Y looked around the bright forest with a frown. She had seen this place before, hadn't she? The trees all around towered above her and Ven. The ground was uneven and had very few patches of light. The canopy of leaves overhead must have blocked out most of the light. Moss hung from the tree branches nearly reaching the ground. The ground itself was covered in dead leaves from seasons past.

Y blinked in surprise as she turned, realization striking her as she began to grin broadly. She did know this place. The warm air was one of the most familiar things to her. Some of the trees even looked familiar.

"No way." Y said breathlessly. Ven turned to glance at her. He tilted his head to the side in curiosity when he saw her smile. "No way! No way!" Y repeated, laughing in joy.

"Y, are you ok?" Ven asked in concern. Y turned to face Ven still smiling brightly. Ven couldn't remember the last time she had smiled so much. Had there ever been a time she had smiled like that at the Land of Departure? If there had been it was a long time ago.

"Ok?" Y asked, stilling laughing slightly as she spoke. As if she couldn't believe it. "I'm great! Ven, I'm home!" She exclaimed. Ven blinked in surprise.

"Home?" Ven repeated in question. Y nodded quickly, looking around them. "Wait, this is where you came from?" He asked, looking around himself. He didn't think he had ever seen a forest like it. The light that made it through the canopy cast a golden glow around everything.

"Yes! I'm home. I haven't seen this place in ages!" Y said. She still couldn't believe it. Every time she looked around she saw more and more proof, but she still couldn't believe it. Y's bright smile suddenly fell, being replaced by a frown. Ven noticed quickly.

"What's wrong?" Ven asked in concern. Y turned to him with her frown.

"I wish Aqua and Terra were here. I wanted us all to be together when I came back." Y said sadly. Ven smiled at her softly. He could understand that. He wanted Aqua and Terra to be here too. Then they could see Y's bright smile too. Maybe they could remember a time she smiled like that.

"What a surprise visit." A soft voice said. The voice clearly belonged to a young girl. There was a pleasant lilt present in the voice, making it seem almost melodic. "Little princess has returned." The lilting voice continued. Ven and Y both turned trying to locate the owner of the voice. Spotting a strange splash of red color Y stopped.

Up in one of the many trees surrounding them was a young girl with bright red hair and crystal blue eyes. Freckles dotted her face, contrasting against her pale skin color. She wore a silver colored sweatshirt that hung off her shoulders over a pair of gold colored pants. Her feet were bare, with a silver anklet around her right ankle.

"Maru." Y said, looking at the ten year old in shock. The girl smiled in reply, confirming what Y had guessed.

"Good to see you Y, do you mind helping me out?" Maru asked. Y glanced around the forest before looking up at the girl with suspicion.

"What did you do now?" Y asked warily. Maru huffed in annoyance and crossed her arms.

"I have done nothing." Maru insisted as if offended. Y glanced to Ven, who could only shrug. He didn't know enough about this world to have an idea of what was going on. "But every time I try to leave this tree and get back to town the stupid little beasties swarm me." Maru continued on. Y frowned, still looking at Ven.

"The Unversed." Ven suggested. Y nodded, looking back to Maru. If it had been anything else Y suspected Maru would have been able to tell them. Maru was rather knowledgeable about the creatures in the world despite her young age. At least she had been the last time Y had been here.

"Right. We'll help." Y said. Maru smiled and slowly began to climb down from the tree. Y wasn't surprised she had gotten as far into the tree as she had, despite there being very few foot holds. Maru had always managed things that seemed impossible.

The moment Maru dropped from the tree beside Y a swarm of Unversed appeared. Y and Ven both summoned their keyblades and stepped in front of Maru.

"You weren't kidding, must be something about you." Y said, glancing over her shoulder at Maru. Maru frowned, glaring past Y at the creatures.

"Well they can kindly bugger off." Maru said, annoyance clear in her voice. Y nodded turning back to the Unversed. They didn't seem too intent on attacking, just watching. That was odd. Y could only wonder if it was something about Maru.

Y was spared more of her thinking by Ven darting forward to take out the Unversed. Y smiled and rolled her eyes as she began casting magic around his attacks, defeating the Unversed easily. The group slowly worked its way back to town. Y led the way for the most part, easily finding her way through the forest. She didn't seem to think very much of what way she was going. It seemed to be her natural territory.

They reached the edge of the town before long. The buildings stretched out for some distance, all seeming to surround a huge castle. The bricks of the town were all either warm yellows or shadowed greys. The castle had strange symbols inlaid in the stained glass. One looked like an x'ed out heart. Another was a white symbol that Y had never seen anywhere else.

Maru turned in front of Y and Ven smiling at them cheerfully.

"Thank you both. Keep an eye out, those things are everywhere." Maru warned calmly. Y nodded, looking around the town instead of at Maru. Things looked as if they never changed.

"Thanks, have you seen anything else weird?" Y asked, finally looking to Maru again. The red head frowned and crossed her arms, tapping her chin.

"No, not really. I heard there was some weird kid in a mask from Hoshiko though, you might want to go talk to her." Maru said, glancing up at Y and Ven. The two exchanged a look of worry. Strange masked boy could only point to one person. Vanitas.

"Right, thanks kiddo." Y said. Maru smiled and nodded before running away. Y personally didn't want to know where the girl was going. Maru was a trouble maker at best.

Y didn't say a word before walking into the town, hoping to find Hoshiko. The older girl would usually be monitoring the town. Y swore one day she would run the place. Ven trailed behind Y, looking around in wonder as he did so.

"Hey, Y!" A voice called out. Y turned as she was walking and waved at whoever it was.

"The little princess has returned!" Another voice called out. Y smiled turning to that voice with another wave. Her smile was as bright as it had been before. Ven could only guess she had missed all of these people. Ven wondered why she was being called a princess, but he couldn't bring himself to ask. More voices called out various greetings, and Y responded to everyone with a bright smile and happy wave and the occasional smart remark.

"You were really well known." Ven commented, watching Y with a smile. Y turned to Ven tuning out all of the other greetings directed at her.

"I was best known as X's twin. He was famous, if anyone is." Y answered with a smile. Ven tilted his head to the side curiously. He didn't know much about Y's brother, but he couldn't imagine him getting along with anyone here very well. Definitely not well enough to be famous.

"Why?" Ven asked. Y frowned with a shrug.

"I don't really know. But everyone was always fascinated by him." She explained. She glanced around the area, which was mostly empty. "I wonder if they know what happened to him." Y said in wonder. Ven frowned again.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean something is weird about him. It's like he suddenly has a wall I can't get past and can't see what he's thinking." Y explained with frustration. It had always been harder for her to read him, but never to the extreme it was now. She knew he was lying, but she didn't know which parts were lies and which were truths. She had no clue how her brother felt.

"Y?" A new voice said. Y stopped walking and turned to face the voice. It was a boy with black hair and green eyes. He looked surprised to see Y. He didn't have the same joy everyone else had upon seeing the blonde girl.

"Kiran." Y greeted the boy, looking him over. "Where's your sister?" Y asked. The boy looked at her in confusion. He glanced at Ven suspiciously before looking back to Y.

"What?" He asked nervously. Y found the behavior odd. Kiran was usually very calm and near arrogant. But he seemed nervous to be around her. Why, she couldn't begin to imagine.

"Your sister, Hoshiko. Where is she?" Y asked again. Kiran raised an eyebrow and glanced over his shoulder towards the castle.

"Um, up in the castles courtyard. I think. Why are you here?" Kiran asked turning back to Y. His vivid green eyes were watching her cautiously. Y decided he was definitely up to something.

"Unversed." Y replied simply. Kiran frowned once again.

"What?" He asked. Y rolled her eyes in exasperation. She glanced to Ven who was watching the interaction silently. Or she had thought he was. Instead she saw his attention was on one of the stained glass windows of the castles tower. The one with the spirits heart like symbol according to X.

"Those monsters running around. Tormenting poor little Maru." Y explained looking back to Kiran. Kiran frowned and crossed his arms.

"You know what those are?" He asked.

"Yup, and better yet I know where they come from. Kinda." Y replied quickly. Kiran quirked an eyebrow at her words.

"Where?" He asked.

"A boy in a mask is spreading them. They appear to obey his every order." Y explained. At the mention of the masked boy Ven returned his attention to the group. He looked worried just from that simple mention. Y guessed the masked boy had messed with Ven as badly as he had with her.

"That's why you're looking for my sister." Kiran said in understanding. "Ok, come on." He said motioning for them to follow him. Y didn't know why he bothered to stay, she didn't need a guide to the castle. She had lived there her entire life, she knew where Hoshiko must have been. Even weirder, Kiran was still acting flighty. He glanced around far too often for it to be normal.

Kiran left them as they entered the court yard. He didn't say anything, just left. In the court yard was a girl only a little older than Y and Ven. She had long dark hair in a low pony tail and pale blue eyes. In her hands was a keyblade that she moved with effortless grace. The key was a soft lilac color. It's rod was simple swirls, the handle looked to be made of string, forming the net of a dream catcher. The teeth of the key looked like feathers. Y always had admired the key that Hoshiko fondly called Dreamweaver. Y heard Ven gasp in surprise.

"Hoshiko!" Y called out. The girl stopped and turned, keeping her keyblade at her side. Her pale blue eyes blinked in shock as they met with Y's eyes.

"Y, you're back." Hoshiko said in surprise. Y nodded and went into the court yard. There were flowering trees around the edge of the court yard, filling the air with a light scent.

"Yeah, what's up with your brother? He was acting weird the whole way up here." Y asked, quickly taking the focus off of her return.

"Who knows." Hoshiko replied with a shrug. She flicked her wrist and banished Dreamweaver. "So what brings you back home? And who's your boyfriend?" She asked, turning her attention to Ven. Y looked away from Hoshiko as her cheeks flushed red.

"He's just my friend. His name is Ventus." Y said in embarrassment.

"But you can call me Ven." Ven said with a nervous laugh. He rubbed the back of his head glancing to Y. She was refusing to look at him.

"Well Ven it's nice to meet you." Hoshiko said with a grin as she looked between the two. Y sighed heavily before turning back to Hoshiko.

"Anyway, we're here because of the Unversed. Maru said you saw a masked boy." Y said, taking Hoshiko's attention away from what they had been discussing. Hoshiko frowned and nodded.

"Not for long. He was here for a few minutes, but gone right after the monsters showed up. Said something about breaking a spoiled brat." Hoshiko explained. Y frowned. She had no idea what that could even possibly mean.

"What could he be talking about?" Ven asking, looking at Y in curiosity. Hoshiko had her eyes on Y as well, looking to the blonde for answers. Y didn't know why they thought she would know. Ven probably knew the most about the masked boy. But he didn't have a clue.

"I dunno. This boy hasn't made much sense." Y said, trying to find an answer. The boy had only spoken nonsense when she had seen him. Talk of fading light and salvation that he couldn't get. It was almost like talking to someone who had lost their mind.

Y's thoughts were disrupted by the appearance of two girls who were clearly out of breath. She recognized both of them though she had never been very close with either. One had short blonde hair brushed back away from her face and bright green eyes. The other had long light purple hair that was braid to the side of her head. Her eyes were blue.

"Hoshiko!" The blonde girl cried out in desperation. Hoshiko quickly turned her attention to the young girl.

"That masked boy is back in the town square." The purple-haired girl said breathlessly. Hoshiko frowned glancing to Y and Ven. Y couldn't blame her either. It was strange they were just talking about him and he shows up. It was too convenient not to have been planned.

"Has anyone confronted him?" Hoshiko asked calmly.

"You're idiot brother is trying to." The blonde girl said in exasperation. Hoshiko's eyes widened in shock. Without another word she took off. The two girls followed after her, leaving Ven and Y in the court yard alone.

"Crap." Y said, looking where the three had just disappeared.

"Let's go!" Ven said before running to follow them. Y was only a second behind him. She couldn't imagine that boy being here to cause trouble for no reason. He had said there was a plan. A plan with multiple parties involved. Y tried to piece everything together as she ran. X knew the masked boy, Vanitas. The two of them seemed to be planning something, but both of them were following someone who wasn't the other. There had to be a link she was missing.

Y brushed aside the thoughts when she saw the masked boy fighting Kiran in the town square. Kiran of course looked beat up holding his silver keyblade at his side, where the masked boy hardly had a scratch on him. Hoshiko was at her brother's side while the other two girls were hanging back nervously.

"Elrena, Kaze, go get as many people away from here as you can. Especially kids." Hoshiko ordered not looking at the two girls. Both nodded and darted off searching the area for any who might get harmed. Hoshiko stepped forward and drew her keyblade. Y and Ven followed suit and glared down Vanitas.

"So the spoiled brat did return." He said calmly, not bothering to raise his keyblade from its resting position. Y's glare deepened as she tried to discover his meaning. She felt his gaze on her, completely ignoring the other two. She guessed that meant she was the spoiled brat.

"You're talking but I don't seem to be understanding a word your saying." Y said sarcastically. Vanitas snickered and turned his head away so he was looking off to the side.

"I'm not your enemy here." He said simply, he turned his attention back to the group slowly. "They are." He said pointing his keyblade at Hoshiko and Kiran. Y frowned at looked at the two of them. Neither had reacted, though Kiran might have seemed more nervous than he was a moment ago.

"What are you talking about?" Y asked looking back to Vanitas. He laughed and lowered his keyblade.

"Come on, don't you want to know what happened to your precious baby brother?" He asked. Y heard a mocking tone in his voice, but she forgot it as soon as the words left his mouth. Something had happened to X. And they knew.

"Why don't you shut up and clear out. It's four against one." Kiran snapped at Vanitas. Vanitas laughed and turned his back on them pacing away before looking over his shoulder at Y.

"See, they're trying to cover it up. They don't want you knowing." He said. Y frowned and lowered her keyblade. It would explain Kiran's strange behavior. He had been jumpy from the start, and it was getting worse at the mention of X. Was the masked boy right?

"Y?" Ven asked, lowering his own keyblade. Y frowned. Whether he was telling the truth or not, he was still the enemy. He had attacked Ven, and he had been involved with whoever was using her brother. He wasn't someone to trust in any situation.

"Just shut up, before I have to beat you." Y said, raising her keyblade again. Vanitas scoffed and looked away from her.

"Fine, if you don't want to believe me." He said. Quickly he was engulfed in the familiar dark smoke that he always vanished into. When the smoke dissipated, he was gone. Y frowned staring at where he had vanished, her mind racing.

"Y?" Hoshiko asked, banishing her keyblade and stepping forward. Y looked up at Hoshiko with a hard look.

"What did you do to my brother?" Y asked, her voice shaking. Hoshiko looked down and backed away. She looked to her own brother who was chewing on his lip in thought before looking back to the ground.

"X, something changed about him when you left. He started breaking every rule we ever had." Hoshiko explained her voice softer than it usually was. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm sorry, but he tried to kill Kiran. He got, well, he was sentenced to death." She explained. Y blinked in surprise.

X had never really gotten along with Kiran. But trying to kill him? That wasn't X. Had he changed that much without her to hold him back? Was that what he was really like? It didn't make sense. But, if he had been sentenced to death it would have been carried out. No questions asked. The rules of this world were absolute.

"But he's alive." Y said in confusion. Hoshiko and Kiran both looked at her in shock. They hadn't known. Ven nodded in agreement with Y.

"We just saw him a few days back." Ven explained. They hadn't seen the blonde since Radiant Gardens. He should have still been with Terra. Unless he was deserting their friend.

"That's impossible." Kiran said in disbelief. Ven shrugged and glanced at Y who was still lost in thought.

"He's still alive." Ven repeated simply. Y looked p at Kiran and Hoshiko once again.

"How did he die?" Y asked softly. If her brother was really dead, they must have been looking at some sort of look alike. But what it was Y couldn't begin to imagine.

"That's the weird part." Hoshiko said. Y frowned at those words. That couldn't be good. "He escaped from us before he could be, well, anyway, he got caught in the forest by a Heartless. We assumed it had killed him." Hoshiko continued. Y blinked in surprise. A Heartless. Those were fairly rare in the town. With the amount of keyblade wielders they had Heartless were taken care of rather quickly.

"But he's still alive. Did it just let him go?" Ven asked. Y shook her head in unison with the other two.

"No." Y said simply. There had to be a reason he was still around. A Heartless would never just let him go. And he wasn't a keyblade wielder. Y's eyes suddenly widened in surprise as she found the answer. "My brother is a Heartless." She said breathlessly.

"X would never. He hated Heartless." Hoshiko objected quickly. Ven looked between the group in confusion.

"Um, what's a Heartless?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Y glanced at him in surprise but brushed it off. Master Eraqus had never taught them about the darkness. Y didn't know why but she had never really cared.

"It's just what it sounds like. The result when someone's heart falls into darkness. A creature with no heart. I've never seen one look human." Y explained. But that could be the only explanation. Her brother had been turned into a Heartless but retained his appearance. Except for the color of his eyes. That's why they weren't brown anymore.

"No one has." Kiran said looking at Y with sympathy.

"Me and Ven have to get going. We have to find Terra and tell him. That X is dangerous." Y said, stepping back. Ven nodded in agreement.

"Right." He said.

"Well, good luck. And come back soon." Hoshiko said. Y smiled and nodded.

"Right, as soon as I can." Y agreed. She had a feeling soon wouldn't be for a very long time. Hoshiko smiled at her softly.

"May your heart be your guiding key." The black-haired girl said. Y smiled and laughed at her words. What an old time gesture. No one had used that one on her in ages. But all the same, it was reassuring. Maybe they could make it.