Chapter Two- Roles

A week after the celebrations on Destiny Islands; Sora, Riku and Kairi took their gummi ship and began their journey to the Land of Departure. As they travelled through the wormhole they had created to get to the world, Sora sank into his seat slightly. "Why do you guys get to have all of the fun?" He whined.

Riku and Kairi could only smile as they continued their game of 'goldfish'. "But Sora, you're the captain." Riku grinned at him, only to receive a glare from Sora in return.

"Yeah but I don't want to fly all of the time."

Kairi gave her boyfriend a reassuring smile as she quickly organised her cards. "Don't worry, Sora. The loser of this game will be flying us back." Her smile turned into a grin as she faced Riku. "Hand over your queens, Riku. I know you have three of them."

Riku huffed in response as he handed his queens over to her. "I'm suddenly remembering why we stopped playing card games."

Sora chuckled, the sight of his friends having simple fun just shows that after everything that happened to them, nothing has changed. He brought his attention back to flying the gummi to see that they were leaving the wormhole. "Time to get ready guys. We're here."

The sky was clean as day as there was not a cloud in sight as they entered the Land of Departure. Seeing a selection of gummi ships placed at the entrance, Sora lowly the gummi ship gently and landed next to the other ships. Looking out the window, they took in just how grand Land of Departure was. "No matter how many times we come here, this place still looks amazing." Sora grinned with excitement, opening the door, letting all of the fresh breath into the gummi. "Take in that breeze!"

Riku shook his head with a grin as he stepped past Sora to step outside. "To think that Aqua changed this world to Castle Oblivion all those years ago." He took the sight in before turning to face Sora and Kairi, to see that Sora had wrapped his arms around her as they took in the secrecy. "C'mon lovebirds! We'll already running late." He reminded them as he started to approach the huge white stairs.

Kairi giggled as she removed herself from Sora's arm. "And who's fault was that?" She looked back over to her boyfriend with a sly smirk before catching up to Riku.

Sora could only turn slightly red, knowing what Kairi was referring too. "Yours!" He proclaimed as he caught up to his best friends.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Within the grand hall in the castle itself; Sora, Kairi and Riku waited with Roxas, Lea and Xion as they waited for the Wayfinder Trio and King Mickey to make an appearance. They mainly took this time to catch up with Xion, who had been on a mission while the surprise party was happening. As the six of them discussed why they have been gathered to Land of Departure, Aqua and Mickey appeared in the great hall and stood in front of the three chairs. "Thank you for coming everyone." Aqua greeted as they entered the room, bearing her old masters robes.

"Wait! I thought this was for all of the Masters? Where's Terra and Ven?" Lea questioned as he leaned against the wall.

"Terra and Ven are watching over our students for us." Mickey explained, standing beside Aqua.

"So, the worlds are still okay?" Xion asked, knowing that the thought was on everyone's minds.

Aqua gave a soft smile as reassurance. "The worlds are in a good place." Half the room seem to make a sound of relief.

"If the worlds are okay, what's the meeting about?" Roxas asked, making everyone in the room begin to chat between them as they questioned the same thing.

"You are here to learn about carrying the task of a Master."

Everyone in the room stopped as they noticed that Master Yen Sid appeared in one of the chairs that were behind Aqua and Mickey. At the sight of his appearance, Sora, Kairi, Xion and Riku bowed to the master, while Roxas and Lea took their time to do the same, receiving a glare from their black-haired friend.

Sora rose up and looked at Master Yen Sid in confusion. "I thought we were doing that?" He stated, "We've been making sure Destiny Island hasn't had any Heartless."

Riku turned to his best friend, "Doing the same thing you did before doesn't mean you are doing the duties of a Master." He pointed out.

Kairi turned her attention back to the three masters that stood in front of them. "So, what are the duties of a Keyblade Master?" She asked.

With a serious expression, Yen Sid addresses the group. "Today, we will tell you the importance of your role. And why it is now more important that you ready yourselves for your duties." He looks at the two masters in front of him. "Aqua. Mickey. If you could." He nodded his head as a signal for them to continue.

Aqua and Mickey bowed as a response. "Thank you, Master Yen Sid." They said in unison

Mickey turned back around and took a few steps forward as he spoke to the group. "So you know that Ven has been looking for 'Daybreak Town.'" He asked them, seeing a few nodding their heads. "After doing some research, we believe that this might be linked to Master Xehanort and Master Eraqus old training grounds, 'Scala ad Caelum'. I believe we have visited a version of this world when we stopped Xehanort." He theorized.

"That cable looking town?" Roxas said with surprise.

"How bout we just call it 'Cable Town' instead of Scala whatever its called?" Lea suggested.

Kairi giggled as a response as she turned to look at Lea. "What's the problem, Axel? Having trouble memorizing the name." She tapped her forehand as she smirked at him, hearing Xion and Roxas chuckle as a response.

"No." Lea defended. "I just thought that it would be easier for you guys to remember." He decided to annoy his friends laughing at him.

"So what has Xehanort and Eraqus' training grounds got to do with anything?" Riku asked, getting them back on point.

"Scala ad Caelum was a closed off world that only keybearers could get too. It seemed to have disappeared when the heartless first broke the barriers between the worlds." Yen Sid explained. "Meaning that there is a high chance that when we find this world, we will be realising what was concealed on that world."

"Both keyblade wielders and Heartless." Aqua added.

"Isn't more keybearers a good thing?" Roxas questioned, "More people to fight the good fight."

Mickey shook his head. "If the world has been in the darkness the entire time, we will have a bit of a mix of who will fight for the light and who will fight to have it."

"So, what is it that we have to do?" Xion said with concern.

Aqua stepped toward this time, looking at the grand hall as a whole as she spoke. "When my master and Xehanort had become masters. Their master had to choose who would become a guardian of a world and teach the future wielders while the other would travel the worlds to protect the light, help support with supplies for the training grounds and report on potential wielders. These roles of a Master are known as a 'Keeper' and a 'Seeker'." She explained.

"For Land of Departure, Eraqus was the 'Keeper' of the world while Xehanort was the 'Seeker'…..that was before he did what he did." Mickey added, sighing slightly when he mentioned what Xehanort had done.

"With the possible future of more keybearers appearing. We will be asking you to decide if you will preform the role of the 'Keeper' or the 'Seeker' and to create a training ground on a selective world." Aqua tasked them, smiling as she spoke. "A good example is that I am the Keeper for the Land of Departure while Terra is my Seeker."

"What about Ven?" Kairi asked. "Is he a Seeker too?"

"Normally he would be." Aqua answered. "But he is working as Yen Sid's Seeker while he continues his search for Daybreak Town with Chirithy."

"So if you're a Keeper, why can't we be all Seekers for Land of Departure?" Lea pointed out.

"When I retired as a Keyblade Master, I took the role of the 'Watcher', allowing me to look for any dangers in the worlds." Yen Sid explained. "If I see something abnormal appear, I would inform any Keepers of the news for that they can send their Seekers to deal with the issue. This was the case when Vanitas' Unverse had started to appear in different worlds. If we have an emergency appear far away from where a training ground is based, the Seekers will arrive too late. Therefore, we will need a good balance of Keepers and Seekers spread across the world"

"We will be looking at a Keeper with one or two Seekers." Mickey stated

"Now the decision is yours on where you want to set up your training ground, what role you want to be and who you want to set this up with." Aqua clarified, making it clear what the others have to do.

"Sora." Yen Sid called out. "You have been very quiet."

Kairi took this chance to look over to her boyfriend for the first time during this gathering. She saw that his brow was low and seemed to be deep in thought, looking concerned. It was then that she realised that throughout all this time, Sora hasn't asked any questions about what was going on or even joking around. Not since they started explaining the situation anyway.

She watched as Sora snapped out of his deep thought from Yen Sid talking to him directly. He scratched the back of his head bashfully as he looked at their master. "Sorry Master." He bowed slightly. "It's just a lot of information."

"Don't worry, Sora. If you get any questions, we're happy to help." Mickey assured him, receiving a grateful smile from Sora in return.

Yen Sid raised from the chair and stepped forward. "We are going to check on the students, see if Ventus and Terra are okay. Please use this chance to discuss what roles you would like to take." He instructed the group before he, Mickey and Aqua left the room.

Lea was the first to speak up after Yen Sid and the others left the room. "Well this will be easy." Lea grinned as he looked at Roxas and Xion. "We'll set up at Twilight Town."

"But who's going to be the Keeper?" Roxas asked him.

Lea beamed with confidence as he pointed at himself. "I will!"

Xion and Roxas burst in laughter as a response and fell on the floor as they held their sides.

While Lea defended himself from his now collapsed friends, Kairi looked back over to Sora, seeing his concern expression had returned to his face. She walked over to the spiky brunet and grabbed his hand, snapping Sora out of his thoughts again. "Are you okay?" She asked him.

Sora grinned with reassurance. "Yeah. I'm just still taking it all in." He held onto her hand tightly, showing his appreciation to her.

"It's a big job." Sora and Kairi turned to Riku, who was walking towards the two of them. "It's time to show how much we have grown, especially now that we are all masters. I guess we had to become responsible for others sooner or later."

Kairi noticed Sora's face flash with uncertainty as Riku was speaking. "Well, I'm sure that if the three of us are all working together. It won't be a problem." Kairi mentioned.

This seem to brighten Sora up as he started to sound excited. "Hey that's right!" He grinned. "With the three of us, it will be a piece of cake."

Riku chuckled nervously before looking at his friends sadly. "I'm sorry but I won't be joining the two of you." He told them.

Sora and Kairi looked at their best friend in disbelief. "What? Why?" They said at the same time.

"Well remember at the party, when I was talking to Mickey and Aqua?" He asked them. The two of them thought back and remembered the Riku, Mickey and Aqua by the campfire. "They explained everything to me at the party and asked if I could be Mickey's Seeker." He placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "Don't worry. One of my requests was that I could visit you guys whenever so I can help if you guys need it." He turned around, giving them a wave as he started to walk towards Lea, Roxas and Xion. "The two of you are gonna rock it." He grinned as he walked away.

"The two of us…." Sora sighed before he looked back at Kairi. She could see his concerns show on his face again. Before she could see if he was okay, Sora pulled her to the side of the room, allowing them to sit against the wall. "I was really hoping for Riku to be our 'Keeper." He admitted.

Kairi looked at him with confusion. "Surely, one of us will be able to handle the job." She pointed out.

"I know it's just…." Sora held onto Kairi's hand, still holding it from before. "If one of us is a Keeper and one of us is a Seeker then we're going back to how it was before." Sora sighed.

Kairi caught on what Sora was trying to say. "We would be separated again." She spoke out loud before looking back at Sora with a slight panic. "What should we do? We're Masters now. We have a responsibility and we can't just give up…." Soon Kairi was starting to get lost in her rambles, trying to think of an idea.

"Hey! Hey! Hey." Sora spoke softly as he pulled Kairi close to him when she started to ramble. "We will think of something." He smiled warmly at her, trying to keep her calm. "I mean Terra and Aqua do it. They manage it. If they can do it then so can we!" He assured her.

Kairi knew that Sora was now keeping a strong face for her sake but she could see the worry in his eyes. "You were right though. If the two of us were Seekers then we could at least do missions together." She pointed out. Even the sound of that seemed difficult.

They would be living on separate worlds. They had mostly been together for the last two years, had gotten more closer to each other every day. The only time they didn't see each other is when they returned to their parents' homes….

Sora's eyes widened, ignoring the blush that he felt on his cheeks as he looked back at Kairi, who was deep in thought while leaning on him. "Kairi! What if the both of us became Seekers?" He asked her, his voice filled with excitement.

"You mean on different worlds?" She questioned, not sure how that would solve the problem.

Sora shook his head. "I'm thinking two Keepers that would share the responsible of a Seeker." He sat up slightly, making Kairi do the same. "If we are share the jobs, we can stay in the same world." He smiled as he watched Kairi brighten up on the idea. "Just imagine. We could set up a school up together! Be the best Masters that we can be. Bring gifts back from any missions we have to do as Seekers." He smiled at the thought of it all, the task not seeming so imitating as before.

Kairi smiled at the thought as well, only to come with a realisation. "But Keepers have to live on the grounds of their school." She looked over to Sora, to notice the pink on his cheeks.

Sora chuckled warmly. "I could cook." He became to suggest, making Kairi go slightly red. "We could have a huge area to train together, with the students too. And even if one of us has to go on a mission, we know that the other one will be home when we get back."

Kairi could feel her heart racing at what he was suggesting. "Sora. That's a big step." She breathed

"I know."

"And very big, scary step!"

Sora chuckled nervously. "Yeah. It is." He looked back at her, kindness and warmth in his eyes. "But it's a step I am willing to take with you." He held onto her hand again, interlacing his fingers between hers. "What do you say?" He asked her. "Do you want to-live with me?"

Kairi was lost for words, especially when he physically asked the question. She didn't need to answer though as her face answered everything for him. She couldn't stop grinning.

Mickey and Aqua appeared back in the room. "I hope you guys had time to discuss. Did any of you have any questions?" Aqua asked the group.

Sora grinned as he stood up, helping Kairi up as well, keeping a hold of her hand for the entire time. Like giddy school kids, they ran over to Mickey and Aqua with excitement. "Your Majestic, Aqua. Do you think it will be possible for Kairi and I to share the role?" He asked them.

"We could both be Keepers and share the responsibility of the Seeker." Kairi added, finding that her voice has returned. She saw Sora looking at her warmly as she responded.

Mickey took a moment to think. "A Keeper will normally make all decisions in regards to the training ground, the range of worlds they cover, giving missions to their Seekers and training new students. Not to mention keeping them alive." He explained before looking at the two of them. "Having two heads deciding might complicate things."

"I couldn't imagine doing that with Terra. I think we would just clash all of the time." Aqua admitted. She looked at the two young adults and noticed the two of them looking dishearted, still holding each other's' hands and if they would lose each other. With a soft smile, she added. "But I don't see any harm in trying it out."

Sora and Kairi beamed with excitement "Really?"

Mickey looked up Aqua with concern. "Aqua. Are you sure?"

"I am." She said firmly before looking back at the two young keyblade masters in front of them. "Sora. Kairi. I have seen the connection that you two have for each other. I have never seen two wielders more in sync. Going down this route will be hard, it will test your limits with each other, your patience and how the two of you see yourselves." She explained to the two of them. "Both of you are still young so I will only ask this once. Are the two of you ready for this commitment that this role will bring." She said with a serious tone.

"Yes."

"I am."

Mickey smiled softly at this, seeing what this means to them. "This is the first time something like this has been done. If you guys have any trouble, please let us know."

"Trouble? We won't have trouble." Sora said in confidence as he placed his hands behind his head.

"We'll be fine." Kairi grinned with the same excitement.

"And I know exactly where we should set the school up!"

"Me too!"

"Destiny Island!"

"Radiant Garden!"

Sora and Kairi could only look at each other with surprise from their response. Maybe this won't be as trouble free as they hoped.