aimed a kick at Moltor's breastplate.

"I'LL take it!" Benglo growled surging from the front.

Kamdor knew this trick. He ignored Benglo, spinning about to deck Mig, who had taken advantage of Benglo's diversion to rush for the sword.

"And here I thought I was recruiting adults," the Archmage sighed, "let alone warriors who had lived to see centuries."

A sharp chill bit the air. Kamdor, Moltor, Mig, and Benglo suddenly shivered, grasping their arms for warmth – for all the good that would do given their armor. Flurious advanced toward them slowly.

Now, here was one who truly did have the power to control the lot, the Archmage realized.

"You will give Thunder Edge to me," Flurious said slowly, calmly, an edge of a threat in his tone. "I will be the one to strike the killing blow." Slowly, deliberately, he extended his arm, unfolded his hand. "Anyone who disagrees will be the first example made to show the Archmage that I do not, in fact, need all four of you to obtain the Corona Aurora."

Without thinking, Kamdor instinctively pushed the blade toward Flurious. The chill relieved, letting the quartet feel warmth returning to their extremities. Flurious turned the weapon in his hand, blade-up, as he observed the lightning surging through the metal.

"A fine weapon, indeed," he stated.

"As a final incentive," the Archmage stated, "I may have given you the stick, but there is also a carrot. Once you bring me the Corona Aurora, you will be rewarded handsomely."

"Now THAT'S the first thing you've said that I like!" Benglo cackled.

"We'll be rich!" Mig added. "We'll be powerful!"

"Will we?" Flurious countered. "Tell me, Archmage." His gaze met the Archmage's with freezing ferocity. "What, exactly, is the reward that awaits us?"

"Something you will find out if and when you succeed," the Archmage stated. "You have twenty-four hours to complete your mission. Return here, to the Giant's Causeway, whether you have succeeded or failed. Try to escape and you will not get far."

The five felt a surge of doubt. True, the Archmage was new to them, and appeared to be little more than a mortal man…but he had managed to bring them to their knees en masse. Silently they agreed that it was better to listen to him than to defy him any further.

"One question still remains to be answered," Flurious stated. "Where exactly are we to find the Corona Aurora? Where does the Sentinel Knight call home?"

"I should think five intelligent men would be able to put their heads together and figure it out," the Archmage teased. "However, if you are truly so clueless, here is a hint: where the trail is coldest, you will find that it has become warm."

With that, he lay fingers on the Phoenix Gate, dismissing himself. His next living moment would be the outcome of this venture; all he had to do was blink. The five he had summoned, however, had a more difficult task ahead of them.

"'Where the trail is coldest, it becomes warm'?" Benglo reiterated. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It's just nonsense!" Moltor yelled.

"It's a riddle, you idiot!" Mig hissed.

"A riddle he made up just to confuse us!" Kamdor accused. "It doesn't mean anything!"

However, the moment the Archmage had left the clue, Flurious had figured it out. "I know where we are to search for the Corona Aurora," he stated. "Follow my lead, and do not fall behind. After all, I can easily write off your disappearances as casualties of battle."

Begrudgingly, the others did as they were told, though deep down, each harbored a secret desire to turn on his allies (save Benglo and Mig, who intended to protect each other and prevail in tandem) and challenge the Archmage for possession of the crown at the rendez-vous. And deep down, each believed that he would be the one to have won.

...

As Draco Malfoy walked through the laboratory to the new wing set aside for Zevon to brew potions at his own station, he could already hear Zevon chatting with Irmaplotz about what they should concoct:

"…should, like, totally make a potion that permanently stains your clothes purple," Irmaplotz suggested, "and it just looks stupid and embarrassing and you can never get rid of it."

"That potion already existifies!" Zevon proclaimed. "It is called…GRAPE JUICE."

Draco sighed, shaking his head – and smiling. He had always liked to surround himself with idiots, hadn't he?

He turned the corner into the small alcove, where a great iron cauldron was set up in the rounded workspace; counters lining the rotund chamber were loaded up with glassware and equipment for ingredient processing. Zevon and Irmaplotz stood over the currently-empty cauldron, ceasing their brainstorming session to welcome their third.

"Draco Malfoy!" Zevon said grandiosely. "Welcome to the concoctation room. Between my expertation, Irmaplotz' experientals, and your academical prowession, the triadinity of us three should be able to brew potions of incredawesome power!"

"I actually understood most of that," Irmaplotz said in surprise.

"That's not something to brag about," Draco told her. In all honesty, though he'd spoken to Zevon of his high marks in Potions before, and Irmaplotz had obviously been told of the same boast, he wasn't quite sure how much of that was talent at the craft and how much of that was buying Severus Snape's goodwill. However, what made him so suited for the WHAM ARMY – one of many things, anyway – was the way that, when faced with an uncertainty, his instinct was to forge ahead as though he knew exactly what he was doing, which was really the WHAM ARMY way. "Trying to brew a new weapon, then?"

"Of course!" Zevon crowed. "I want to make something that will bring our foenemies to their knees!"

"Plenty of that to go around," Draco stated. "Bloodroot poison, garroting gas, jawbind – "

"NO!" Zevon cried. "None of that! Nothing that already has a name! I want to invennovate something NEW!"

"That means werecow's out," Irmaplotz muttered. "Why are you so focused on making something new, anyway? There's plenty of tried-and-true evil stuff that we know works."

"I don't want tried-and-true!" Zevon grumbled. "I want something that will be unixclusive to me and only me! Everyone here has something that belongs to them and them alone! My mother has her own potions! Mozenrath has his gauntlet! Mim transformgures into animals!"

"I had the Elder Wand," Draco seethed, "and I'd still have it now if it weren't for Potter."

"I have a lot of pent-up resentment and lingering heartbreak that I use to fuel my work," Irmaplotz said quite casually. "It's kind of my thing."

"I want something that belongs to me!" Zevon insisted. "Something more singler than potions! Something that the people will see and cry out, 'Be afraid, for here comes ZEVON!'"

"Aiming a bit high, aren't we?" Draco teased. "We could work out you being recognized, but FEARED?"

"Isn't it kind of counterintuitive to try and distance yourself from the potions schtick by making weirder potions?" Irmaplotz asked.

Zevon made to respond, then deflated. "You're…CORRIGHT! I've been going about this all wrong!" He clutched his head, hunching over the cauldron. "I don't even know where to begorigin!"

"Totally off topic," Irmaplotz said, "since, y'know, no one really cares about your mental breakdown – no offense – "

"It is only to be expectated from fellow villains," Zevon moaned.

"But what's that book?" Irmaplotz asked.

It took Draco a moment to realize she'd directed that question at him, especially given the fact that he hadn't realized he'd carried a book all the way there. "I don't know why I still have this," he spat, holding it out to reveal it to be "Legends of Atmos Past." "That bloody dragon-horse-whatever gave it to me, and I've somehow gotten the feeling I was supposed to hold onto it."

"Looks like Discord bookmarked a spot," Irmaplotz observed, reaching out to flick the tassel of an ornate fabric bookmark patterned in black and blue. "That's an obvious setup for you to look at that book if I ever saw one. Am I right, Zevon?"

"I could care less!" Zevon groaned. "I am having an existentional crisistastrophe!"

"Well, let's see what all the fuss is about." Draco flipped the book open to the bookmarked place. "'Legend of the Warring Brothers'…haven't heard of that concept before." He sighed. "You'd think these old legends would get new material."

"I hear that," Irmaplotz agreed. "I got told a bedtime story about a pair of evil brothers who hated each other back in Hierogoth. It's probably a cultural trope."

"Let's see here…" Draco skimmed the page. "The story takes place 'beyond the Exosphere.' Must be some Atmosian garbage…it's a right cliché, all right. These two blokes, a wizard who only used fire and a wizard who only used ice, got in some fight over a crown that had the five most powerful crystals known to Atmos and beyond set in it. The crown got broken up into pieces, and the brothers got banished. Bloody garbage. I've heard this exact story before! Some children's tale about a wizard who fought with Incendio and a wizard who fought with Glacius and nothing else, all over some stupid diadem that was even more magical than Rowena Ravenclaw's. You'd think they'd come up with a better story!"

"I'll say," Irmaplotz complained. "That is actually the EXACT story Mother used to tell me, only she said it took place in a far-off fantasy kingdom. Please. Like those exist. Anyway, the stupid Aurora crown or whatever was the most magical thing that ever existed, so a man made of fire went to war with a man made of ice over it, and some wizard just got fed up with the whole thing and split up the crown to scatter it through the stars."

"It was called the 'Corona' in mine," Draco replied. "And that one ended in the crown getting destroyed as well. A third wizard stepped in and cursed both brothers – "

"To be banished and trapped in forms that matched their magic?" Irmaplotz finished.

Zevon's head snapped up. "Corona," he repeated. "Aurora. Corona Aurora."

Draco gave a sarcastic clap. "Congratulations. You actually managed not to mangle either of those words."

"I seriously think he LEGITIMATELY needs a reward for that," Irmaplotz said in awe. "We have time to make cookies? No. Probably not. No cookies for you."

"The Corona Aurora was a story I was told when I was a small child, growing up with my adoptionive family," Zevon said in awe. "It was a crown of the ultimatumive emperor. It had real magical powers. The versiedition I was told was about two gods who went to war over it: a fire god and an ice god. Their war ended in the destroyuction of the Corona Aurora and their banquishment from their divinitine home! Do you realitize what this MEANS?" His eyes sparkled with pure glee now.

"That no one knows how to tell an original story anymore?" Draco sighed.

"That if your brother wants the same crown you do, you should really be careful how you fight about it unless you want to get banished?" Irmaplotz guessed.

"No!" Zevon proclaimed. "This coincident is no coincident! The Corona Aurora must be REAL!" This was followed up with a booming, dramatic laugh. "The legends said that the Corona Aurora had all the powers of a GOD!"

"That lines up with what I heard," Irmaplotz confirmed, "though are you seriously gonna read this much into a bedtime story?"

"If the same story is told repeatatively in multiplyle cultures that seem to otherwise have no connection," Zevon deduced, "then there must be a reason, and that reason is that the Corona Aurora is REAL! FRIENDS OF ZEVON, I HAVE HAD AN EPIPHELATION!"

"You might wanna get that checked out by a doctor," Irmaplotz said dryly.

"The Corona Aurora is the exact power I seek!" Zevon proclaimed. "I will make a name for myself by seeking it out and wearing it in order to gain its divinitine powers!"

"IT'S A FAIRY TALE!" Draco yelled.

"THIS WILL BE THE GREATEST TAKEUNDERING I HAVE EVER TAKEUNDERED!" Zevon crowed, one index finger thrust to the sky.

"He's actually going to bloody do this," Draco said breathlessly. "We don't even know if it's real, and he's going to bloody do this."

"Pretty sure only the unspeakably-named elder god of freshly laundered trousers and overused punctuation could stop him at this point," Irmaplotz sighed. "Quosmir dangit, we were trying to have a normal – " She gasped, putting a gloved hand over her mouth. "I just spoke the name."

"Don't you see?" Zevon went on. "Discord planted the trail for me all along! He passed the book to my closest friendquaintance – "

"I'm not your friend," Draco said out of habit, though it wasn't as though anyone believed him anymore.

" – bookmarked the exactitary legend I needed," Zevon went on, "and knew I would see it eventuallitally! The bookmark is even in my colors! He knew this was what I would need to make my name and stake my claim!"

Draco and Irmaplotz both attempted to interrupt –

Then stared at each other, slack-jawed.

"…That cheeky git," Draco said breathlessly. "He planned this!"

"Okay, NOW I'm starting to believe this is going somewhere," Irmaplotz admitted. "I mean, Quosmir only knows where, but – I SAID THE UNSPEAKABLE NAME AGAIN!"

"TO THE DOODADHICKEYVICE OF LOCATIONERY!" Zevon cried before bolting out of the potions nook.

It took a baffled silence and no movement at all on the part of his two companions before Zevon backtracked, trying to use as small of words as possible: "I am going to use the thing that shows us where other things are."

This was met with a synchronized "Oh" of understanding.

Within moments, the trio was arranged around the globe that had been engineered to locate items. Zevon set the compass at its base, demanding, "WHERE IS THE CORONA AURORA?"

"All the versions of the story agreed the crown was broken up into pieces!" Draco insisted. "You aren't just going to find it that way!"

"Not to mention we're still not one hundred percent sure that's the name of the thing," Irmaplotz pointed out.

And yet the globe zeroed in on one world in particular.

"AHA!" Zevon cried. "IT IS EXACTICLY AS I THOUGHT!"

"What now?" Draco asked, curiosity piqued. "Where is it?"

"I have NO IDEA WHAT WORLD THAT IS!" Zevon exclaimed.

"How didn't you see that coming?" Irmaplotz asked Draco.

"But it's WHERE I MUST GO!" Zevon grabbed a nearby pen and legal pad, taking furious notes on the coordinates. "The power of the Corona Aurora must belong to me and ONLY me, for I am the only one worthly to wield it!"

"No comment," Draco and Irmaplotz said as one.

Zevon ripped the top sheet off the legal pad once he had his map. Grasping the compass and giving it a flip in the air before catching it and placing it in his pocket, he declared, "My expedursion begins now!"

"And I suppose you want us to come along," Draco sighed.

"Hang on," Irmaplotz grunted. "I have to go grab my travel shampoo."

"NO!" Zevon said with such ferocity that both flinched. "I wish to takeunder this takeundering ALONE. When I bring back the Corona Aurora, I want all of the accreditolades! This is my chance to make my name, recallember? I shall simply take one of the skimmers Mozenrath has encharmted!"

Draco found himself actually disappointed – which surprised him. "Glad I don't have to do all the work for you anyway, you bloody idiot," he grunted.

Irmaplotz shrugged. "Fine. Not like I wanted to get out of the house super bad or anything. Not like I'm really sick of all the hallways looking like the interior designer was going through a Goth phase. Sacking of empires and everything."

"I'm glad we are in agreement!" Zevon proclaimed. "I shall be on my way, and when I return, I shall be wearing the very augteration of reality on my head!"

He strode out of the lab. Draco and Irmaplotz followed him all the way to the exit, watching him take his leave down the hall.

"Okay, so is either of us going to tell him the hangar is the opposite way of where he's going?" Irmaplotz wondered out loud.

"He'll figure it out," Draco said with a shrug.

"The lab is actually gonna be weirdly quiet without him," Irmaplotz admitted.

"It will be," Draco agreed.

"I swear to Quos – "

Draco pointed at Irmaplotz as a warning.

" – I swear to the powers that be, this better not turn out to be a false alarm," Irmaplotz stated. "I just don't want his heart to get broken, you know?"

"Didn't heartbreak inspire you to do some of your most intelligent plans?"

"…You know, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he got hurt a little," Irmaplotz realized.

Zevon, as a matter of fact, didn't realize he'd gone the wrong way until he ended up in the furthest possible wing of the ship from the hangar, confused as to why he'd dead-ended in a gymnasium filled with crystal-powered exercise bikes. Eventually, however, he did figure it out, and he let out another positively villainous laugh as he blasted his skimmer away from the base and sailed into the space between worlds, the legal pad's paper pinned to the steering wheel.

...

Sora, Riku, Lea, Donald, and Goofy had the pleasure of escorting Roxas through the train station to his first session with Master Yen Sid; Roxas gawked at everything he passed.

"It's just…" he babbled. "It's AWESOME."

"You've seen it before, remember?" Sora laughed.

"Yeah, I've SEEN it," Roxas told him. "This is my first time coming here in my own body. It's different."

As the group approached the star-spangled train, Sora took attendance mentally. "Is King Mickey still gone?" he wondered out loud.

"Yup," Goofy confirmed. "Gotta wonder what that big secret project is he's workin' on."

"Knowin' him, it's gonna be somethin' big!" Donald said gleefully.

"What about Kairi?" Sora asked.

"Haven't seen her," Riku realized. "I wonder what's holding her up."

"We should wait for her before we get on the train," Goofy stated.

All agreed this was a good idea.

It wasn't too long before they all heard a familiar voice accompanying the swift patter of sprinting sneakers: "I'm coming! I'm almost there!"

Sora put up a hand to wave. "Kairi! We're over here!"

"She KNOWS where we are!" Donald insisted, hands on hips. "We come here EVERY MORNING!"

Roxas chuckled. "You know…I'm glad I get to see this from the outside now."

"You're one of the gang!" Lea reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Kairi skidded up to the others, saying hastily, "Sorry! I set my alarm for p.m. instead of a.m. last night, and I almost didn't wake up on time. It's a good thing the sun was shining bright through my window, or – "

She then realized everyone was staring at her, and she had a pretty good idea of why. Grinning, she teased, "You guys like it?"

The haircut that Pleakley and Rarity had given her as Lianna had browsed bolts of fabric the previous evening was short and perky, flowing no lower than her chin. She twirled to let it bounce and flow.

"You sure look pretty!" Goofy complimented.

"It's really nice!" Roxas agreed.

"It looks AWESOME!" Sora commented.

Smiles of agreement from the others did the rest. "Thank you," Kairi replied. "Pleakley and Rarity wanted me to tell you that if any of the rest of you want your hair worked on, they'd be happy to help out."

"I could maybe stand to go a bit shorter," Riku mused.

"I'm good," Sora threw in.

"You think I wanna get rid of these locks?" Lea ran a hand through his natural spikes. "Now, THEY'RE what make me stand out!"

"I could use a haircut!" Goofy laughed.

"YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE HAIR!" Donald reminded him.

That gave everyone a good laugh; they then boarded the train, taking it to the tower.

At first, when Sora burst through the door into Yen Sid's chambers, yelling, "MASTER YEN SID! YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE IT!", Yen Sid only smiled. Every day, Sora seemed to have something new that Yen Sid wouldn't believe, even if it were something as small as him realizing he could use Fire magic to make popcorn. However, when Sora followed that up with, "GUESS WHO WE BROUGHT WITH US?", Yen Sid found his interest piqued.

He was not prepared for what came through that door.

He knew who Roxas was. He knew the entire story of Roxas' existence and how he had merged with Sora. He had even pieced together much of Roxas' history in the Organization thanks to tips from Lea. However, he had never actually seen Roxas in the flesh. Therefore, when Roxas entered, he did not immediately recognize him as Roxas. Instead, he lay eyes upon someone he had hoped against hope would one day return, who he had feared was lost forever. His heart seemed to stop and the air rushed from his lungs in one expulsion.

Hoarsely, Yen Sid choked out, "Ventus?"

Roxas cocked his head. "Who?"

"Um…this is Roxas," Sora explained, rather confused.

Yen Sid's eyes widened all the more. "How…"

"Uh…hi?" Roxas said cautiously, unsure what he'd done wrong.

"Master Yen Sid?" Sora asked. "Are…you okay?"

"…Yes," Yen Sid said softly. "I am all right, and I am glad the same applies to Roxas. Now, tell me…how did this come about?"

By then, the others had filed into the room. "It's weird," Sora explained. "We had a run-in with the WHAM ARMY, and during the fight, they dropped this."

He extended his hand, palm out, and the Ring of the Nine Dragons and the Monarch Wings rested there.

"So I put it on," Sora went on, "and then Roxas came back. Then Kairi did the same thing, and now we have Naminé."

"Any ideas?" Goofy asked.

Yen Sid took the ring in between his fingers, examining it thoroughly. "An ancient magic," he identified. "Two distinct Shen Gong Wu used in combination. A rather ingenious combination, as a matter of fact. The ring is enchanted to create doubles of the wearer, and upon observation, the wings appear to give off the signature of a spell that allows a spirit to possess a physical form. No doubt the combination was what allowed Roxas to break away from your heart permanently, with a heart of his own."

"That's AWESOME!" Sora cried. "And did you hear that? It was genius to put 'em together!"

"You did that by accident, and you KNOW it!" Donald reminded Sora as he stamped his webbed foot.

"We were kinda hoping that Roxas could maybe sit in on our training sessions," Lea brought up. "You know, maybe learn a few tricks himself."

Roxas conjured his Keyblade, holding it out with a smile. "I'd really like to get to know how to use this better," he insisted.

Yen Sid returned the ring to Sora, then inclined his head with a smile. "A wise decision. Roxas, I welcome you wholeheartedly into this class. You will be a valuable asset once the time comes to defend the light, should you see it through to its end."

"Thank you, Master Yen Sid," Roxas said earnestly. "I won't let you down."

"There is no way to let me down in this course," Yen Sid informed him. "There are simply strengths and weaknesses we must all observe in ourselves and take into account for our own betterment."

Kairi couldn't help but think that statement was somehow directed at her more than it was Roxas.

"Master Yen Sid," Riku broke in, "I'm sorry, but there's something that's just been…bothering me. Maybe you'll know the answer."

"What is on your mind, Riku?" Yen Sid asked.

"Why doesn't Roxas look like Sora?" Riku asked. "At first, I thought it was related to how Nobodies worked. Maybe Nobodies always looked a little different from their counterparts. But after some time, I realized that wasn't how it worked at all. Ienzo looks exactly like Zexion. Lea looks exactly like Axel. And I remembered hearing that Nobodies were what happened when a heart abandoned a body. That means a Nobody should be the exact body of their counterpart. I know Roxas is a special Nobody because of how he was created, and that he and Sora did have separate bodies without Sora having to stay a Heartless. The same goes for Naminé. But you called Roxas by a different name just now. Does that mean he looks like someone else?"

Yen Sid sighed. "In fact, it means he does," he stated. "However…that is a complicated matter."

"Isn't everything?" Lea asked with a playful shrug.

"Who do I look like?" Roxas asked with trepidation.

"A Keybearer who I knew long ago," Yen Sid explained. "I know not how he could have possibly come into contact with Sora to give you his form. Yet I do know you are the spitting image of him."

"You knew that guy too?" Lea cried.

"Wait, you KNEW?" Roxas asked Lea.

"Yeah," Lea replied, "but I thought it was some weird coincidence or somethin'! That was ten years ago! No way you'd be the same guy! They say everyone has a double somewhere, right?"

"Who was it?" Roxas asked.

"His name was Ventus," Lea answered, "though he told me to call him Ven. We met once, in Radiant Garden, when I was your age. We only hung out for a bit, had a little spar for fun, but I never forgot the guy. I always liked to think he was out there, thinking about me. Actually…Isa met him, too." He shrugged again. "I thought about it when you first turned up, but it's not like I was just gonna tell you that you looked like this other guy I made friends with once, y'know? You're you and he's him. Still, it made me wonder if I was just destined to make friends with blonds or somethin'."

"Ventus," Roxas repeated, looking back at Yen Sid. "That's the name you said."

"Indeed it was," Yen Sid stated.

"How'd you know him?" Lea asked.

"A good deal better than it seems you did, Lea," Yen Sid sighed, his tone already growing somber. "Yet our time together was all too brief."

"Something happened," Riku realized.

"Indeed," Yen Sid replied, "as tragedies are wont to do."

"What happened to him?" Roxas asked.

"It is a story I am not certain you wish to know," Yen Sid admitted.

"Why not?" Sora asked quizzically.

"If you have this knowledge, it may spur you to make reckless decisions," Yen Sid stated. "But more than that…I fear it may place a burden on you. I do not wish you to fear that what happened to Ventus – what happened to me – will happen to you. After all, the past is the past." He sighed. "It is a tale that you must know one day. But today is not that day. It is far too soon."

"Hey!" Sora argued. "It's never too soon! If something bad happened, then we gotta know! ESPECIALLY if it means there's something we could do about it!"

"I fail to see how you could at your current state," Yen Sid stated. "Mickey is the only one who had ever attempted such a feat, and even then, he was not able to assist. I trust him to handle the matter."

"And you don't trust US?" Sora argued.

"I do not wish to dull your optimism," Yen Sid replied. "You all have come so far in pursuit of a bright future. Yet the tales of those who wielded the Keyblade before you do not end so happily ever after. I would regret instilling such a fear in you."

"That's not fair!" Sora argued. "That should be our choice to make! Maybe we won't be afraid! And nothing could ever stop us, not as long as we have each other! If there's something important you know about the other Keybearers who came first, then I wanna know it, and I think we all wanna know it! I don't care if it's a sad story!"

"Me either," Riku stated. "I can handle a little Darkness, remember?"

"We have the right to know," Kairi insisted.

"This has somethin' to do with all that weird stuff that happened 'round the time Mickey had the star shard, right?" Goofy asked.

"Now we can finally know what was goin' on!" Donald agreed.

"Honesty is the best policy," Lea stated. "I learned that the hard way."

"Please, Master Yen Sid," Roxas urged. "If Ventus has anything to do with who I am…then I wanna know. No, I NEED to know who he was and what happened to him. He might be a part of me, and if he is, then I need to know about myself."

Yen Sid, observing the determination on the faces before him, knew he could no longer get away with keeping the tale a secret. In fact, it would be like lifting a weight from his shoulders, one that had lain across them for ten years.

Was it worth passing that same weight to them?

"Very well," he decided. "I shall tell you the tale."

It took him a long silence to muster up the courage to even start. "I suppose it begins in a kingdom long gone," he stated. "Scala ad Caelum: the nexus of all worlds, where Keyblade masters were trained."

"I've…never heard of that world," Sora admitted. "How come I've never heard of that world?"
"Because of its inglorious fall to ruin," Yen Sid explained. "That is a tale for another time, especially as it concerns details I myself cannot yet fully account for. But it was once a place for Keybearers to thrive and hold the balance between worlds, and it was where I studied the Keyblade's ways among my two closest companions of youth. Eventually, I would attain Mastery alongside them, but pass the title up, forgoing the Keyblade to focus on sorcery and its discipline. I have never regretted that decision. There are things I have learned over the course of my lifetime I would perhaps have missed had I remained a warrior rather than a sorcerer."

"You did figure out what those Shen Gong Wu did just by looking at them," Donald pointed out. "Not even I could do that!"

"Did Donald just admit there's something he couldn't do?" Riku asked in surprise.

"Hey!" Donald protested. "I'm a humble guy!"

"Right," Lea teased, "and I'm a Blizzaga specialist."

"However, some of my fondest memories come from those days in Scala ad Caelum," Yen Sid went on. "Alas, the friendships I made were not destined to last. One of my two companions bore a name you know quite well. I admit that once, I was close to Xehanort himself."

"XEHANORT?" the others cried in unison.

"But – " Sora sputtered. "You – Xehanort – how? Yen Sid – XEHANORT – how – wh – " A sigh. "I give up."

"I think I know," Roxas realized. "He wasn't always that way, was he? He used to be different. A better friend."

"I should like to think so," Yen Sid replied. He then heaved a somber sigh. "Unfortunately, I do not know exactly when he was approached by his future self with information of plans to be carried out in order to recreate the Keyblade War. It is quite possible that the Xehanort I believed I knew was deceiving me from the very start." He held back before he could end up blurting that his heart still ached from that betrayal, especially considering how far back it must have gone. "However, this tale does not concern Xehanort so much as it does our third companion: a young man named Eraqus."

"I think I heard ya say that name before!" Goofy realized. "Can't quite remember when, though, or who it was."

"Eraqus and I did not always see eye to eye," Yen Sid stated, giving the impression there was a little more to it than that. "In the end, it was better that the three of us operated out of separate facilities to mentor our pupils."

"What happened between you and Eraqus?" Riku asked. "It might be important to what you're telling us."

"Eraqus was well-intentioned," Yen Sid stated, "if a little extreme. He was protective of light and order, and he would have seen the worlds awash in their purity. I, however…harbored dark temptations. Temptations I could not bring to light in his presence. In the end, I resisted them, but at the time of our divergence, I felt a very real possibility I could have traded my devotion to keeping the balance in favor of walking in the company of someone steeped in the deepest Darkness. And of that, we shall speak no more. I can assure you it is not relevant."

Besides, if they knew he had once loved Maleficent and sought her heart, that would have derailed the conversation entirely.

"Though Eraqus and I were separated, we kept in touch regularly," Yen Sid stated. "Perhaps the first sign of trouble should have been when Xehanort no longer partook in our correspondence. Over time, Eraqus spoke of two pupils he was training. Terra was hard-headed and loyal, yet willing to see the good in anyone upon first meeting. Aqua was intelligent and orderly, taking every precaution to make sure the ones she loved came to no harm. After some time, it was revealed that Xehanort had a pupil of his own, and for reasons we did not understand at the time, he transferred this pupil to Eraqus' care. This was Ventus: a curious boy, eager to consume new experiences and form bonds outside of his home. As stated previously, Ventus looked exactly like Roxas does now.

"There are, to this day, choices Eraqus made that mystify me. One such choice was the decision to harbor Ventus at his school in the Land of Departure, keeping him from exploring the outside worlds until Eraqus deemed him ready. When first I met Ventus, it was clear he had defied Eraqus completely in order to travel the worlds for his own purposes. Then again, Eraqus was a worrisome sort in his youth. I would not have put it past him to see Ven confined to a controlled environment until he had obtained the Mark of Mastery in order to prevent him from coming to harm."

"I get that," Riku said, "but I also know how it feels to think you're trapped in a small world. I don't blame Ven for sneaking out."

"Nor do I, knowing what I know now," Yen Sid went on. "Terra, Aqua, and Ventus became nearly inseparable. I hoped that their relationship never became as distant as my own had become with Eraqus and Xehanort. Little did I know that all six of us were about to encounter a terrible trial that would rend us asunder.

"It began innocently enough: Eraqus put Terra and Aqua through the Mark of Mastery examination. This was approximately ten years prior to now. Eraqus chose not to test for Mastery until Keybearers had reached adulthood; Terra and Aqua were a few years older than Ventus. In fact, Ventus would have been your age, Roxas. Obviously, Sora, Riku, I chose to test you at a younger age due to desperate circumstances…and also because I knew by this time, you were both capable of handling the responsibilities that came with Mastery."

"Well, I was, anyway," Riku laughed.

"HEY!" Sora cried, though he was smiling as well, still just happy Riku had attained the title.

"I know not the specifics of why or how," Yen Sid went on, "but that day, only Aqua attained Mastery. Xehanort had chosen to sit in observation of that examination, with a disciple of his own at his side. Now knowing what I know, I cannot help but suspect Xehanort's attendance was part of his grander plan.

"At the same time, a plague of new creatures of Darkness was unleashed upon the worlds. Obviously, they were not Heartless, nor were they Nobodies, and we knew Nightmares could not take such a form outside the Realm of Sleep. You have by no doubt realized by now that creatures of Darkness take many other forms, such as Grimm, but still, none previously documented matched the description of these new terrors. We tentatively called them 'Unversed' – creatures not versed in emotion or sympathy. What a subversion that name would soon become…

"Mickey was spurred to take action, obtaining a star shard from my collection without my knowledge and attempting to use its power without fully understanding what stardust can accomplish. At the same time, the threat reached the Princesses of Heart. Eraqus deployed Terra to make up for his failure at Mastery by checking in on Cinderella, Snow White, and Aurora and protecting them from the looming Darkness. For reasons I do not completely know, Ventus and Aqua left the Land of Departure as well, though it is quite easy to guess – Ventus likely wanted to learn what lay beyond the borders of his home, and Aqua felt bound to not only protect the world order but her two wayward friends.

"In time, each approached me, and I learned of their journeys as best I could. Moreover, Mickey met each on his own travels, and reported even more to me. Terra had thought the culprit to be a masked boy, who I later learned to have been Xehanort's disciple: a pupil named Vanitas. Ven and Aqua were each attempting to help in their own way…but a rift separated them. A disagreement caused them to become at odds with each other, forcing their journeys to remain separate as they traveled through many worlds."

"That's terrible," Roxas said softly.

"I'd just feel horrible if I was fighting with Riku again," Sora brought up, "but that's the thing about best friends. They always make up in the end, right?"

"I am afraid this tale does not have such an optimistic bent," Yen Sid sighed. "Ventus was ordered to return home to the Land of Departure, but refused…and when he came before me, I saw a young man who had thought through his decisions and was following his heart. It may not have been what Eraqus desired, but I had faith in Ventus, and I encouraged him to pursue his instincts. The same occurred with Terra; he had deviated from his mission to meet up with the princesses due to the sudden appearance of Vanitas, and I suspected the timing was no coincidence. I pushed him to follow his own heart. However, Xehanort soon began to advise Terra himself, and I fear it was my faith in my old friend that prevented me from acting as productively as I should have. You see, I had never wanted to believe that Xehanort could act maliciously. Terra thought much the same.

"And yet, in time, it seemed Terra had brushed the Darkness more than once, becoming indirectly involved in catastrophes. I refused to jump to conclusions regarding him, though evidence was starting to stack against my old friend."

"If Master Xehanort was anything like his Heartless," Riku suggested, "it would've been pretty easy for him to talk someone into doing what he wanted. He could've figured out what Terra valued above all else and turned that against him."

"Which I fear is the weapon we must now fear most of all in the battle to come," Yen Sid stated.

"What happened next?" Kairi asked.

Another pause before Yen Sid continued: "I read the situation as best I could in the stars. This already precarious chain of events erupted into utter disaster when it became clear to me that my old friend Eraqus…had perished."

Gasps from the crowd.

"And what's more…" Yen Sid closed his eyes. "The parties identified as responsible were Xehanort…and Terra."

Sora gave a strangled, shocked "Ah - !".

Yen Sid's eyes slowly pried back open. "I could no longer deny that the man I thought had been a loyal friend to me had fallen far," he stated. "Terra, however…I did not want to believe it. I did not meet Aqua in person until after this event had taken place. It pained me to admit that my friend had orchestrated such a scheme…but that pain was half of the hurt Aqua and I both experienced when I had to inform her of her friend's involvement. She refused to believe Terra could have dealt a killing blow, and I was inclined to believe there was more to the story than the stars could say. To this day, I still do not know exactly what went about in the Land of Departure on that fateful hour.

"Soon after, however, the stars brought news of a much greater catastrophe, and Mickey returned within a matter of time to confirm it. Xehanort had tricked Terra, Aqua, and Ventus into meeting him at the fated place: the Keyblade Graveyard, where the Keyblade War had felled so many. Mickey arrived in time to assist them. Terra turned on Xehanort himself; the outcome of their battle is yet uncertain, though we may hazard a guess as to what happened."

"It's got something to do with Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, doesn't it?" Riku realized.

"Yeah!" Donald chimed in. "That whole thing doesn't make sense! How could there be a younger Xehanort if you were friends with that old guy?"

"And how does all that turn into a Xemnas?" Lea asked.

"There is yet no proof," Yen Sid stated, "but I do wonder…a talent possessed by Keyblade masters of old, such as Xehanort, was the ability to extract one's own heart and displace it. In fact, Sora, you committed such an act yourself once, in Maleficent's domain, albeit with the help of a specialized Keyblade."

"And that's how we got Roxas!" Sora said proudly.

"Xehanort and Terra disappeared simultaneously," Yen Sid concluded, "but a much younger man calling himself 'Xehanort,' who we now know to be related, appeared soon after this ordeal had ceased. There are a few rather obvious theories as to what happened."

"You don't think - !" Sora gasped.

"Xehanort's heart," Roxas reiterated, "in Terra's body."

"Talk about a tough break," Lea sighed.

"Indeed," Yen Sid confirmed. "There is still more, however. Mickey reported that Ventus engaged in battle with Vanitas at the Graveyard, and what's more, their union was predestined by Xehanort. As it turned out, Ventus bore a heart of pure Light, much like Kairi's. Vanitas, on the other hand, contained pure Darkness. This is because they were halves of a whole: ripped asunder to create such anomalies."

"You're sayin' Ventus an' Vanitas were the same person?" Goofy asked.

"The very same," Yen Sid confirmed. "Their clash was to bring about the forging of the x-blade: the ancient weapon from which your Keyblades are derived. It has been a long-established principle that uniting bearers of Light and Darkness can have catastrophic results, and catastrophe was exactly what Xehanort wished."

"But why?" Sora asked. "Why did he want to mess things up?"

"Because he was curious," Yen Sid answered.

"He was CURIOUS?" Donald said in disbelief.

"Xehanort was a man of great intellect," Yen Sid explained, "who valued knowledge above most everything else. It was both his greatest strength and his greatest undoing. For he was fascinated by the legends of the past: the Keyblade War, the old masters, the conflict between Light and Darkness and how it originated in the stars. What became an innocent passion for study turned into an obsession. No book could ever truly give him the answers he sought as to what lay beyond the Door to Darkness or what would happen if Kingdom Hearts were summoned. No storyteller could recount how the single World had split into infinite, or how those territories could ever be reunited, if at all. The only way he could learn was to recreate the cataclysm himself. And to that end, he sought the x-blade. To that end, he is still assembling his Thirteen Darknesses, expecting us to return our Seven Lights for the clash."

"And still no ETA on when the rest of those Darknesses are gonna show up," Lea sighed.

"We must be ready at a moment's notice," Yen Sid stated. "The stars have brought me no news on that matter."

"So what happened to Ventus?" Roxas asked.

"He and Vanitas clashed," Yen Sid explained. "They fought for dominance within Ventus' own heart. And by the time Mickey and Aqua had arrived…Vanitas had won."

Everyone else gasped. "NO!" Kairi cried.

"Mickey, Aqua, and Vanitas dueled," Yen Sid went on, "and in the end, Vanitas, who had inhabited Ventus' body, was vanquished. It is unclear what, exactly, became of him. With any luck, we are never to see him again. For as it turned out, he was the source of every Unversed. The creatures were born of his fledgling emotions. And being that his heart harbored only Darkness, the Unversed were spawned with an instinct to destroy and spread sadness. When Vanitas fell, so did the Unversed threat. Unfortunately, so did Ventus."

"So he's…" Sora couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

"He is not dead," Yen Sid stated. "Aqua returned his body to me. His heart had become separated from it in the chaos, floating in between Light and Dark. She and I discussed the matter of what steps to take. Ventus needed to be hidden away: protected from outside harm so long as he still slept. Aqua already had a good idea of where he would be safe…and then, to ensure it, she divulged the secret to no one, not even me or Mickey. She also believed that her heart would lead her to the lost Terra. Her plan was to secure Ventus' safety, then pursue Terra. She was confident that she would return with both of her friends shortly." A long pause. "That was the last I ever saw of any of the three."

"So Ven's still locked up somewhere, unable to wake up?" Sora said in a panic. "And we don't even KNOW where Aqua is?"

"Now, that is not true, that we know nothing of Aqua's fate," Yen Sid clarified. "For there is one more chapter to this tale…a fragmentary passage, if you will. Ten years passed, and to my growing dread, Keyblades seemed to have been exterminated from existence completely, save for Mickey's and for Xehanort's own, which lay dormant. Then, all of a sudden, two events happened simultaneously. First, the Heartless threat mounted to greater than ever before, with worlds collapsing into utter Darkness. Second, the stars foretold that a new Keybearer was soon to awaken."

"Sora, right?" Lea asked.

"No," Sora corrected. "It was Riku. He was always meant to be the first Keybearer. I just ended up with it by accident when the Door to Darkness was opened."

"You say that like I'm not the one who opened it," Riku commented.

"An error long forgiven," Yen Sid reminded him. "And yes, you were the Keybearer told of in the stars' design. I do not as of yet know how it arrived in your hands, and can only assume it was passed to you at a young age, where it lay dormant until the time came to awaken it."

"I don't even have a clue myself," Riku admitted.

"Mickey formulated a plan," Yen Sid stated. "He meant to seek a Keyblade that was hidden in the Realm of Darkness: one that would be required to seal the door again. In the meantime, he dispatched Donald and Goofy to find you, Riku, expecting you to have the key that matched his own. As ever, though, the stars could not account for everything. No one foresaw that Sora would be the first to manifest the blade due to his encounter with Riku, nor did anyone expect that the party to take the greatest interest in Riku would be Maleficent.

"You know that half of the story quite well. What you do not know is of Mickey's mission during that time. The only entry he could find to the Realm of Darkness was to predict when a world was on the verge of collapse, then ride its destruction through the door. The world he chose was nearly poetic. Donald and Goofy, you will remember, of course, the years you spent in the royal Musketeers in Paris."

"Sure do!" Goofy cried. "Best days of our lives!"

"That's not how I remember them," Donald grumbled.

"I was there too, y'know," Sora brought up.

"Only in dream," Yen Sid reminded him.

"Oh." Sora deflated slightly, arms hanging loose as he slouched. "Right. It wasn't real."

Goofy approached to set a hand on his shoulder. "Now, Donald an' I might not've met you in our version," he stated confidently, "but that sure don't mean it wasn't real."

"You of all people should know that," Donald reminded him. "You're the one always goin' on about how hearts are connected and all that mushy gushy stuff!"

"Yeah," Sora realized, perking up a bit. "It was real! All for one – "

"And one for all!" Donald and Goofy chorused without even thinking.

"The world Mickey chose to use as his gateway to the Darkness had a Paris of its own," Yen Sid stated, "one where a riot had recently come to pass. It was a world I chose for you to visit in the Realm of Sleep during your Mark of Mastery examination for this very reason. I had hoped that your actions would be able to make up for the way we indirectly sacrificed – "

"La Cité des Cloches!" Sora realized.

"And it has been properly returned," Yen Sid stated, "thanks to your actions."

"They won't even remember us," Riku said wistfully. "Even after I figured things out there that meant a lot to me."

"But Aqua?" Kairi asked to put the story back on track.

"Mickey found more than he was looking for in the Realm of Darkness," Yen Sid explained. "He found the Keyblade he sought…and Aqua as well."

Gasps all around.

"Though ten years had passed, Mickey reported to me that she had not seemed to age a day," Yen Sid went on. "She had traversed many of the worlds that had been swallowed in the cataclysms…Cinderella's, Snow White's, Aurora's. She had even come into contact with Ventus and Terra's hearts, though in no lasting way. She helped guide Mickey as far as the door…at the time that you had become sealed within, Riku."

Riku gasped. "Then she – !"

"Became separated from Mickey in the chaos that occurred before you and Sora closed the door," Yen Sid went on. "Mickey searched for her in vain, but she had been lost yet again. Furthermore, he was provided with his only gateway to escape, and he was confident that Aqua could fend for herself. You, however…you were still healing from your brush with the Darkness. Mickey knew that at that moment, the moment of decision, you needed him far more than Aqua did. And so he chose."

"I'm the reason Aqua's still lost," Riku said in awe and dismay. "If I'd slowed down…if I hadn't sealed the door from the inside…"

"If I hadn't sealed it from the outside," Sora contributed. "The two of us could've saved her."

"And left the Door to Darkness open?" Lea cried. "Are you kidding me? All the rest of the worlds could've gotten swallowed up! Yeah, it's sad you had to leave her behind, but think about the rest of us for a minute, will ya?"

"I think Lea's right," Goofy stated. "We had to make a decision…"

"And we picked what was best for all the worlds," Donald concluded.

"You're right," Riku realized. "It was the only way."

"But maybe not for long," Sora muttered.

"That is the end of it," Yen Sid stated. "To this day, Aqua remains lost in the Realm of Darkness; Ventus, both heart and body, is hidden somewhere only she knows the location of; and Terra may or may not be Xehanort's vessel, but whatever the case, he, too, is lost. I had hoped that you would be spared the fear that this would happen to you. After all, the ailments that affected them were brought about by the wielding of the Keyblade. And even if you gave up your training this very day, the Keyblade would remain with you, drawing you toward great Light and great Darkness."

"And you, too," Sora realized. "At least Terra, Ventus, and Aqua are still out there somewhere. But Xehanort's too far gone to come back, and Eraqus is dead. You didn't want us to be afraid of what happened to you and your friends, either, did you?"

"Indeed not," Yen Sid said softly.

"Well, it won't," Sora insisted. "I won't let it. I traveled across all the worlds to find Kairi, and then I traveled even further and sacrificed even more to find Riku. I lost all of my memories to try and give Naminé a chance. I'd do it for Donald. I'd do it for Goofy. I'd do it for Roxas and Lea. I'd do it for Ruby, for Stork, for Papyrus, for Jasmine, for Kazuichi, for Katara, for Rapunzel…no matter what tears us apart, I'm gonna keep us together. I'm sorry I can't do anything to bring Eraqus back or turn Xehanort into who he used to be…but you're my friend, too, Master Yen Sid, even if you are my teacher. And I'm not gonna fall to Darkness. I'm not gonna die, either."

"You can't really control that one," Lea told him.

"Yeah?" Sora challenged. "Watch me! Nothing's killed me yet! I've walked through the Underworld and come out okay! I had my heart ripped OUT! I'm gonna live forever!"

"If anyone could, it's you," Riku laughed. "But Master Yen Sid, he has a point. You're my friend, too."

"I think it's safe to say everyone in this room is your friend," Kairi agreed with a grin.

Lea, Roxas, Donald, and Goofy made nods, smiles, and grunts of approval. Yen Sid, despite himself, felt his heart swell.

"And you know something else?" Sora went on. "I'm gonna find Ventus, Terra, and Aqua and bring 'em home!"

That put somewhat of a damper on Yen Sid's mood. He shook his head; "That is the other fear I had. Only Riku has attained Mastery and the Power of Waking. I fear sending you into the Realm of Darkness would prove far too dangerous…and that is to find the only person whose location at which we can even guess."

"Didn't you hear what I said?" Sora sighed. "I'm not scared! There's nothing down there that can beat me!"

"Yeah, got it memorized?" Lea emphasized.

"Even if you were able to make it through the Realm of Darkness," Yen Sid went on, "there is the question of how to enter it. Mickey's Keyblade could create a passage, but that is not for certain."

"And he's gone right now," Goofy reiterated, "so we couldn't ask him how it works."

"We're NOT riding in on another fallen world," Donald grumbled.

"Ansem hasn't even been doing that in a while," Roxas pointed out. "At least, as far as I know. There aren't even any worlds falling."

It didn't need to be said that causing an apocalypse to reach Aqua was out of the question on all fronts.

"Well…I'll think of something," Sora vowed.

Lea rolled his eyes. "Yeah, THERE'S a promise I trust."

"You never think about anything!" Donald accused. "You just rush in!"

"Yeah, well…!" Sora wasn't sure how to argue the point, feeling somewhat of a déjà vu from his conflict with Stork regarding the matter.

"Sora figures out answers when it matters," Riku stepped in, "and his heart doesn't steer him wrong when he follows it."

"I think he'll figure it out," Kairi contributed.

"Then I shall trust you," Yen Sid stated. "I did hope to have rescued those we could before Xehanort had assembled his thirteen."

"And we will!" Sora insisted. "I promise! I'm gonna make sure everything turns out okay! I'm actually glad you told us your sad story, because now, we can all work together to try and give it a better ending!"

Yen Sid smiled. "I wonder now why I doubted all of you. I will consider allowing you to undertake the quest…though if you are to traverse the Realm of Darkness, you will need more suitable clothing that can repel its influence. Too much time spent there can weaken the heart. What we can protect with magic, we will. To that end – "

He was cut off when the green double doors to his left crashed open, three forms spilling out onto the ground.

The one on top of the pile, a short, plump, gray-haired faery dressed in a modest red gown and a pointed hat of the same shade, immediately righted herself. "I told you not to listen in!" she scolded.

She was scowled at by her even more short and plump companion, a raven-haired faery whose clothing was identical to the first's but for being blue rather than red. "Ooooh, you were doing the same thing! That's why the door popped open!"

The third, a more slender faery who appeared slightly more elderly than the other two and was clothed in green to offset her gray hair, said contentedly, "He finally agreed to it, after all this time!"

They needed no introduction to the group. Flora (the one in red), Fauna (the one in green), and Merryweather (the one in blue) were Yen Sid's co-teachers, instructing the class in minor magical spells and overseeing training on the field outside.

"And what is this matter to which you were waiting for me to agree?" Yen Sid asked, his mouth twitching into a coy smile.

"Nothing, Yen Sid!" Flora insisted. "We weren't waiting for anything in particular!"

"That's a bald-faced lie, and you know it!" Merryweather harrumphed. "We've been waiting for you to give these kids the go-ahead to enter the Realm of Darkness and look for Aqua for ages!"

"We loved Aqua," Fauna said wistfully. "She was so brave!"

"You knew her, too?" Kairi asked.

"Well, not for very long," Fauna admitted, "but she helped Prince Phillip battle his way through Maleficent's thorns to wake Aurora. We knew she couldn't have been bad."

"More to the point, we had heard Yen Sid confide in us what happened on King Mickey's mission to the Realm of Darkness," Flora continued. "We may have speculated from time to time how we could help in a second endeavor – "

"We wanna make your clothes!" Merryweather said outright. "We've been practicing anti-Darkness enchantments for a year for this!"

"Very well," Yen Sid said, and for a moment, everyone else present could almost swear he'd even slightly laughed. "It seems your hearts are set. There can be no harm in at least designing new garments, whether or not they are used."

"Oh, wonderful!" Flora cried. "We can get to work immediately!"

"Who wants new clothes?" Fauna asked.

"I DO!" Sora cried out, waving his hand frantically in the air. "I want something new! Something that'll protect me from the Darkness!"

"I should probably have the same," Riku admitted. "I'm currently the only Master. I think that means I should be the one to go to the Realm of Darkness if it happens."

"Anyone else?" Merryweather asked.

"Not me," Donald insisted. "These are official clothes from King Mickey's court!"

"And I ain't givin' up my clothes, either!" Goofy added.

"I think I'm good," Roxas stated. "I'm not dying to get into the Realm of Darkness anytime soon." He then playfully nudged Lea with his elbow. "So. You wanna take a shot at ACTUALLY standing out?"

"Eh, what the hell?" Lea shrugged.

All three faeries gasped. "LANGUAGE," Flora practically growled.

"What?" Lea asked with a dramatic shrug. "Aren't we grown-ups? It's not like anyone else swears around here! Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person in the Keyblade club who ever did!"

"It's still not nice to use such rude words!" Fauna insisted.

"Well, I don't mind," Merryweather argued. "After all, there are a few words I'd like to use to describe that nasty old Maleficent – "

"Which we WON'T," Flora interjected, and somehow, everyone else got the impression that they'd had this argument before. "We will be taking the higher road."

Eager to change the subject, Fauna looked to Kairi. "Would you like some new clothes too, dear?"

"You know what?" Kairi beamed. "Why not? If it's not any trouble."

"Then step inside," Flora bade them all.

While Yen Sid awaited in the study, having retrieved a book to pore over, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Lea, Roxas, Donald, and Goofy all filed into the faeries' studio, the former four taking the front and center since they were up for new clothing. The green doors shut behind them.

"We'll start with Riku," Fauna stated. "After all, he is the first of you to make Mastery."

"I'm sure the rest of you will all catch up soon," Fauna said encouragingly.

"I can't wait!" Goofy cried.

"Augh…" Donald rolled his eyes. "You can't be a Master, ya big palooka! We don't have Keyblades! Besides, you're ALREADY Captain of the Guard!"

"Oh yeah!" Goofy realized. "Plumb forgot about that!"

"Step forward, dear," Fauna encouraged, and Riku took two steps out to the front of the group.

"What would you like it to look like?" Merryweather asked.

"Well, apparently Sora has a problem with my yellow vests," Riku chuckled.

"YOU'RE the one with a problem with yellow vests," Sora teased.

"Maybe something more…cool," Riku suggested. "It's supposed to ward off Darkness, so maybe something dark. I just want to try something new."

"Cool," Flora repeated. "What do people his age consider 'cool'?"

"I think I know!" Fauna chirped.

The trio took to whispering, and when they broke their conference, they had made a decision.

"On three," Flora commanded. "One…two…"

Three wands flicked, and Riku's clothing was completely transformed. He now wore a soft off-white tank top beneath a black leather vest, with dark blue capri-length pants beneath. Embellishments here and there complicated the ensemble just enough; most striking were the plaid panels on the edges of the vest and pant.

"Niiiiice!" Lea complimented. "You sure do look bada – "

A threatening glare from Flora cut him off.

" – bad as all get-out," Lea finished meekly.

"Riku!" Sora gasped. "You look – you're so – okay, I'm just gonna say it: you look hot."

"So like I usually do, then," Riku laughed.

"Why don't we have Sora go next?" Merryweather suggested.

"Okay!" Sora chirped as he and Riku swapped places. "I think…something like what I'm wearing now is good, but more…stylish."

"First 'cool' and now 'stylish'?" Merryweather replied. "Those aren't specifics!"

"But I think I have an idea of what to do," Flora broke in. "Now, listen…"

Another whispered conference was had. Sora could barely make out the phrases "But what if we lined it with buttons…" and "Let's make the pants LESS busy this time…"

They reached an agreement, then parted. "On three," Flora declared. "One…two…"

The wands flicked.

Sora's clothing was transformed. The changes were minor compared to Riku's; one would think, at first, that he hadn't actually altered it at all. Closer examination revealed that most of the yellow accents were gone from his clothing, save for his shoes. His pants were given a more streamlined design, with fewer panels of color, and his symmetrical hooded shirt was divided down the middle with a row of brass buttons to either side.

"This looks GREAT!" Sora cried.

"Not as hot as me," Riku teased, "but pretty hot."

"All right." Lea strode forward. "I'm ready. Hit me with your best shot."

"What would you like?" Fauna asked.

"I dunno," Lea sighed. "Awesome?"

"That's even less to go on than 'cool'!" Merryweather huffed.

"What do you want from me?" Lea asked. "I haven't worn anything but this stupid coat in years! I want my own identity, all right, but I'm not even sure what that looks like! I dunno, I liked Riku's. Maybe something like that? But not EXACTLY that. Am I making sense?"

"I may have an idea," Flora suggested. "Listen, now…"

Once more, the three went into a conference. After much whispering, they turned back to him, and Flora once again counted down.

The result was an outfit that hugged Lea's slender body, with black pants that showed off the shape of his legs before plunging into tall black boots with a slight heel. A long black plaid shirt flowed from his torso over his waist, and it was capped off with a black hooded vest.

"Whoa!" Lea turned this way and that, admiring himself. "Hot d – og. Hot dog. That's what I meant to say. Now this is what I call awesome. You're really leaning into the plaid, though."

"Do you not like the plaid?" Fauna asked worriedly. "We could change it – "

"No, no!" Lea said hurriedly. "It's cool! I like it."

"I'm okay with my plaid," Riku stated.

"I wouldn't mind a little plaid in mine, if you wanted," Kairi stated.

"You're the last one up, dear!" Fauna reminded her.

Lea and Kairi changed places. "Any requests?" Merryweather asked.

"Yeah!" Kairi said with a smile. "Just something cute. Oh, and I know you'll want specifics, so…something like what I'm wearing now, but a little more complicated. I wanna match the others. Sora and Riku's outfits have so much detail, and I want a little more, so I can stand out. I'd also like some better shoes. Sneakers wear out too easily. I could also use deeper pockets. And could I please have a hood, too?"

"I think we can manage that!" Flora stated.

They conferenced. They counted down. Then Kairi was clad in a pink sleeveless minidress with plaid panels sewn into the skirt, buttons and pockets embellishing the ensemble. A definite hood graced the back of the bodice, its edges puffing up beneath her short hair, and her feet were kept protected by heavy black boots.

"I love it!" Kairi cried.

After a horrified gasp, Merryweather decided, "Well, I don't! You didn't tell me you were going to make it PINK!"

"I didn't think I needed to," Flora said, matter-of-fact. "Pink is the best color, especially for a princess."

"She has red hair!" Merryweather argued. "She doesn't need any more pink! It SHOULD be a complimentary color!" Her wand flicked. "Make it blue."

Kairi flinched as the magic struck her, turning her outfit a brilliant sapphire color where it had previously been blush-pink.

"BLUE!" Flora gasped. "Now, that looks simply awful!"

"It's not awful," Kairi interjected. "It's just – "

"Make it pink," Flora said with a wave of her wand.

Kairi's clothing was returned to pink. "As it should be," Flora said smugly.

"Why youuuuuu…" Merryweather growled. "Make it blue."

"Make it pink," Flora countered.

"Um…" Kairi watched as her new clothing changed colors over and over again.

"She PREFERS pink," Flora insisted upon reinstating that color. "Don't you, dear?"

"Well, I do like pink a lot," Kairi said.

Merryweather gasped. "You're siding with HER?"

"No!" Kairi put up her hands defensively. "I didn't mean to say her color was better! I mean, I do have a 'blue buddies' club going with some friends - "

"You see?" Merryweather boasted. "She prefers BLUE."

This, with a shot that dyed Kairi's clothing that color.

"I didn't mean to say I preferred blue either!" Kairi protested in a panic. "They're both good!"

"Oh, brother," Sora sighed. "This could go on all day."

"What if we made it green?" Fauna suggested meekly.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT," Flora and Merryweather barked, for once in agreement.

"I got it!" Goofy stepped forward, pulling a coin from his pocket. "I'll just use this here coin to decide! I'll flip for it!"

"Who even uses coins anymore?" Sora whispered to Riku.

"Here goes!" Goofy flicked the coin into the air. As it fell, however, he attempted to catch it but fumbled it; it dropped to the floor.

"Leave it there!" Merryweather insisted. She and Flora rushed to inspect it. "It's heads!" Merryweather declared.

"Meaning it's pink," Flora stated.

"No, I called heads for blue!" Merryweather argued. "I'm sure I did!"

"I distinctly remember calling it for pink," Flora huffed.

"She did!" Roxas intervened. "I remember it. She definitely said heads was for pink."

"Actually," Sora tried to break in, "I don't think anyone actually called – "

Roxas fired Sora an angry glare. Sora then realized that Roxas knew no one had called heads.

"Flora did call it!" Sora burst out. "It was pink!"

Flora gave her wand a final flick, and Kairi's ensemble was settled on pink permanently. "Doesn't that look much better than that ghastly shade of blue?" she asked.

"It looks great!" Kairi replied, careful not to bring blue into it. "How about we get out there and start training now that we've all got our new clothes?"

"Race you!" Sora cried before bolting; Riku had been ready for exactly this, and he took off at the same time. The others scrambled to catch up to get down the stairs and to the course downstairs.

Kairi mouthed a "Thank you" at Roxas before the two of them left the room; he simply nodded in return.

"The next one has to be blue," Merryweather argued once all had left, "and I'm not letting either of you forget it!"

...

The bar was empty. That was good. Just because Roman felt happier playing off others didn't mean he didn't value his alone time, especially in circumstances like this.

He fiddled with the jukebox, finding a somber song by a usually-upbeat pop band. That was suitable. With the mood music now blaring throughout the chamber of revelry, Roman moved to the bar itself next, running his finger over each bottle of pilfered Asgardian alcohol that was situated in the back.

"This looks good as any," he decided with his index finger resting on a lager.

Within a few minutes, he had a pint glass filled, sitting before him on the bar. Before diving in, he took a moment to reflect on exactly it was he wanted to forget.

He didn't like to think he was easily insulted, or even bitter. And he'd taken this sort of insult from Hans and Demyx in the past. Still, he just wasn't pleased any one bit to have Mozenrath accusing him of incompetence when he knew Mozenrath would hardly have fared better in the same situation.

Would he have…?

Not worth thinking about.

Did it even matter that Roman was a "Muggle" among sorcerers anyway? Many were, here. Snipe and Ravess, Yzma, the Huntsman. They were just as good. He was just as good. He didn't have any delusions. It wasn't like he was insecure –

"Shit," he muttered. "When did I end up absorbing Archie's self-denial? Is this what I get for giving him my self-assurance?"

So it did hurt. It was reiteration of something he'd suspected on a subconscious level. But Mozenrath really hadn't had to go there. And he definitely hadn't had to say it the way he'd said it. Did he have any idea what those words had meant? No. Of course not. And Roman certainly wasn't about to tell him about the host of memories he'd conjured, of losses endured and trials by fire won with sheer willpower spread like concrete over a foundation of luck.

Things he still hadn't even told Snatcher about. Things he didn't want to. Hypocritical as it made him. You'd think if there was one person who would understand…and despite that, Roman couldn't bring himself to say any more than he already had. Everyone was just better off if they didn't talk about it.

"Everyone's gonna be better off if we don't talk about it," Roman concluded, looking into the glass of amber liquid topped with fluffy foam. "But now's not the time to harp on depressing shit like that! NOW is the time to get so smashed, I don't remember why I was mad in the first place!"

The first swallow tasted incredibly good.

The creak of the door; the sound of solid shoes on the wooden floor. "Before you get too deep into that glass," Gothel stated, "I have something to say that you'll want to be sober enough to understand."

"Oh, hey, Mom of the Year!" Roman turned to greet her with a smile that was wider than matched his own emotional state. And they said he wasn't a good actor. "What is this wonderful news?"

"It had just occurred to me that there's some bad blood on the table we need to clean up," she stated, taking a seat at the bar next to Roman. "Perhaps you haven't heard, but I haven't been the biggest fan of your relationship with Mr. Snatcher."

"Yeah, I picked up on that," Roman replied. "Look, I'm no snitch. Running around Mistral's underground teaches you when to keep your mouth shut. But if this whole immortality obsession is gonna get in our way, I'm gonna be forced to say something. I'm Righty's pal, y'know."

"Are you?" Gothel asked. "He seems less than thrilled with you at the moment."

"It's complicated," Roman said gruffly. "Is there a point to this, or did you just come here to remind me of everything that's gone wrong since I showed up in the WHAM ARMY?"

"I just feel like I owe you…" Gothel gave a drawn-out sigh. She said the words "an APOLOGY" as though she were describing a dead animal she'd found on her doorstep. "If I'm being perfectly honest, after our last little…incident, there was even a part of me that resented you for having Snatcher in your pocket. After all, if you weren't telling him what to do, I would've gotten my way."

"He's his own person," Roman said without pause. "I helped him get on his feet through some tough shit. That's it. I don't tell him what to do."

"Right, and that occurred to me, too," Gothel replied. "That's when I realized some reparations were in order. I'll be frank: I still don't like you."

"Join the club that apparently exists now."

"Well, I don't want to stay in that club," Gothel stated. "You and I have to work together and get along, like it or not. So I thought we could do what the Corona mission was originally SUPPOSED to be for: work together for a common goal until we FINALLY get along."

Roman thought it over. "Okay," he relented. "I'll bite." If he could make one person less disgusted with him, he'd take the small victory. "You have something in mind, or…?"

"Actually, it's a bit of a perfect crime," Gothel said with a smirk.

"That's a big promise," Roman replied. "Think you can deliver?"

"Of course," Gothel told him. "I wouldn't have said anything if I weren't sure. Listen: many, many, MANY centuries ago, Corona was the battleground between an evil sorcerer named Zhan Tiri and a hero named Demanitus. Demanitus secured his victory because of a device he forged out of science and magic and hid away. This device has the power to control the very weather of the world."

"And you know this how?" Roman asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That flower kept me alive for a long time," Gothel replied flatly. "I know history that most people think is only a legend of the past."

"Fair."

"Corona is strategically set up to defend against most threats," Gothel went on. "But not arctic conditions. If we were to induce a blizzard over the island, I can guarantee you that within hours, it would be completely evacuated. Meaning vacant homes, vacant shops, a vacant castle. And how many of those people do you think will be able to carry their entire life's worth of prized possessions with them?"

Roman's eyes widened. "An entire kingdom wasted, and all their loot just lying around for us to pick up?"

"Bingo."

"And how are WE gonna carry – "

Gothel held out a small bag cinched with a thin rope. "Recognize this?"

"Is that Mimsy's purse? No, hers wasn't red…"

"I talked her into making me a match," Gothel stated. "It's easier than you'd think. I just traded her some ideas for an 'ultimate death course' she's trying to get built under Mozenrath's nose. In the end, when they say you can't take it with you, that only applies to the common people."

"Well, shit," Roman said in awe. "I'm in, sister. When do we leave?"

"Whenever you're ready."

Roman shot a longing look at the array of spirits. "Eh…it's not like anyone's gonna be able to drain all of it in a single day," he decided. "We're outta here."

He left the pint glass to froth unaccompanied as the sad song finally faded out.

...

Across a plain of pure white snow beneath a starkly-contrasting black sky from which more snow softly drifted without sight of a cloud, there walked a man, far more than mortal. The Snow Prince, mentor to the first Mystic Rangers, had skin of blue and armor of a slightly darker shade, icicles spiking out from his head as hair to frame his large, almost insectoid sapphire eyes.

The sound of a second pair of feet approaching made the Snow Prince turn on his heel. Not many could enter his domain without his permission. His first thought was of one particular comrade who he had allowed eternal passage, and his instinct was right: the Sentinel Knight, clad in golden armor from head to toe, was barreling across the frigid plain.

Though the Knight's face was shielded by his helmet, the Snow Prince could see that his friend was in a state of utter panic, hurtling frenetically toward him.

Before the Snow Prince could utter a single word, the Sentinel Knight practically collided with him, furtively pressing an item to the Prince's chest. "Take it!" the Knight demanded, his booming voice colored with anxiety. "Hide it somewhere it can never be found!"

"My friend?" the Snow Prince replied, taking the item without even knowing what it was. "What has happened – "

"GO NOW!" the Knight urged, and the Prince knew whatever was coming, he needed to be absent before it arrived.

The Prince paused only a moment, to look at what his hands actually clutched. He gasped upon recognition of the golden crown studded with five jewels: black, yellow, blue, red, and pink. The Corona Aurora. If this was what the Knight would have him protect, then the threat must be –

Fully realizing the urgency of the situation, the Prince vanished, a bright white sigil of circles and triangles interlocked marking his disappearance from his home dimension. He prayed the Knight would escape as well.

The Knight knew he could not afford to. If the Prince were to have any chance of getting the Corona Aurora to safety, he had to buy time. That meant stalling his pursuers where he could keep an eye on them, not leaving them to guess where he might have fled and happening upon the Prince's path by accident.

When Flurious arrived, gripping Thunder Edge tightly in hand and leading Moltor, Benglo, Mig, and Kamdor behind him, the Sentinel Knight faced them down directly, bracing himself for a fight. He was frightened indeed, but none would know that from looking at him.

The quintet of villains advanced slowly and deliberately once they realized their target had stopped running. "So you have decided to surrender," Flurious said smugly. "A wise choice. You know you are no match."

"I refuse to surrender!" the Knight barked. "I have simply realized that I will not win by running. I can only defeat you by fighting! Come try to take the Corona Aurora from me by force! You will not be able to!"

"Is that a challenge?" Flurious practically chuckled. "Allow us to prove you wrong."

"Can we tear him apart now?" Benglo asked eagerly.

"I am looking forward to spilling his blood!" Mig cried.

"I just want that nuisance out of the way!" Moltor grunted.

"He's the last thing standing between me and the Corona Aurora!" Kamdor agreed.

"You mean US and the Corona Aurora?" Mig asked smugly, more to tease Kamdor for his selfishness than to actually correct him.

"It isn't ours anyway!" Moltor growled. "We have to turn it in to that stupid Archmage!"

"Enough arguing!" Benglo whined. "Let's just end him already!"

"The people have spoken," Flurious proclaimed. "It's a fight you want? It should be an entertaining thirty seconds."

In an instant, the Sentinel Knight was pummeled from all sides. Benglo and Mig assaulted him from opposite directions, hammering at his armor's plating. Moltor's fire burned into his back, melting his armor down to a metal paste that seared him beneath. Kamdor leapt high into the air and crossed his blades, summoning a rush of electrical magic that surged beneath the Sentinel Knight and blew him clean off the ground. As he landed, the others rushed in to each take a hit, and though the Knight held out as best he could, he only had two hands and two feet. Far too soon, he was overwhelmed.

At the end of it, he lay on his back in the snow, facing directly up into the cold darkness of the sky. He was unable to move a muscle whatsoever, attempting in vain. He was broken and torn beyond repair, his armor shredded to shrapnel.

"Leave him," Flurious commanded, and Benglo, Mig, Moltor, and Kamdor all stepped back, grumbling to themselves about how they had wanted to do him in.

Flurious stood over the Sentinel Knight, looking down upon his ravaged form. "They have done a thorough job of breaking you," he stated. "But that is not enough, is it? You could only be killed by the sword Excelsior. Anything less would leave you in a state from which you could recover. Oh, wait…what is this?" He pretended to only notice Thunder Edge for the first time. "It seems to be the blade of a god. Infinitely more powerful than Excelsior could ever be. One blow and you will be finished. Have you anything to say before I end your suffering? Make it good."

The Sentinel Knight knew, as impossible as such a thing would have seemed, that he had been bested. "As long as there are still warriors with noble hearts," he coughed, "the virtues I have stood for will never die. Evil will never win!"

"Ah, yes, virtues," Flurious taunted. "Let us see how well those virtues shield you from my sword."

As Thunder Edge came down upon the Sentinel Knight's midsection, splitting him neatly in half, the last thing he felt was the jolt of electricity imbued in its blade coursing through his flesh.

Then, once he had been riven in two, both halves of his body shattered into millions of tiny fragments of light, dispersing throughout the atmosphere and rejoining the cosmos.

"WE DID IT!" Kamdor cried jubilantly. "THE SENTINEL KNIGHT IS DEAD! NOW ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS TAKE – " It then dawned upon him what was missing. "WHERE IS THE CORONA AURORA?"

"Don't tell me that idiot never had it!" Mig groaned.

"Flurious!" Benglo spat. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I should've known my idiot brother wouldn't have been able to lead us to the right person!" Moltor growled. "I should be the one leading the pack!"

"Patience…" Flurious cautioned, holding Thunder Edge's hilt at his waist. "After all, things are not always what they seem. Where are we right now?"

"You don't even KNOW?" Moltor cried. "You ARE an idiot!"

"I know exactly where we are," Flurious said calmly. "I want to hear one of you say it."

"We're in the domain of the Snow Prince!" Benglo contributed.

"The Snow Prince, you say?" Flurious repeated. "Is that the same thing as the domain of the Sentinel Knight?"

"No," Mig replied, "but you said the connection made sense because the two of them were friends!"

"THE SNOW PRINCE!" Kamdor roared. "HE got away with the crown!"

"Precisely," Flurious stated. "Never did I think I would see the day when Kamdor was the voice of reason, and yet here we are. The Sentinel Knight passed our treasure off to his little friend, then challenged us to battle in order to delay us."

"Then what are we supposed to do now?" Moltor asked. "How do we know where the Snow Prince went?"

"The Prince is nothing if not predictable," Flurious stated. "He will have been instructed to hide the Corona Aurora where it can never be found. And he will run immediately to the first place anyone would think to look."

...

When the Sentinel Knight was shattered, the Snow Prince, running through the woods that surrounded his destination, fell suddenly to his knees. One hand still clutched the Corona Aurora in a tight grip; the other flew to his heart.

"NO!" he cried out, for he had felt the loss of his dear companion and knew him to be no more. His hopes of the Knight escaping had been in vain.

He drew in three shaking breaths, then stood once more. He could not let this loss stop him from carrying out the task given to him by the late Knight. If he failed, it would mean the Knight's death had been for naught.

He resumed his sprint until at last, Root Core loomed in his field of vision. The dragon's-mouth entrance yawned wide, admitting him inside.

"Well," Daggeron said as he clapped his hands, returning to the circle he and his allies had formed around the central table, "that looks to be about it. Root Core is more or less what it once was."

"Mostly thanks to yours truly!" the catlike genie Jenji boasted, though he'd spent most of the repair effort napping.

"Uh…sure," Leelee said tentatively. "Thanks, I guess."

"The important thing is that the kitchens and the bathrooms got fixed," Phineas stated.

"I should think the library and the crystal ball were a little more important," Leanbow teased.

"Agree to disagree," Phineas replied.

"Yeah, I'm with him," Leelee stated. "Gimme indoor plumbing over some dusty old books any day."

"GUYS!" Clare burst out of a hallway, holding a brightly colored wooden box. "You'll never believe it! I ACTUALLY FOUND ALL THE PIECES TO MY ENCHANTACHESS SET!" She beamed with glee at the reconstruction of her favorite board game.

The seventh and final present at the gathering nodded. "It is good that we have managed to repair both our magical functions and the comforts of home," Udonna stated. "However, it still concerns me that we were brought to our knees so easily. We don't know the scope of what awaits us, and if the crystal has been any indication, the Darkness is rising."

"Whatever comes, we'll be ready," Leanbow decided.

It was practically an invitation. The Snow Prince skidded to a halt in the entryway of the room, frenzied. "Udonna!" he cried. "Leanbow! Daggeron!"

"Your majesty?" Clare gasped.

The three the Prince had addressed bent in a respectful bow, and after seeing this and realizing what etiquette was necessary, Clare and Leelee did the same. Phineas simply waved and said "Hi."

"No time for formalities!" the Prince said hurriedly. "Evil is coming, and they seek this!"

He extended his hands, holding the precious headpiece in their palms.

Udonna, Daggeron, and Leanbow gasped in unison. "Is that…?" Daggeron asked.

"I had thought it only a myth," Leanbow said in awe.

"What?" Clare asked. "What is it?"

"It's gaudy is what it is," Leelee huffed. "Who designed that thing? A seven-year-old!"

"That is the Corona Aurora," Udonna stated somberly. "A legend of the past. It was said to be one of the most powerful magics the world had ever known, granting its wielder godly powers."

"I've always wanted godly powers," Phineas remarked. "Those would make household chores a lot easier."

"If that crown falls into the wrong hands," Daggeron stated, "it will be used for far bigger and worse things than to clean up a little mildew. We could see a resurgence of a power akin to the Master…or more."

"You MUST protect it," the Snow Prince insisted. "You are the only ones I can trust to keep it safe, now that the Sentinel Knight…" He could barely admit it. "…is gone."

It was like a dart had been shot into each heart: Udonna's, Leanbow's, Daggeron's.

"They said nothing could slay him," Daggeron gasped out.

"I do not know how," the Snow Prince stated, "but a way was found. Now you are the only line of defense standing between the Corona Aurora and evil. Please! Before I am followed here!"

Udonna took initiative, stepping forth to take the crown off the Prince's hands. "We will keep it secure," she stated confidently.

"I will be on my way," the Prince told her. "I must divert the trail of our enemy. Worry not for me! Protect the Corona Aurora!"

With that, his sigils of light enveloped him, and he vanished.

"Wait, so he just dumped something super valuable on us that a ton of bad guys are gonna want?" Leelee huffed. "Does he not see the obvious thing wrong with this plan?"

"They're coming." Clare was already starting to hyperventilate. "Whoever was chasing him, they're coming here right now."

"And I'm not gonna be in plain sight when they show up!" Jenji decided before retreating to Daggeron's lamp.

"We cannot jump to any conclusions yet," Daggeron stated, trying to regain control of the room. "The Snow Prince is clever and powerful. If he does not lose the enemy completely, he will at least buy us some time."

"Time's not cheap," Phineas remarked. "I've tried buying it before. Don't have the budget."

"We will focus first on hiding the Corona Aurora," Udonna stated. "Then we can prepare for whatever may arrive to – "

The sound of the dragon's maw creaking open outside sent a sharp spark of panic down the spines of all present.

"THEY'RE HERE!" Clare shrieked.

"Oh, I am NOT going down without a fight," Leelee grunted, bracing herself.

"Me either," Phineas agreed, taking a defensive stance next to her.

Without even thinking, Udonna, Leanbow, and Daggeron shifted to wear the armor of the White Ranger, the Wolf Warrior, and Solaris Knight. As the sounds of several feet were heard approaching, even Clare abandoned her fear (and the Enchantachess set) to ready to defend at all costs.

The leader of the group strode confidently into the room, head held high –

And asked "Miss us?" in a cocky, accent-laden voice.

"XANDER?" Clare cried.

As Nick, Chip, Vida, Madison, Lea, Kairi, Ren, and Ruby filed through the entrance hallway behind Xander, the atmosphere relaxed. Phineas and Leelee straightened up, and Udonna, Leanbow, and Daggeron dismissed their armor.

The fact that they'd had it donned hadn't escaped Nick, however. "I take it this was a bad time," he said as he scanned the faces of those in the room.