Riku finally took the seat that had been offered, as Yen Sid and Ansem the Wise tried to figure out where to start. The clock in the corner ticked to fill the silence, as Riku shuffled in his seat.

Finally, Yed Sid admitted, "Radiant Garden has fallen."

Riku leapt out of his chair, "you're kidding!"

"If only I were."

"But—how? I thought…I thought the keyhole there was sealed a long time ago."

"On the contrary," said Ansem. "The keyhole to Radiant Garden was never actually complete, and therefore, no one would be able to get to it."

"Then how did the Heartless?"

He sighed, Riku noticing the bags under his eyes more clearly than at first. The man looked awful. "Well, that would be the good news. They did not. The world still lives in the Realm of Light, but it was been taken over by Maleficent herself. Though I suppose, her next goal is to complete the keyhole herself. Or else she wouldn't have bothered."

Riku fell back in his chair, his head in his hands in despair. "This can't be happening. Does Kairi know?"

"I will tell Kairi myself once we are done here, you needn't worry about that."

Riku couldn't help but feel sick for her. He knew exactly what it was like to lose a home, but knew she wouldn't be prepared for it in the slightest.

"So what does that have to do with the traitor?" He asked, helpless.

"Perhaps I should start at the beginning," supplied Ansem. "A few months back, as we were still learning about the keyholes, it occurred to me that Maleficent had to come to the knowledge of other worlds and the heartless somehow. I consulted Aurora and the three fairies, and none of them had heard of any other world before Enchanted Dominion was swallowed by the darkness. So how did Maleficent know? I theorized that someone told her. And that someone had to be a keyblade wielder."

Riku nodded, following so far. "I see...but, Kairi and I let it slip a few times that we were from other worlds. It's not like we meant to do it. So, maybe it was an accident?"

"That's what I chalked it up to initially as well. I knew everyone knew about the world order, so I didn't mention it to Eraqus. Now, moving onward. A few weeks ago, I came to find another dead world."

"Dead world?" Asked Riku, concerned at the notion.

Ansem gestured for Yen Sid to take over.

"There are two dead worlds, that we know of. Worlds that exist without hearts. The keyblade graveyard, the sacred ground of a thousand year old war. It has been banned to return to, out of respect of the fallen. And The End of the World, where remnants of worlds that have been swallowed by darkness gather. We have all been there, at least once. Trying to assure the survivors of a fallen world. This is the heartless home-world, and where they are the strongest in the realm of light.

"Both of these worlds are halfway points between our realm of light and the realm of darkness. Therefore, the easiest places to summon Kingdom Hearts."

"Kingdom Hearts?" Riku asked. "I'm sorry I'm asking so many questions, but I've never heard of this stuff before."

"We are happy to answer any questions. After all, knowledge is power." Yen Sid assured. "The reason you have not heard most of this information, is because it's dangerous. But, we trust that you'll keep it quiet unless absolutely necessary."

Riku nodded in confirmation.

"Now, Kingdom Hearts is exactly what it sounds like. It's a state, a collection of hearts. One could argue that this castle is a Kingdom Hearts, but for our purposes, I'm talking about the Kingdom Hearts from the age of fairytales."

That was already a lot of information to swallow, but Riku gestured for him to continue, mostly understanding the gist of it.

"Long ago, when all the world's were one, a great entity hung in the sky, a collection of all hearts. A pure and perfect Kingdom Hearts. No one man ruled over it, but there was a man who discovered a way to do so, The Master of Masters. Kingdom Hearts gave him the χ-blade. 'χ' being the ancient letter pronounced 'chi' or 'kye'. The χ-blade is the ancestor from where all keyblades come from. This Kingdom Hearts is legend to hold ultimate power and wisdom, but without summoning it, we will never truly know. The χ-blade was shattered into thirteen shards of darkness and seven of light. The light was reborn into the hearts of the Princesses, such as Aurora and Cinderella. Consequently, those seven hearts are required to complete the keyhole to Radiant Garden."

"And…this is what Maleficent wants?"

"Perhaps. Though it is not completely known if she even knows about it yet."

"But wait, you said you found another dead world, Ansem?"

"That is correct. It was a few weeks ago, myself and Merlin the Wizard travelled to Twilight Town, in order to collect some old research notes I had left in the abandoned mansion there. Upon arrival, I saw a boy in a crowd that I was immediately suspicious of. Against Merlin's better judgement, I followed him. To my surprise, the boy led me to the mansion anyways. In the basement, he opened a corridor of darkness, and leapt inside."

"A dark corridor? But...that would mean he's in league with Maleficent!" Said Mickey.

"That's what I surmised as well, and so I jumped in after him. On the other side, I made a horrific discovery...another dead world. This one a city filled with Nobodies. The World That Never Was."

"Nobodies?" Mickey asked. "What do you mean? What's a Nobody?"

"What's a Heartless?" Ansem posed back.

"Well...it's a Heart that's been consumed by darkness. It's turned into a monster."

"And what becomes of the body that heart belonged to?"

Riku and Mickey didn't answer, but their silence was telling.

"The husk left behind begins to act with a will of its own. No heart, no feelings, only instinct. And they all congregated to this world, a city that stretched for miles, with not a living soul within its walls. Or so I thought." He took a sip of his tea.

"Shortly after arriving in this world, I was confronted by the boy. He held a black keyblade in one hand, and a white one in the other. He asked my business in his world, and I simply introduced myself.

"When he saw I meant no ill will, he lowered his weapon, and gave me his name: Roxas. I asked him what he was doing in that world, and he told me he lived there. He had woken up in Twilight Town, and a man in a black coat found him and brought him to the dead world to live. He was allowed to come and go as he pleased, but his job was to kill as many heartless with the keyblade as he could. I asked who the man was, and he said he couldn't tell me. The man was his master, and the only friend he had. I told him I would be his friend without being his master, and then I told him he could visit me in Radiant Garden if he ever needed someone to talk to."

"And did he?" Asked Riku.

"He did. I even introduced him to some other youngsters in the town, Lea and Isa. He came mostly daily, though he always returned to his world once the sun set."

"Wait," Riku asked. "You said he was highly suspicious. What makes you say that?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" He turned to the corner of the room, which was enveloped in shadows. "Why don't you come out and meet Riku?"

There was some hesitation, but eventually, a young man came out, wearing a black coat and an anxious expression.

Riku stood suddenly, "wha—?" He took a few steps closer. "Ventus? No..."

Indeed, Roxas looked like Ventus, though a bit younger, about Sora's age.

"So you can see why I was concerned."

"I don't understand."

"Roxas, will you tell him what your name used to be before your master renamed you?"

Roxas leveled his gaze on Riku, and said with clear diction. "Sora."

Riku's reaction of doubt and confusion was expected.

"You see," Ansem continued, resting a hand on Roxas' arm. "Roxas is a nobody. Sora's nobody."

"So…Sora turned into a heartless? Then why is he a person now? And why does he look like Ventus then?"

"I have only theories, unfortunately. One of them being that this 'master' of his is acquainted with Sora at some rate. As for Roxas' likeness to Ventus, I believe that also has to do with the traitor. I think this individual is the same that divided Ventus' heart several years ago. I remember in those days, Ventus' healed quicker when in the presence of Sora, which leaves me to believe that part of Ventus' heart was within Sora."

"You're not saying that Sora's the traitor, are you?"

"No. I believe our suspect was active long before Sora was even a keyblade wielder. Whether those pieces of Ventus ended up in Sora on purpose, or as a consequence of Sora's strong heart, I don't know. As for Sora, I don't believe he actually ever became a heartless, but I do think that a very powerful darkness resides within him, and someone stirred it up, creating a nobody, and who knows what other chaos."

As Ansem explained this, Roxas sat on the edge of the desk, and continued to watch the others with a critical gaze.

"How do you know it was another person? When we were there in Deep Jungle, we saw a beast that…sort of looked like a heartless, but had red sharp eyes, instead of round yellow."

Ansem asked Roxas. "Have you heard of anything like that?"

The boy shook his head. "Doesn't sound familiar. Nobodies are usually metallic looking, and have slits for eyes. I'll keep an eye out though."

"What happened to the creature? Is it still there?"

"No…we were going to tell you as soon as possible…Sora's keyblade…well, I really have no other way to say this. It ate it."

"His keyblade ate it? What do you mean?"

"His keyblade is supposed to look like Mickey's. Right?"

"It looks like the Kingdom Key D." Mickey clarified, summoning that blade. "This isn't actually mine. I found it in the realm of darkness. But, yes, Sora's looks almost identical to it. Just different in color."

"Well, it doesn't look like that anymore. It's all gnarly and broken and it has these long, sharp pieces that look like claws on it. Sora saved us from the beast by sending the claws out and ripping it to pieces, but the keyblade absorbed the bits and Sora blacked out."

Yen Sid hummed in thought, "I don't like the sound of that. I fear that it's not the keyblade we have to worry about."

"Tarzan said that wasn't the only creature like that. There's been a bunch of them, and they always go after Sora. No one else."

"This is even more evidence to support my theory." Said Ansem, thoughtfully. "Mickey and I shared thoughts on Sora's disappearance, and that it wasn't an accident, or a wild animal."

Riku gasped slightly. "You're not insinuating that Master Eraqus purposefully left him there, are you?"

"No. Not Eraqus. Rather, I think our traitor is Master Xehanort."

"Master Xehanort? But…but he couldn't be. He has always been on the side of light. He even helped me banish the darkness within myself!"

"Xehanort chooses to tread the line between light and dark." Yen Sid corrected. "He understands that the world must exist in balance. There can be no light without darkness. And yet, he is very emphatic about this belief. There was always a hint of doubt within me in regards to his trustworthiness. Even as a keyblade Master. Even still, we have no solid proof. Only tiny doubts."

"Like what? So far, all you've said could really be anyone. Even someone we've never met before."

"True." Agreed Ansem. "Which is what brings us back to the fall of Radiant Garden."

Riku had almost forgotten about that in the wake of all this news.

"Roxas' came and got me when the invasion started. It was early in the morning, when most people were asleep. His Master said that Maleficent had amassed an army of Heartless to storm the castle, and he knew he wouldn't be able to stop her. Instead, he came to find me to find a way to help. We looked for the Princesses, but it seemed like they had hidden somewhere. We could not find them, and the castle was quickly being overrun with heartless looking for me. We took a hidden passage, which allowed me to spy on what was happening throughout the castle, and…I found my beloved apprentices…Braig, Dilan, Aeleus, Even, Lea, Isa…and even little Ienzo. They were all gathered, captured and brought to the Great Hall where Maleficent had made herself at home. Only she wasn't alone in her conquest. There was the man in a black cloak, and another younger man, wearing a helmet. Roxas didn't say, but I knew the man had to be his so-called master." He clenched his eyes shut, recalling the memory. "The boy with the helmet wielded a keyblade, and before my very eyes, struck down my apprentices, each one of them succumbing to the darkness. I was completely helpless to stop them. All we could do was flee."

"I would have stopped it if I could," Roxas defended. "But my Master has forbidden me from speaking his name, or from interfering with Maleficent. No matter how much I try, I can't seem to fight him."

"Such is the power of manipulation." Yen Sid assured. "It's not a loyalty to him that prevents you from helping us. It's his magic. By him giving you a new name with a sigil, he has control over you, at least to some extent."

"Sigil?" Asked Roxas.

"Your name is an anagram of Sora, with an X added. The X is a sigil, or a mark. Knowing someone's name can allow for a certain control over them, but giving them a new name with a sigil…I can't begin to imagine what he could do."

"Then, should Roxas even be here?" Asked Riku. "What if Xehanort forces him to tell him about us?"

"A keen observation, Riku." Yen Sid praised. "Now you see why we decided to tell you, and only you."

That was not entirely clear, and he communicated this with a frown.

"If we play our cards right, Xehanort will never know we suspect him. The temptation to tell Eraqus would be too strong for Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. And Eraqus, though his heart is in the right place, has known Xehanort all his life. Without any definitive proof, he surely would confront Xehanort for answers. You, on the other hand, are much more likely to come to Mickey or myself if you're unsure of something."

Riku had to admit it, they had pegged him true. He had nothing against Eraqus, but Yen Sid had taken up the role of trusted mentor first. He definitely saw that the others thought of Eraqus as a father figure, and would feel guilty hiding this from him.

"I understand now." Riku said, with a nod.

"Of course, as a master, you will be expected to share this information with the others when you deem it appropriate. And we expect you to come to us if you see anything that can be considered as proof. For now, I think it would be best if you pretended like you know nothing. I wouldn't even mention Roxas."

"Yes, Master."

"And Roxas," Yen Sid addressed him.

"Yes?"

"We would appreciate your help anyway you're willing to give it. But it would be unfair to ask you to do anything that could cause…harm."

"It's alright. Ansem has shown me what real friendship is, and I want to help my real friends. But…"

"Just do what feels right." Riku smiled.

Roxas returned it. "Lea and Isa…no, Axel and Saïx now…they live with the others in The World That Never Was. But…they're different. Colder."

"Such is the nature of a nobody," Ansem observed. "Though you seem to be an exception. Perhaps it is your connection with Sora which gives you the ability to feel."

"How did you…you know, happen?" Riku asked.

Roxas gave a half smile, and shook his head.

"A forbidden question then. Too bad."

"I'm sorry, I gotta go. If I stay too long, the others will be suspicious."

"Roxas, before you go, one more question." Ansem spoke up.

"Hmm?"

"The others…are they worried about me? Or…?"

"I'm afraid they think you abandoned them. I didn't correct them though."

Ansem nodded. "Such as I thought. Thank you, Roxas."

"Later then." A black portal appeared, and in the next moment, Roxas was gone.

"What a nightmare." Ansem lamented.

"I should probably get back to the others too," Riku suggested.

"Yes, and could you send Kairi when you do? You may tell the others what happened, but I think it's best if she hears it from me."

"Sure thing." He stood. "I'll keep my ears out for anything regarding Xehanort." With that, he headed back to the library.

Ventus, Kairi, and Sora all sat on the floor, as Terra and Aqua almost poetically regaled them of stories of their travels. Of course, everyone had had equally fantastic stories of the worlds they visited, but every world was just a little bit more amazing than the last.

"And then the pirates started shooting canon balls at us! While we were flying up in the sky! There was no protection, only clouds to hide in. A canon ball hit my shoulder and left a nice bruise!" Terra said.

"I, on the other hand, just practiced my shield summoning," Aqua boasted.

"Well, I could fly and dodge, or I could summon a shield, I can't do both Aqua."

"Because you haven't been practicing!"

"I didn't need to!"

"Or so you think!"

Riku knelt down next to Kairi and spoke quietly to her. "Hey, your uncle is here. He's in the next room, and he wants a word with you."

"Oh!" She stood. "I wonder what about? I hope everything is alright. I'll be back in a minute then."

In their argument, Terra and Aqua didn't even notice that she left the room, but Sora had. He crawled his way over to Riku, resting his hands on his shoulder, and leaned meaningfully towards the door.

"She just went to talk to her uncle. You remember Ansem the Wise, right?"

Sora didn't respond, just kept looking at the door.

"Huh? Did you say Ansem the Wise is here?"

"Yeah…um. It's not good."

But before he could elaborate, Sora winced out in pain, holding his chest.

"Sora? You okay?"

He didn't acknowledge them, and hurried out of the room on all fours.

"Sora!"

The group ran after, hearing the door slam open down the hall.

Sora burst into the study, only to see Kairi in tears, being held by a man vaguely familiar. He didn't care what happened, he just knew that she was in pain. He was in pain, because she was in pain, and he just wanted it to stop. He pushed passed those in his way and gathered her up in his arms.

"S-Sora?" She whimpered between sobs.

He nuzzled her face with his nose, trying to stop her tears, but not knowing how.

She drank up the affection, clinging to him and crying harder.

By then, everyone was at the door, watching the scene unfold.

"What happened?" Aqua asked, looking to Ansem, who was also teary-eyed.

"Radiant Garden has fallen."

In a clamor of footsteps, Kairi was embraced from all sides. Her hair was pet, her shoulder rubbed, her hand squeezed in assurance.

Ansem watched the scene with hope in his heart. She had a second home, and the last princess was undoubtably safe.