Chapter I

Ventus's relatively short life flashed in pictures before his eyes as he plummeted, unable to move his frozen body as his helmet shattered.

"Ven!" he heard Aqua cried out as the air sped up around him. He squeezed his eyes shut, the only physical motion he could make in his icy state, knowing the ground was quickly rising to meet him. He heard a grunt and opened his eyes, finding Aqua's deep blue gaze. Her cheek was caked with dirt and she was panting, watching him with concern. "Ven, are you okay?" He didn't reply, still unable to move as little sounds of effort escaped his throat. She held him there for a moment as he slowly started to thaw, able to move his head a bit.

"How 'bout you leave the popsicle with me so you can have your little fight with Terra?" Aqua looked over to find a man bearing two arrowguns, and Ven recognized his attire as a uniform from the Radiant Garden. His face was scarred and one of his yellow eyes was hidden behind an eye patch. "You can't be too happy about him deep-sixing your master," he continued, gazing up the rocky pillar that reached toward Kingdom Hearts shining down on the Graveyard. He looked to the two Keyblade wielders and chuckled rather darkly, smirking. Aqua cautiously returned his gaze.

"Who are you?" she questioned, her tone steady and wary. The man's smirk grew with a hint of danger, and he narrowed his eyes.

"You think you two have got some grand role to play," he mocked. "As if. You're only here so that when I finish you off… Terra will succumb to the darkness." Ven glared at the newcomer, rage building up in his still-frozen body at his threats. "So… who wants to go first?"

"Shut up!" Ven yelled, his teeth clenched.

"Ooh," the man held his hands up. "So this kiddo thinks he's a full-fledged Keyblade wielder?" he grinned darkly. "He's got the angry look down." Ven continued glaring at him, still attempting to move his frozen limbs as he wished to silence the man with the Wayward Wind.

"Go ahead if you want to waste your time," Aqua replied coldly. "Keep trying to drive us apart with your mind games. It'll never work!" She carefully lowered Ven to the dirt as he struggled to free his body to no avail. She stood up and took a fighting stance and summoned her Keyblade, Rainfell. "Terra will prove to you he's stronger!" She raced at him as he readied his arrowguns.

"Aqua!" Ven called after her, feeling useless as he helplessly attempted to free himself. He soon heard Aqua's battle cries as the stranger fired at her, and she nimbly dodged his attacks as she closed in to punish him with her Keyblade. Ven flinched as she grunted in pain and moved to attack again. A few drawn-out moments later, the man jumped back, panting.

"I keep forgetting- don't mess with Keyblade wielders," he gasped. "But you know what? That just means I made the right choice!" Aqua and Ven stared at him in confusion before she ran toward him to strike once more. "Well… he wanted me to buy time, and I'd say he got it." He started retreating into the crevices of the rocks.

"What?" Aqua demanded, clearly shaken. She stopped and watched him go, then turned around. "Ven!" The youngest of Eraqus's pupils felt his muscles slowly begin to thaw, though his movement was still pitiably restricted. He let his head fall back in momentary defeat and looked to the cliff tops, only to find a black and red blur plummeting toward his friend.

"Aqua!" he called out in warning.

"Huh?" Ven clenched his teeth, watching in horror as the blur produced a Keyblade and struck Aqua as she turned around. She gasped at the impact and fell back, landing in the dirt, unconscious. Ven took a sharp intake of air, panic overwhelming him. He felt the ice cracking as he fought against it, horrified as the blur, now recognizable as the strange masked boy called Vanitas, held the Void Gear pointed at Aqua's chest. He raised it, preparing to strike, as Ventus continued his terrified struggle.

"NO!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, finally breaking free from the ice. But as he did so, he screamed in emotional agony as a strange light shot from the tip of Vanitas's Keyblade and pierced Aqua's chest. She gasped, momentarily opening her eyes before falling to unconsciousness again as a light rose slowly from the impacted spot.

"You were too weak, Ventus," Vanitas taunted as a wave of dark power knocked the advancing apprentice back. "So, I went with plan B." The black mask hiding his face quickly disappeared, first revealing his cold yellow eyes, his eerily pale skin, and finally his spiky black hair. "I didn't really need you." He took the light in his gloved hand as Ventus processed exactly what was happening.

"No!" he protested.

"You're useless," Vanitas grinned maniacally and absorbed the light into his chest. "Whether you're here or not, the χ-Blade will be forged!" With that, a large weapon appeared from a bright light in his right hand. "The light of Aqua's heart, the darkness of mine… And now, the χ-Blade!" Ven stared at the weapon, the χ-Blade, in shock and horror. Aqua groaned quietly, and Terra dropped down from the cliff top. Or…

"What happened to you?" Ven demanded as he noticed his strangely silver hair, his yellow eyes, and his darker skin.

"Excellent, Vanitas," "Terra" praised. "Now that Aqua is out of the way, get rid of this one. He's useless now."

"With pleasure, Master," Vanitas agreed.

"Xehanort?" Ventus yelled, and the dark master possessing his friend's body laughed.

"You're not as unintelligent as you appear," Xehanort chided. "Now then: Vanitas, the χ-Blade…" he held his hand out.

"What about it?" Vanitas replied.

"Hand it over. I created you, and this was your purpose. Now…"

"No," Vanitas retorted. "You're the one that's useless now, Xehanort. Without me, you wouldn't even be laying eyes on the χ-Blade." Ven watched their argument with confusion. "It's mine, and I'll destroy anyone who gets in my way."

"You treacherous snide!" Xehanort summoned the strange Keyblade he wielded, ready to attack his creation. Ventus shook his head to clear it and threw his Keyblade up, watching it transform quickly into his glider. He jumped on it and sped toward them, grabbing Aqua's limp body as he passed. She groaned softly and opened her eyes, and Ven found in horror that they were dull and nearly lifeless. He hurried behind a nearby rock pillar and lowered her to the ground.

"Aqua…" he called for her, shaking her gently. "Aqua!" He bit his lip. "Ugh…" He rested his forehead against hers for a moment and closed his eyes.

When he opened them, he found himself engulfed in darkness, looking around curiously. After a moment, he recognized it quickly as the strange world within his heart, and he was kneeling on a broken white pillar with Aqua in his arms.

"Aqua!" he cried out her name again, trembling a bit. "Come on, wake up! Can you hear me?" He grit his teeth and lowered his head, defeat crashing over him. "There's got to be something I can do," he mumbled. "Aqua, you can't die!" he pleaded, but she remained nearly motionless, the only sign of life about her being her slow, steady breathing.

"Wait…" he mumbled and looked up, remembering the hazy moments when his heart was slipping away. "That voice said my heart was connected to another… maybe..," he lowered her to the ground gently and stood up. "I need darkness, and you need light." He looked over and found a stained glass pillar, illustrating himself resting with his eyes closed. He stepped back before hurling himself at the pillar, summoning his Keyblade and thrusting it down into the glass as he watched it shatter. He climbed back up across the pieces to Aqua, feeling his strength quickly waning as his heart began slipping away. She groaned softly and stood up, stumbling.

"V…Ventus?" she spoke curiously.

"Aqua…" he breathed, stepping slowly closer to her.

"You're hurt," she realized, reaching toward him carefully.

"W-we both are," he replied to her confusion.

"Ventus…" she looked around for a moment. "What's happening?" He held his hand up to her.

"Aqua…" he paused. "I need you." With a moment's hesitation, she took it in hers and he felt a new surge of strength rush threw him. The shattered remains of his glass pillar fused with hers and blossomed into a new illustration, showing both him and her, eyes closed, with their Keyblades in hand. Aqua, new light shining in her eyes, gazed around in shock.

"Ven!" she quickly turned her attention back to him. "W… what just happened? What did you do? What… What happened to me?"

"I'll explain later," he replied quickly. "But Vanitas has the χ-Blade and I think Xehanort possessed Terra."

"What? Ven, what do you mean? What happened?" she demanded, and he squeezed her hand a bit.

"Look, just trust me. Right now, we have to stop Vanitas!" She looked at him for a moment, about to argue, but she sighed and nodded.

"All right." With that, they summoned their Keyblades and returned to the reality of the Keyblade Graveyard.