CHAPTER V - MIDAUTUMN

From her seat in the Gummiship, Naminé stares in amazement at the lights in the distance, at all the different Worlds. Riku gives her a brief description of the ones he’s heard about or knows, but she’s too distracted by their beauty to truly pay attention.

The only thing that’s managed to snap her back to paying attention are the sudden shifts in music genres provided by the portable CD players that her friends back at Twilight Town gifted to them. One example being an abrupt switch from Roxas’s ska to Xion’s industrial metal, which prompted a belly laugh from her and a chuckle from Riku.

“…-miné.”

She’s fully leaning to the side now, twisting her body to see a World that caught her eye. It’s very far away, but its lilac glow flaunts the presence of a strong Light within.

“Naminé.”

Riku’s calling out to her from right beside her.

“Oh! Sorry, Riku, I got distracted.” She apologizes. “What is it?”

“I just wanted to tell you that we’re almost there.” He says as he lifts up his right hand from the Gummiship’s steering wheel and points. “See that World over there? The one with the golden and blue glow?”

Naminé squints and looks around until she finally finds it. It’s growing closer.

“Yes, I see it.”

“That’s the Land of the Departure; we should be there in about fifteen minutes.” Riku explains.

Naminé shuts off her portable CD player and asks, “Have you ever been there?”

“No, I haven’t. Well, I haven’t been there properly.”

“What do you mean?”

Riku grimaces. “We’ve both been there, actually. It’s Castle Oblivion’s original form.”

“What!?” Naminé says, shocked and afraid.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing like what it used to be. We won’t have to worry about maze-like floors.” He reassures.

“Oh…”

“Apparently, it was given that form to seal something away by Aqua.” Riku picks at his own brain.

“It won’t turn into Castle Oblivion again, right?”

“No, I’m sure. We can ask Aqua about it together if it’ll make you feel better.”

“Yes, please.”

After a few minutes of silence, Riku begins to carefully land in the Land of Departure. Ventus runs down the castle stairs excitedly, orange leaves crunching under his every step, as Terra and Aqua trail behind him with smiles on their faces.

Their easygoing expressions assuage Naminé’s fears.

---

The pair step out into the Land of Departure’s grassy fields, enveloped by distant mountain peaks and blanketed by a sea of stars in the night sky. The trees shift with the breeze, causing leaves of different orange hues to drift in the wind.

“Thank you so much for coming, Riku.” Aqua says, with a smile on her face. She turns to look down at Naminé, “You too, Naminé.”

“O-Of course, Master Aqua.” Riku says, nervously, which causes Aqua to fall into a fit of giggles.

“Please, you don’t have to be so formal. This goes for you too, Naminé. I may be a Keyblade Master, but I’m still just myself, just Aqua.”

“Or else we’d also have to call Riku ‘Master Riku.’” Ventus says, chiming into the conversation.

Naminé freezes for just a moment. It’s jarring seeing someone look so much like Roxas and yet be so unlike him. Ventus is all easy smiles, while with Roxas, you had to work much harder to get a genuine smile out of him.

Before Naminé even gets the chance to address Ventus, he says, “Please, call me Ven.” Almost as if reading her mind.

“Okay, Ven. It’s nice to see you again; we didn’t get to talk much at the beach.”

“Same here!” He adds with a smile.

Terra, who had been hanging out in the background, finally steps forward: “Nice to see you again, Riku. I’m so proud to see how far you’ve come as a Keyblade Wielder.”

Riku blushes from the praise and tries to brush it aside. “It’s thanks to you I can even wield one to begin with.”

“But your strength, that’s all yours. I didn’t teach you anything.”

“Y-yeah well. It wasn’t without its missteps.”

“Riku, I think you should just accept the compliment.” Ventus says.

Riku blushes even further, and Naminé giggles before letting out a yawn. Aqua watches over the scene before her fondly.

Aqua hums. “Well, we should get you two settled.”

“Yeah! We have plenty of space, so you two can even get your own rooms!” Ven cheers.

“Did you two need anything to eat?” Terra wonders.

“No, we ate something on our way here.” Naminé answers with a small smile.

“Awesome! Can I show them where their rooms are?” Ventus asks.

“Of course. I’ll carry their stuff.” Terra offers, already making his way into the Gummiship to grab Riku and Naminé’s bags.

Riku flusters as Naminé looks back around at Terra. “Please, we can carry it ourse—”

“Nonsense, you two are our guests. Terra and I will take your bags to your rooms; you two just enjoy your time here.” Aqua placates Riku and Naminé with a small smile.

Ventus runs back towards the steps. “Come on, follow me!” he calls out while gesturing excitedly.

Riku and Naminé rush after him, but Naminé notices an unfamiliar Keyblade impaled into the ground that has three charms hanging from it, with flowers placed where it meets the earth. She trails off for a second, wondering to whom it belongs, but quickly catches up to Riku and Ventus.

---

As soon as they step inside the castle, Ventus yells, “Chirithy! We have guests!” But he gets no reply, save for the light breeze coming in through the half-open door.

Riku and Naminé turn to look at each other, confused. Noticing their confusion, Ventus explains, “Chirithy is uh… A friend! They’re really shy, though, even around Terra and Aqua, so they might not come out much.

“A friend? Are they also a Keyblade Wielder?” Naminé inquires.

Ventus laughs, “No, no. They’re less than a meter tall, so I don’t think they could wield one if they wanted to.” He gestures the mentioned height as he talks, “They look sort of like, a plushie actually.”

Naminé clasps her hands together. “Oh! I would love to meet them!”

“Hopefully they’ll at least say ‘hi’…” Ventus turns around and crosses his palms on the back of his head as he walks up a flight of stairs past a grand hall and up into a hallway. “Here are your rooms!” he says as he points at the left side of the hallway.

“R-really!? These seem quite large.” Naminé says, incredulous.

“They’re all yours!” Ventus says cheerfully. “Oh! Except the one on the end of the hallway, that one’s mine.”

“I’ll take this one, then.” Riku says, gesturing at the one closest to the stairs, leaving Naminé with the one in the middle.

“Great! Naminé, your room is across from Terra’s, while Riku’s is across from Aqua’s. If you two need anything, just ask them!” Ventus explains.

Riku looks around the hall one final time. “Thanks, Ven.”

“No problem!”

Riku hears a pair of distant footsteps grow closer and closer; it’s Aqua and Terra.

Terra removes one of Riku’s bags from his shoulders and asks, “Did you already show them their rooms, Ven?”

“Yeah!” He nods.

Riku and Naminé hurriedly open the doors to their respective rooms so the two can put down their bags somewhere.

Terra and Aqua help Riku and Naminé unpack, respectively, while Ventus darts between the two rooms, helping as much as he can. After an hour of hard work helping them get settled, Aqua points out the time, causing everyone to hurriedly get into bed.

---

Naminé gets into bed and unsuccessfully tries to fall asleep. The spaciousness of the room makes her feel uneasy, unused to having her own space. She stares at the ceiling for a bit before grabbing her Gummiphone from the bedside table.

Naminé hears a couple of knocks from the wall behind her.

She smiles and inches backwards on her bed, raising her right fist and sending out three knocks in reply. Knowing that Riku is right there on the other side of the wall makes her feel much better.

---

The following day, Aqua serves everyone a late breakfast. Quickly deciding on something easy but filling, she prepares both savory and sweet pancakes for everyone while shooing Riku away from the kitchen, who only wanted to help.

Meanwhile, Terra explains how the coffeemaker works to Naminé and stops her from making her usual ‘sugar monstrosity’ by giving her some cream to sweeten it up.

Ventus sets the table and helps move things from the kitchen to their dining room.

Once everyone is seated, Aqua opens the conversation by asking, “Riku, Naminé, would you like to join us for our morning Keyblade exercises after we finish eating? This may be our break month from venturing into the Realm of Darkness, but we can’t afford to get too comfortable without our Keyblades.”

Namine takes a sip of her coffee. “Um… I don’t have a Keyblade.”

“That’s okay, we have a bunch of wooden ones you can use!” Ventus says as he chews his food, making his sentence only semi-understandable. Terra, while chuckling, bumps him in the leg for this.

“I…” She trails off.

Riku gives her a reassuring nod.

“Sure… I could give it a try.”

Ventus cheers while Aqua and Terra smile.

The group finish their food and make their way out to the gardens.

---

The sun’s rays break through the autumn breeze, making it feel warmer than what it actually is. The group of five settle underneath a nice patch of sunlight in order to do their exercises. Naminé scrambles, not knowing where to stand, until Terra directs her to stand in between him and Ventus, with Aqua and Riku in front of them.

Terra hands Naminé a Keyblade carved out of wood; it’s a bit lumpy, but she can tell a lot of care was put into it.

Aqua turns to face the group and focuses in on Naminé, thinking. After a moment, she opens her mouth. “Naminé, would you mind settling into a fighting stance for me?”

Naminé, flustered, crouches a bit and settles into a fighting stance similar to that of Kairi’s, Xion’s, and… Sora’s.

Aqua gives her a knowing smile. “Try swinging your ‘Keyblade’ downwards.”

Naminé does as Aqua requested and almost falls backwards when trying to return to her starting position. She looks embarrassed.

Aqua moves towards her and helps her readjust herself. “Here, why don’t you try something similar to my stance? Your swings will be lighter and won’t hit quite as hard, but it’ll be much easier to keep your balance.” Aqua says as she positions Naminé into a stance similar to her own. “Why don’t you try again? Just follow my movements.” Aqua demonstrates a quick downward strike.

Naminé tries again and this time succeeds, prompting clapping from the rest of the group.

“Great!” Aqua smiles. “Let’s continue like this, then.” Aqua trades places with Terra so she can be beside Naminé.

Naminé nods. “O-okay!”

The group continue their exercises until Naminé looks noticeably worn-out.

Aqua casts a glance towards Naminé. “Alright, time for a break, everyone!”

Naminé sits down on the grassy field, clutching her wooden Keyblade while out of breath. “Sorry, everyone.”

“What are you apologizing for, Naminé? You did great! We usually take a break around here anyway.” Ventus cheers her up, sitting down beside her.

Aqua nods, “Ven’s right. This is your first time doing these types of exercises, so don’t overexert yourself.” She says as she settles down on the grass too. “You’re free to stop whenever you want. We’re not forcing you to participate, so feel free to just watch us as well.”

Terra sits down nearby as well. “We usually spar after our breaks; you can spar with Ven if you want to, too.”

“I… I think I’ll pass.” Naminé says, still out of breath. “I don’t think fighting is for me.”

“That’s okay!” Ventus reassures while lying down completely on the floor. The rest join him, even Riku, as they gaze up into the clouds.

---

After a while, Ventus quickly lifts up one of his legs and lowers it to gain momentum, swiftly sitting up. “Alright, I wanna see the two Keyblade Masters duel!”

Aqua giggles and joins Ventus. “Of course you’d say something like that.” She turns to Riku, who’s still lying down. “Riku, would you join me?”

Riku opens one of his eyes. “Sure.” He slowly stands up and stretches his hand out to Naminé, helping her stand up. Terra does the same for Aqua and Ventus.

“Do you guys have any rules for sparring? Like, no magic or something like that?” Riku asks.

“Not really. We just fight until one of us taps out.” Aqua replies.

“Yeah! So you can go all out!” Ventus says, excited.

Terra coughs.

Ventus glances back at Terra. “Well, you can use magic, but don’t get too crazy.” He adds.

“Understood.” Riku smiles. “Naminé, would you like to be my referee again?”

“Yes, of course.” Naminé says as she moves to sit under a nearby tree’s shade, the sun’s been annoyingly getting in her eyes, making her unable to see. Terra and Ventus join her.

Aqua bows and summons her Keyblade, and Riku quickly copies her. They walk a few paces apart and stand ready for Naminé’s signal.

“You got this, Aqua!” Ventus cheers.

Terra laughs and says to Naminé, “You know, I actually don’t know who to cheer for.”

“Really?” Naminé looks at him.

“Yeah. Aqua’s my friend, but I’m also the one who bequeathed Riku with the ability to wield a Keyblade…” He trails off for a bit. “If… If Xehanort hadn’t done what he did to us, it would’ve been an honor to train him. Even though he was never my student, I feel like I should cheer for him.” Terra says, his gaze distant.

“I see…” Naminé nods and thinks. “I’ll… I’ll cheer for Riku, and you could cheer for both of them; that way, they both have two people cheering for them.”

Terra chuckles. “I think I’ll do just that.”

“Naminé, are you ready?” Aqua calls out.

“Oh! Yes!” Naminé nods and raises her voice. “Three, two, one… Go!” She yells.

And they’re off.

Seeing them spar with their magic is absolutely captivating to Naminé; she’s never seen anything quite like it. Aqua’s swift strikes are hypnotic, full of dazzling lights and icy blue sparkles. She’s not even sure if she’s even physically wielding the Keyblade; it seems to move on its own, spinning up and down, meeting Riku’s blows every time. And while she’s seen Riku fight before, that was nothing compared to what she’s seeing now; both Light and Darkness, in perfect balance, are projected from his Keyblade, enveloping it in a purple glow, and somehow, despite wielding such a heavy Keyblade, he manages to fight almost just as gracefully as Aqua.

After a particularly swift set of blows from Aqua, a rainbow of lights envelops her, and she fires off an orb of light towards Riku, who quickly dodges it, phasing in and out of a shadowy glow.

“Nicely done, Riku!” Aqua compliments.

Ventus claps. “Get him, Aqua!”

Naminé briefly turns to look at Terra only to see him utterly fascinated by Riku’s fighting style. He’s completely silent.

Riku closes in, trying to pressure Aqua with his strength, forcing her to fire off a Thundaga to make him back away, placing him at a disadvantage. Aqua’s magical prowess makes her a much better long-distance fighter than Riku, who hasn’t been using many spells in the match.

“That was too close…” Riku says to himself.

They both spin and twirl, dodging each other’s magical attacks, until Riku closes in on Aqua once more, something she was apparently counting on as she blocks with her barrier and sends him flying backwards. She continues retaliating with spell after spell until she casts a particularly devastating Firaga.

“Riku!” Naminé fidgets worriedly.

Riku seems to be down for the count, Naminé counting on him to tap out, until he grips his Keyblade with both of his hands and fires off a Firaga of his own; however, unlike Aqua’s, its flame is slow-moving and purple until it suddenly splits off into several quick flames that home in on her.

Naminé hears Ventus gasp beside her.

Aqua doesn’t block.

Aqua doesn’t dodge.

Aqua recovers from the blow, but she looks rattled. Her once graceful attacks now seem… panicked. Afraid. She quickly counterattacks Riku, but it’s like she’s moving automatically. As if she wasn’t entirely in the present.

Her strikes hit much harder now. Riku attempts to block with his own barrier and get some distance, but she immediately bounces back and casts Blizzaga after Blizzaga.

Riku can’t avoid all of them.

“I’m tapping out.” He says, tired.

But Aqua continues fighting as if she didn’t hear anything. Riku quickly blocks her swings, unable to conjure up his barrier anymore.

Naminé panics and looks around to Terra and Ventus, but they’re both completely immobile. “Stop!” She screams. But Aqua doesn’t stop.

Naminé quickly gets up and runs into the fray, frantically pulling at Aqua to get her to stop. “I said stop!” She yells once more.

Aqua stops.

Riku collapses onto the ground.

Aqua gasps and quickly puts away her Keyblade. “Riku! I-I’m sorry! Are you alright!? I don’t know what happened. I—”

“’M fine.” Riku coughs out.

Terra and Ventus run over to the group. “Aqua! R-Riku!” Ventus says. “Are you both okay?”

Terra carefully crouches down, summons his Keyblade, and casts Curaga on Riku. As vines and petals envelop Riku, Terra helps him get up, unable to look him in the eyes.

Riku looks around him. Naminé is worriedly staring at him, but… The others, there’s something in their eyes. Aqua and Ventus look at him differently now, almost as if they were afraid of him. And Terra, who healed him, isn’t looking at him at all.

“I… I think I’m gonna go and rest in my room…” Riku turns around and walks back into the castle with his head down.

“Riku, wait!” Naminé follows him, but not before looking behind her and seeing Aqua collapse onto the ground, sobbing.

---

Riku is much faster than Naminé, and he makes it into his room and locks it before she can follow him inside. She frantically knocks at the door. “Riku, please! Let me in.” She pleads.

She continues knocking but gets no response. All she can hear are light sniffles coming from inside. Naminé worriedly looks at the door, sits on the cold floor with her back against it, and takes out her Gummiphone.

Naminé lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

Riku doesn’t reply for a while.

Naminé hears shuffling from inside the room. Footsteps grow closer and closer to her, and she hears Riku slide down onto the floor on the other side of the door.

“Good.” Naminé says and closes her eyes. “It’s your own strength, nobody else’s.”

“People are afraid of things they don’t understand… I used to be so afraid all the time, until I started talking to you and everyone else. I have friends now, and that makes everything not seem that scary anymore, because my friends have always been there for me and explained things that I didn’t understand.” Naminé reassures Riku. “I’m sure that if you explain to them how you can wield both Light and Darkness, they won’t be afraid anymore.”

“Riku, your use of Darkness makes you unique, it makes you strong, it makes you ‘you’… I… I know I’m rambling, but you are deserving of your Keyblade; you’ve done so much good with it, you’re a real Keyblade Master…” Naminé takes a deep breath. “Also… you’re doing your best to find Sora. Don’t be so harsh on yourself, Riku…”

Naminé is met with silence.

She softly knocks on the door twice.

She hears three knocks in reply and smiles.

“I’m just saying the truth, Riku; you don’t have to thank me.”

The two sit in silence for a bit, until Naminé hears Riku’s stomach growl from the other side of the door. “Do you want me to get you something to eat?”

“Of course I can, Riku; that’s what friends are for.”

“I’ll be right back.” Naminé gets up off the floor and makes her way down the stairs.

---

Before Naminé can get to the kitchen, she encounters Aqua, Terra, and Ventus. The three of them are quietly sitting in the dining room, with sad and worried looks on their faces. Ventus perks up a bit when he sees Naminé and greets her. “Hey, Naminé. Is Riku okay?”

“He’s… He’ll be okay.” She says, somewhat cold and protective of her friend. “I’m just passing through to grab some food for him. So if you’ll excuse me—”

“W-Wait, Naminé.” Aqua softly calls out to her. “I feel awful for what happened. So I… I put some muffins in the oven for him. I wanted to apologize with, with something at least. Would you mind waiting with us until they’re done?”

“…Okay.” Naminé says as she sits down on the seat furthest from everyone. She gives each of them a quick glance. Aqua looks guilty, switching from staring at nothing to checking the clock on the wall. Ventus looks afraid, rocking back and forth slightly. Terra… Terra looks different.

Naminé sighs. “What happened back there?” She asks.

Aqua intertwines her hands together. “I… We’re familiar with the spell Riku used. There was a boy with a mask who—”

“Vanitas.” Ventus interrupts, unusually serious.

Aqua looks at Ventus until he nods, urging her to go on. “There was this boy, Vanitas. We still don’t quite know what he was, but when he would attack us, he would use that spell; he would use Dark Firaga.”

“And?” Naminé inquires.

“It just… When Riku cast it, his battle stance was already so similar to his that I chalked it up to coincidence, but when he cast it, I—something happened to me. I thought I was fighting Vanitas, and that everything was going to come crashing down on us again.” Aqua explains, her voice somewhat trembly. “I know, I know, it’s not an excuse, but that’s what happened. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me; it’s Riku who you need to apologize to.”

“I know, I was just about to go up to his room and apologize to him in person once the muffins were done.”

“I don’t think that’d be a good idea right now; he wasn’t doing so well.”

Aqua somehow looks even more guilty.

Naminé, feeling bad, takes out a small sketchpad from one of her pockets. “You can write him a note if you want; I’ll take it to him.”

“Oh! That’d be great, thank you, Naminé.” Aqua finally smiles again as Naminé sits closer to her.

As Aqua writes her message, Naminé’s curiosity finally gets the better of her, and she asks. “Um… By the way… I saw a Keyblade with three charms when Riku and I first arrived. Whose is it?”

At first, nobody answers.

“It’s our old Master’s.” Terra speaks up. “He- I-… He’s no longer with us.”

“Oh… I’ll be sure to pay my respects sometime.”

“Thanks.”

A few moments of silence pass.

“It’s done.” Aqua says. “I still want to properly apologize to him, but please, take this to him.” She hands the small sketchpad back to Naminé.

Naminé pockets it without looking at the message. “Don’t worry, you’ll get the chance to. I just don’t think it’ll be today.”

“That’s… That’s okay.” Aqua accepts. “The… The muffins must be done by now, but they still need to cool. I could take them up once they’re finished cooling, or, wait, you could just take the pan with you and tell him to let them cool.”

“I can do that.” Naminé nods.

“Okay!” Aqua tries her best to smile. “Follow me, Naminé.”

---

Before Naminé can make it all the way up the flight of stairs, someone calls out to her. “Wait!”

It’s Terra.

Naminé turns around and asks. “What is it, Terra?”

“The spell Riku used today, Dark Firaga, I know it too. I used it once in one of our missions into the Realm of Darkness recently, and it really scared Aqua and Ven. They’re… Not used to Darkness like we are, so please, don’t be too hard on them.” Terra pleads.

“It’s okay, Terra. I won’t.” She smiles.

“Thanks.”

As Naminé continues her journey up the stairs, she notices rain falling from one of the windows.

---

Riku sits on his bed in the slight darkness of the setting sun, unsure of what to do with himself as he waits for Naminé. Just as he’s mentally preparing himself to quietly step out and quickly grab something to eat, he hears knocking at his door.

“Riku? Are you there?” Naminé asks, somewhat muffled by the door.

Riku opens his mouth to reply, but only a creaky noise comes out. He still can’t speak. He takes out his Gummiphone instead.

“I brought you some food, but it still has to cool down a bit before you can eat it. Aqua made you chocolate-chip muffins.”

Riku’s stomach growls in protest, and he can hear Naminé giggle from the other side of the door.

“I also have a note from her.”

Riku hears paper rip and sees a note slide in from under the door, he turns the lights on in his room to read it.

Riku
I’m so sorry for what happened. Your Dark Firaga reminded me a lot of one of the people Terra, Ven, and I had to fight. This isn’t the first time something like this happens to me, so please don’t think that it was your fault. Terra has used the same spell in the past, which has made me react similarly, but this was the first time I’ve seen the spell in a spar. I’m truly sorry for hurting you. I should have warned you about the fear that I still have of Darkness, but I got so excited to spar with another Keyblade Master, especially one that uses Light and Darkness in balance, that I chose not to so I could see how you truly fight. I now realize how great my mistake was. I hope my mistakes haven’t made you feel less welcome in our home. I promise you that Ven and I aren’t scared of you. The truth is, all three of us admire your strength and determination. You’re a true Keyblade Master; I’m honored I get to share the title with someone like you. I hope I get to apologize to you in person tomorrow.
-Aqua

Riku tears up as he reads the note and wipes his eyes, which still feel somewhat heavy from crying earlier.

Naminé knocks. “Riku, are you okay?”

“I will. But don’t thank me for bringing you anything yet; I still haven’t given you your food. Could you let me in?” Naminé asks.

In lieu of an answer, Riku opens the door and offers Naminé a small wave. She smiles in return.

“Here you go. Six chocolate-chip muffins straight from the oven.” She says as she hands over the now cooled pan.

“Can’t eat all this.” Riku softly mumbles. “Have some, too.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

“Take three.”

“No, these are for you, so I’ll only take two.”

Riku looks at Naminé’s determined face and relents. He nods.

The two eat in companionable silence, sitting on Riku’s bed.

Riku clears his throat. “Thanks for everything, Naminé.”

“It’s no problem.” She replies. He’s still looking at her somewhat awkwardly, so she asks. “Would you like a hug?”

Riku blushes and nods.

Naminé carefully wraps her arms around him and gives him a hug. It takes him a while, but he eventually returns it. “Thanks.” He mumbles.

She stays with Riku until the sun finishes setting.

---

After saying goodnight to Riku, who decided to call it early that day, Naminé settles down at one of the windows to watch the rain fall on the World of the Land of Departure. Wanting to draw the scenery, she takes out her sketchpad and begins sketching out the mountains in the distance.

She’s so focused on this task that she doesn’t hear Ventus walk towards her. “Oh, cool! You can draw!” He says.

Naminé jumps a little bit. “Y-Yeah.”

“Do you, uh, mind if I sit with you?”

“I don’t.”

“Cool!” Ventus sits across from her. “Naminé, I’m sorry about today—”

Naminé quickly turns to a new page in her sketchpad and abruptly asks, “What does Chirithy look like?”

“Huh?”

“Your friend, Chirithy, what do they look like?”

“Um… Well, they’re like a cat. Light gray and… Very round, their ears are a bit droopy… Oh! And they’ve got stripes; they’re darker gray. They also have a pouch and…” Ventus continues describing Chirithy until Naminé draws them several times, updating her sketches when necessary.

“Like this?” She turns the sketchpad around.

“Oh wow! Yeah! Just like that!”

“They’re really cute.”

Naminé turns to a new page yet again and begins sketching something more elaborate this time. Ventus tries to peek, but Naminé turns away the sketchpad every time. Giving up, he watches the rain.

After a few minutes, Naminé rips out two pieces of paper, one containing the initial sketches of Chirithy and the new one that she’s been working on. “Sorry, I don’t have my crayons on me, but here you go. This is for you and your friend.” She says with a smile.

Ventus grabs the papers and gasps. “W-Wow, Naminé, this is amazing!” He beams, looking at the second sketch. It’s a sketch of him and Chirithy together. “Thank you so much.”

“It’s no problem.” She smiles. “Also, Ven, you don’t have to apologize to me. If you feel like you have to apologize to anyone, it should be Riku.”

“Yeah… You’re right.”

---

Naminé stays sketching by the window and chatting with Ventus until she lets out a yawn. She bids him goodnight and goes to her room to prepare to go to sleep.

Still worried about Riku, she takes out her Gummiphone in order to send him a text message but realizes that it would wake him up if he’s already asleep. Instead, she softly knocks twice on the wall.

To her surprise, she receives multiple knocks back, almost as if Riku were playing a little song.

Relieved that he seems to be feeling better, she goes to sleep.

---

The next morning goes by with no sign of Riku. Naminé knocks at his door and messages him but receives no reply. She worriedly relays this to the group at breakfast before they conclude that he must be sleeping in. They go through their morning routine as always, with Naminé watching and Riku noticeably absent.

They find Riku sitting in the kitchen after Terra and Ventus finish a sparring round. “Congratulations on your win, Terra.” He says while eating a hastily prepared sandwich.

“Uh, thank you, Riku.” Terra hastily replies.

Naminé jogs towards him. “Riku!”

“Hey, Naminé.”

“Aw, I can’t believe Riku saw me lose through the window.” Ventus complains. “It’s good to see you, though.”

Aqua doesn’t move from the kitchen entryway. “Riku… I’m… I’m glad to see you feeling better.”

Riku smiles, trying to reassure her. “It’s good to see everyone. You too, Aqua. I… I got your note, by the way. Thank you.”

Aqua sits across from him and begins, “Riku, I’m really sorry for yesterday; I hope you can forgive me.”

“It’s okay, Aqua. I understand. Darkness has hurt all of us in one way or another.”

“I know, but I’m sick of being afraid of it.”

Terra joins the conversation. “Our old Master, he absolutely despised Darkness. He never told us why, exactly. When teaching us, he completely forbade us from calling on it, and the only use of Darkness we’ve ever seen came from me when I lost control of myself, or from… Them…”

Aqua and Ventus nod. “While we still wouldn’t use it, we would like to get used to it. Your control of it and your use of it in tandem with Light—it’s… Unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.” Aqua continues. “Could you please continue to train with us?”

“Um… Thank you so much… I’d love to continue training with you, if you’d have me.”

“Of course!” Ventus replies.

After a moment of silence, Terra looks at Aqua, then Ventus, and then finally, Riku. “Riku, I actually have a request for you.”

“What is it?”

Terra sits down beside Aqua. “I would like you to teach me to control Darkness. I can use it, too, but only when I lose control of my emotions.”

“I… Me, teach you!?” Riku exclaims, shocked.

“Yeah.” Terra nods.

“It… I’ll do my best, Terra.”

“Thanks, Riku.”

After a moment of consideration, Riku replies. “We can start tomorrow; I’m still not feeling my best.”

“Oh no. Do you need another Curaga?” Aqua asks, feeling guilty.

“No, no, it’s not that. I just need another day, is all.”

“Okay, but let me know if you need anything.” Aqua says.

---

That day, Naminé gets to see the group’s usual routine.

Terra continues to train outside, pushing himself right up until the sun sets, with admirable dedication.

Meanwhile, Aqua pores over books about Darkness and the Realm of Darkness in her Master’s old Study with Ventus. She highlights and underlines passages in the books and sometimes dictates stuff to Ventus for him to write down. After a while, Ventus disappears, claiming that he’s going to look for Chirithy, but Naminé suspects this to be an excuse.

She and Riku end up helping in his place, as Riku asks questions of his own to Aqua about the Realm of Darkness. He seems exceedingly curious about their Keyblade Armor as well.

As Aqua retells her voyage in the Realm of Darkness to Riku, Naminé sketches what she imagines it to look like.

---

The following morning, after the group eats breakfast together, they all make their way to their usual training spot. The group does their usual warm-ups as Naminé watches from beneath the shade of a nearby tree.

“Okay, Riku, it’s time for you to go into ‘Master Riku mode’!” Ventus says.

Riku laughs out of embarrassment.

“Ven, don’t tease him so much; he’s here to help us.” Aqua replies, hand on her hip.

“Okay, uh…” Riku scratches the back of his head, looking around at his eager ‘students.’ He takes a deep breath and begins his ‘lesson.’ “Darkness, actually, is a lot like other elemental magic; it’s just a lot harder to control. It grows stronger from our emotions, especially ones like anger.”

Terra looks off to the side.

“But that doesn’t mean that we can’t use it without feeling those emotions. Darkness can also be used to protect those you hold dear; you just have to turn it into your own strength, and that’s where control comes in.”

Naminé smiles, hearing those familiar words again.

“The Heartless will make you feel like your Darkness doesn’t belong to you, that it belongs to them and they can control you through it, but that’s not true. You just need to remind yourself what it is you’re fighting for, and soon you’ll be able to control it.”

Riku is met with silence. He coughs, “At least… That’s what I think.”

Terra nods. “Yeah, that makes sense. Whenever I used Darkness, I always felt like I was ‘borrowing’ it.”

“I have a question.” Aqua looks at Riku. “Does combining Darkness with other elements, like Light or Fire, make it easier to control?”

“Absolutely.” Riku replies, gaining confidence. “Light and Darkness may be total opposites, but they’re actually not that difficult to use in tandem. Even if you just use a tiny bit of Light in one of your attacks, it’ll make it much easier to control.”

Riku seems to be enjoying his explanations now. “The same goes for other elements. Even something barely noticeable, like just incorporating a small Aero into your attack.”

“Interesting… I’ll have to pay close attention if you ever spar with one of us again.”

“Of course.” Riku smiles. “I can do a small demonstration with Dark Firaga right now if everyone is comfortable with it. It’s the most simple spell I know.”

The three Wielders nod.

“Okay.” Riku summons his Keyblade and grasps it with both hands; its tip is enveloped in a purple glow, and he casts Dark Firaga once more. Aiming at one of the nearby dummies, a slow-moving purple flame bursts into several fast flames that home in on the dummy; the impact makes the dummy spin a couple of times.

Aqua and Ventus flinch a bit but quickly recover. “Riku, can you just cast it a bunch of times so we associate that spell with you instead?” Ventus says.

Riku chuckles. “I can try, but it’d wear me out.”

“How’d you get the flames to be so bright?” Terra asks, pensive.

Riku pokes at his brain for an answer but finds none. “I… I don’t know; for me it’s always been like this. Is yours darker?”

“Yeah, almost black, actually. I… don’t think I could cast it at will right now.” Terra clenches his fist.

“That’s alright. Do you think you could cast it if you made the Firaga part of it stronger?” Riku counters.

“I… can try.” Terra steps forward and directs his gaze towards the dummy. His posture is exactly the same as Riku’s, causing Riku to raise an eyebrow. The flame, however, is much different. It’s still much darker than Riku’s and doesn’t split into several smaller flames.

Terra, now crouching on the ground and out of breath, says, “Back when… Back when we were battling the Unversed… It always dazed them… I think it can blind.”

Riku, worried, asks. “Are you alright, Terra?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. I think I made the flame too strong. I’ll get the hang of it.” He smiles. “Like this, I can cast it whenever I want, not just when I’m angry.”

“I’m glad.” Riku moves to help him get up, and Terra takes his hand.

“Thanks, Riku.”

“It’s no problem.”

“No, really. Thank you so much.” Aqua chimes in.

“Yeah! You’re awesome, Riku!” Ventus says.

Riku doesn’t know what to do under so much praise; he mutters a quick. “You’re welcome.”

Naminé smiles from the distance and draws them all in her sketchpad.

---

Days of training with everyone turn into weeks, which then turn into a month. Aqua and Ventus slowly but surely lose their fear of Darkness with Riku’s help, while Terra slowly gains mastery of it, making it his. While he still struggles with controlling it, it’s nowhere near as difficult as it used to be.

Naminé, meanwhile, learns about the history of the Land of Departure from Aqua, even managing to ask her by herself how it came to be briefly known as Castle Oblivion. Aqua reassures her that Castle Oblivion will never return if she can help it. Lifting a weight off of Naminé’s shoulders she didn’t even realize she’d been carrying.

Naminé also tries to look for Chirithy with Ventus to no success; it seems that they really are that shy. Ventus looks at her apologetically, reassuring her that they’re just shy in general, but Naminé understands. Instead, she leaves a little note for them, saying ‘Hello.’ The next day, the note is gone.

---

One day, right before he goes to bed, Aqua walks up to Riku. “Riku?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you like to join us in our next expedition into the Realm of Darkness?” She asks.

“Oh! Uh, sure.” Riku replies, hesitant.

“Don’t worry, Naminé won’t be alone; Ventus is thinking of tagging out for the next expedition now that you’re here.” Aqua reassures him.

Riku chuckles. “You read me like a book. If that’s the case, I’d be honored to tag along.”

“Perfect!” Aqua says, clapping her hands together. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, then.”

“Alright, goodnight, Aqua.”

“Goodnight!”