Initial encounters

Roxas sat on a rooftop at night. Before him there was the expanse of a lake, currently full of small ships and boats. As he watched a lantern slowly rose to the sky, followed shortly by a flood of others. Some from the boats, some from within the town itself. Soon the air was full of lights illuminating the night.

He had heard this was a tradition of the people here. One they had kept up even though the circumstances had changed from the original reason. As he saw the lights drifting ever higher he could understand why the locals wanted to keep doing this. The sight was undeniably breathtaking.

He wished Xion and Axel could be here to see this. Xion in particular would have loved this sight. Too bad she had been tasked to watch over a different world where Princesses of heart resided. Maybe next time he would bring her. Who knows… a year from now things might have settled enough to do so. And he would ask Axel too when the time came.

His thoughts were interrupted by movement on the street beneath him. Looking down, his expression turned to one of distaste. Heartless, yet again. It seemed he could not get a moment's peace from them. How many times he had faced them today alone? Well, he was not about to let them interrupt this celebration.

He called his keyblades and was about to jump down when there was further activity. A Dark Corridor opened and someone charged into the scene. A big fellow in robes and… a mask shaped to look like a bear? Now that was interesting.

Continuing to observe the scene, Roxas took his gummiphone and pressed one of the quick select numbers. He let the phone ring for three seconds, then terminated the call.

Meanwhile, wielding the biggest keyblade Roxas had ever seen, the stranger attacked the Heartless, destroying several, the rest fleeing from him. A score of hearts rose towards the sky. Then Roxas took a double take as he saw the hearts top, quiver in place before being drawn inside some kind of device the stranger had on his belt.

A chill ran through Roxas. He was… collecting hearts? What on Earth for? It was like the Organization used to do… the thought made him snarl angrily under his breath.

He hastily selected the second quick select number on his phone, and again waited for three seconds before ending the call. Xion and Axel were both now on their way to him, now that he had sent them the signal they had agreed upon before going on duty. But given the situation he did not plan to wait for their arrival.

As the stranger chased after the remaining heartless, Roxas went after him, moving across the rooftops. He led him deeper into the city. Along the way the stranger was challenged by several more Heartless pouncing on him from the side streets. But the stranger just cut through them with ridiculous ease. For all its size he wielded his weapon like it weighed nothing at all. Many more hearts were added to his collection.

The stranger moved quickly, and Roxas almost lost sight of him several times. But eventually he followed him to a plaza in the center of the city. He had caught up to his prey, a flurry of hearts rising into the air before being captured as well.

Roxas jumped down, landing behind the stranger. "You!" He shouted, pointing one of his keyblades at him.

The stranger stopped, then turned slowly. "Ah. I see I'm not quite as alone as I believed." He said. Then he tilted his head. "Keyblades? Two of them. How unusual. So… you must be one of the Guardians?"

"I am. And with that mask… you must be Aced." Roxas replied.

"Indeed. But how do you know who I am? Has someone told you of me?" Aced asked.

Roxas shook his head. "Doesn't matter. The hearts you collected, what do you want them for?"

"So you saw me take them? I guess that means you were watching me… I'm afraid my interest in these hearts is no concern of yours." Aced said. Then he turned his head, looking into the distance. "That feeling… there must be a Princess of Heart here. And I suppose that explains your presence."

"My apologies. My being here is somewhat accidental. My quarry fled here and I'm afraid I got carried away chasing them. I shall depart now." He continued.

"Not one more step." Roxas warned. "The hearts you took. I want you to let them go. Now."

Aced merely chuckled before turning serious again. "How I long to obey that command. You have no idea. But I'm afraid these hearts are needed for another purpose. I cannot do as you ask."

"I'm not asking. You will let them go." Roxas relied more forcefully.

There was a pause before Aced answered. "Listen well, boy. I'm not here for you. Or the Princess of Heart. I have what I came for. And I'm not about to let you interfere with that. So I advise you not to pick a fight you cannot win." He then said, voice dripping with menace.

For a few seconds Roxas actually hesitated. He had seen how effortlessly his opponent had dispatched the heartless. He knew this would be tough. But in the end he could not let Aced leave with those hearts. He still did not know what he wanted with them, but he doubted it was anything good.

"I'm not going to tell you again." He warned.

Aced shook his head in annoyance. "Stubborn little… very well. Let us test your mettle then. See what you're truly good for."

And so they charged at each other, keyblades meeting. After the first few blows Roxas decided it was better to evade rather than block Aced's attacks, feeling the strength behind each of his enemy's blows. He evaded, danced and twisted around him, his two keyblades delivering a continuous string of strikes against him. But even though his size would make him seem lumbering, Aced's defense was unearthly flawless. It was unnerving really. No one was that good. And while Roxas managed to avoid getting hit, it was always barely, that huge keyblade passing only a hair's breadth from him.

Perhaps two minutes they fought. "Enough!" Aced then shouted, having lost his patience. Roxas had enough time to see energy gather on Aced's keyblade before he drove it to the ground. A massive shockwave then emanated from him in all directions. There was nothing Roxas could do, being too close to Aced. He was flung away like a leaf on the wind. The shockwave cracked the walls of the buildings around the plaza, some of the houses collapsing altogether. And Roxas slammed back first into one of the walls. He slid down into a sitting position, his keyblades clattering to the pavement before vanishing. His back, his head, his arms… all were aching now, a faint ringing in his ears. He couldn't think, let alone move from where he had fallen. He fought unconsciousness for a few seconds, before his chin fell to his chest, and he went still.

Xion emerged from a Dark Corridor, looking around herself to get her bearings. Now… where could Roxas be? She had to find him quickly. The alarm he had sent meant this was urgent.

She took a few steps, then was startled by a loud explosion that made the whole town shake. She saw a large dust cloud in the air a few blocks away.

"Roxas…!" She breathed, taking off running toward the explosion.

She arrived at the scene, the dust from the explosion starting to settle. It did not take her long to spot Roxas, slumped against a wall. And knelt in from of him a stranger in robes. Roxas… wasn't moving.

"Roxas!? No!" She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. The stranger stood up and turned to face her. As their eyes met Xion's face twisted in anger, her keyblade appearing. "You… you hurt him… YOU'LL PAY!

"Now just a moment…" The stranger tried to say.

"RAAAAGH!" Xion screamed as she charged. Her field of vision was red, her attacks coming with such fury even Aced was put on the defensive. Finally her keyblade struck his face, making him turn his head aside. Her next attack he blocked, their weapons locking together. As he turned his eyes back into her she could see her strike had broken off a piece of his mask, exposing one eye. The eye had the same yellow color as on his mask. And not only of that color, but… glowing with it.

Snarling, Aced used his greater strength to push Xion away. She landed on her feet and made ready to attack again. But before she could Aced swung his keyblade in a wide arc, creating a glowing line in the air. That line opened into a rift into a shadowy void. Xion's anger turned into fright as she lost her footing, the rift pulling her in. Just before she reached it the wound in the air closed again. And Aced was ready and waiting for that exact moment. The hilt of his keyblade hit her in the chest. She heard a crunch as something gave in and she was flung on her back on the stones.

Xion lay on the ground, her breath slow and wheezing, seeing with blurry eyes the towering shape of Aced above her. "Is this it? Is this truly all the Guardians can muster? Rubbish!" She heard him say.

She felt the edge of a blade brush against her neck, the flat of it tilting up her chin. Unable to fight back, she closed her eyes, waiting for the end. The edge of the weapon left her neck as the keyblade rose high.

She had had… so little time. Barely a year had passed since she had returned to being a whole and complete person. She was only just beginning to learn who she truly was as a person. Creating her own memories, her own stories, discovering her own wants, hopes and desires. Finding out what it really meant to be her own person instead of being built out of memories and powers stolen from someone else. So many things she still wanted to experience and do. And now… it was to end? She was to disappear? It… it just wasn't fair!

There was a loud crack as Aced's keyblade embedded itself on the ground right next to her head, shattering the pavement and raining pebbles on her.

A long silence, broken only by Aced's heavy breathing.

"You must do better than this, both of you, if you are to meet your destiny." Aced then told her. Opening her eyes, she saw him turn around and walk into a Dark Corridor, recalling his weapon with a wave of his hand just before passing through.

For a time she just lay there, too weak to do anything. Eventually she managed to summon the strength to try standing up. The effort caused a pained whimper to escape from her lips, her hand going to her chest. But little by little she managed to rise to her feet. Then, with a slow stumbling gait she headed towards Roxas.

Her chest was just… killing her, the pain unbearable. As she walked she felt something shift and grind together under the hand she had on her chest, each movement causing jolts and spikes of further pain. Breathing was difficult, each gasp for breath coming out as a tortured rasp. There was a metallic taste in her mouth, something hot and sticky dripping down her chin. That… was probably not a good sign.

Her vision was swimming in and out of focus. She was so sure she would lose consciousness before she reached him. But one step at a time she made herself continue. The distance felt like kilometers, but eventually she reached Roxas, settling down to her knees next to him. Roxas… didn't react to her approach.

"Roxas? Roxas!" She called, putting a hand on his shoulder. He didn't respond, his head lolling from side to side as she shook him gently. He couldn't be… could he? She moved her hand to his neck. There. A pulse. Weak, but it was still there. He was still alive. He was still…

…It was getting… difficult… to focus… her head was so heavy…

She was losing awareness of her surroundings, her vision becoming blurry. "R… Roxas…" She managed to whisper before everything disappeared for her, swallowed by the mist growing in her mind. She slumped against Roxas, her forehead on his shoulder. And then she too was still.


Lea was the next to arrive, emerging right at the edge of the plaza. Immediately on arrival the dust lingering in the air made him cough, stinging his eyes, blurring his vision momentarily. Once he had his sight back the first thing he saw was the damaged buildings. Then he saw them. His closest friends, slumped against one another near one of the walls.

It was like a stone landed in his stomach, his heart skipping a beat.

"Guys…? Oh no…" He breathed, then ran to them. He was dimly aware of bystanders starting to gather at the edges of the plaza, but right now he could not care less about their presence.

"Guys! Roxas! Xion! Wake up!" He said, kneeling down and shaking both of them, to no avail.

"No. Nononon…" He mumbled, blinking furiously to keep the tears from clouding his eyes. "Heal. Heal! HEAL!" He shouted, casting the spell over amd over again on both of them until he couldn't anymore. He wasn't sure what good it did. Neither of them was waking. What did he need to do? What did..?

He reached for the phone in his pocket, his hands shaking so baldly he dropped it. He picked it up again and started to dial a number, having to erase his progress several times because his fumbling fingers pressed the wrong buttons.

Aqua lay on her bed, almost asleep, intending to get up in about an hour or so. She pressed a bit closer to Terra, her arms around him, and his around her. Since the night she had had the nightmare of killing her Master, they had stopped sleeping on separate beds. At first they had slept through the nights on Terra's mattress. Then they had realized it was silly to do so when a perfectly good bed was available.

In the beginning they had asked permission from each other to do this. But by now it was becoming the new normal, what they both expected and wished for. It was certainly interesting how things had been developing between them. How comfortable and natural it felt to rest here next to him, listening to his calm, slow breaths. And after such a short while too. Or… maybe it wasn't such a short while after all. They had known each other since childhood. So many years spent training, or just hanging around their home. Causing shenanigans that had frustrated Master Eraqus to no end, but which eventually had become golden memories to cherish when they reached adulthood.

So yes, not such a short time at the end of the day. Still, it was strange to think about how much she had come to want these moments together. Need them even.

She remembered how it had felt when he had been gone for a few days when Ven had left for Radiant Garden. Thanks to Kairi the nightmares had not begun again. But even so, without Terra she had been keenly aware of the Phantom, lurking in the depths of her mind, waiting for an opportunity. It was like trying to sleep next to a hungry lion in a cage. Like she could have opened the door to her room to find the Phantom standing on the other side, waiting for her. So she had lain awake, unable to relax enough to rest, only sleeping once exhaustion claimed her. And when Terra finally returned, it had been such a joyous day. She had barely been able to contain herself, only holding herself back because there were others watching and she didn't want to let on how much of a difference he made. Kairi's light could keep her safe, keep the Phantom at bay. But Terra was the one who made her feel secure. She got the best results when she had the both of them close by.

Not too long ago she had wondered whether she wanted to think of Terra as her friend or something else. The answer to that question… was starting to become clearer. There were new emotions now. New thoughts… about him. Those feelings had been slowly getting stronger too. It didn't take much during the day for that growth to happen. Just a kind word, a smile. Just spending time with him, doing their daily routines.

During the day she could for the most part keep herself calm and collected so she could focus on her work, though at times she caught herself daydreaming. But during quiet moments like this, right at the edge of sleep… sometimes she allowed herself to indulge, losing herself in those emotions.

Sometimes she had noticed him looking at her when he thought she would not notice. And she had to wonder… was it the same with him? In the privacy of his mind, did he daydream of her?

These thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a gummiphone ringing. She growled in annoyance under her breath. What in… who could it possibly be? Some people really should check the local time before trying to make calls. This had better be important.

She reached for the phone, Terra starting to stir next to her.

"Yes…?" She asked as she brought the phone to her ear, unable to fully keep the irritation from her voice. But that annoyance disappeared as soon as she heard the reply from the other side:

"Lea? What is- woah, woah, WOAH! Lea! Calm down! Take a deep breath. Now, calm and precise: What has happened?" She asked.

As she listened to Lea's reply she sat up, a determined look appearing on her face.

"Where are you?" She asked next.

She nodded. "Right. We are on our way. Hang in there just a little while longer." She said, then ended the call.

"We need to go. Someone had attacked Roxas and Xion. They need our help at once." She told Terra.

"Where to?" Terra asked.

"The Kingdom of Corona. Lea said something about a plaza in the town there." She explained.

"Should we wake the others?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No time. We have to go. Now. They need us."


As soon as they were able they rushed outside, calling on their armors and setting off on their gliders, diving into the Lanes Between.

"Please… don't let us be too late." She whispered as she flew through the lane, pushing her glider to go faster, Terra a short distance ahead of her. This… couldn't happen. She would not allow it. Not to their own.

As she dove ever onward, she slowly became aware she was feeling… cold. At first she thought it was just this place. The Lanes Between had never been a particularly warm place in her experience. But then she began to realize that was not it at all. This coldness… was coming from within. Slowly emanating outward from where her heart was, creeping along her veins. Very soon she started feeling like all feeling of warmth was being drained from her.

What was happening? How could this be? She was wearing her armor, there should be no way that…

Just then they emerged from the Lane into their target world. And as soon as they arrived the feeling of cold began to recede. They dove a short distance down, then dismissing their gliders and armor.

Terra spotted a column of smoke rising from a different part of the town and was about to suggest they head toward it. But when he noticed Aqua was leaning against a wall, panting heavily.

"Aqua? Are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm… fine. Whatever it was, it passed." She replied.

"Are you sure? You don't look so…" Terra began to say.

"Terra, for once worry less about me and more about Roxas and Xion." She interrupted, perhaps a bit more angrily than she had intended.

"…Okay. Alright then." Terra said after a pause. "I think that is where we should start looking." He said, pointing at the smoke.

Aqua nodded and they hurried onward, reaching the plaza in a few moments. A large crowd had gathered by the time they arrived.

"Come on, out of the way! Move! Let us pass!" Terra said, shoving people aside. Together they were able to start pressing through the crowd.

"Damn… did someone drop a bomb here?" Aqua wondered aloud, her eyes lingering on the buildings around the plaza.

They got past the mass of people finding, Lea kneeling in front of his friends. When they approached he turned to look at them, and she could see his eyes were red.

"Lea! Thank goodness we found you! How are they" Aqua asked of him.

"I-I kept trying to heal them. But they're not waking up. Why won't they wake up?" He explained.

"You healed them already? I see. That should help." She said, then took a moment to examine Xion, while Terra did the same with Roxas.

"Hmmm… she's hit really bad. But I think we can move her if we're careful." She concluded.

"Same here." Terra agreed.

She said. "Then let's not waste any time. We need to get going."

She was about to pick Xion up when Lea grabbed her "What are you going to do?" He asked.

Seeing his distressed expression, Aqua took a deep breath and put a hand on his shoulder, looking directly into his eyes.

"Alright, listen carefully. Focus on my voice. You did a good job with your healing magic. You may have helped to save their lives. But if they aren't waking up then they've sustained more serious injuries. We need to bring them to the Land of Departure where we can treat them properly." She told him calmly. "Now… can you get yourself there?" She asked.

He nodded shakily. "U… Uh-huh."

"Very good. Then meet us there." She said.

"But… what about them?" He asked, motioning to Roxas and Xion.

"We are going to take care of your friends. I promise. And when we get to the Land of Departure you'll be right there to help us do it." She told him.

He nodded reluctantly and stood up. He took one more look at his friends. "I'll see you both on the other side."

"And you… you make sure they are safe." He told to Aqua and Terra, then left through a Dark Corridor. His departure caused a collective gasp in the gathered crowd, reminding Aqua of their presence. She shook her head. She hoped this incident would not upset the order of this world too badly. But too late to worry about that now.

They put their armor back on and left as quickly as they had arrived, leaving behind a throng of very confused bystanders.


As she and Terra flew through the Lane Between, carrying Roxas and Xion on their gliders, Aqua once again began feeling a strange coldness emanating from her heart. Half-expecting it this time, she was able to manage it a bit better this time, grinding her teeth together until she reached the other side. And as soon as she arrived back in the Land of Departure the coldness began to fade away once again. Even so she could not help a knot of uncertainty settling in her stomach. What exactly had happened out there? And how was it able to happen, despite the protective measures she had taken? Had her armor not been working properly? She would need to check, to make sure she had not repaired it incorrectly. Or maybe she just needed more time to recover before risking herself in spaces close to the darkness? She hoped that was all it was.

Remembering the ongoing situation she set those concern aside for the moment.

Lea was already in the yard waiting for them when they arrived. The moved quickly up the stairs, finding the others waiting on the other side of the door.

"Aqua? We heard you leave. But why- oh!" Kairi asked, her eyes going wide as she saw who they were carrying.

"We need to get them help at once. Terra, pass Roxas to Lea, then go to get extra medical supplies from our stores to the infirmary. Kairi, Lauriam and Elrena will help you carry it. I'll begin treating them in the meantime. Once you have the supplies lend me a hand with them. Naminé, you help us with the doors and stay on hand to assist Terra and I." Aqua ordered.

"Should we, uh, try to get Even here? To make repairs or something? I mean, they both have replica bodies." Elrena asked.

"No. As long as they have hearts their bodies are human in every respect. Biology included. Healing is what they need." Lauriam said.

Everyone jumped to obey Aqua's commands. What followed was a frenzied effort to get everything ready, followed by an anxious calm as Aqua, Terra and Naminé settled in to work. Lea refused to leave his friend's side, so he stayed in the infirmary as well. But everyone else was ordered out.

Kairi was a bit hesitant about what she should do now. Until a short time ago she had been expecting to wake to another day of training. But now she had not been left with any instructions. She might have taken initiative and started her training on her own, but somehow it did not feel like the right thing to do. She did try to make herself somewhat productive, having fetched herself one of her study books, which she was reading as she waited on the other side of the infirmary door. But she found herself unable to focus, her thoughts repeatedly drawn to Roxas and Xion. And poor Axel. It had to be hard seeing his friends in such a condition.

Also hovering nearby were Lauriam and Elrena. Their plan had been to leave to continue their search. But now it seemed like a better idea to wait in case they were needed for something.

Kairi lifted her eyes from her book when she heard the door open.

"So?" She asked of Terra and Aqua as they stepped into the corridor. They both looked exhausted.

"They are both stable, but they were very badly hurt. But we believe they are going to make it." Terra replied.

There was a collective sigh of relief.

"Kairi, Naminé is with Lea. But I think he could use the company of another old friend." Aqua told Kairi.

"Should we call Isa?" Kairi asked.

"I'll see to that. As soon as there is time." Aqua promised.

Kairi nodded and went inside.

"Terra, there is one thing I'd need you to do. Call Ventus and Mickey. Tell them what has happened. Then I need the three of you to meet in Radiant Garden and go check both worlds of the Princesses. Just a quick in and out to make sure the Princesses are safe and that nothing alarming is going on. We need to make sure no one is taking advantage of our absence. I'll stay here with Kairi and guard the others until I hear from you." Aqua told him next.

Terra nodded. "I'll get on it."

"Move as a group and don't let each other out of your sight. Something or someone was able to take down two of ours, so we can't take any chances. And if you do find something, don't try anything on your own. Call us and we will join you, so we can face the threat together." She continued.

"We'll be careful. And we'll report back soon." He promised. He walked away, taking his phone into his hand as he left.

Aqua turned her eyes to Elrena and Lauriam, then walked to them. "So here's the thing. I have two Guardians down and a third who is not in the state of mind to do any missions right now. And with Sora and Riku elsewhere there is only five of us available. If the others do find something we might need help. Can I count on you two?" She asked.

Lauriam nodded. "Of course. Just say the word."

"But what about the agreement of us not going to the worlds of the Princesses of Heart?" He then asked.

Aqua took a moment to consider.

"If it comes to that, then consider that ban to be overruled. But only if the rest of us are with you, understood?" She finally answered.

"Understood. If you need us we're with you. For now let's wait until we've heard back from the others." Lauriam said.

"In the meantime, seeing as we are in for some waiting… coffee, anyone?" Elrena suggested.

"Oh, absolutely, yes!" Aqua said. "Make it strong and make enough of it to go around. I'm rather sure we have a long haul ahead of us."

"In the meantime I'll inform Yen Sid. He ought to know." She added.

Elrena nodded and left in the direction of the kitchen, with Lauriam following behind.

"Do you think this was the Foretellers?" Lauriam asked.

"Yeah, I have a gut feeling it was. It would take a lot to knock down the likes of Roxas and Xion." Elrena said.

"Same here. Though I suppose we'll have to wait until Roxas and Xion come to be certain." Lauriam said.

"Hmm. I'm suddenly very grateful you talked me out of trying to find them on our own." He contemplated.

"I told you they would have flattened us if just the two of us tried to confront them. Though I didn't envision anything quite that literal when I said *flattened*." She said.