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Chapter 2

Well, if you're still reading then I must have done something to get your attention. Hope I can keep it. Once again, let me remind you that these are real events that happened to me, from my perspective, and yes, at times with my own biased views. After all, I'm only human…well, now anyways.

In any case, last entry ended with my leaving Castle Oblivion with Aerith. We were heading to her home world called Radiant Garden, which turned into quite a historic place in later years. An evil witch named Maleficent had concurred the world with the Heartless, and had used it as a base of operations for her quest to open the door to darkness.

Thanks to the efforts of Sora, Radiant Garden, which at the time was referred to as Hollow Bastion, was liberated from Maleficent's control. Over time the heartless population diminished, but having populated the world for over ten years, it had left something of a stain on the world, one that attracted heartless. During the war against Organization XIII, Sora and the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee faced literally thousands of Heartless, in what historians are now calling the Battle of the Great Maw.

The Heartless inhabitation on that world also left another unexpected side effect. You see, when a world's heart, or core is consumed by the heartless, almost all of its population is consumed as well, almost being the key word. When Sora's home world was consumed, he was not, and as a result his body traveled along what scientists in my age call a dark current. A dark current is something of a river of darkness that flows by, and in some cases through, the various worlds out there.

These dark currents are especially dangerous to those who don't have a strong heart. These currents were why the Keyblade Knight's armor and the Organization's trench coats were made; for those with hearts it could corrupt or consume them, and for Nobodies it could regress them to their unthinking base form, a Dusk. It takes a strong heart to survive a world's consumption from the darkness, and an even stronger one to survive long enough in the dark current to be deposited on another world.

I bring this up because due to the long inhabitation of the heartless on the world that is Radiant Garden, it became something of a pond for the current, if you will. Many dark currents lead to Radiant Garden, and as a result, deposited a great number of people from a number of worlds. Some were super smart, some had powers, and some would just be really weird. There were also a number of civilians deposited there too.

As a result, Radiant Garden expanded, and at the time of my arrival, was home to several thousand people. The Restoration Committee that had worked to restore Radiant Garden to its former glory was willingly disbanded shortly after the population grew over the first thousand, though the founding members took key positions in society.

Aerith opened a chain of hospitals that all worked with magic, potions, and basic medicine as well. I'll explain how that works later in this entry. Aerith was such a caring person, with such a huge heart, so to speak, she earned several names and titles over the years. She saved many lives, and was truly an amazing woman.

Cid, the man that helped restore myself, the Nobody crew, and the Keyblade Knights, was the head of the Research and Development department of Technology. During the days of the Restoration Committee, Cid had developed a defense system against Heartless and non-humanoid Nobodies. Since then, Cid had upgraded the system's capabilities a great deal, though it needed to be shut down for the upgrades to be installed. When an upgrade was ready, a day would be announced, and on that day school and jobs that weren't run from home were closed while full military forces and full medical support prepared for any Heartless that invaded.

The former leader of the Restoration Committee, Leon, aka Squall LeonHeart, opened the Radiant Garden Defense Force. It was the equivalent of a military force for the world, specifically designed for facing the Heartless threat, and on occasion the Nobody threat. An Academy was built to train people for the force with three fields in mind; hand to hand combat, magical combat, and weapons training. An unofficial fourth was body training, specifically making certain your body was in shape and capable of several hours of field duty.

Leon had help with the Academy, as three other members from the original committee, Yuffie Kisaragi and Tifa Lockheart, took teaching positions to aid in training, as did the wizard Merlin. Yuffie would help with the weapons and the unofficial body training, Tifa with the hand to hand combat, and Merlin with the magical training. That said, the trio also had other jobs, so other graduates were asked to stay on and help teach classes when they weren't available.

Both Yuffie and Tifa were leaders of their own squads, Alpha and Beta squads. There were several other squads, but the other primary three were Gamma, Delta, and Omega Squads. Omega was only called in on Heartless invasions, and consisted mainly of the original Restoration Committee members; Leon, Yuffie, Tifa, Merlin, Aerith, and a man named Cloud Strife. Cloud was off world when I first arrived, so I'll get back to him on a later date.

Not all graduates joined squads though, some joined the Radiant Garden Police Force, or the RGPF for short. With all the people coming to Radiant Garden, many of them being torn completely from their lives without a familiar face in sight, crime rates began to rise. True, a number of them were from mental breakdowns, and a special facility for formed for those cases, but for the rest, a jail was built.

As one could guess, with jails, mental facilities, and military-like training, laws and regulations were introduced to the society. Not that there weren't before, but those had been passed by word of mouth; now they were written. A new currency was introduced, though the munny Heartless dropped was also accepted. As a result, many people tried to go through the academy and get on a squad, because you got to keep whatever you gained on the field in addition to payments for services.

A mayor was elected and often worked closely with Leon and the Defense Force. Schools were built, a legal system developed and defined, and homes, stores, and supply shops were built as well. And get this; the first fun park was completed several months after my arrival on world! All in all, it was becoming a thriving city.

A number of people tried to leave Radiant Garden's walls to try and build their own towns and cities. The effort was encouraged, and the majority of people who left had at least some training from the Academy, if not having graduated out right. Still the Heartless presence outside of Radiant Garden was much greater then near it. Despite the efforts to take back the world from the Heartless,it would be thirty years before any of the efforts to establish a town outside the city succeeded.

Well now that I've given you the basics of the world that was my home for a time, let's continue the story, shall we? When Aerith and I arrived to Radiant Garden via Gummie Ship, it was night fall. Having no place to stay, and no munny of my own, Aerith was kind enough to allow me to stay in one of her hospital's nurse's rooms. There was going to be a squad meeting in the morning, and Aerith as a member of the board there would introduce me, and it would be decided if I needed to go through the academy or if I'd be immediately assigned to a squad. After helping me settle in, we both went to sleep, knowing that the next day would be a long one for certain.

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A thump echoed through the room, followed by a soft curse. Rubbing her head, Xion rose from her position on the floor; she had rolled off the bed again. Looking down at the bed and herself, she cursed again; she had wet in her sleep again.

Sliding off her black panties, the only article of clothing she had on at the time, she placed them on her bed before casting an aqua spell on them and the sheets. Walking over to the bathroom attached to the room, she grabbed a bucket and carried it back to the bed. From there, Xion said a silent apology to the spirit of water, Mizu, before using her manipulation abilities to pull both the water and urine from her sheets, clothes, and mattress, and dropped it into the bucket.

Pulling on her panties, pants and shirt, Xion carried the bucket to the toilet where she dumped it, flushed, and then spent the next few minutes cleaning the bucket for the next person to use. Once done with that she had her morning release, and took a quick shower. After toweling off and redressing, Xion made her way to the door and peeked out into the hallway.

"Good morning Xion." Aeirth said, walking down the hall. "I was on my way to wake you."

"I didn't over sleep, did I?" Xion asked.

"Oh no, we've got two hours before the meeting. I only have one more patient to visit, and after that we can go to breakfast before we go to the meeting." Aerith explained.

"Oh okay." Xion said.

"You're welcome to join me, I'm just checking in on her as she was admitted before I was asked to help you and the others." Aerith offered.

Before Xion could answer, a voice rang out from down the hall. "Dr. Gainsborough!" Xion saw an 'oh shit' look appear on Aerith's face before the pair turned to the man limping towards them with the aid of a cane.

"Dr. House." Aerith said evenly. "I trust you're not going to try and convince me to approve of a procedure without evidence of its necessity."

"Nooo," House said, gesturing exaggeratedly, "I'm asking you for your approval of a procedure to help save a young man's life. Big difference."

"And do you have evidence with you that this procedure is necessary and will work?" Aerith asked. House frowned and handed a folder to her. Xion watched as Aerith's expression changed. "All I see here is a diagnosis on symptoms that could apply to any other number of diseases. Do the test first, then if it comes back confirming your diagnosis you can do your procedure."

"And if we wait he may die." House stated.

"Dr. House, you are a brilliant doctor, there's no denying that. But you've already lost two patients because you didn't confirm your diagnosis. If this one dies I'll take the blame, so you're in the clear, but from now on, I want all of your diagnosis tested and on my desk before you approve a procedure. The only exception is if emergency surgery is needed. Are we clear?"

"Dr. Gainsborough, I can't do my job if you keep looking over my shoulder like a hooker watching her latest catch write them a check. If you-" House stopped mid sentence as a wooden staff appeared beneath his neck.

"Dr. House." Aerith growled. "I've given you a lot of leeway, more then I have other doctors, and more then I probably should have. You are a brilliant doctor, but even you must follow the rules and regulations. If you do not, I will fire your ass. If you endanger the health of any of the patients here, I will call the RGPD. The one thing I won't do is let you roll over me like you did that dean of medicine from your old hospital. If you are to remember anything when speaking to me then remember this, I am a fighter as well as a healer. Endanger any of my patient's lives and you will pay. Understand?"

"Yes." Dr. House said. "Though you might want to move." He pulled back then leaned against the wall.

"What are you-" Aerith was cut off as Xion pulled her against the wall. A gurney flew buy with a man dressed in blue scrubs surfing on top of it.

"EAGLE!!!" The man exclaimed as the gurney flew down the hallway.

"What the hell!" Aerith exclaimed. "Xion, stop that gurney for me!"

Xion nodded her head, summoned her Keyblade, and pointed it at the gurney. "Stop!" She yelled out the time freezing spell. Both the gurney and the man on top of it froze in place.

Aerith and Xion made their way down the hall, pulled the man off the gurney and moved the gurney against the wall. A moment later the gurney regained its momentum and banged against the wall. Aerith turned to the man.

"Just what the hell were you doing!?" Aerith yelled. "You're a thirty-three year old man John Dorian, what could possibly posses you to do something so juvenile?"

"Well in my defense I haven't done this since I was on my world, and I chose the hallway that is normally vacant this time of day." JD said. Suddenly, JD's and Dr. House's beeper's went off.

A third man wearing a doctor's white coat jogged around the corner. "Betsy, jack-ass, let's go, patient's appendix burst. You're blacker half is prepping the O.R. Betsy. Move!" He shoulder bumped JD as he passed.

Both JD and Dr. House excused themselves and followed the man. Xion turned to Aerith. "Who was that?"

"Dr. Cox." Aerith answered, massaging her forehead.

"Dr. Cocks?" Xion repeated in confusion.

"C-O-X, not C-O-C-K-S." Aerith explained. "Gets everyone the first time. He has a tendency to go off on what many of us find are amusing rants, save when you're on the receiving end. He's got a massive ego, but unlike Dr. House, he proves he's worth his payroll by being open to adapting to other forms of medical treatment like magic and potions. Dr. House is set in his own ways, and while he's without a doubt the best doctor as far as medicine goes in Radiant Garden, his unwillingness to utilize magic and other methods of healing has caused some problems."

She let out a sigh and shook her head. "In any case, Dr. Cox is a brilliant doctor as well, but he's more open to asking for consults in those other forms of healing he's not familiar with. He comes from the world JD and Dr. Turk do, and often refers to JD in girls names."

"Why does he do that?" Xion asked.

"I don't know, but it is mildly amusing." Aerith admitted. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a thick book. "Dr. Cox and JD have actually published a book on Dr. Cox's rants, and have made quite a bit of money. You're welcome to my copy."

"Thanks, I'll read it in my spare time." Xion replied, taking the book and putting it in her pants pocket.

"So, shall we get going?" Aerith asked.

"Sure." Xion said.

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I think it's only fair I explain how something the size of a text book could fit comfortably in someone's pants pockets, be they a grown woman's or a teenager's. You see, Sora and a number of us who travel worlds have specially made pockets, enhanced with expansion charms.

Ever wonder why people announce the name of the item they're about to use? Our pockets are charmed, so to speak, to respond to our vocal responses. We state the item we want to use, and as long as we have one in our pockets, the item is summoned out and to our hands. Not everyone has these pockets, and only a handful of people know how to make them.

Now, I would later learn Aerith had earned a nickname around Radiant Garden. For all the people she's helped through Radiant Garden's development, she had earned the title, 'Mother of Radiant Garden.' It was originally 'Mother Aerith,' but she requested it be changed to something else. She had a rare disorder that made childbirth incredibly dangerous for her health, and the health of any child she tried to have, and the name Mother Aerith was a constant reminder to her how she would never have a child of her own. At least not of her own flesh and blood…little did she know…

In any case, I was about to find out why she was called the Mother of Radiant Garden.

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"Crystal, it's been a long time! How are you doing?" Aerith asked as she and Xion entered the room.

The girl on the bed was thirteen years old, had long black stranded hair with purple streaks. What really stood out was how one of her eyes was a dark blue color, while the other was hot pink in color. The girl was dressed in a green hospital gown, and light purple garment that had a hint of yellow on the bottom.

"I'm doing a lot better Aerith." Crystal said, sitting up in bed as Aerith picked up the chart containing her medical information. "I haven't passed out in over a month, my physical therapy is going great, and I'm almost completely caught up with my studies."

"You did all that in just a few months?" Aerith asked in surprise. "That's amazing."

"Not as amazing as some people I know." Crystal replied. She then noticed Xion's presence. "Who are you?"

"My name is Xion."

"I'm Crystal, nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

"So why are you here?"

"Xion is here because she spent the night." Aerith answered. "I helped her and a few others off world for the past few months. Xion can't travel with the group yet due to personal reasons, and still needs some help, so she's offered her services to the RGDF in exchange for my services."

"You don't look much older then me." Crystal stated. "You must have some special power if they're gonna let you fight Heartless."

"Well technically, I haven't been alive for a full two years yet." Xion replied. Holding out her hand, she summoned her Keyblade. "But I have the tools and combat experience against Heartless to be of some assistance, I'm certain."

"Is that a Keyblade?" Crystal asked. At Xion's nod, she then asked, "May I see it."

Xion didn't see any harm and handed it over. After a brief flash, Crystal set it on her lap, and ran her fingers across it. "Is that safe?" Aerith questioned.

"It's safe." Xion answered. "While the Kingdom Key Keyblade may look like a dull set weapon, the gray parts past the hilt have a special function to it that makes the surface razor sharp to anyone but its wielder. Outside of my hands, it's just a giant key."

"I've only heard of these things." Crystal said, lifting it off her lap and gripping the handle. "History class talks of Sora and King Mickey wielding them, but they've never gone into specifics about it's abilities before. Can yours change shape like Sora's?"

"…That's actually a good question." Xion said after a moment. "Up until recently I didn't have full ownership of this Keyblade, so I couldn't access its full powers. Maybe now it can, but I don't have anything I can test it on."

"Well, I'm sure we'll find out eventually. Catch." Crystal paused a moment before tossing the Keyblade back to Xion, who caught it with ease, and vanished it.

"Well, everything appears to check out." Aerith stated, setting down the chart. "All that's left is to get you in a clean diaper now."

"Okay then." Crystal replied. She laid back on the bed, and pulled up her gown to fully expose the purple garment.

Xion examined the garment. It was purple in color, and appeared to be fastened around the girl's waist by four blue tapes, two on each side. The cover appeared to be of smooth plastic, and the inside padded with some sort of cotton material, which was only guess work for the moment. The front of the diaper appeared to be discolored in a dirty yellowish hue.

"Would you like some privacy?" Aerith offered.

"We're all girls here, I don't mind doing it in the open." Crystal answered. Aerith nodded in acceptance.

Aerith placed another purple diaper, a bottle of baby powder, and some diaper rash cream on the table next to Crystal's bed. Xion watched as she ripped open each tape, before pulling the front of the diaper down. The inside was as Xion expected, though it was clear to her that the girl had wet herself. The garment had absorbed all of the pee, to Xion's surprise.

"You got a thing for diapers?" Crystal asked, noting Xion's looks.

"Is that what they're called?" Xion asked.

"You don't know?" Crystal asked, surprised.

"Less than two years old." Xion reminded her.

"Ah, so you missed some stages and common knowledge info." Crystal said. "Well, a diaper is like absorbent underwear. You can use them instead of going to a toilet, and it will hold your waste until it's maximum capacity is met, or you change out of it."

"Why would anyone want to walk around with their own waste between their legs?" Xion questioned.

"They were originally made for babies, whose bodies weren't developed enough for them to control when they had to go. They make them in bigger sizes for people who are sick, or have a medical problem that prevents them from controlling their releases. I fall under that category." Crystal explained.

"Oh." Was all Xion could say. The pair lapsed into silence as Aerith finished taping on a clean diaper.

"And we're done." Aerith said as she stood upright.

"Thanks a lot Mother Aerith." Crystal said.

Aerith flinched briefly, but quickly covered it up. "You're welcome Crystal. I'd love to catch up with you, but Xion and I need to be going if we're to get any breakfast before the meeting today."

"Alright, thanks for checking up on me." Crystal said.

"You're welcome." Aerith said.

"It was nice meeting you." Xion said.

"Likewise." Crystal said.

Aerith and Xion left the room a minute later. "She's an amazing girl." Aerith stated.

"How so?" Xion asked.

"Crystal and her sister lost their home world a while ago. They managed to get back up on their feet and adjust where some adults haven't." Aerith explained. "During the last security upgrade where the system was shut down, some heartless managed to infiltrate the city's walls. Crystal's sister was turned by the heartless, and then attacked her, resulting in her current state."

"You mean it was her sister's heartless that hurt her?" Xion asked, astonished.

"I'm afraid so." Aerith said sadly. "There were eye witnesses. Crystal has lost her family, her home, and now the ability to control part of her own body. And yet she remains so positive…she's an amazing girl."

"Yeah." Xion breathed. She was amazed at the kind of person Crystal was.

"It's going to be tough for her once she gets out of here." Aerith continued. "She'll need to either find a job to support herself, or put herself up for adoption and live at an orphanage. Add to that school work, socializing, and buying diapers and changing supplies…She's got her work cut out for her."

"Where does one buy diapers anyways?" Xion asked. "And does that place also sell those bed railings?"

"You fell out of bed, didn't you?" Aerith teased. Xion blushed, but nodded her head. "Diapers and changing supplies can be bought at local drug and pharmaceutical stores, which is easy enough to find in market areas. Bed railings though, you're best bet is some disability furniture store. Master Yen Sid helped conjure those railings back at the castle, so besides hospital bed railings, you best bet would be buying a crib."

"A crib?" Xion asked, confused.

"It's a bed infants and some toddlers sleep in. They have raised bars on the sides of the mattress, and are designed to keep the child inside." Aerith explained. "If you learn the cushioning charm, which causes any surface you lay on to feel like a pile of pillows, a crib might work best for you; technically speaking, you are as old as a toddler."

"Aerith!" Xion hissed, a blush appearing on her face. Aerith just laughed and led her out of the hospital.

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Aerith had always known I wet the bed, even when I burned my sheets that one time. She said she accepted my excuse back then so as not to make me uncomfortable. It took me quite a bit of time to realize Aerith had planned on me meeting Crystal.

The reason was two fold. The first was to help inspire me; seeing Crystal there, and knowing that it was the because of heartless, especially when the system was down, showed me how much I was needed. It also showed me how strong a person could be.

The second reason was to introduce me to the aspect of diapers. The physiology of Nobodies is different then humans; don't need as much food to get the energy to function all day, and thus produce next to no waste. Aerith would much later admit she was surprised at how well the nobody group adjusted; she had brought a bunch of diapers and changing supplies with her to Castle Oblivion, expecting us to need them.

Having seen how emotionally unbalanced I was at the time, she had refrained in my case. Truthfully, I think that was the best choice, and not because it helped me with my water magic training. Had I known what they were then, had someone explained to me then what Aerith wanted me to wear, I would have been in a much worse state, and who knows how my Awakening would have turned out.

When Aerith first revealed what she had done, I was pissed. While I was glad she was somewhat discrete, and let me make my own decisions, she had manipulated me when you got down to it. I hate being manipulated…makes me feel like a puppet again. Aerith wouldn't be the only one to manipulate me, but she was one of the few I'd later forgive.

That being said, I can understand why she introduced me to diapers that way. At that stage I was a bit more stable then I had been at Castle Oblivion, so she believed I'd be more open to the idea if I thought I had come up with the idea. That being said, having skipped over the infant, toddler, and much of the pre-teen stage of the human life cycle, I had no idea what diapers were, much less would I feel the shame most people would of having to wear one at an age where you were expected to be out of them for good, or even know to be discrete about wearing them. Aerith didn't seem to take that into consideration, but no one is perfect.

The trip across the city was much quicker then I'd expected. Ansem the Wise had created short ranged teleportation stones, of which were used at his tower when Malificent was ruling. Between Cid and Merlin, they not only learned to replicate this process, but to expand on it.

On the corner of specified streets were crystal shaped stone statues. There was also a small section between buildings on the corners that acted as a way point for the teleporters' arrival. Above each statue was a label of where they led to, and next to the statues were small stands with maps of the city.

While the streets were wide enough for motor vehicles, such things weren't mass produced. In order to lessen the chance of accidents and quick criminal get-a-ways, only select companies, law enforcement and health agencies were permitted to use gummie block made vehicles. Companies that move supplies like food, building supplies, and furniture, were permitted ground vehicles, while police, military, and hospitals got aerial vehicles, all of which had magically expanded insides thanks to Merlin.

After handing me a map, Aerith led me to the RGDF's headquarters. The meeting wasn't to start for a little over an hour, but she needed to get in touch with her fill in for when she was away, and there was a cafeteria serving breakfast. We saw Cid there, and she left me in his hands.

Cid was kind enough to point out the other people in the meeting, and told me how the meeting was to proceed. For matter of official record, there would be a person there to type out what everyone said during the meeting, meaning everyone official had to state their names and any ranks or positions of important. Because I didn't have a rank or anything here yet, I was to announce I was a Keyblade wielder when I was called upon by either Aerith or Leon.

Before I knew it, Aerith had returned, and it was time for the meeting.

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"Alright then, now that everyone is settled in, we'll begin the meeting." Leon stated. The room the group was in was a conference room; a large round table, a projector in the middle of the table, lights built into the ceiling, a large TV screen on one wall, a small desk for the lady typing out the meeting, and at least a dozen leather bound chairs.

"We'll start with role call…Squall Leonheart, preferred name Leon, head of the Radiant Garden Defense Force, and leader of the Omega Squad." Leon stated.

"Yuffie Kisaragi, leader of Alpha Squad of the Radiant Garden Defense Force, part time trainer of weapons combat at the Defense Force Academy." Yuffie stated, her tone suggesting she was bored.

"Tifa Lockheart, leader of Beta Squad of the Radiant Garden Defense Force, part time trainer of hand to hand combat at the Defense Force Academy." Tifa stated.

*Grunt* "Name's Cid, head of the Research and Development of Radiant Garden's technology, defensive purposes or otherwise." Cid grumbled.

"Merlin, full time trainer of magic combat at the Defense Force Academy. I'm also a member of Omega Squad, and a part time of the Techno-magic development division." Merlin stated.

"Aerith Gainsborough, founder of Radiant Garden's medical facilities and hospital. Part time trainer in healing magic, part time doctor, and part time member of Omega Squad." Aerith stated. There was a brief moment of greetings and 'welcome backs' from the group.

A man in a spiffy looking business suit picked up from there. "Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. Head of the Techno-magic development, and soon to be combat ready once my new armor is complete."

"Spartan 078 Kelly, leader of Gamma Squad of the Radiant Garden Defense Force." A woman with red hair and green eyes stated. She was decked out in a combat uniform.

"Kevin Delrop, leader of Delta Squad of the Radiant Garden Defense Force." A man with red eyes and dark hair stated. He was also wearing a combat uniform.

A man with short black hair and brown eyes, dressed in a police uniform, spoke up next. "Adam Park, Black Mastodon Power Ranger, head of the Police Force Academy, filling in for head of the Police Force Tommy Oliver. He's currently at the hospital with his wife, who's giving birth to my godchild."

"That's great!"

"Congratulations!"

"Give the couple my regards." Leon stated with a smile.

"Will it be a boy or a girl?" Yuffie asked.

"Don't know, Kimberly wanted it to be a surprise." Adam replied.

"Well, we'll try to finish this meeting up quick so you can get to the hospital then Adam." Leon stated.

The next ten minutes were spent going over reports; heartless numbers, injuries sustained, advances in technology and magic, new heroes that had arrived recently, and upcoming hopeful graduates from the academy for squad joining. Finally, the group turned to Aerith.

"Aerith, I know there's Doctor-Patient confidentiality, but can you tell us what the condition of the Keyblade wielders you were called to aid?" Leon asked.

"I'll say what I can, but there isn't much." Aerith stated. "There were seven members of the group I was called to help treat, of which four were Keyblade wielders, and one a Keyblade master. The other two were former members of Organization XIII, one of which against her will."

"Members of the Organization were revived?" Yuffie asked. "Why?"

"Two of the members were the nobodies of Sora and Kairi. And the third member sacrificed himself to open the way to the Organization's home base." Aerith explained, gaining an 'oh' expression from Yuffie.

"What else can you tell us?" Tifa asked.

"Why does it matter what happens to off world-ers?" Kevin asked.

"The Keyblade is the only weapon that can release the hearts that destroyed heartless contain, thus stopping them from regenerating as well." Leon explained. "Its wielders are either not affected, or to a limited extent, by the power changes most experience when off their home world, giving them a greater advantage in combat."

Kevin huffed but said nothing after that. The group turned to Aerith, who continued. "Well, the most remarkable thing about the revival of several of these members is that they gained hearts of their own."

"They gained their own hearts?" Tifa repeated.

"That doesn't follow any of the data I've read." Tony stated.

"You'll find Tony, that when Sora, Riku, and Kairi are involved, the rules of the heart don't generally apply." Leon stated.

"Ansem the Wise encoded data into Sora's heart, from which these people were either revived or summoned to the castle by." Aerith stated. "At this point, we can only assume he had something to do with giving the Nobodies hearts of their own.

"In any case, there were physical and psychological damage to contend with, as well as emotional conflicts. The Nobody crew, as one member dubbed them, had need to learn to control their new emotional range. The Keyblade master had spent over ten years traveling the realm of darkness, so there was a lot to deal with. Several of the other members had been possessed in some form or another as well, and required physical therapy to get used to being in control of their bodies again."

"Was the treatment a success?" Leon asked.

"Mostly, though some aspects are still a work in progress." Aerith answered. "Those requiring physical therapy have regained full control of their bodies. The Nobody crew have a fairly firm grip on their new emotional range. The Keyblade Knights are able to lean on one other to help settle their issues, as well as Master Yen Sid, whom they are staying with. Only two out of the group are still undergoing psychological help, and both are doing extremely well."

"Is one of them the girl you brought in here?" Kevin asked. The group turned to Xion, who had been leaning against the wall in the shadows up till that point.

"You may introduce yourself now." Aerith told her. Xion nodded and came into view for everyone.

"My name is Xion, and I'm a Keyblade wielder." Xion stated.

"You look a lot like Kairi." Yuffie stated.

"Sora thought you did too, after Leon beat him back at Traverse Town." Xion said with a grin.

Yuffie snorted at that. "I remember that, he said all kind of funny things when he was out of it. I'm surprised he told you."

"He didn't, I was there for it, so-to speak." Xion replied.

"How?" Leon asked.

"I was originally a clone of Sora. Specifically, I was cloned from his memories, so I have quite a bit of Sora's knowledge and memories up until just after his first adventure, and some of his second." Xion explained.

"Then why do you look more like Kairi if you're cloned from Sora, or his memories anyways?" Tifa asked.

"I resemble Kairi because she was Sora's strongest memory at the time of my creation." Xion stated. "During the past few months, I've discovered I have traits of Sora, Kairi, and even some of Riku too. In that way, I resemble the qualities Sora thought most of from himself and his friends…Right now though, I'm just trying to figure out who I am, as I'm no longer just some clone."

"Who created you?" Kevin asked.

"Kevin!" Aerith scolded.

"How did they do it?" Tony asked.

"Tony!"

"What? Am I not the only person here curious as to how memories can be made into physical form and take on life of their own?"

"I was created by Organization XIII." Xion answered, gaining gasps from the group. "Though it was kept from me, my purpose was to assimilate number thirteen of the Organization, Roxas, who was Sora's Nobody."

"You weren't actively trying to assimilate him? What became of you?" Tifa asked.

"No, I wasn't trying to assimilate him…I…" Xion paused for a moment to compose herself. "My creation was to add another Keyblade to heart collecting, and to create a stronger Keyblade Wielder that Xemnas, the Organization's leader, could control like a puppet…"

"May I explain?" Aerith asked. Xion nodded her head. "Xion twice tried to escape the Organization, each time being forced back. She also had a close, personal relationship with Roxas. After her second capture, armor was fused to her body, and she was injected with some chemical that forced her to try and assimilate Roxas. In the end, she was killed by Roxas, and returned to Sora, having been originally made of his memories."

"You were forced to fight your best friend?" Adam asked.

"That sucks." Yuffie stated bluntly.

"I used to think we were more then best friends, but…" Xion trailed off.

"Let me rephrase, that bites." Yuffie said.

"Yeah." Xion sighed. "He chose to pursue a relationship with Kairi's Nobody, Namine. Because of how little control I had of my emotions at the time I got insanely jealous and…" She hesitated, but took a deep breath and went for it. "And darkness entered my heart."

"You have darkness in your heart?" Kelly asked.

"Yes." Xion confirmed.

"That issue has been resolved though." Aerith stated, gaining everyone's attention. "Through training with Dark Keyblade master Riku, she has a firm grip on her darkness, and can use it to her advantage, and as a strength."

"So you need darkness to make you strong." Kevin stated more then asked, earning dirty looks from other members in the room.

"Actually, I'm very proficient in magic casting." Xion stated. "I've had to do training exercises given to me by Master Yen Sid to gain better control of my magic. I've come a long way since then."

"Master Yen Sid gave you magic exercises?" Merlin asked, looking interested.

"Yes, why?" Xion asked.

"When Yen Sid retired from active duty as a Keyblade Master, he studied magical arts, and is a very big name in our community. To catch his eye is a big deal." Merlin stated. He then smiled. "It says something about you as a person, as for most he would simply place a seal on their magic to help them." Xion smiled at that; it was a reflection on her, and not Sora, Riku, or Kairi's properties.

"Magic can be sealed?" Kevin asked, interested.

"Yes, but we're not here to discuss that." Leon stated, causing Kevin to frown. He turned to Xion. "Why did you decide to come to Radiant Garden Xion?"

"Aerith is helping out with my therapy, and I can't go back to Twilight Town." Xion answered. "It's where I made most of my mistakes as a member of the Organization, it's where I died, and it's where Roxas is. I can't be around him right now, especially not when Namine is around."

"And just what can a thirteen year old girl do to help the Defense Force against the heartless threat?" Kevin asked.

"Um, technically, I haven't been alive for two whole years." Xion admitted.

"Then what good are you?" Kevin asked, his voice growing louder. "With your darkness you're more of a liability to us then a help."

Xion narrowed her eyes. "Out of the eighteen months I've been alive, I've spent twelve of them battling heartless. I have field experience and knowledge of how heartless operate on different terrains. If you don't think I can handle fighting heartless, then fight me yourself and see first hand what I can do."

Kevin rose to his feet. "Gladly, we'll take it to the Battle Coliseum."

"Sit down Kevin." Leon ordered.

"Why? She called me out!" Kevin all but yelled.

"As I said before, the powers of Keyblade Wielders doesn't weaken away from their home worlds, bar a few exceptions. Radiant Garden isn't one of them. You yourself admitted you're only a third as strong now compared to back on your home world. Keyblade Wielders are on a whole other level when it comes to combat, even Sora when he gained his in less then twenty-four hours. I don't want to risk losing one of my Squad Leaders against one." Leon explained.

"I wouldn't kill him." Xion stated.

"Not intentionally." Leon agreed. "But the fact remains that you are on a whole different level then Kevin. Furthermore, you admitted to actively using darkness, claiming control over it. While I applaud you for getting that out in the open now, we need proof that you can control your darkness. It will give the people you work with and the citizens of Radiant Garden more peace of mind to see it."

"And how are they going to see it if she doesn't face me?" Kevin asked.

"They'll see it because she will be facing me." Leon stated, causing several people around the table to gasp. He turned to Xion. "This battle won't be one to win, but one to show your capabilities, and to prove you can control the darkness you wield. You won't be permitted items to use during the battle, but I will be. During the battle I'll test your ability to think under pressure, your offensive and defensive capabilities, and you're ability to control your darkness under high stress situations as well. Is this acceptable to everyone?"

"No objections here." Kevin stated with a grin.

"None here." Xion answered. Everyone else agreed as well.

"Very well then." Leon stated. "After the battle, we shall have a meeting to discuss Xion's performance. Should she be deemed fit to perform, we will decide if she needs to go through the Academy, or if she's to be assigned to a Squad. The battle will take place in three hours at the Coliseum. Understood?"

Description
Chapter 2

Well, if you're still reading then I must have done something to get your attention. Hope I can keep it. Once again, let me remind you that these are real events that happened to me, from my perspective, and yes, at times with my own biased views. After all, I'm only human…well, now anyways.

In any case, last entry ended with my leaving Castle Oblivion with Aerith. We were heading to her home world called Radiant Garden, which turned into quite a historic place in later years. An evil witch named Maleficent had concurred the world with the Heartless, and had used it as a base of operations for her quest to open the door to darkness.

Thanks to the efforts of Sora, Radiant Garden, which at the time was referred to as Hollow Bastion, was liberated from Maleficent's control. Over time the heartless population diminished, but having populated the world for over ten years, it had left something of a stain on the world, one that attracted heartless. During the war against Organization XIII, Sora and the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee faced literally thousands of Heartless, in what historians are now calling the Battle of the Great Maw.

The Heartless inhabitation on that world also left another unexpected side effect. You see, when a world's heart, or core is consumed by the heartless, almost all of its population is consumed as well, almost being the key word. When Sora's home world was consumed, he was not, and as a result his body traveled along what scientists in my age call a dark current. A dark current is something of a river of darkness that flows by, and in some cases through, the various worlds out there.

These dark currents are especially dangerous to those who don't have a strong heart. These currents were why the Keyblade Knight's armor and the Organization's trench coats were made; for those with hearts it could corrupt or consume them, and for Nobodies it could regress them to their unthinking base form, a Dusk. It takes a strong heart to survive a world's consumption from the darkness, and an even stronger one to survive long enough in the dark current to be deposited on another world.

I bring this up because due to the long inhabitation of the heartless on the world that is Radiant Garden, it became something of a pond for the current, if you will. Many dark currents lead to Radiant Garden, and as a result, deposited a great number of people from a number of worlds. Some were super smart, some had powers, and some would just be really weird. There were also a number of civilians deposited there too.

As a result, Radiant Garden expanded, and at the time of my arrival, was home to several thousand people. The Restoration Committee that had worked to restore Radiant Garden to its former glory was willingly disbanded shortly after the population grew over the first thousand, though the founding members took key positions in society.

Aerith opened a chain of hospitals that all worked with magic, potions, and basic medicine as well. I'll explain how that works later in this entry. Aerith was such a caring person, with such a huge heart, so to speak, she earned several names and titles over the years. She saved many lives, and was truly an amazing woman.

Cid, the man that helped restore myself, the Nobody crew, and the Keyblade Knights, was the head of the Research and Development department of Technology. During the days of the Restoration Committee, Cid had developed a defense system against Heartless and non-humanoid Nobodies. Since then, Cid had upgraded the system's capabilities a great deal, though it needed to be shut down for the upgrades to be installed. When an upgrade was ready, a day would be announced, and on that day school and jobs that weren't run from home were closed while full military forces and full medical support prepared for any Heartless that invaded.

The former leader of the Restoration Committee, Leon, aka Squall LeonHeart, opened the Radiant Garden Defense Force. It was the equivalent of a military force for the world, specifically designed for facing the Heartless threat, and on occasion the Nobody threat. An Academy was built to train people for the force with three fields in mind; hand to hand combat, magical combat, and weapons training. An unofficial fourth was body training, specifically making certain your body was in shape and capable of several hours of field duty.

Leon had help with the Academy, as three other members from the original committee, Yuffie Kisaragi and Tifa Lockheart, took teaching positions to aid in training, as did the wizard Merlin. Yuffie would help with the weapons and the unofficial body training, Tifa with the hand to hand combat, and Merlin with the magical training. That said, the trio also had other jobs, so other graduates were asked to stay on and help teach classes when they weren't available.

Both Yuffie and Tifa were leaders of their own squads, Alpha and Beta squads. There were several other squads, but the other primary three were Gamma, Delta, and Omega Squads. Omega was only called in on Heartless invasions, and consisted mainly of the original Restoration Committee members; Leon, Yuffie, Tifa, Merlin, Aerith, and a man named Cloud Strife. Cloud was off world when I first arrived, so I'll get back to him on a later date.

Not all graduates joined squads though, some joined the Radiant Garden Police Force, or the RGPF for short. With all the people coming to Radiant Garden, many of them being torn completely from their lives without a familiar face in sight, crime rates began to rise. True, a number of them were from mental breakdowns, and a special facility for formed for those cases, but for the rest, a jail was built.

As one could guess, with jails, mental facilities, and military-like training, laws and regulations were introduced to the society. Not that there weren't before, but those had been passed by word of mouth; now they were written. A new currency was introduced, though the munny Heartless dropped was also accepted. As a result, many people tried to go through the academy and get on a squad, because you got to keep whatever you gained on the field in addition to payments for services.

A mayor was elected and often worked closely with Leon and the Defense Force. Schools were built, a legal system developed and defined, and homes, stores, and supply shops were built as well. And get this; the first fun park was completed several months after my arrival on world! All in all, it was becoming a thriving city.

A number of people tried to leave Radiant Garden's walls to try and build their own towns and cities. The effort was encouraged, and the majority of people who left had at least some training from the Academy, if not having graduated out right. Still the Heartless presence outside of Radiant Garden was much greater then near it. Despite the efforts to take back the world from the Heartless,it would be thirty years before any of the efforts to establish a town outside the city succeeded.

Well now that I've given you the basics of the world that was my home for a time, let's continue the story, shall we? When Aerith and I arrived to Radiant Garden via Gummie Ship, it was night fall. Having no place to stay, and no munny of my own, Aerith was kind enough to allow me to stay in one of her hospital's nurse's rooms. There was going to be a squad meeting in the morning, and Aerith as a member of the board there would introduce me, and it would be decided if I needed to go through the academy or if I'd be immediately assigned to a squad. After helping me settle in, we both went to sleep, knowing that the next day would be a long one for certain.

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A thump echoed through the room, followed by a soft curse. Rubbing her head, Xion rose from her position on the floor; she had rolled off the bed again. Looking down at the bed and herself, she cursed again; she had wet in her sleep again.

Sliding off her black panties, the only article of clothing she had on at the time, she placed them on her bed before casting an aqua spell on them and the sheets. Walking over to the bathroom attached to the room, she grabbed a bucket and carried it back to the bed. From there, Xion said a silent apology to the spirit of water, Mizu, before using her manipulation abilities to pull both the water and urine from her sheets, clothes, and mattress, and dropped it into the bucket.

Pulling on her panties, pants and shirt, Xion carried the bucket to the toilet where she dumped it, flushed, and then spent the next few minutes cleaning the bucket for the next person to use. Once done with that she had her morning release, and took a quick shower. After toweling off and redressing, Xion made her way to the door and peeked out into the hallway.

"Good morning Xion." Aeirth said, walking down the hall. "I was on my way to wake you."

"I didn't over sleep, did I?" Xion asked.

"Oh no, we've got two hours before the meeting. I only have one more patient to visit, and after that we can go to breakfast before we go to the meeting." Aerith explained.

"Oh okay." Xion said.

"You're welcome to join me, I'm just checking in on her as she was admitted before I was asked to help you and the others." Aerith offered.

Before Xion could answer, a voice rang out from down the hall. "Dr. Gainsborough!" Xion saw an 'oh shit' look appear on Aerith's face before the pair turned to the man limping towards them with the aid of a cane.

"Dr. House." Aerith said evenly. "I trust you're not going to try and convince me to approve of a procedure without evidence of its necessity."

"Nooo," House said, gesturing exaggeratedly, "I'm asking you for your approval of a procedure to help save a young man's life. Big difference."

"And do you have evidence with you that this procedure is necessary and will work?" Aerith asked. House frowned and handed a folder to her. Xion watched as Aerith's expression changed. "All I see here is a diagnosis on symptoms that could apply to any other number of diseases. Do the test first, then if it comes back confirming your diagnosis you can do your procedure."

"And if we wait he may die." House stated.

"Dr. House, you are a brilliant doctor, there's no denying that. But you've already lost two patients because you didn't confirm your diagnosis. If this one dies I'll take the blame, so you're in the clear, but from now on, I want all of your diagnosis tested and on my desk before you approve a procedure. The only exception is if emergency surgery is needed. Are we clear?"

"Dr. Gainsborough, I can't do my job if you keep looking over my shoulder like a hooker watching her latest catch write them a check. If you-" House stopped mid sentence as a wooden staff appeared beneath his neck.

"Dr. House." Aerith growled. "I've given you a lot of leeway, more then I have other doctors, and more then I probably should have. You are a brilliant doctor, but even you must follow the rules and regulations. If you do not, I will fire your ass. If you endanger the health of any of the patients here, I will call the RGPD. The one thing I won't do is let you roll over me like you did that dean of medicine from your old hospital. If you are to remember anything when speaking to me then remember this, I am a fighter as well as a healer. Endanger any of my patient's lives and you will pay. Understand?"

"Yes." Dr. House said. "Though you might want to move." He pulled back then leaned against the wall.

"What are you-" Aerith was cut off as Xion pulled her against the wall. A gurney flew buy with a man dressed in blue scrubs surfing on top of it.

"EAGLE!!!" The man exclaimed as the gurney flew down the hallway.

"What the hell!" Aerith exclaimed. "Xion, stop that gurney for me!"

Xion nodded her head, summoned her Keyblade, and pointed it at the gurney. "Stop!" She yelled out the time freezing spell. Both the gurney and the man on top of it froze in place.

Aerith and Xion made their way down the hall, pulled the man off the gurney and moved the gurney against the wall. A moment later the gurney regained its momentum and banged against the wall. Aerith turned to the man.

"Just what the hell were you doing!?" Aerith yelled. "You're a thirty-three year old man John Dorian, what could possibly posses you to do something so juvenile?"

"Well in my defense I haven't done this since I was on my world, and I chose the hallway that is normally vacant this time of day." JD said. Suddenly, JD's and Dr. House's beeper's went off.

A third man wearing a doctor's white coat jogged around the corner. "Betsy, jack-ass, let's go, patient's appendix burst. You're blacker half is prepping the O.R. Betsy. Move!" He shoulder bumped JD as he passed.

Both JD and Dr. House excused themselves and followed the man. Xion turned to Aerith. "Who was that?"

"Dr. Cox." Aerith answered, massaging her forehead.

"Dr. Cocks?" Xion repeated in confusion.

"C-O-X, not C-O-C-K-S." Aerith explained. "Gets everyone the first time. He has a tendency to go off on what many of us find are amusing rants, save when you're on the receiving end. He's got a massive ego, but unlike Dr. House, he proves he's worth his payroll by being open to adapting to other forms of medical treatment like magic and potions. Dr. House is set in his own ways, and while he's without a doubt the best doctor as far as medicine goes in Radiant Garden, his unwillingness to utilize magic and other methods of healing has caused some problems."

She let out a sigh and shook her head. "In any case, Dr. Cox is a brilliant doctor as well, but he's more open to asking for consults in those other forms of healing he's not familiar with. He comes from the world JD and Dr. Turk do, and often refers to JD in girls names."

"Why does he do that?" Xion asked.

"I don't know, but it is mildly amusing." Aerith admitted. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a thick book. "Dr. Cox and JD have actually published a book on Dr. Cox's rants, and have made quite a bit of money. You're welcome to my copy."

"Thanks, I'll read it in my spare time." Xion replied, taking the book and putting it in her pants pocket.

"So, shall we get going?" Aerith asked.

"Sure." Xion said.

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I think it's only fair I explain how something the size of a text book could fit comfortably in someone's pants pockets, be they a grown woman's or a teenager's. You see, Sora and a number of us who travel worlds have specially made pockets, enhanced with expansion charms.

Ever wonder why people announce the name of the item they're about to use? Our pockets are charmed, so to speak, to respond to our vocal responses. We state the item we want to use, and as long as we have one in our pockets, the item is summoned out and to our hands. Not everyone has these pockets, and only a handful of people know how to make them.

Now, I would later learn Aerith had earned a nickname around Radiant Garden. For all the people she's helped through Radiant Garden's development, she had earned the title, 'Mother of Radiant Garden.' It was originally 'Mother Aerith,' but she requested it be changed to something else. She had a rare disorder that made childbirth incredibly dangerous for her health, and the health of any child she tried to have, and the name Mother Aerith was a constant reminder to her how she would never have a child of her own. At least not of her own flesh and blood…little did she know…

In any case, I was about to find out why she was called the Mother of Radiant Garden.

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"Crystal, it's been a long time! How are you doing?" Aerith asked as she and Xion entered the room.

The girl on the bed was thirteen years old, had long black stranded hair with purple streaks. What really stood out was how one of her eyes was a dark blue color, while the other was hot pink in color. The girl was dressed in a green hospital gown, and light purple garment that had a hint of yellow on the bottom.

"I'm doing a lot better Aerith." Crystal said, sitting up in bed as Aerith picked up the chart containing her medical information. "I haven't passed out in over a month, my physical therapy is going great, and I'm almost completely caught up with my studies."

"You did all that in just a few months?" Aerith asked in surprise. "That's amazing."

"Not as amazing as some people I know." Crystal replied. She then noticed Xion's presence. "Who are you?"

"My name is Xion."

"I'm Crystal, nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

"So why are you here?"

"Xion is here because she spent the night." Aerith answered. "I helped her and a few others off world for the past few months. Xion can't travel with the group yet due to personal reasons, and still needs some help, so she's offered her services to the RGDF in exchange for my services."

"You don't look much older then me." Crystal stated. "You must have some special power if they're gonna let you fight Heartless."

"Well technically, I haven't been alive for a full two years yet." Xion replied. Holding out her hand, she summoned her Keyblade. "But I have the tools and combat experience against Heartless to be of some assistance, I'm certain."

"Is that a Keyblade?" Crystal asked. At Xion's nod, she then asked, "May I see it."

Xion didn't see any harm and handed it over. After a brief flash, Crystal set it on her lap, and ran her fingers across it. "Is that safe?" Aerith questioned.

"It's safe." Xion answered. "While the Kingdom Key Keyblade may look like a dull set weapon, the gray parts past the hilt have a special function to it that makes the surface razor sharp to anyone but its wielder. Outside of my hands, it's just a giant key."

"I've only heard of these things." Crystal said, lifting it off her lap and gripping the handle. "History class talks of Sora and King Mickey wielding them, but they've never gone into specifics about it's abilities before. Can yours change shape like Sora's?"

"…That's actually a good question." Xion said after a moment. "Up until recently I didn't have full ownership of this Keyblade, so I couldn't access its full powers. Maybe now it can, but I don't have anything I can test it on."

"Well, I'm sure we'll find out eventually. Catch." Crystal paused a moment before tossing the Keyblade back to Xion, who caught it with ease, and vanished it.

"Well, everything appears to check out." Aerith stated, setting down the chart. "All that's left is to get you in a clean diaper now."

"Okay then." Crystal replied. She laid back on the bed, and pulled up her gown to fully expose the purple garment.

Xion examined the garment. It was purple in color, and appeared to be fastened around the girl's waist by four blue tapes, two on each side. The cover appeared to be of smooth plastic, and the inside padded with some sort of cotton material, which was only guess work for the moment. The front of the diaper appeared to be discolored in a dirty yellowish hue.

"Would you like some privacy?" Aerith offered.

"We're all girls here, I don't mind doing it in the open." Crystal answered. Aerith nodded in acceptance.

Aerith placed another purple diaper, a bottle of baby powder, and some diaper rash cream on the table next to Crystal's bed. Xion watched as she ripped open each tape, before pulling the front of the diaper down. The inside was as Xion expected, though it was clear to her that the girl had wet herself. The garment had absorbed all of the pee, to Xion's surprise.

"You got a thing for diapers?" Crystal asked, noting Xion's looks.

"Is that what they're called?" Xion asked.

"You don't know?" Crystal asked, surprised.

"Less than two years old." Xion reminded her.

"Ah, so you missed some stages and common knowledge info." Crystal said. "Well, a diaper is like absorbent underwear. You can use them instead of going to a toilet, and it will hold your waste until it's maximum capacity is met, or you change out of it."

"Why would anyone want to walk around with their own waste between their legs?" Xion questioned.

"They were originally made for babies, whose bodies weren't developed enough for them to control when they had to go. They make them in bigger sizes for people who are sick, or have a medical problem that prevents them from controlling their releases. I fall under that category." Crystal explained.

"Oh." Was all Xion could say. The pair lapsed into silence as Aerith finished taping on a clean diaper.

"And we're done." Aerith said as she stood upright.

"Thanks a lot Mother Aerith." Crystal said.

Aerith flinched briefly, but quickly covered it up. "You're welcome Crystal. I'd love to catch up with you, but Xion and I need to be going if we're to get any breakfast before the meeting today."

"Alright, thanks for checking up on me." Crystal said.

"You're welcome." Aerith said.

"It was nice meeting you." Xion said.

"Likewise." Crystal said.

Aerith and Xion left the room a minute later. "She's an amazing girl." Aerith stated.

"How so?" Xion asked.

"Crystal and her sister lost their home world a while ago. They managed to get back up on their feet and adjust where some adults haven't." Aerith explained. "During the last security upgrade where the system was shut down, some heartless managed to infiltrate the city's walls. Crystal's sister was turned by the heartless, and then attacked her, resulting in her current state."

"You mean it was her sister's heartless that hurt her?" Xion asked, astonished.

"I'm afraid so." Aerith said sadly. "There were eye witnesses. Crystal has lost her family, her home, and now the ability to control part of her own body. And yet she remains so positive…she's an amazing girl."

"Yeah." Xion breathed. She was amazed at the kind of person Crystal was.

"It's going to be tough for her once she gets out of here." Aerith continued. "She'll need to either find a job to support herself, or put herself up for adoption and live at an orphanage. Add to that school work, socializing, and buying diapers and changing supplies…She's got her work cut out for her."

"Where does one buy diapers anyways?" Xion asked. "And does that place also sell those bed railings?"

"You fell out of bed, didn't you?" Aerith teased. Xion blushed, but nodded her head. "Diapers and changing supplies can be bought at local drug and pharmaceutical stores, which is easy enough to find in market areas. Bed railings though, you're best bet is some disability furniture store. Master Yen Sid helped conjure those railings back at the castle, so besides hospital bed railings, you best bet would be buying a crib."

"A crib?" Xion asked, confused.

"It's a bed infants and some toddlers sleep in. They have raised bars on the sides of the mattress, and are designed to keep the child inside." Aerith explained. "If you learn the cushioning charm, which causes any surface you lay on to feel like a pile of pillows, a crib might work best for you; technically speaking, you are as old as a toddler."

"Aerith!" Xion hissed, a blush appearing on her face. Aerith just laughed and led her out of the hospital.

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Aerith had always known I wet the bed, even when I burned my sheets that one time. She said she accepted my excuse back then so as not to make me uncomfortable. It took me quite a bit of time to realize Aerith had planned on me meeting Crystal.

The reason was two fold. The first was to help inspire me; seeing Crystal there, and knowing that it was the because of heartless, especially when the system was down, showed me how much I was needed. It also showed me how strong a person could be.

The second reason was to introduce me to the aspect of diapers. The physiology of Nobodies is different then humans; don't need as much food to get the energy to function all day, and thus produce next to no waste. Aerith would much later admit she was surprised at how well the nobody group adjusted; she had brought a bunch of diapers and changing supplies with her to Castle Oblivion, expecting us to need them.

Having seen how emotionally unbalanced I was at the time, she had refrained in my case. Truthfully, I think that was the best choice, and not because it helped me with my water magic training. Had I known what they were then, had someone explained to me then what Aerith wanted me to wear, I would have been in a much worse state, and who knows how my Awakening would have turned out.

When Aerith first revealed what she had done, I was pissed. While I was glad she was somewhat discrete, and let me make my own decisions, she had manipulated me when you got down to it. I hate being manipulated…makes me feel like a puppet again. Aerith wouldn't be the only one to manipulate me, but she was one of the few I'd later forgive.

That being said, I can understand why she introduced me to diapers that way. At that stage I was a bit more stable then I had been at Castle Oblivion, so she believed I'd be more open to the idea if I thought I had come up with the idea. That being said, having skipped over the infant, toddler, and much of the pre-teen stage of the human life cycle, I had no idea what diapers were, much less would I feel the shame most people would of having to wear one at an age where you were expected to be out of them for good, or even know to be discrete about wearing them. Aerith didn't seem to take that into consideration, but no one is perfect.

The trip across the city was much quicker then I'd expected. Ansem the Wise had created short ranged teleportation stones, of which were used at his tower when Malificent was ruling. Between Cid and Merlin, they not only learned to replicate this process, but to expand on it.

On the corner of specified streets were crystal shaped stone statues. There was also a small section between buildings on the corners that acted as a way point for the teleporters' arrival. Above each statue was a label of where they led to, and next to the statues were small stands with maps of the city.

While the streets were wide enough for motor vehicles, such things weren't mass produced. In order to lessen the chance of accidents and quick criminal get-a-ways, only select companies, law enforcement and health agencies were permitted to use gummie block made vehicles. Companies that move supplies like food, building supplies, and furniture, were permitted ground vehicles, while police, military, and hospitals got aerial vehicles, all of which had magically expanded insides thanks to Merlin.

After handing me a map, Aerith led me to the RGDF's headquarters. The meeting wasn't to start for a little over an hour, but she needed to get in touch with her fill in for when she was away, and there was a cafeteria serving breakfast. We saw Cid there, and she left me in his hands.

Cid was kind enough to point out the other people in the meeting, and told me how the meeting was to proceed. For matter of official record, there would be a person there to type out what everyone said during the meeting, meaning everyone official had to state their names and any ranks or positions of important. Because I didn't have a rank or anything here yet, I was to announce I was a Keyblade wielder when I was called upon by either Aerith or Leon.

Before I knew it, Aerith had returned, and it was time for the meeting.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Alright then, now that everyone is settled in, we'll begin the meeting." Leon stated. The room the group was in was a conference room; a large round table, a projector in the middle of the table, lights built into the ceiling, a large TV screen on one wall, a small desk for the lady typing out the meeting, and at least a dozen leather bound chairs.

"We'll start with role call…Squall Leonheart, preferred name Leon, head of the Radiant Garden Defense Force, and leader of the Omega Squad." Leon stated.

"Yuffie Kisaragi, leader of Alpha Squad of the Radiant Garden Defense Force, part time trainer of weapons combat at the Defense Force Academy." Yuffie stated, her tone suggesting she was bored.

"Tifa Lockheart, leader of Beta Squad of the Radiant Garden Defense Force, part time trainer of hand to hand combat at the Defense Force Academy." Tifa stated.

*Grunt* "Name's Cid, head of the Research and Development of Radiant Garden's technology, defensive purposes or otherwise." Cid grumbled.

"Merlin, full time trainer of magic combat at the Defense Force Academy. I'm also a member of Omega Squad, and a part time of the Techno-magic development division." Merlin stated.

"Aerith Gainsborough, founder of Radiant Garden's medical facilities and hospital. Part time trainer in healing magic, part time doctor, and part time member of Omega Squad." Aerith stated. There was a brief moment of greetings and 'welcome backs' from the group.

A man in a spiffy looking business suit picked up from there. "Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. Head of the Techno-magic development, and soon to be combat ready once my new armor is complete."

"Spartan 078 Kelly, leader of Gamma Squad of the Radiant Garden Defense Force." A woman with red hair and green eyes stated. She was decked out in a combat uniform.

"Kevin Delrop, leader of Delta Squad of the Radiant Garden Defense Force." A man with red eyes and dark hair stated. He was also wearing a combat uniform.

A man with short black hair and brown eyes, dressed in a police uniform, spoke up next. "Adam Park, Black Mastodon Power Ranger, head of the Police Force Academy, filling in for head of the Police Force Tommy Oliver. He's currently at the hospital with his wife, who's giving birth to my godchild."

"That's great!"

"Congratulations!"

"Give the couple my regards." Leon stated with a smile.

"Will it be a boy or a girl?" Yuffie asked.

"Don't know, Kimberly wanted it to be a surprise." Adam replied.

"Well, we'll try to finish this meeting up quick so you can get to the hospital then Adam." Leon stated.

The next ten minutes were spent going over reports; heartless numbers, injuries sustained, advances in technology and magic, new heroes that had arrived recently, and upcoming hopeful graduates from the academy for squad joining. Finally, the group turned to Aerith.

"Aerith, I know there's Doctor-Patient confidentiality, but can you tell us what the condition of the Keyblade wielders you were called to aid?" Leon asked.

"I'll say what I can, but there isn't much." Aerith stated. "There were seven members of the group I was called to help treat, of which four were Keyblade wielders, and one a Keyblade master. The other two were former members of Organization XIII, one of which against her will."

"Members of the Organization were revived?" Yuffie asked. "Why?"

"Two of the members were the nobodies of Sora and Kairi. And the third member sacrificed himself to open the way to the Organization's home base." Aerith explained, gaining an 'oh' expression from Yuffie.

"What else can you tell us?" Tifa asked.

"Why does it matter what happens to off world-ers?" Kevin asked.

"The Keyblade is the only weapon that can release the hearts that destroyed heartless contain, thus stopping them from regenerating as well." Leon explained. "Its wielders are either not affected, or to a limited extent, by the power changes most experience when off their home world, giving them a greater advantage in combat."

Kevin huffed but said nothing after that. The group turned to Aerith, who continued. "Well, the most remarkable thing about the revival of several of these members is that they gained hearts of their own."

"They gained their own hearts?" Tifa repeated.

"That doesn't follow any of the data I've read." Tony stated.

"You'll find Tony, that when Sora, Riku, and Kairi are involved, the rules of the heart don't generally apply." Leon stated.

"Ansem the Wise encoded data into Sora's heart, from which these people were either revived or summoned to the castle by." Aerith stated. "At this point, we can only assume he had something to do with giving the Nobodies hearts of their own.

"In any case, there were physical and psychological damage to contend with, as well as emotional conflicts. The Nobody crew, as one member dubbed them, had need to learn to control their new emotional range. The Keyblade master had spent over ten years traveling the realm of darkness, so there was a lot to deal with. Several of the other members had been possessed in some form or another as well, and required physical therapy to get used to being in control of their bodies again."

"Was the treatment a success?" Leon asked.

"Mostly, though some aspects are still a work in progress." Aerith answered. "Those requiring physical therapy have regained full control of their bodies. The Nobody crew have a fairly firm grip on their new emotional range. The Keyblade Knights are able to lean on one other to help settle their issues, as well as Master Yen Sid, whom they are staying with. Only two out of the group are still undergoing psychological help, and both are doing extremely well."

"Is one of them the girl you brought in here?" Kevin asked. The group turned to Xion, who had been leaning against the wall in the shadows up till that point.

"You may introduce yourself now." Aerith told her. Xion nodded and came into view for everyone.

"My name is Xion, and I'm a Keyblade wielder." Xion stated.

"You look a lot like Kairi." Yuffie stated.

"Sora thought you did too, after Leon beat him back at Traverse Town." Xion said with a grin.

Yuffie snorted at that. "I remember that, he said all kind of funny things when he was out of it. I'm surprised he told you."

"He didn't, I was there for it, so-to speak." Xion replied.

"How?" Leon asked.

"I was originally a clone of Sora. Specifically, I was cloned from his memories, so I have quite a bit of Sora's knowledge and memories up until just after his first adventure, and some of his second." Xion explained.

"Then why do you look more like Kairi if you're cloned from Sora, or his memories anyways?" Tifa asked.

"I resemble Kairi because she was Sora's strongest memory at the time of my creation." Xion stated. "During the past few months, I've discovered I have traits of Sora, Kairi, and even some of Riku too. In that way, I resemble the qualities Sora thought most of from himself and his friends…Right now though, I'm just trying to figure out who I am, as I'm no longer just some clone."

"Who created you?" Kevin asked.

"Kevin!" Aerith scolded.

"How did they do it?" Tony asked.

"Tony!"

"What? Am I not the only person here curious as to how memories can be made into physical form and take on life of their own?"

"I was created by Organization XIII." Xion answered, gaining gasps from the group. "Though it was kept from me, my purpose was to assimilate number thirteen of the Organization, Roxas, who was Sora's Nobody."

"You weren't actively trying to assimilate him? What became of you?" Tifa asked.

"No, I wasn't trying to assimilate him…I…" Xion paused for a moment to compose herself. "My creation was to add another Keyblade to heart collecting, and to create a stronger Keyblade Wielder that Xemnas, the Organization's leader, could control like a puppet…"

"May I explain?" Aerith asked. Xion nodded her head. "Xion twice tried to escape the Organization, each time being forced back. She also had a close, personal relationship with Roxas. After her second capture, armor was fused to her body, and she was injected with some chemical that forced her to try and assimilate Roxas. In the end, she was killed by Roxas, and returned to Sora, having been originally made of his memories."

"You were forced to fight your best friend?" Adam asked.

"That sucks." Yuffie stated bluntly.

"I used to think we were more then best friends, but…" Xion trailed off.

"Let me rephrase, that bites." Yuffie said.

"Yeah." Xion sighed. "He chose to pursue a relationship with Kairi's Nobody, Namine. Because of how little control I had of my emotions at the time I got insanely jealous and…" She hesitated, but took a deep breath and went for it. "And darkness entered my heart."

"You have darkness in your heart?" Kelly asked.

"Yes." Xion confirmed.

"That issue has been resolved though." Aerith stated, gaining everyone's attention. "Through training with Dark Keyblade master Riku, she has a firm grip on her darkness, and can use it to her advantage, and as a strength."

"So you need darkness to make you strong." Kevin stated more then asked, earning dirty looks from other members in the room.

"Actually, I'm very proficient in magic casting." Xion stated. "I've had to do training exercises given to me by Master Yen Sid to gain better control of my magic. I've come a long way since then."

"Master Yen Sid gave you magic exercises?" Merlin asked, looking interested.

"Yes, why?" Xion asked.

"When Yen Sid retired from active duty as a Keyblade Master, he studied magical arts, and is a very big name in our community. To catch his eye is a big deal." Merlin stated. He then smiled. "It says something about you as a person, as for most he would simply place a seal on their magic to help them." Xion smiled at that; it was a reflection on her, and not Sora, Riku, or Kairi's properties.

"Magic can be sealed?" Kevin asked, interested.

"Yes, but we're not here to discuss that." Leon stated, causing Kevin to frown. He turned to Xion. "Why did you decide to come to Radiant Garden Xion?"

"Aerith is helping out with my therapy, and I can't go back to Twilight Town." Xion answered. "It's where I made most of my mistakes as a member of the Organization, it's where I died, and it's where Roxas is. I can't be around him right now, especially not when Namine is around."

"And just what can a thirteen year old girl do to help the Defense Force against the heartless threat?" Kevin asked.

"Um, technically, I haven't been alive for two whole years." Xion admitted.

"Then what good are you?" Kevin asked, his voice growing louder. "With your darkness you're more of a liability to us then a help."

Xion narrowed her eyes. "Out of the eighteen months I've been alive, I've spent twelve of them battling heartless. I have field experience and knowledge of how heartless operate on different terrains. If you don't think I can handle fighting heartless, then fight me yourself and see first hand what I can do."

Kevin rose to his feet. "Gladly, we'll take it to the Battle Coliseum."

"Sit down Kevin." Leon ordered.

"Why? She called me out!" Kevin all but yelled.

"As I said before, the powers of Keyblade Wielders doesn't weaken away from their home worlds, bar a few exceptions. Radiant Garden isn't one of them. You yourself admitted you're only a third as strong now compared to back on your home world. Keyblade Wielders are on a whole other level when it comes to combat, even Sora when he gained his in less then twenty-four hours. I don't want to risk losing one of my Squad Leaders against one." Leon explained.

"I wouldn't kill him." Xion stated.

"Not intentionally." Leon agreed. "But the fact remains that you are on a whole different level then Kevin. Furthermore, you admitted to actively using darkness, claiming control over it. While I applaud you for getting that out in the open now, we need proof that you can control your darkness. It will give the people you work with and the citizens of Radiant Garden more peace of mind to see it."

"And how are they going to see it if she doesn't face me?" Kevin asked.

"They'll see it because she will be facing me." Leon stated, causing several people around the table to gasp. He turned to Xion. "This battle won't be one to win, but one to show your capabilities, and to prove you can control the darkness you wield. You won't be permitted items to use during the battle, but I will be. During the battle I'll test your ability to think under pressure, your offensive and defensive capabilities, and you're ability to control your darkness under high stress situations as well. Is this acceptable to everyone?"

"No objections here." Kevin stated with a grin.

"None here." Xion answered. Everyone else agreed as well.

"Very well then." Leon stated. "After the battle, we shall have a meeting to discuss Xion's performance. Should she be deemed fit to perform, we will decide if she needs to go through the Academy, or if she's to be assigned to a Squad. The battle will take place in three hours at the Coliseum. Understood?"