L&DH: well, welcome to my side project for "Heart and Soul" called "Another Side, More Stories". this is basically a collection of all the little one-shots and side stories that won't be included in H&S, but that i still felt should be a part of the project. and the first one up is...

Salem: about me! more specifically, how i got involved in the story. enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or really anything else but this story series and it's OCs.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

"…Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Lea. The journey now will be even more perilous than any you have ever experienced, and it will take the combined efforts of each of you if we are to have any hope of defeating Master Xehanort." Yen Sid said solemnly.

In the study of the great sorcerer, four people stood in front of his desk, each at attention.

Sora, the Key to everything and the one who had saved the worlds on many occasions. Riku, the group's only Master and a warrior of the Twilit Path. Kairi, a Princess of Heart who would serve as both one of the Seven Lights and Seven Protectors of the Light. And finally Lea, a newly awakened Keyblade wielder who still has a lot to learn.

Yen Sid regarded each of them as he presented them with their armor.

Lea sighed. "Why do I always get stuck with the icky jobs? This is gonna be a lot of work for just the four of us…"

"Really, Lea?" Sora laughed. "Try being in my shoes. And we aren't alone. We've got the King, Donald and Goofy, and all of our friends too."

"That's true, but he's right, Sora." Riku pointed out. "We're going into this out numbered 13 to 7. Not to mention the addition of the Heartless and Nobodies. And we still haven't even found Mickey's friends yet…"

At this, Yen Sid nodded. The young Master and Lea had brought up a very good point. Leading to his next statement.

"While it is true, you shall begin as four," he stated. "But you will find that your numbers shall grow. We will not be alone in this battle, for we have a great many allies to help. Even now, I have another Warrior searching the worlds for something that shall give us an advantage in the coming battles. And there are others who will lend their aid…"

The sorcerer was cut off when a sudden bang, like a loud explosion, rattled the tower. The four Keyblade wielders sunk into their battle stances at once, weapons at the ready.

"Are we being attacked?!" Kairi shouted as Destiny's Embrace sprang into her hand.

It was only Yen Sid, unfazed by the explosion, the remained calm. He lifted his hands in a calming gesture and reassured the four heroes.

"You may let your guard down." He assured. "This is no attack. In fact, that explosion was most likely caused by one of the allies I mentioned. You may head downstairs and seek out my apprentice. There is no doubt in my mind that he will aid you."

The four let out gestures and murmurs of confusion. It was common knowledge that Yen Sid was a Keyblade Master himself, but he had been retired for many years. Who was this apprentice?

Eager to find out, Sora was the first to bound out of the study, with his friends chasing after him. It was in the lower levels of the tower where the four came across a small lab of sorts, filled with bookshelves full of spell books and tables packed with materials and potions.

Frankly, they would have missed it if not for another explosion, smaller than the first that rattled the unlocked door. The sight of smoke billowing from the doorway had caught Kairi's attention. Curious, the Princess had decided to investigate.

Once the haze had cleared, the four were able to see a figure moving around in the back of the room, muttering to himself and riffling through a chest of materials. The only thing visible was a head of messy, purple hair. Lea whistled, gaining the figure's attention.

"Oh, uh, sorry about that. I didn't see….you!" The boy turned around and immediately locked eyes with a startled Lea, who couldn't believe his own eyes.

"Uh-oh!"

"Axel!"

The teen, around Riku's age, flung himself over a table as he launched himself at Lea. In a flash, two sets of small and razor sharp throwing knives appeared in the teen's hands. At once, Lea summoned his chakrams and blocked the boy's wild assault. He grunted under the weight of the mystery teen's kick.

"H-Heh, long time…no see!" Lea grunted. The boy just snarled, whipping forward and sending a furious punch to Lea's stomach.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" he spat. "I heard you died, Axel!"

The boy took another swing before Lea could respond, this time his fist meeting Lea's face. The redhead flew back as the purple-haired teen let out a confused grunt as his hand met with Lea's cheek.

"What the…" the boy murmured, staring at the fallen redhead with confusion. At once, the other three took their places in front of Lea, Keyblade out.

"What was that for?" Sora shouted. "What did Lea do to you?"

"Lea? But that's…wait…" An instant later, the teen had disappeared, leaving a confused Sora exclaiming his shock.

"What in the…You got your heart back!" the three whirled around to see the boy kneeling in front of Lea, peering at the redhead curiously as he twisted Lea's head this way and that. The redhead let out a chuckle.

"You betcha. Name's Lea; of course, you've got that memorized, don't you…Salem."

…

…

"I see…" Salem nodded from his seat on a wooden stool.

After apologizing for attacking Lea, the boy introduced himself as Salem Kurokami, a mage apprenticed to Yen Sid. As fate would have it, this boy actually grew up in Radiant Garden; a fact Kairi realized when she had gotten a good look at his face. As children, the two would play on occasion, and Salem was very happy to see that she had survived Radiant Garden's destruction.

"Well, I've gotta admit that I never saw any of this coming. Although, it is nice to see how much you've grown up, Kairi." Salem smiled and gave the girl a playful wink, taking note of Sora's less-than-amused reaction. "And I'm glad we got to meet again under better circumstances Ax…Lea."

Lea snorted, tossing his head back.

"I should have guessed you were the Apprentice," the redhead said grimly. "This is the only place you could hide without being found after you…left. But when did you get such a thing for sharp, pointy objects? Don't tell me you took after Larxene after all!"

At the mention of the Savage Nymph, Salem held a hand to his throat and gulped. Judging by the reaction, it was just Axel that Salem had known from the Organization.

"Well, no…But I dunno, knives, throwing stars, needles…They just feel right. I know I'm training to be a sorcerer and all, but I can't just rely on magic solely. That's dangerous."

Lea nodded as he leaned up against a wall. His green eyes focused on Salem, an old friend he hadn't seen in a while. Last time he'd seen the kid, he was scrawny, uncertain, and with a big mouth that often got him into trouble. This new Salem was a bit surreal.

It was still obviously Salem, with those unmistakable indigo eyes that held a constant glint of mischief and his deeply tanned skin. Last time he'd seen him, Salem was covered in scars and bandages, so it looked like his wounds had healed nicely. The biggest change would have to be in his hair.

Before, Salem had a head of thick, messy hair the color of tar. It was always sticking out in all sorts of directions and made him look like he got struck by lightning. Now, it was dyed this deep shade of purple and much longer. What used to come down to his chin was now hanging over his shoulder in a neat braid, just barely reaching his armpit. It was…odd.

"So Salem, will you help us out?" Kairi asked, eager to catch up with her old friend. The mage looked thoughtful for a second before breaking into a beaming smile.

"Since you asked, Princess." He chuckled. "It sounds like fun. I'm always game to go see some new worlds. Count me in!"

"Great!" Sora exclaimed. "Welcome aboard, Salem."

….

….

Later that day, Salem sat out on the roof of the Mysterious Tower, staring out into the shifting colors of the sky. if one had to guess, he almost looked like he was waiting…

"Thought I'd find you up here."

Salem sighed as he leaned forward, shifting his gaze to the ground below them. He never took his eyes off the grass below.

"Say…Lea." He said quietly. "You aren't the only one back, huh?"

Lea shifted uncomfortably, understanding at once what the mage was getting at. This conversation was definitely falling under the category of "icky jobs".

"Yeah…"

"They're all back." It wasn't a statement.

"I'm not really sure about that part. I haven't seen Demyx or Luxord. I glad Larxene and Marluxia haven't showed up anywhere but…"

"Stop beating around the bush, Lea." Salem sighed. "You never were good at it anyway. Even, Ienzo, Isa? They all came back, didn't they?"

Lea nodded.

"Even…Him?" Salem's face took on a dark frown at the very thought.

"Yeah…This stinks, doesn't it? I just know I'm gonna have to fight one friend just to get back another…I guess it isn't any easier for you."

"Nope. As much as I hate to say it, I'm going to have to face my demons in this game…Well, it can't be helped." Salem stood up and turned around, smiling sadly at Lea. "I think it's time I stopped running from who I am, don't you?"

Lea smirked. "Glad you got it memorized, Salem. You're in good hands at least."

Salem nodded. "Sora…He's Roxas, isn't he?"

Lea nodded sharply, frowning at the thought of one of his best friends. While Sora did remind him of Roxas, he was a far cry from the best friend he had lost.

"Then…We'll be okay." Salem decided. "Roxas was a strong kid, even I know that. And then there's my little ace-in-the-hole too."

Lifting his head skyward, Salem thought about his own best friend, or at least the closest thing he had to one.

Heh…With these turn of events, I don't even need my power to know things are going to get interesting, right…Vanitas?

L&DH: and there we go!

Salem: my hand hurts...*rubs knuckles* who knew Lea had such a hard head?

L&DH: right...well, anyway, i hope this will help shed some light on the lives of my characters. i will even post some ones about my villains too, like Dante, 10, and 12. but for right now, i think the next will either be Dante or Angelique. we'll have to see.

Salem: thanks for reading, and go ahead and leave a review for us in the little box. they're always appreciated guys!

both: BYE!