Aoi Hyoudou: Just a revision post, NOT AN UPDATE!

III

Mysterious Tower

"AQUA!" Ash awoke with a shout as he sat up. Gazing about in a panic, he found himself in a guest room of some sorts. A quick glance around immediately told him that he was no longer 'dreaming'. Taking a deep, calming breath, he moved his left hand toward his face only to pause when he felt something 'familiar' in his grasp. He pulled his hand back and gazed at the Wayfinder that Aqua gave him. 'So, it wasn't a crazy dream, after all…' A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. 'Aqua…'

Suddenly, the room door creaked open and caused the teen to pocket the charm as he shifted his attention to the doorway. Three elderly women walked into the room. His eyes gazed upon their bizarre outfits, which consisted of a long sleeved dress, a conical hat with a chinstrap, and a cape, except in terms of color of red, blue, and green respectively. They had small, triangular wings sprouting from their backs, which didn't go unnoticed. 'W-Who are these people…?'

"Well, look who's awake, girls!" the lady in red said with a smile.

"Ooh, good heavens!" The lady in blue looked delighted with a smile of her own.

"We were worried sick about you, dear," the lady in green said.

They walked to his bedside.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "And where am I?"

"Ooh, where are our manners?" The lady in red chuckled. "My name is Flora."

"Fauna is my name, dear," the lady in green said.

"And…I'm Merryweather," the lady in blue mentioned sweetly.

"We live with Master Yen Sid and you're currently in his tower, dear." Flora informed.

"Yen…Sid…?" Ash repeated slowly and blinked confusedly. While he didn't know exactly who Yen Sid was, the name, however, sounded awfully familiar.

"That's right, Ash." The teen's eyes lit up in surprise.

"H-How do you know my name?" The good fairies smiled.

"Yen Sid told us all about you!" Flora exclaimed.

"Really?" Furrowing a brow, he kept staring at the fairies, waiting for more answers.

"Yes, it happened after we found you outside the tower unconscious." Merryweather stated.

"I see…" Ash mumbled. 'So, they were the ones Aqua was talking about…' A small smile grew on his face. 'I…suppose I can trust them…'

"So, how long have I been out for?" he queried.

The fairies exchanged a quick glance with one another before returning their attention to the young teen.

"Almost three days, dear," Flora spoke up.

"T-Three days…!?" Ash nearly choked on his saliva as he cried out.

"Your injuries were rough when we found you, Ash," Fauna explained.

"I-I see…"

"But now that you're up, it seems you have made a full recovery." Merryweather smiled.

"It appears that way," Ash said with a smile of his own.

Flora shifted her attention to Fauna. "Fauna, be a dear and inform Master Yen Sid that Ash is finally awake."

The fairy in green nodded. "Just leave it to me." She exited the room to tell their master about their young guest.

Several moments later, Fauna returned. "Yen Sid would like to see you, dear."

"M-Me?" Ash blinked in confusion.

Fauna nodded in response.

"O-Okay…"

What did their master want with him? Though…this could be a great opportunity for him to use this to his advantage and answer a few questions of his own while he was here. He climbed out of bed and headed for the door.

Ash pushed the door open and stepped through. The room he found himself in was rather spacious, with a breathtaking view of the stars just outside the windows behind the mahogany desk to the right. Sitting behind said desk was a wizened old man with a navy blue robe and a wizard's cap, both of which were adorned with star-like patterns. 'He must be…Yen Sid.' The man wasn't alone either.

There were three other guests.

The first of them was an older boy with short, silver hair and bright blue-green eyes. He wore a white vest with a large black collar, loose fitting jeans, and white high-tops.

A young-looking boy with spiky brown hair and blue eyes was the group's second member. He sported a black jumpsuit with a matching black and silver overcoat, baggy black pants, and large black and silver sneakers.

The last of the three was a young girl with long, auburn hair and blue eyes. She was clad in a pink strapless mini-dress with a white halter top, a black hood, and lilac sneakers.

While Ash didn't pay much attention to the other two, his eyes kept gazing at the auburn haired girl for reasons he didn't understand. 'That girl…She kinda looks familiar…' For a split second, a transparent image of a little four year old girl with red hair took her place and caused his eyes to widen in surprise. 'W-What…?'

Shaking his head in complete confusion, he once more gazed back to the trio and noticed that they were giving him a look.

"Are you okay…? You look like something is bothering you," the spiky haired boy stated.

"It's nothing," Ash whispered quietly. He closed the door behind him and glanced back to the newcomers with a forced smile. "No need to worry."

The silver haired teen furrowed an eyebrow and gazed at him in suspicion. 'Something seems a little off about him…'

Even Yen Sid noticed Ash's strange behavior, but decided not to press the subject any further as he smiled. "Glad you could join us, Ashura."

"Please, sir, just Ash," the Pokémon Trainer said politely. Similar to how Aqua didn't like others calling her by her title he didn't like people referring to him by his actual birth name.

The old wizard nodded in understanding.

"Very well, Ash."

The auburn haired girl flinched, which didn't go unnoticed by her friends.

"Kairi?"

She shifted her attention to the spiky haired teen. "Are you okay?" he asked with a frown.

Shaking her head, she smiled. "I'm fine, Sora."

"Are you sure, Kairi?" The silver haired teen spoke up and caused his friend to glance at him. "You seemed troubled when you heard Ash's name." He pointed out.

Kairi pressed her lips together and giggled. "I'm fine, Riku. Stop worrying."

Riku and Sora exchanged a quick glance with one another before returning their attention back to their friend.

"Okay…if you say so…"

Kairi nodded happily.

When her friends turned away, she exhaled a soft sigh and returned her gaze back to Ash as he walked up to the group and joined their side under Yen Sid's request. 'Ash…That name…Why does it sound so familiar…?'

Moments later…

"I take it you have a few questions you would like to ask?" Yen Sid queried.

"Yes," Ash said with a nod.

The old wizard merely smiled, as though he'd expected as much. "Very well, but first, mind if you show us your Keyblade, Ash?" This immediately gained Sora and co.'s attention.

"You have a Keyblade?!"

Ash ignored them and stared at the old man in complete shock. "How did you know I have a Keyblade?"

Yen Sid raised a hand, prompting him to sigh and apologize for his rudeness. When he finally calmed down, the man smiled. "I know of many things and the Keyblade is one of them, Ash," he said cryptically.

"I-I see…"

"Now, if you please," the old wizard urged the teen to reveal his Keyblade.

Nodding, Ash extended his right hand out and concentrated. In a flash of light, the familiar Keyblade materialized, surprising both Riku and Sora.

'Doesn't that Keyblade belong to Roxas?!' they thought with a stupefied expression on their faces.

"Ah, what a marvelous blade," Yen Sid said with a look of approval on his face. "The Keyblade has chosen a worthy wielder, indeed."

"Thanks," Ash said sheepishly as he noticed that Sora and his friends were gawking at him. "Err…what's up?"

"We didn't expect to encounter another Keyblade wielder so soon," Sora said with a grin.

"Another…Keyblade wielder…?" Ash repeated slowly and blinked confusedly. "Wait…you guys are Keyblade wielders too?"

Riku and Sora exchanged a quick glance and nodded before returning their attention back to their fellow Keyblade bearer.

"Yup!" Sora grinned.

"You're looking right at them," Riku said with a smirk.

Sora raised his right hand and in a flash of light materialized a silver Keyblade with a bright gold hand-guard and teeth in the form of a crown.

Riku followed suit and in a flash of darkness a dark purple Keyblade with a hand-guard sprouting an angelic and demonic wing and teeth in a form of another demonic wing appeared.

"Whoa!" Ash said in awe. 'I guess Aqua wasn't crazy when she said there are other Keyblade wielders.'

"Ahem." Yen Sid cleared his throat, prompting Ash, Riku, and Sora to glance at him sheepishly.

"Sorry, Master Yen Sid," Sora said as the Keyblade wielders dismissed their Keyblades. "I guess we got a little sidetracked."

The old wizard simply waved it off and returned his gaze back to the raven haired teen. "Ash, there's another question I would like to ask."

"I'm listening."

"Who's your Keyblade Master?"

"Huh?" Ash blinked.

That was an unexpected and random question to ask.

"Err, why do you want to know about his master, Master Yen Sid?" Sora asked with a baffled expression on his face.

Riku might not show it, but he too was curious before gazing at Ash's familiar shoulder armor, which he had encountered several times before in the past. 'Now, I see…' He smiled in realization.

"It's of the utmost importance," was all Yen Sid said.

He waited and stared patiently at Ash.

The Pokémon Trainer gazed downward momentarily before glancing back to the old wizard and nodded. "Aqua. Her name is Aqua," he answered truthfully.

Sora and his friends' eyes lit up in surprise.

"Wait! Isn't she that g-"

"My thoughts exactly," Riku abruptly cut his friend off before he could even say another word.

"I was thinking the same thing too," Kairi mumbled.

They'd met Aqua when they were little kids and she was supposedly one of the 'lost souls' they needed to rescue, according to Mickey and Yen Sid.

Satisfied, the sorcerer smiled. "Now I see why the Keyblade chose you."

"What do you mean? Ash asked.

"It was fate," Yen Said elaborated.

"Fate?"

The man nodded. "Fate has brought us together."

Ash sighed. None of this made any sense. If anything, it only led to more questions than answers.

Yen Sid noticed the teen's frustration and chuckled. "Patience, young Ash," he said with a wry smile. "I am certain you will come to understand in time."

"I hope so," The Keyblade wielder mumbled. He was silent for a moment before realizing it was his turn to ask questions. "Master Yen Sid?"

"Yes, Ash?"

The Pokémon Trainer paused and gathered his thoughts before glancing back to the old wizard. "When my world fell-"

The man held up a hand. "I know what you're thinking, Ash," he said grimly. "But I cannot tell you, for I do not know the answer."

"You have to know something! Anything is better than nothing!" Ash urged him pleadingly.

"I'm sorry, Ash."

The raven haired teen stared at the floor and chewed his bottom lip, clenching his fists in frustration.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Sora finally spoke up. "Did something happen to you, Ash?"

Ash glanced to the spiky haired teen and sighed. "You could say that…"

"It's about your world, isn't it?" Riku said abruptly, prompting everyone to glance in his direction. He could read the Pokémon Trainer like an open book. "It fell to the Heartless, didn't it?"

"Yeah…" Ash gazed downward sadly.

Sora and Kairi gasped before their eyes grew sympathetic. "We're sorry, Ash. We know what it's like. We lost our world before," Kairi said gently.

"Wait!" Ash gazed at the pair with a hopeful look on his face. "You said 'before', does that mean you got it back?"

Sora grinned. "We sure did," he said confidently. "It wasn't easy, but we got it back safe and sound."

'Great! That means Mom can be saved!' Ash smiled with new determination in his eyes. "Alright! Just like you guys, I'll find a way to get my world back!" He grinned.

Sora and Kairi smiled.

Riku smirked in amusement.

"You have a perilous journey ahead of you. You'd do well to be prepared," Yen Sid said abruptly, prompting everyone to glance back in his direction.

"Journey?" The Pokémon Trainer blinked.

The sorcerer nodded in response.

"That's correct, young Ash," he stated solemnly.

"Wait! Master Yen Sid, if you're planning to send Ash on a journey, shouldn't we help him?" Sora asked.

Yen Sid shook his head. "No, Sora, it's best that you, Riku, and Kairi remain here and continue with your training."

"But…"

The old wizard smiled. "I know it's natural for you and your friends to help someone in their time of need. You'd done it before many times in your journey, but this is one journey that only Ash can complete."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

Yen Sid once more returned his attention to the raven haired teen. "Ash, the Keyblade chose you for a reason and it's up to you to discover what that reason is," he advised.

"I-I see…"

"And it is my belief that you have been tasked with finding those who are lost to us," he added.

"Lost…?" Ash furrowed his brow in confusion.

"One who is lost in darkness, one who has been consumed by darkness, and one who must have his heart returned to him," Yen Sid elaborated. "You must go to them, Ash. You might find the answer you are searching for."

The old wizard let the teen stew on those words as he turned to face Riku. "Riku, please take Sora and Kairi with you and continue with your training. There are a few more things I wish to discuss with Ash before he departs on his journey."

Riku nodded in understanding. "Leave it to me." He walked up to Sora and grabbed his left wrist, dragging his friend toward the door.

"Hey! Riku! What are you doing?!" Sora tried to pull away, but Riku maintained a good grip.

"You heard the Master, Sora," the silver haired teen said without looking at the stubborn teen. "We need to keep training."

"But I want to stay!" The spiky haired teen whined childishly.

Riku rolled his eyes and yanked his friend's wrist once more.

"Ow! Stop pulling!"

"I will once you stop acting like a big baby, Sora!"

The two boys stepped through the door and exited the room.

Kairi shook her head before sighing at her friends' childish antics. Those two would never change. She was about to follow after them before she paused at the doorway with something on her mind. "Um, Ash?" She glanced back and called out to the Pokémon Trainer.

"Hmm?" Snapping out from his trail of thought, Ash shifted his attention and glanced in her direction.

"I-I know we just met, but…just be careful out there, okay?"

Ash blinked and smiled. "Don't worry, I will. You take care of yourself as well and good luck with your training."

Kairi smiled in return. "Thank you."

When the young girl exited the room and shut the door behind her, Ash returned his attention back to Yen Sid.

"Before we begin, there's something I want you to know, Ash," he said solemnly.

"Oh, what is it, Master Yen Sid?"

The man paused for several moments before continuing. "This isn't the first time we have met."

"Wait, what?!" Ash said in alarm.

"We met when you were a little boy, Ash," he stated.

"Is that so…" The Keyblade wielder mumbled and sighed.

The sorcerer noticed the teen's confusion and smiled. "It's understandable if you don't remember. Your true memories haven't yet been awakened." he told him.

"My…true memories?" Ash repeated slowly.

Yen Sid nodded in response.

"That's correct, young Ash," he said with composure. "Your memories were sealed away for a reason, but you will come to understand why in time."

"O-Okay…"

"Otherwise, you would have known that you made contact with the Keyblade when you were five."

"W-WWHHHAAAATTTT?!" Ash yelled.

Yen Sid held up a hand, prompting the teen to calm down and allow him to finish. When the Keyblade wielder took a deep, calming breath and relaxed, the man smiled. "I can only assume there's a story behind this extraordinary feat, but we will save it for another time."

Ash slumped over in exasperation upon hearing this.

"For now, we must focus our attention to your journey."

He had a good point.

With a wave of his hand, two strange orbs materialized and floated before the Keyblade wielder. One was green and the other was red. "Take these," the sorcerer advised.

Nodding, Ash extended his right hand out and touched the green orb. A flash of green light engulfed his body as a surge of energy coursed through his veins.

Ash learned Cura!

Blinking and shaking his head, he extended his right hand out again and touched the red orb. A flash of red light accompanied a burning sensation coursing through his fingertips.

Ash learned Fira!

"On your journey you will find several more orbs similar to the ones I gave you," Yen Sid said abruptly, drawing the teen's attention back to him. "Each one will grant you the ability to learn a new skill so be aware of your surroundings when visiting a new world."

Ash nodded with a smile. "I will and thank you, Master Yen Sid."

The old wizard smiled in return. "But be warned," His smile suddenly shifted into a solemn frown. "Your journey will be long and difficult. You will encounter new enemies and the Heartless so best be on your guard."

Ash nodded again.

"May your heart be your guiding key," he said.

The Keyblade wielder's eyes widened in surprise.

'W-Why…does that sound so familiar?'

Shaking his head, Ash grinned. "I really appreciate all your help, Master Yen Sid."

His journey was set.

Now, all that's left was…his ride.

A/N: THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE! IT'S JUST A REPOST OF A REVISION FOR CHAPTER 4! Although I would like to let you know that I'm on spring break and that I'm currently working on updates for PokeHearts: New Beginnings & Aura Guardian of Beacon: Resurgence. Keep a close eye out for them around next week! The chapter for PokeHearts is almost done!

P.S. – Give the proofreading and editing credit to my beta-reader, Vandenbz.

Aoi Hyoudou (formerly known as Johan07)