Terra and Ventus were going to fall.
They were surrounded by shapeless forms that chipped away at them. Their armour was in tatters, their Keyblades limp by their sides.
They were going to fall.
She tried to run towards them, she tried to scream at them, she tried to conjure up some spell to save them. Nothing worked. She was frozen – a silent, horrified observer to the destruction of her family.
"It's because of your weakness, Aqua." Her Master's tired, melancholy, voice filtered in from behind her. She couldn't turn her head to look at him. She was forced to watch as Terra was blindsided by a blur and as Ventus was grabbed by a smear. "They're going to die, and it's because of your weakness. They relied on you, and you have failed them."
Help them, please, she begged silently.
"I cannot. Either my Apprentices embrace my teachings and triumph in the Light, or they are beyond my saving." His voice paused. "And you have already proven yourself a failure," he whispered in sorrow. Ventus disappeared under a tide of the shapeless beings as Terra fell to a knee, then on his stomach, as they closed in around him. "I'm sorry Aqua. But this is all your fault."
She finally broke the spell sealing her mouth, and emptied her heart through her voice.
Aqua launched from sleep into wakefulness, her cry of terror petering out as she woke. The images of her dream, faded and fuzzy, bounced around her uncomprehending and terrified mind. Breathing ragged, brow sweating, she ran to her bedroom window and threw it open, feeling the breeze of the night chill the beads running down her face.
Never before had she felt such genuine helplessness. Even as the edges of the dream began to fade into wakefulness and the details blurred, the emotion stuck. Pure, bone-deep helplessness. She slumped onto the sill, rubbing her eyes.
She'd become a Keyblade Wielder, apprentice to one of the most powerful individuals she'd ever met, and yet her nightmare played on every single strand of terror she'd ever thought, ever felt. An inability to protect that she loved and the inadequacy of her training, of her very beliefs, to save anything in the face of consumption by the Darkness.
Her gaze drifted towards the door. Beyond it, hopefully slumbering, were two of the most important people in her life. This was a familiar act – Aqua often burnt the midnight oil reading, stressing, or simply feeling too restless to fall asleep. Most times the glances helped to reassure her, for beyond that door she had two of the closest friends she could ever remember having, people who would fight side by side, back to back, with and for her. That the feeling was mutual was what made their bond so strong. Terra could be arrogant at times, and Ventus was eager at best and dangerously impulsive at worst, but when all was said and done they would be there for her, and she for them.
Tonight, she felt no such feeling of reassurance from the glance. Dread opened deeper in her gut, threatening to pull her under. The dream itself was all but gone now, but if she couldn't defend herself from whatever was in it in her own mind, how could she hope to protect them in reality?
She prided herself on her mind. It was, she believed, what made her so proficient with magic. Where Terra and Ventus preferred to learn by doing, Aqua always found that in schooling her own thoughts, in research, she could find the answer to almost anything. It didn't mean that she had all the answers – it just meant she considered things more than Terra and Ventus, which usually meant going to the people who did have the answers, i.e. Master Eraqus, and using that information to independently strengthen herself.
If her mind was rebelling, her one place of total dominion, the thing she truly prided herself on as an Apprentice opposed to Terra and Ventus, how could she ever be expected to help protect them? Without her calm, controlled mind she was a poorer mage and strategist, dead weight to her adoptive brothers. Scratch that, more than dead weight, an active liability, and hardly the independent prodigy she wanted to be.
The breeze had long turned chilly and the sweat had dried, leaving her feeling clammy and cold, but she left the window open and stayed sat on the sill. Tonight, she needed the option to escape, to breath fresher air. The room itself felt stale, and the shadows cast by the moonlight seemed deeper and darker than usual. Logically, she knew that it was simply the product of her nightmare and the terror it had brought, but her mind wasn't feeling very logical at the moment, and her senses were telling her that the illusions were really there.
That she was in danger. That she was defenceless. That she was weak.
The thudding of her heart had slowed, but there was no way she was going to go back to sleep tonight. Not while it felt like there was something in the room with her, waiting until she was at her most vulnerable to strike.
No. Tonight, she would be meditating, quietly practicing her form with Rainfall, and mastering her control over her spells. She lifted herself from the windowsill and moved to the small clear space at the heart of her room. Holding the Keyblade gave her some small comfort, made her feel as though she had control again, while the flame dancing around her fingers banished much of the darkness around her and warmed her hand.
She sighed and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe that such a foolish thing had left her so rattled. Nightmares were something children had to deal with, not Keyblade Apprentices who were only a few months away from becoming Masters themselves.
"Get it together, Aqua," she muttered to herself, "if the Master saw you like this he'd be embarrassed." She grounded herself in Eraqus' teachings and pulled the light from her heart, wrapping it around her as a shroud to ward off the darkness.
It was weaker than she was used to. She centred herself, tried to strengthen it, but in her addled state she could only dull the emotions of her nightmare, not banish them. Even so, while weaknes still nipped at her, the pervasive feelings of total helplessness faded enough for her to focus back on her forms, and so she spent the rest of the night in practice.
Daybreak came with its own problems. Today, Eraqus would be preparing them for their tasks in the Mark of Mastery. In many of the records she had read, this wouldn't have been a problem for the Apprentice. They were expected to work hard, train hard, learn, and ultimately prepare to wage a crusade against the ever-present darkness under the gentle tutelage of wise, collected Masters.
Eraqus was collected, and most assuredly calm, but his methods of tutelage were, to say the least, not gentle.
She stumbled out of her room as the first beams of sunlight struck her rug. It would probably be another hour or so before either Ven or Terra got up, so she headed down to the kitchen and lit the stove.
The first omelette had just finished as Master Eraqus came in, eyes slightly dulled with sleep but otherwise no worse for wear for the early hour.
"Morning, Aqua."
"Good morning, Master. Sleep well?" she asked, putting the omelette on a plate and seasoning it with salt, as Terra usually liked it. She ignored the strange shiver down her spine.
"Hm," he grunted, dodging the question. He quickly made himself some tea and sat down at the table. "Not to impose, but could I have an omelette too?"
Aqua turned around surprised. "You're eating with us today, Master?" He nodded and smiled.
"If it's no trouble, of course," he said with a note of humour. It never was, with Aqua.
She smiled at him, then turned back to the cooker. "It'll be about a half-hour before they're all ready." He nodded, turning back down to his tea and closing his eyes.
It was a rare day that Master Eraqus ate with them in the morning. They always shared lunch and dinner, but he often ate breakfast in his own rooms or in the study before coming out to train them.
The two were in contented silence until the voices of Ventus and Terra filtered down the hall.
"I told you, it's not the only time it's happened, Terra! You gotta believe me, every time I use Fire, my eyebrows keep getting burnt! I think it's cursed!"
"Ah, come on. Ven, you just need to learn to control it. Keep practicing, and you'll get it in a week, I promise." The two rounded the corner as Terra ruffled Ventus' hair.
"Terra, trust me," Ventus cried as he tried to smooth the pointy mop down, "Aero, I'm great with. Blizzard, I mean, yeah, whatever, after that one time I was fine, but-"
"That one time was when you froze the water pipes through the whole castle, Ventus," Eraqus called. Aqua snickered – Ventus had been on cleaning chores for a month after that. Terra and Ven both looked at the Master in surprise.
"Master, you're eating with us today?" Terra asked.
"Indeed I am. I wanted to talk this morning, I suppose." Eraqus sipped at his tea, refusing to give anything away. If Aqua wasn't as tired, she'd be trying to figure out his actual reason, but as of right then she was focusing on flipping the omelette and keeping her eyelids open at the same time.
The two took their usual seats, quietly chatting away with Eraqus occasionally jumping in to add something. Aqua looked over her shoulder. Ventus was glowing with enthusiasm, as per usual, while Terra was listening to his struggles with the Fire spell with the face of a big brother – interested but amused by their antics. She finished the last omelette – her own – and dished out the breakfast which was met with groans of "finally" and nods of appreciation.
A gourmet chef she was not, but she could make a fine omelette.
Instead of joining the conversation as was her usual fare she watched Ventus and Terra as they engaged in their usual back and forth. Ventus was absorbed in the conversation and the food completely, but both Terra and Eraqus kept shooting her looks as though confused at her silence.
She stifled a yawn, instead taking a deep slow breath in and out through her nose, trying to not droop into her omelette.
Good grief. It had been years since she'd been this tired in the morning. Her nightmare must have drained her far more than she'd realised. She sipped at the small mug of coffee she'd made herself.
What even was that dream about? It nipped at her just beyond her reach – she couldn't quite grasp it, only knowing that it had left her shaken and sweating. Something bad, then, but what exactly would-
"Aqua?"
Her name being called pulled her out of her reverie, and she glanced up from her plate and around the table. It had been Ventus that had called her. "Er, what was that?" Both Terra and Eraqus were looking at her in mild confusion.
"I said, did you ever struggle to get the hang of any spells?"
She considered that. "Well, not really." Ventus seemed to deflate, so she rushed on, "but then again, I've always struggled more with the physical side of combat. You took to that like a fish to water." Ventus preened under the praise as Eraqus nodded in agreement.
"She's right, Ventus. Some people simply have natural inclinations towards certain styles." He sipped at his tea, having taken the full attention of the table. "Not only that, but you must remember that you are a couple of years behind Terra and Aqua. I've no doubt you'll catch up to them in time."
Strangely, Ven seemed less pleased with his Master's praise than with Aqua's. Had she been more awake, Aqua would have analysed that. As it was, she was busy trying to make both eyes blink at the same time.
The last of the food had been cleared away and Aqua took the dishes to the side for Terra and Ventus to clean. She sat back down at the table as they started at the sink. Eraqus quickly left, thanking Aqua for the food, and quietly stating that they'd meet at nine in the Great Hall for the day's training.
Aqua nursed her coffee as though it was her lifeline, absently watching as Terra and Ventus worked in union to wash the plates and cutlery.
"You know, Ven," she said, surprising both herself and Ventus, "if you're struggling that much over Fire, me and Terra'll help you out."
Terra looked down at the younger boy. "Yeah, little man. I mean, Aqua'd be more help than me when it comes down to spellwork, but I can give you a hand."
"Yeah, as a target," Aqua snickered. He shot her a look of faux betrayal as Ventus chuckled.
"That'd be sweet. Thanks, guys."
Neither responded. Aqua sipped at her coffee with a smile, and Terra mussed Ven's hair with soapy hands.
His cry of indignation and frenzied attempts to dry his head made both Terra and Aqua laugh heartily, and they shared a look of affection over the boy they considered their younger brother.
Aqua tried not to think about the strange lump in her throat at the sight of them, together, happy, and oh so vital, and ignored the strange cutting sensation that she'd failed them somehow.
Hello everyone.
This little piece was directly inspired by WavesBlade's Road to Dusk series. I hope that I won't ape it directly, but please do note that it did spur me to write this, and so if you can see any parallels, it's due to that.
I hope this opening chapter piqued your interest. Please tell me what you liked, disliked, how you thought things could have been improved in a Review. Reviews are like gold dust to fan-fic writers, so please believe me when I say that I'll read and consider each and every one of them.
Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the ride.