Takiko yawned as he walked through the streets of Daybreak Town. It had been a busy week and it seemed like it was only going to get busier. There were a lot of new members in the union and plenty of new parties forming as a result. It was beginning to look like Takiko wouldn't sleep at all this week.

"Takiko!" Someone called out. The voice was familiar but Takiko couldn't place it. Deciding it couldn't be anything important he decided to ignore whoever it was. The person following him didn't take well to being ignored however and continued to follow him. "Takiko!" The person said again. Takiko glanced over to see who it was. He almost stopped when he saw his sister walking beside him. "Taki, this is serious," Kamiko said.

"What? Ephemer causing trouble again and we need to find him?" Takiko asked looking away from his sister. He really needed sleep if he couldn't recognize her voice. They had only known each other their entire lives.

"No, it's worse. Much, much worse." Kamiko said. He voice was filled with worry. Glancing at her Takiko noticed her looking around nervously as if someone could be listening to them. She was rarely so flighty. Maybe it was serious.

"What? Did something happen with the foretellers?" Takiko asked. Kamiko shook her head.

"No, I got a letter from someone." She replied. Takiko stopped walking and looked at her in disbelief.

"A letter?" He asked putting a hand on his hips. Kamiko looked up at the sky.

"Well, more a note really." She said. She was still fidgeting though she had stopped walking. Pulling at her fingers, brushing her hair behind her ear. Her eyes still darted all around.

"Why is it so important you have to tell me?" Takiko asked in an exasperated manner. He rubbed his temple and closed his eyes. Kamiko but her lip nervously before replying.

"What it said." She answered. Takiko raised an eyebrow at her. What could this simple note say that would set her on edge like this? She was usually hard to worry. Carefree about almost everything. Unless of course her friends were hurt.

"Ok, what did it say?" Takiko asked. Kamiko looked around them for any sign of anyone. She even turned herself completely around rather than just glancing over her shoulder like she normally would. Deciding it was safe she turned to Takiko.

"I know who you are," Kamiko whispered. "What you are."

Takiko blinked in surprise. Several moments of silence had passed when Takiko finally found his words again.

"That's impossible." He said simply. He looked at his sister firmly, daring her to challenge him. She met his gaze with one that held fear. She didn't want to believe it any more than he did.

"I thought so too, but what if someone does know?" Kamiko asked. She again began glancing around her, for anyone. Seeing nothing yet again she returned her gaze to her brother.

"How would anyone find out. I've never told anyone, and I doubt you have." Takiko challenged. He kept his voice calm, which surprised him. He thought it would have sounded frantic like the thoughts running through his head. But somehow he was managing to keep the thoughts from running too wild.

"My Chirithy doesn't even know." Kamiko insisted. She once again looked around nervously. Takiko reached out and gently placed his hand on his sister's shoulder, trying to comfort her. She looked at him and gave a forced smile.

"Nor does mine," Takiko said calmly. He thought about the situation a moment before speaking again. "It must just be someone trying a trick to find the traitor." He decided.

"Then why would it come to me, not Ava?" Kamiko asked in desperation. She wanted to believe Takiko, but she couldn't. It was too much of a coincidence for her to just brush it off as a trick. The wording, who you, what you are. It was too accurate.

"I don't know. I'm not sure of anything." Takiko admitted. He watched his sister calmly, trying to figure out the situation and calm her down. "But if someone really knows, why would it only go to you?" He asked.

"Have you been home all day?" Kamiko asked. Takiko frowned.

"No, I've been swamped dealing with my Union. I haven't been home since yesterday morning." Takiko admitted. He looked into his sister's eyes, his eyebrows furrowing in thought. Kamiko met his gaze calmly.

"We should go check." She said. It was the first calm statement she had made since the beginning of the conversation.

"Right." Takiko agreed with a nod.

The twins quickly made their way through town to the house Takiko lived in it. The house was plain and looked much like the one any other keyblade wielder lived in. It was two stories with only a few small rooms. Takiko's room was on the second story. Entering the room they saw the window was open. As Takiko went to close it, looking out over the rooftops Kamiko went to the desk.

Takiko turned to face his sister. She looked up at him with a worried frown holding up a piece of paper. Takiko sighed not even bothering to cross the room and see what it was. He knew. He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Maybe every lieutenant has one." He suggested. It was a weak suggestion, but he was hoping for any other possibility. No matter how unlikely.

"We could ask Jax." Kamiko suggested. Takiko nodded not looking at her.

"We could." He agreed. A knock on the door echoed through the house. Both Takiko and Kamiko jumped in surprise. They looked at each other in question. The knock came once again. Takiko shrugged going downstairs.

Takiko opened the front door to find Jax standing there with his hands in his pockets. He looked at Takiko calmly, glancing over to where Kamiko stood behind her brother.

"Funny, we were just talking about you." Kamiko said with a nervous smile. Jax raised an eyebrow at her curiously.

"All good things I hope." Jax said calmly. Kamiko smiled at the simple statement. It was good that some people weren't totally on edge.

"Neither good nor bad." Takiko admitted, leaning against the door frame. He glanced over his shoulder at Kamiko. Her eyes met his and she nodded almost imperceptibly before returning her attention to Jax.

"Have you got any letters from unidentified senders?" Kamiko asked. Jax blinked in surprise. He frowned before shaking his head slowly.

"No, what's this about?" He asked. Takiko and Kamiko looked at each other and had a quick exchange with their eyes once again. After reaching an agreement they turned back to Jax.

"We both got a note. I believe we've been accused of being the traitor." Takiko admitted calmly with a shrug. Of course, he was playing it off as no big deal. He didn't need anyone else suspicious of them. The fewer people who knew the better.

"Hm," Jax said, reaching up to brush his bangs out of his eyes. "I'll keep an eye out for anything like that." He decided.

"So why'd you stop by?" Kamiko asked. Jax looked up at her as if trying to decide his reason for coming. The previous conversation had distracted him.

"Have either of you heard about a foreteller meeting outside of the tower?" Jax asked after a short moment. The twins exchanged a look once again. It was an odd question.

"No, why?" Takiko asked, looking at Jax in confusion. Jax shrugged nonchalantly.

"I noticed Master Invi walking to a warehouse. Inside was Masters Aced, Ava, and Gula." He explained. Kamiko frowned looking down. She tapped her chin in thought, trying to remember if she had heard about a meeting.

"Did you hear any of the conversation?" Kamiko asked, glancing up at Jax.

"No. I just thought I'd ask. See you two later." Jax answered before turning away from them and walking away. Kamiko assumed he had reached the peak amount he was able to socialize in a day.

"Things just keep getting weirder, huh." Kamiko said softly looking at Takiko. He nodded not looking at his sister. His eyes hardened as he looked out into the street where Jax had disappeared.

"I'm going to go see if I can learn anything about this meeting." Takiko decided.

"Right, I'll talk to Ava about it too." Kamiko said nodding. Things seemed to be going downhill much faster than she had expected. What was going on here?

*<3*

Jax flipped through the files he had scattered across his desk. Gula sat not far away on the window sill. He watched the purple haired boy work through papers looking for something. He wasn't sure what, but it might have just been for show. Jax tended to pretend to be doing something when he was mad at Gula.

"I suppose you've learned of the meeting with Aced today." Gula said calmly. Jax paused in his search, considering his answer.

"Yeah, I noticed." Jax finally decided, continuing looking for nothing. Gula sighed looking out the window.

"He wanted an alliance." Gula said offhandedly. Jax stopped once again, this time turning to face the boy wearing the leopard mask.

"An alliance?" Jax asked. Gula nodded, almost grinning now that he had finally caught Jax's attention.

"Yes, to team up against the darkness. Probably to spite Ira too." Gula said. He didn't sound overly interested in the conversation, but Jax knew it was a play. Gula could rarely stand Jax ignoring him.

"Why Ira?" Jax asked, leaning back against his desk. His hands braced against the desk on either side of his body.

"He thinks Ira is wrong," Gula said simply. "About the traitor."

"I see." Jax said looking at the ground. It wasn't strange to think Ira might be mistaken. There was a very large chance he was. But forming an alliance just based on that, it didn't make sense. It wasn't necessary, and would hardly solve the problem.

"I agreed." Gula said suddenly. Jax looked up at him in shock. Gula rarely agreed with anyone. Especially on something as dangerous as this. If Aced was discovered it would drag Gula down as well. And not just Gula.

"For yourself, or all of us?" Jax asked. He kept his voice calm and neutral, though he was not calm. Gula shouldn't be acting so foolishly. He was usually so much smarter than this. What had changed so suddenly?

"Just myself. I'm not going to drag any of you into this." Gula answered. He glanced over at Jax, waiting to hear his reply. Jax frowned at the union master.

"We're all already dragged into this." Jax said softly. Gula smirked a little at his words but nodded, looking away.

"I suppose you're right there. But, I won't drag you into this alliance." Gula said. His voice was firm and resolute. Jax's frown deepened as he looked at Gula.

"Do you think he's the traitor?" Jax asked softly.

"I don't know. But I intend to find out." Gula replied.

*<3*

Kamiko and Ava sat together in the fountain square like they often did. The sun was beginning to hang low in the sky. Few keyblade wielders were still out and passing by. The air was quiet but filled with tension. Kamiko was nervously watching Ava out of the corner of her eye. The foreteller looked towards the edge of the square with a frown. She hadn't said much since she had met up with Kamiko.

"Are you alright Ava?" Kamiko asked looking at the young master in concern. Ava jumped up in surprise like she had forgotten Kamiko was there. That seemed to be likely as Ava had been very distracted as of late.

"Huh?" Ava asked looking to Kamiko. It took her a moment to register the question. "Oh, I'm fine." She said. She tried to smile but it quickly fell away to a frown.

"You've never been a good liar." Kamiko said simply. Ava didn't argue and looked at the ground. She glanced around the square before speaking again.

"Aced wanted to form an alliance," Ava said softly. Kamiko blinked in surprise. That did explain the meeting Jax had observed. It made her wonder, was Aced the traitor? Kamiko quickly shook the thought from her mind. It was too early to jump to conclusions.

"An alliance? Didn't the master forbid alliances?" Kamiko asked. Ava nodded in response.

"He did." She confirmed. "I wonder if that means Aced is the traitor. Invi seemed to think so." She added softly. It was a question that Kamiko knew she really wanted an answer to. She wanted to know if she could still trust those she had practically grown up with. Kamiko didn't know much about how Ava grew up, but she assumed it wasn't pleasant.

"So, were all the union masters invited?" Kamiko asked cautiously. It was something that had to be considered if they were going to accuse Aced of being the traitor.

"No, everyone but Ira." Ava replied. She did another quick glance around the square. She relaxed a little seeing the place empty.

"Hm," Kamiko said in thought. "Did Aced explain why he wanted the alliance? If he had a good reason he might not be the traitor." She suggested. Ava seemed to think about this before replying. Trying to remember what she had heard.

"He just, wanted to hear our thoughts on the traitor. And team up to fight the darkness." Ava explained. Kamiko nodded.

"Then, maybe he's just doing what he thinks is right. It can be hard without a teacher around to guide you guys anymore." She suggested leaning back. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a girl with orange hair in the square, but when she turned her head there was nothing.

"But Ira was put in the lead by the master. We should trust him." Ava argued. Kamiko put up her hands in a calm down gesture. Ava sat back like a child that had been scolded.

"And you do, but not everyone thinks like you Ava. Give it time, I'm sure this will all blow over. Aced will come around." Kamiko said calmly. Ava forced a smile and nodded.

"Right. Thanks, Kamiko." Ava said.

"Don't thank me. It's what friends are for." Kamiko said with a soft smile.

*<3*

Takiko sat at a desk flipping through papers. It was nearing dark, and he did intend on returning home tonight. Part of him, however, dreaded his return. He was beyond worried about the threat he and his sister had received earlier. He was almost afraid to go home, especially if the one threatening him knew where he lived.

"Takiko, are you still working?" A familiar voice asked. Takiko turned in his seat to see master Invi behind him. Her hands were clasped in front of her. Takiko suspected she was frowning.

"Yeah, just being sure the records on our party's are accurate," Takiko answered. Invi nodded as she sat beside him in a nearby chair. She reached up and pulled the fabric from over her mouth, letting out a sigh.

"Anything of particular interest?" She asked. Takiko shook his head returning his attention to the papers.

"No, nothing unusual." He said. Invi nodded but remained silent. It was evident her mind was wandering. Takiko sat patiently for her to continue.

"What do you think about the traitor?" Invi asked suddenly. Takiko blinked in surprise.

"Huh? Why are you asking me?" Takiko asked. Invi sighed and looked away. Takiko could see her frown deepen.

"Aced called a meeting between everyone but Ira. He wanted an alliance. I thought, maybe he was the traitor for a moment. But when I accused him, he accused me because of my reports to Ira." Invi explained. Takiko noticed the slightest waver in her voice, any other wouldn't have been able to pick it up.

"Maybe accusing him like that wasn't the smartest thing to do. Everyone's been on edge since Ira's first accusation." Takiko suggested calmly. Invi turned to look at him. Though her eyes were hidden Takiko felt her gaze. It was surprisingly shaky. Like she was close to tears.

"So what should I have done?" She asked softly. Takiko shrugged.

"Respectfully declined." He stated. Invi nodded, but once again remained silent. "Him accusing you is bothering you, isn't it?" Takiko asked, once again turning his full attention to his union master.

"How did you know?" Invi asked, rather than confirming his suspicions outright.

"I imagine it wouldn't be a pleasant feeling. You shouldn't worry about it. You know you're not the traitor." Takiko answered. He knew the feeling himself. It was a heavy thought. Scarier than almost any other. The thought of being wrong when you're so convinced you're right.

"But what if I am?" Invi asked. Takiko found himself laughing, though he hadn't intended to. Invi looked at him in confusion.

"Maybe you don't have faith in yourself. But I have faith in you, and so does the rest of our union. Do you think we'd give our loyalty to a traitor?" Takiko asked. Invi was silent for a moment. Takiko kept the silence, refusing to speak until Invi answered.

"No," Invi said softly.

"Just trust us, we know you're not the traitor. No matter what Aced might think. Just keep doing what your heart says is right, in the end, that's the way to go." Takiko insisted. Invi smiled softly at him, nodding her head.

"You almost sound like the master." She commented. Takiko raised an eyebrow.

"Do I?" He asked. Invi nodded, keeping her smile.

"Just a little." She confirmed.

"Huh," Takiko said, mostly to himself. "Who would've guessed it?"

*<3*

Annora found herself in the tower she knew only the foretellers could enter. She only knew from the window beside her. She could see a great majority of Daybreak Town from her vantage point. She turned her head to look around the room.

Most of the room looked to be covered in smoke. It was blurry and hard to distinguish anything. Up ahead Annora saw a group of people. As she drew closer she realized it was the foretellers and a strange cloaked man. The cloaked man was talking, but Annora couldn't hear him. She caught only the word roles.

Annora tried to draw even closer, maybe hear what they were talking about. But as she drew closer the shadows in the room engulfed her, dragging her into darkness.