Author's notes: This is just a bit of a AU Birth by Sleep oneshot to let you all know that I am alive. Things have been chaotic for me lately, that paired with writer's block hasn't given me much opportunity to work on fanfiction. I apologize, but enjoy this, at least.
The Colored Flowers
"This is the resting place of Masterless Keyblades; a memorial of lost Keybearers."
A small stone skipped along the hard cobblestone path. The wind was howling, almost crying with the voices of those long gone. The young woman had been here many times, always alone. Often, she would sit in front of his Keyblade, and try to find his voice within the howling cry of the wind. Occasionally, she would hear it, but never long enough to make out what he was trying to say.
"Let him go!"
"I can't do that."
"What did he ever do to you?!"
"He'll destroy me."
"We can help you! Come with us!"
"I… I can't…"
Of course they could've, if they wanted to. The blue-haired young woman felt the failure more than she would've had they simply walked away and left him unharmed…
Now she had come to her destination. The Keyblade planted into the ground. His body was irretrievable, as a Keyblader's body evaporated in death. They had too much magic within them for the body to remain. Without the heart and soul, the magic broke free and destroyed what was left. This cemetery was all they could offer as a true burial site.
Crouching down, the Keybladestress sat her green cloth bag on the ground, and pulled out a potted plant, only a sprout, but it would sustain through winter, and remain throughout the year. The plant was a result of combining an aster with magic. They survived off the energy caused by a lingering spirit, and would change color depending on the spirit sustaining them. Often a spirit could make multiple colors. For this purpose, she had brought three of the altered asters.
She took her fingerless gloves off and pushed her fingers through the dirt, digging a hole just big enough to fit the plant into by hand. She held the pot upside down and slid the dirt surrounded sprout out of the ceramic before placing it into the ground, packing it into place. She repeated this with the next two so they were in a triangle around the Keyblade. Dirt clung to her hands, but she ignored it, standing up and brushing them together with a sigh. She summoned her blue colored, key-shaped blade, and held it in front of her. Three sparks began to form at the tip, before shooting at each of the sprouts she had planted. They grew suddenly into full-sized Aster plants, pure white instead of the normal light purple-blue.
Her older 'sibling' had been watching her the entire time. The process of her digging and planting had taken about half an hour, maybe more. He had yet to say a word, letting her to her own thoughts. She needed the time to herself - to her own heart, to think, to decide, to mourn. He mourned in silent, unable, or simply unwilling, to let anyone, her especially, see him weak. He watched her kneel in front of their lost comrade's Keyblade, resting her hands in her lap.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to stop them."
The young man looked over his shoulder when he heard someone behind him, relaxing when he found it simply to be the man who had trained them, practically raised them. They considered him to be their father, although he never recalled speaking those thoughts aloud. He simply held his hand out to quiet the man, so as not to disturb the young woman.
They stood there for what seemed like forever, watching her. The sun began to set below the trees in the distance, setting the area in twilight. From there, the remaining light faded, but gave way to the pale light of the full moon, and the sparkling stars.
The three aster flowers began to glow dimly for a moment. When the light faded, each was a different color. Orange, blue and green. This caused a smile to creep up on all of their faces, the two Apprentices pulling the star-shaped Paopu skin charms from their pockets. The young man's was orange, the woman's blue. His had been green.
The young woman closed her eyes, meditating on the howling cries she could hear. Forcing herself to listen past the unfamiliar voices of her predecessors, she found his all too familiar voice.
"Don't spend your time moping after me. I'll always be there with you. Go on, you have a life. Don't spend every waking hour trying to speak to me. As true as the name of the Aster, I'll never forget you."
"And I you." She muttered. She had chosen to plant the Aster not only for its magical properties when infused with the mystical energies, but for its meaning – it was seen as remembrance, to say 'I'll never forget you'
"Go on, Aqua. Terra and Master are waiting."
She swore she could see the boy, crouched in front of her, a goofy grin on his face.
The young woman stood and turned to face the young man and their Master. "Shall we go?"
They smiled at her, the young man putting an arm around her shoulders as they began to walk down the road. Ventus was gone, but his memory would never be lost. But he was right, she had a life to lead, a friend and a Master to support her, training to complete. She would become a Master, for Ven, if nothing else. That much, she could do.