I don't own anything associated with Kingdom Hearts. It belongs to Square Enix/Disney.

Before the Storm

Xehanort scowled. Every scholar, every Master and scroll had told him the exact same thing: time travel was impossible. And yet, that had definitely been his dark guardian, and yet not his at the same time.

The guardian had been in terrible shape: on the ground, its form looking as though it would collapse with a single touch. It was not long before the creature's life had been extinguished completely. However, it had left Xehanort with a single word.

Aqua.

He was no fool. He knew exactly what that meant. Somewhere, years in the future, he had failed. And without doubt, it had been because of this girl. Fortunately, Xehanort already knew where to find her. She, along with the boy, Terra, was one of Eraqus' young apprentices. It would be pathetically easy to reach her; all he needed to do was send his old friend a letter.

However, the same couldn't be said for actually taking care of the problem.

All keyblades had a unique feel, and a Master with many years of experience could recognize the work of one over another. Just as Xehanort would recognize Eraqus' handiwork, Eraqus would recognize his. If he killed or disabled Aqua, Eraqus would know. That, sadly, due to Terra's –potentially his future host - proximity with the man and Eraqus' own impressive strength, was something Xehanort could not afford.

So, instead, Xehanort planned and waited.

But mostly, he waited.

The bridge with Eraqus was one that had long since burned, so declared the scars across his former friend's face. But if there was one flaw that Eraqus had, it was that he was blind, as naïve as a child. In Eraqus' world, so long as one followed the light, everything was perfect; the villain would be vanquished, all the loose ends would be tied up, and everyone would get their happy ending. How childish Eraqus was, to believe that the world could be so neatly divided into good and bad. Through Eraqus' eyes, there was only black and white, not the spectrum of grey that Xehanort saw.

So, when the opportunity to make amends came, he took it. It wouldn't be much harder said than done.

It was the death of old Master Roku which opened that door. Xehanort had never been close to the man – had hardly known him, in fact – but showed up at the funeral with faked sorrow, nonetheless. For the most part, he tried to ignore the others, only speaking when spoken to. Making his way to the forefront of the grievers, he stood at the edge of the old man's tomb, his head bowed and eyes closed as he murmured silent, and carefully constructed, prayers. Surely, wherever he was currently hiding, Eraqus would see him. Xehanort was sure that had he looked, he would have found Eraqus, but he must not appear desperate.

Thus, when the service was over, Xehanort made his way through the crowd, as if intent on leaving.

It was not long before a familiar person stepped into his path.

"I am surprised to see you here," Eraqus said.

Xehanort suppressed a smirk. "Are you?" he asked. "Should we all not pay our respects to a good man?"

Eraqus' brow creased as he pondered Xehanort's statement. "Forgive me, but I did not think you cared."

How true it was! Xehanort's low chuckle was genuine. "I have been many things, my friend, but never evil. Selfish, stubborn, misguided and mistaken, perhaps, but never evil."

Eraqus nodded, still looking at him suspiciously. "All traits that invite disaster."

"So I have learned." Xehanort closed his eyes, letting his chin rise as if he was reaching some great revelation. "You need not lecture me, my friend. The lessons I have learned are harsher than any words."

There it was: that chink in Eraqus' armour that Xehanort had been waiting for. Eraqus' face softened, the corners of his lips rising from their frown into a straight line. The eyes blinked once, then widened, studying their former comrade with curiosity instead of wariness.

"I am sorry to hear that you have been through such troubles," Eraqus said.

"Perhaps, it was for the best." It was hard, but Xehanort managed to make his voice soft and pained. "There are lessons that we all must learn."

Seeing that Eraqus had been rendered speechless, Xehanort chose then to make his exit. Best to leave the other with wandering thoughts that would keep him awake at night. However, once again, Eraqus stopped him, this time with a quick shout of his name.

"Why is it," Eraqus asked, "that you have never come to honour our friends' names before?"

"I have always come. It is just," he quickly turned his looming smirk into a sad smile, "that because of my past, I have lost contact with most, and so have never heard of their passing until long after the service."

Xehanort stared blankly at theletter. That eccentric wizard Merlin, whom Xehanort had tried to best to avoid even before he embraced the darkness, had invited him to a gathering of the old Masters. No doubt, Eraqus had played a role in this. Xehanort shuddered as he pictured what such an event would be like. It would be rife with artificial pleasantness as people struggled to be on their best behaviour and pretend that they did not hate him. It was an event that he would greatly prefer to avoid.

But everyone had to make sacrifices for the greater good.

He arrived in a black cloak, face hidden underneath the thick hood as to make a grand entrance. He wanted Eraqus to see him as quickly as possible so that he could leave as quickly as possible. Conversation stilled as he entered the wizard's hut, only to start up again in low whispers after Xehanort reached up and pulled down his hood. Naturally, Eraqus saw it fit to approach him. However, to Xehanort's disgust, Yen Sid followed. Even more than he despised Merlin, Xehanort hated Yen Sid. Although Yen Sid, unlike Eraqus, appeared to notice the grey between the dark and light, he seldom admitted it. Instead, the former keyblade Master used his insight to pry into the hearts of others.

If anyone would predict his plans, it would be Yen Sid.

"Greetings, Master Xehanort," Yen Sid said in that guise of being an ally. "It has been a long time."

"So, it has," Xehanort agreed, shaking the other's hand. For his age, Yen Sid's handshake was surprisingly firm, and Xehanort wondered if the old wizard even knew how tense he was.

Surely, Yen Sid was more than a bit suspicious, which meant that Xehanort needed to direct attention away from himself. Easy. It just happened to be that he needed to bond with Eraqus again –and what better way than to discuss Eraqus' favourite subject? A simple "How are your apprentices?", and then he stood back and let Eraqus blather on. A few times, Yen Sid tried to redirect the conversation back towards Xehanort and his doings, but Xehanort had been playing this game longer. It was easy to keep Eraqus talking.

"Terra," Eraqus was saying, "at his age, is already as strong as an ox. He'll grow up with enough raw power to rival Chernabog someday. Aqua, well, she lacks that, but I suspect she'll take after you, Yen Sid."

"Indeed," the wizard said, "that is something I can easily foresee. Might I ask, Xehanort, why the sudden interest?"

Ah, by pure mistake, Yen Sid had given him a fantastic opening. Xehanort said, "So many of our friends have passed on recently, and I cannot help but think that one day, it will be myself lying in a coffin. I am old, and it is time that I consider passing my knowledge onto the next generation."

Yen Sid's eyebrows rose, but Eraqus looked delighted. "You seek an apprentice then? I can assist you in finding one, should you need help."

Yes, you can certainly help. Because unbeknownst to Eraqus, he already had one in mind. "I would be . . . grateful for your assistance."

And Yen Sid just had to stick his massive nose in. "Eraqus, you have two apprentices to take care of, while I have only one. Allow me to assist Xehanort."

"With all due respect . . ." No, he was not imaging the underlying snarl. Xehanort cleared his throat, softening his tone, before starting again. "Eraqus and I have a long history; he knows me best and would best be able to say what apprentice would suit my tastes."

"It is no trouble," Eraqus said. "Terra and Aqua don't take up too much of my time."

Xehanort smiled. "Well, if you insist . . ."

She was unimpressive. Although Xehanort had known that she couldn't be older than twelve, he had still expected something more, to see a trace of the vicious warrior that in a different future, had defeated him. Instead, he found a tiny girl with wide blue eyes too big for her face, a girl who was dwarfed by the bulk of the other apprentice that stood protectively in front of her. Neither of the children looked pleased to meet him.

As usual, Eraqus was blind to their unease. "Terra, Aqua, this is my old friend, Master Xehanort."

"You . . . you trained with him?" Aqua squeaked.

"Yeah, he used darkness, right?" Terra added.

So, Eraqus had been spreading his hatred of the darkness to his apprentices. Well, Xehanort hadn't expected anything else. But despite the fact that Eraqus' apprentices seemed to be absorbing that lesson, Xehanort could still sense the darkness surrounding Terra. Whether Terra knew it or not, his heart held a healthy amount of darkness; he would make an excellent host.

"Yes, Terra," Eraqus said, "but he has seen the errors of his ways."

"Why?"

While Eraqus berated Terra for his rudeness, Xehanort turned his head away, hiding his sneer. This was only reminding him why he hated kids: they were much more in tune with their instincts. Adults, he could fool, as they always tried to base their opinion of him on actual interaction, not an unfounded doubt. Children, on the other hand, would shun someone if their instincts told them to do so.

And a child's instincts always told them to stay away from him.

"Master Xehanort will be staying here for a while to watch you train," Eraqus said. "I expect you to treat him the same way you would treat me."

"Yes, Master," chimed the two apprentices. So, they were obedient if nothing else.

That made his job that much easier.

Over the next hour, he lured Eraqus into a reminiscence of their own training. It was like old times as they relived old stories and laughed together, only Xehanort's laughs were faked. Though a tempting sereneness offered to overcome him, he resisted. He had to keep sharp.

The two young apprentices continued to spar. Even at this age, the difference between their skills and strategies was apparent. Terra used his size and strength, always striving to close the distance and overwhelm Aqua with powerful blows. Aqua was the opposite, dancing away and bombarding her opponent with quick spells. Through it all, there was the sound of childish laughter.

His yellow eyes narrowed. They didn't know, but every move they made was playing right into his hands.

He continued to relate old times to Eraqus, but with another goal in mind. The stories focused less on their adventures and more on them. He and Eraqus, even ignoring their views on light and darkness, had always been different. He outlined that carefully, stressing how much Terra seemed to be like his Master.

Xehanort was sure to mention how much Aqua was like him.

The last part caught Eraqus by surprise. "Aqua's heart is filled with light," he said, as if that answered everything.

"I was only referring to her gift for magic," Xehanort said soothingly. "When it came to us, I was always the best at that."

"Yes, you were." Eraqus wasn't looking at him, instead watching his apprentices with a frown.

"Do not worry," Xehanort said, patting Eraqus on the shoulder as if in reassurance, "she will grow into her gift. If her talents surpass yours, then she will teach herself and find her way. I did."

He left Eraqus there, watching his apprentices, the frown growing ever more pronounced. Xehanort smirked. Things were going exactly how he wanted them to go.

Xehanort lingered at the table, waiting for Terra to take off and leave. The four of them were finishing the last of their meals. Eraqus was perfectly at ease, sipping his tea calmly; his apprentices were less so. Aqua ate quickly and avoided everyone's eyes. Terra did the opposite, instead picking at his food with a scowl. Xehanort could tell by the muted fear in their eyes that it was more than a nagging doubt that drove them now. They must have sensed his gaze upon him while they trained, and were reacting accordingly. It was only fortunate that the children had no idea what he wanted with them, or else things would have been much, much worse.

Unfortunately, it appeared that because of this fear, Terra was unwilling to leave his friend.

It was then that, once again, Eraqus came to his rescue. He placed his cup of tea back down on the table, and wiped his mouth with a napkin before saying, "Terra, I believe it is your turn to wash the dishes."

Terra shrugged, and stood. He beckoned Aqua with a look, and she began to get up.

Unacceptable. "You have a chore too, Aqua?" Xehanort said, pointing out her planned departure to her Master.

He knew even before he asked that she didn't. Now, not only her flinch, but Eraqus' words proved him correct. "No, she has nothing to attend to. Aqua, where are you going?"

"Nowhere," she said quietly, staring at her feet.

Eraqus turned a critical eye on Terra. "Terra, how many times must I tell you: when it is your turn to wash the dishes, then it is your job to wash them, not persuade Aqua to help."

"It's okay, Master," Aqua said quickly, "I don't mind . . ."

Eraqus held a hand up, silencing her. "I will hear no more of this. Terra?"

Xehanort imagined that Terra didn't usually have that furious of an expression. Terra cast one last look at him, then at Aqua, before slinking off to do his Master's bidding.

It was all too easy to get rid of Eraqus. Eraqus did seem to have some issues with leaving his former friend alone with his apprentice, but Xehanort chalked that down to general protectiveness, and nothing aimed directly at him. After a few suggestions that Terra may mishandle some of the sharper objects and that the boy seemed rather upset about something, Eraqus left to check on Terra.

That left Xehanort and her.

Now that there was no one to stand between them, Aqua seemed paralyzed. Her blue eyes were fixed upon him, though she quickly looked away when he met her stare. Judging by her fidgeting and wandering eyes, she wanted to get up and run. However, Eraqus had told her to keep him company, and Aqua was nothing if not obedient.

Xehanort sighed. This would not do. He needed to forge a bond with her, or at least make her comfortable enough to speak so that Eraqus thought they had a bond. He held no illusions that Aqua would want to be around him, or that Terra would let her. For such a young boy, he was shockingly astute at picking out threats.

"Eraqus has informed me that you are gifted in magic," Xehanort said, watching her closely.

Aqua shrugged, playing with the corner of her napkin.

Xehanort leaned forwards, weaving his fingers together as his elbows rested on the table. Getting her to speak would not be much of a problem. She was terrified of him, yes, but there was another emotion in children that was as powerful as fear.

Curiosity.

"Magic is truly fascinating," he said. "There are so many things you can do with it; but you only know the basics, correct?"

Aqua nodded, still not looking at him.

"Then, can you do . . . this?"

A combination of a simple Fire and Aero spell turned his fork into a glowing, spinning orb that floated above his palm. Aqua blinked, zeroing in on the red ball.

"Impressive, yes?" Xehanort drawled. "Such a magnificent thing, magic is."

"How did you do that?" Aqua asked.

He dropped his voice to a whisper. "If you want, I can show you."

Seated on the ground, the two children hid from the prying eyes of the two Masters in their secret fort – or in other words, the empty supply closet underneath the stairs. There was no natural light that found its way into this small place, but the red light created from Aqua's spells was enough for them to see.

"See, Terra?" Aqua said as the glowing ball rotated slowly above her hand. "Fire melts the fork and makes it glow, and Aero makes it float."

Terra muttered the two spells under his breath, nearly choking from the tension in his neck as he tried to command his spells to copy Aqua. Instead, he conjured the two spells separately, scorching the ground beneath him black and flinging the unaltered fork through the air.

"It's not working!" Terra said, leaning back against the wall. "This is stupid."

"You just have to practice," Aqua said.

"No," he huffed. "I can't do it."

Aqua sighed, but took back the rest of the forks. "Master will be mad when he sees that some are missing . . ."

Terra shrugged. "It's just a couple of forks, he won't care. Besides, you can blame it on Xehanort."

Aqua bit her lip at the mention of his name, and stared at her hands. In response, a shudder went up Terra's spine, as if hundreds of spiders were crawling up his back. Xehanort was creepy, both of them agreed on that. And Terra hated that he had been forced to leave Aqua with him; he hated that the Master had seen it fit to leave them alone together.

He chewed on the inside of his cheeks, biting back a snarl as not to freak Aqua out more. After leaving Aqua alone with that old man, Eraqus had asked Terra what was wrong – and then scolded him when Terra admitted the truth! Well, what had the Master wanted him to say? Better yet, why couldn't the Master see it? There was something . . . wrong about the way Xehanort looked at him and Aqua. They knew it, and the Master refused to believe them.

He'll be gone soon, Terra reassured himself, and then things will be back to normal.

"Aqua," he said quietly, "what happened when you two were alone?"

"He showed me how to cast that spell. That's it."

The light from the Fire spell was dimming, and in the red glow, he could only make out the outline of her face. His teeth ground together as he cursed the spell for dying now; he wanted to be able to see every detail of her face, so that he could tell if she was lying.

"That's all?" he asked. At her nod, he said, more to himself, "Okay, that's good. That's okay."

The door suddenly swung open and they were blinded by light. Aqua shrieked, and Terra tried to lunge at the intruder, only to trip over his feet and fall flat on his face. Cowed and embarrassed, the two children looked up at the two Masters.

"Ah, so this is where you have gone off to." To Xehanort, Eraqus said offhandedly, "This is their secret hideaway."

"Not much of a secret," Xehanort observed.

Dusting off his pants, Terra got to his feet, and Aqua took her place beside him. They stood before their Master, hands clasped behind their backs in feigned innocence.

Eraqus sniffed. "Terra, Aqua, what is that smell?"

Terra blanched, realizing that the storage closet now smelt like molten metal. To his surprise though, Xehanort chuckled, and said, "It appears Aqua was practicing that new spell I taught her."

"New spell? Oh. What about you, Terra?" Eraqus asked, knowing fully well that Aqua would have tried to teach him.

"I can't get the spells to combine," Terra said. "But I can do the two parts separately."

"Combining spells?" Eraqus looked sideways at his fellow Master. "You taught her how to combine spells?"

"It was a simple combination, and might I say, she figured it out just like that." Xehanort accentuated that last word with a snap of his fingers. "You have a true prodigy on your hands, Eraqus."

As Xehanort chuckled and turned to leave, Terra couldn't help but feel that something had been snatched away from under his nose.

Although Terra did his best, somehow, Aqua and Xehanort kept winding up alone together. By the fifth time Eraqus sent him away on some errand, Terra was beginning to suspect that his Master was doing this on purpose; he thought, impossibly, that for some reason, Eraqus was actually encouraging this. According to Aqua, Xehanort wasn't doing anything bad, and she didn't seem to be lying. But Terra still didn't trust him; he wasn't right. He was dangerous. He knew it, and Aqua knew it

Or at least she had.

Her constant conversations with him were wearing her down. It started with her making comments that Xehanort was "Really good at magic". Then it escalated to Aqua vocally doubting her suspicions, and trying to push Terra to do the same.

He refused every time. He was a bad guy, he would tell her, Eraqus just couldn't see it. In fact, rather than making him reconsider, Aqua's uncertainty convinced him further that Xehanort couldn't be trusted.

But it didn't matter how certain he was, because there was nothing he could do.

He was forced to watch, hands shaking, as Aqua was pushed towards Xehanort time and time again. He had to swallow down his hate as he read the alarm on Aqua's face after Xehanort stared a little too much, spoke a little too intensely. He had to pretend, for the sake of not being grounded and restricted to his room, that there was absolutely nothing wrong with this situation. And he hated it.

Still, Terra was convinced that everything would be okay when Xehanort left. But then, during one of their magic training sessions, Aqua asked Xehanort – not the Master – for advice. When he asked her why, Aqua simply said that even Eraqus admitted that Xehanort was the best at magic, so she asked him for help. It made sense, so Terra didn't think much of it.

The same couldn't be said for the Master. He had stared at Aqua with the most conflicted and sad expression.

And then Terra knew that things would only get worse.

It came to a head five days later.

Terra was creeping past the Master's office, trying to figure out where Aqua had gone off to. Hopefully, with Eraqus occupied by Yen Sid's visit, he would be able to stick to her side like glue. He paused at the office's open door, wondering if he could dive and roll past the doorway fast enough that he wouldn't be spotted.

It was there, pondering that idea, where he heard them.

Eraqus was saying, ". . . he and Aqua seem to be getting along splendidly. It's quite a shock, I must say, but they do have much in common."

Terra wanted to laugh, and he also wanted to barge in and scream at his Master for being so blind. No, they were not getting along splendidly; Aqua was freaked out by Xehanort!

"If skill in magic is all that they share, then that would be like saying that Xehanort and I are alike." Those were Yen Sid's words, and Terra immediately decided that he liked him.

Eraqus sighed. Terra heard the floor creak as he moved. "Why do you insist on keeping such a close watch on Xehanort? He has renounced the darkness, and there is nothing wrong with seeking a pupil to train."

"But is that all Xehanort wants?" Yen Sid asked.

"What else could he do with an apprentice?"

It appeared Yen Sid had nothing to say to that, for Terra heard him grunt. His steps echoed as he walked across the wooden floor. "Do you honestly want to go through with this?"

"What I want doesn't matter," Eraqus said. "I have to do what's best for my students."

Terra grinned. Did that mean that the Master was finally kicking out Xehanort? It was about time! Maybe he and Aqua could sneak into the kitchen tonight and they could celebrate.

But with one sentence, his world was crushed.

"Xehanort will be a better teacher for Aqua then I can be."

"No!" Terra burst into the room, chest heaving.

"Terra?" the Master sounded surprised, but Yen Sid did not react.

"You can't send Aqua away with him!" Terra cried. "You can't!"

As Eraqus stared, stunned, Yen Sid gave Terra a tiny nod. He swept out of the room, closing it behind so that Master and apprentice could have some privacy.

"I won't let you," Terra muttered.

Eraqus sighed. He walked over to his student, and then kneeled down, so that they were at eye-level. One hand found its way to Terra's shoulder, placing a comforting pressure there. "I know she's your friend, Terra," he said, "but we have to do what's best for her. I can't offer her the teaching she needs. She needs to go."

"Not with him!" Terra begged. "Send her away with Master Yen Sid, but not him!"

"Master Yen Sid already has an apprentice, and no wish to take on another. Terra, Master Xehanort is the best option for her."

"Aqua hates him!" he spat. "Why can't you see that?"

Eraqus closed his eyes briefly, and his lips moved. Loudly, he said, "That is enough, Terra. This is not your decision to make."

The snarl that crossed Terra's face was inhuman. "So, you're just going to send my best friend away?"

"Terra . . ."

"No!" He grabbed Eraqus' arm and threw it away from him. "I'm not going to let you!"

He ran out of the room, ignoring Eraqus' shouts.

He had to find her, now.

They didn't get far. Neither of them knew how to summon their gliders, and their small legs tired fast.

The Master found them after they had taken shelter in a small cave. It was barely big enough for Aqua and him to curl up in, let alone for the adults to enter. Still, Aqua was half-asleep, and there was nothing for him to hold on to, so they were dragged out easily. Scowling, Eraqus grabbed him by the upper arm and marched him back to the castle. Aqua held the Master's other hand, yawning as she staggered beside him.

"She's about to faint, Eraqus," Xehanort said. "Let me carry her."

Eraqus passed Aqua off to him, and Terra trembled with the urge to attack and tear Xehanort's hands off her. He thought that Aqua might have whimpered, but her exhaustion was too great, and she drifted off to sleep. Terra growled.

"Xehanort," Eraqus said, "go ahead and take Aqua back to the castle. Terra and I need to talk privately."

As his Master began to shout at him, Terra was deaf to his scolding. He heard nothing but the furious thumping of his own heart as he watched Xehanort carry his friend away. As they walked further away and were swallowed up by the darkness, he suddenly understood.

This was what Xehanort had wanted all along.