half in hearts
After Aqua agrees to become a vessel to save Terra, she is brought to the Castle That Never Was by Master Xehanort and Xemnas as the newest Seeker of Darkness. Apprentice Xehanort (Terranort), who has been brought into the future by Young Xehanort to be a vessel, is surprised, but is intrigued to see his "friend." (Oneshot that takes place in the middle of Kingdom Hearts 3.)
I'm utterly and completely OBSESSED with Aquanort. I'm also obsessed by how sexy of a couple Aquanort and Terranort will make, as well as a BbS family dynamic, where Aqua and Terra act like parental figures in Ventus's life (so this is a sort of unrealistic, kinda ooc imagining of the norted version of that).
Also, it's important to remember which Xehanort I am referring to:
"Master Xehanort" = Old Man Xehanort
"Young Xehanort" = Young Time-Traveling Xehanort
"Xehanort" = Terranort (It felt wrong to call him Xehanort, so I stuck to pronouns when referring to him.)
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. This story is copyright © 2018 Turnabout Writer. All rights reserved.
Xehanort was surprised, to say the very least, when old Master Xehanort and Xemnas brought her to the Castle That Never Was.
The last time he saw her, he had his hands wrapped around her throat, for a reason he still cannot discern, (chalking it up to the fact that he has the hearts of both Master Xehanort and Terra within him), before she defeated him in battle. After that, he cannot remember much besides the feeling of falling into darkness, then being enveloped by a light, and then waking up in Radiant Garden to Braig and Ansem the Wise with her armor next to him, where he started out as Ansem's apprentice, aiding him with his research on darkness lingering in hearts. That armor, however, captivated him, compelled him to keep it in the room Master Ansem had allowed him to stay in, and speak to it with his own heart. He desired to build a chamber for it, in hopes to reach the heart of his "friend" and regain his lost memories, but was brought into this future by young Xehanort before he could.
Now, she stands in behind him with her pale bluish-white hair and honey-colored eyes, donned in a black coat like his.
He leads her into the Round Room, otherwise known as Where Nothing Gathers, and, without turning around, gestures towards the marble seat in front of them. She walks in front of him to the throne-like chair, staring at it intently for a moment before sitting down.
He cannot help but smirk as she lets out a small gasp when her seat rises up a few feet, her hands tightly gripping the armrests. From next to her, Vanitas snickers, and from above them, Xigbar, too, lets out a laugh at Aqua's reaction. Her widened, amber eyes flicker between Vanitas and Xigbar and her dark, plump lips fall open slightly in recognition. Her eyes then narrow at Xigbar.
Just as she is about to open her mouth, though, Master Xehanort calls for the meeting to convene. What a shame, he thinks to himself, as he reaches his own seat. He was curious to know what she would say to Xigbar.
Master Xehanort welcomes their newest vessel, Aqua, as one of the 13 Seekers of Darkness. Their goal is nearly within reach now, and there is no doubt that the Guardians of Light will be thrown off by the fact that Aqua is now on their side. The seekers' next step is to have Aqua lead them to the Chamber of Waking, and extract Ventus's sleeping heart from Sora's so that he can rejoin with Vanitas. Though they will not be able to forge the x-blade again, they can successfully become another vessel, since, on his own, Vanitas cannot become one.
He listens to Master Xehanort's words, but also carefully insects Aqua's face to gauge her reactions — she disappoints, however, maintaining the same blank expression on her face throughout the entire meeting.
After the Master dismisses them, he summons a corridor of darkness and reappears by the woman's side, slightly startling her.
She blinks, slightly disoriented — and he sympathizes with her, as he felt the exact same way at the start as well it all as well. "Why — "
"I will show you to your room," he says simply, summoning another corridor of darkness, stepping in without glancing back at her. He feels her presence from behind him the entire time as they walk in silence. They reach a grand, dark marble hall with doors on either side of them and he leads Aqua to the end of the hall, where he finally turns around to face her, his amber eyes meeting hers. With his hand, he motions her to door to his right.
"Get rest. You have a very important mission that begins tomorrow. Master Xehanort is relying on you to bring back Ventus's body."
"Yes," she answers quietly, clasping her gloved hands in front of her body, almost in prayer, which strikes him as odd.
No matter. He has no business in knowing her thoughts. He gives a curt, parting nod, and is about to retire to his own room when she speaks.
"Terra." Her voice is soft, but not hesitant.
His eyebrows raise at the name. "My name is Xehanort." In spite of his correction, he cannot deny that he liked hearing the name from her mouth. When he was first brought by the young Xehanort from the past, Xigbar took it to call him "Apprentice," to distinguish him from the others, and that's what everyone here calls him now (but he hates that that his identity has to be distinguished from others in the first place).
"Terra," she repeats firmly, after a slight shake of her head. "Good night."
"Rest now, Aqua."
He finds her in the Chamber of Repose.
Xigbar suggested a gathering to celebrate the successful joining of Ventus and Vanitas's hearts in the Gray Area, but amidst Luxord's card tricks and the young Xehanort and Venitas (as Xigbar dubbed him) devouring all of the food in sight, Xehanort cannot find Aqua, so he and Xemnas split up to locate her. (But he hates that Xemnas finds a need to care for her.)
He guessed that she would be here and opened a corridor of darkness leading here on a whim, and thankfully, his guess was correct. But instead of sitting in the marble throne like he would have expected, she kneels next to the armor.
Ah, the armor. It makes sense that she gravitated towards it — it is hers, after all. He tried to talk to Xemnas about the armor once, but Xemnas immediately brushed it off. Understandable, since he would have done the same if it were the other way around. He hates talking to Xemnas, anyway. It's like talking to another clone of himself, even if he is his nobody.
He feels his legs moving on their own accord, quietly bringing her to him to her. Immediately, a comforting feeling envelopes him; though it is reminiscent to when he was enveloped by the warm light before waking up in Radiant Garden to Master Ansem, the comfort gives off a much colder feeling.
Aqua does not give any indication that she is aware of Xehanort's presence, so he reaches down to place a hand on her shoulder.
"Are … are you alright?"
Aqua moves her head around to face him with a grave face. "I try to fade into the darkness and accept it wholly, but instead, I feel it eating away at my blackened heart," she responds bleakly, her eyes pained. "Destroying me. It feels like my existence is meaningless. I don't know what to do."
He is not surprised by her answer. Aqua has always had such a strong-willed heart — he wouldn't be surprised if her heart rejecting the darkness will cause it to eat her alive in a shroud of self-hatred and desolation that would make her want to end her existence. He would have to keep a close watch on her.
"And Mickey," her quiet voice burns with a subtle fury. "He didn't come back for me until it was too late. He promised to return and save me, but left me in the darkness to become this. He didn't want to save me. Was it because I wasn't worthy of becoming a keyblade master?"
"Do not doubt your strength, Aqua. You can't begin to realize how valuable you are. You are one of Master Xehanort's biggest strengths."
"Me?"
He nods. "Yes. You are one with a strong heart. You are powerful, more powerful than me and the other seekers. Most importantly, though, you are the key that will unlock our victory. Don't be disheartened by Mickey's actions, or lack of actions, I should say — he is a foolish mouse who undervalued your worth."
An expression of loathing crosses her face. "You're right … he didn't think it was worth going into the darkness to save me." She then begins to lift herself up from the ground, and he politely extends a hand, which she takes to use as support and gracefully gets on her feet.
The comforting feeling, which had slightly subsided, returns with a full force of other, indecipherable emotions Xehanort is not anticipating. But as quickly as she puts her hand in his, she quickly retracts it and looks away towards the exit, a similar rush of emotions hitting her as well, he is sure.
"You retained all of your memories, no?" he suddenly asks, refusing to let their sorry excuse for a conversation to end. He wants to talk to her more, now that he has finally found her.
Aqua's eyes meet his once more as she purses her lips. "Not all. Some of my memories from the Realm of Light are hard to remember, since I was in the Realm of Darkness for so long, as well as the memories right before I offered my bo … " Her eyes widen as she realizes her mistake, and then she shakes her head. "Before I became a vessel and a Seeker of Darkness," she corrects herself.
He raises an eyebrow, intrigued. "I see. You offered your body as a vessel to Master Xehanort?"
For the first time, he sees emotion color her face. A good step towards her health and mental state of being. He might have to push her a little more, though. "I don't want to talk about it."
He gives her a frown. Truly, he is displeased that she won't open up to him. His heart may have Xehanort in it, but Terra is in his heart, too (and doesn't she calls him "Terra" for that reason?). "Please, you can trust — "
"I said, I don't want to talk about it!" she snaps, her hands clenched into fists, taking an angry step towards him.
"Whoa, angry, aren't you?" a teasing voice rings out, the sound echoing across the huge room.
Xehanort and Aqua whip their heads to the source of the voice.
Venitas's tawny eyes glint mischievously. "Hey, come on, Apprentice, don't annoy her too much. The old coot will get pissed if she runs off because you drove her nuts."
He shifts his body so that he is now facing Venitas, and crosses his arms at the teenager. "Watch your language, boy." But Aqua surprises him and Venitas by letting out a small chuckle, so faint that he barely hears it.
He thought Vanitas was a little bit of pest, but became slightly more attached to the boy after he joined with Ventus. Besides, if he puts Aqua in good spirits, how can Xehanort not like him?
Aqua doesn't know how much time passes before she settles into a rhythm of living in the Castle That Never Was. Additionally, she has quickly realized the rhythms the other residents follow.
The old Master Xehanort, who only appears to them during their meetings, Ansem, Xemnas, who has taken an interest in her nearly as much as Terra has, and the stony-faced Isa, are usually discussing future courses of actions in the Round Room.
Xigbar and Luxord occasionally join them, but they like to lounge around in the Gray Area and make conversation with the other seekers as well. Larxene, who hangs out with them both, seems pleased that there is another female vessel, but her cunning, impish eyes indicate to Aqua that she should stay away from her.
On the other hand, Aqua, Terra, and Venitas have formed their own little group. Terra has been helping Aqua adjust to the changes her heart has been undergoing, while Venitas is there because he, too, has surprisingly grown attached to Aqua, and no longer minds the apprentice's presence.
The quiet, young Xehanort also occasionally joins their niche for the food — otherwise, he is usually with Master Xehanort. He and Venitas are always ravenous with hunger. Aqua does not feel hungry all that often, though, and Terra reassuringly tells her that he doesn't either. Still, an appetite-less Aqua always watches the younger boys wolf down her food, raptured.
Today, though, Venitas is being difficult.
"Venitas, your food is getting cold," she informs him, her foot impatiently tapping against the marble flooring of the kitchen and dining area.
Venitas swings the incomplete x-blade against the air with a grunt. "Hold on a sec, Aqua!"
"It is delicious food, as always, Aqua," the young Xehanort comments quietly, after chewing through a spoonful of his rice. "Thank you."
Aqua nods at the older boy. "You are welcome." Then she sighs, folding her arms over her chest. "Venitas," she warns.
"Listen to Aqua, Venitas," Xehanort tells him sternly from his seat at the table.
The boy halts his movements, keyblade midair, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "I said, give me a sec!" he growls.
Aqua's eyes flash angrily. "Venitas, put the damn keyblade down and come here to eat your food. Now."
Venitas balks. He sets the keyblade down onto the floor. "Fine," he grumbles, forcefully pulling out his chair and plopping himself down on it. He may have just brushed it off, but Aqua knows that inside, he's shaking in that suit of his, scared for his physical being. "I thought you were better than the old Aqua — she always infuriated me. I'm starting to think that you're no different, though." He stuffs multiple spoonfuls of rice in his mouth, chewing them all at once, much to Aqua's disgust.
Xigbar and Luxord are the jovial ones in the group, and Larxene and Venitas have impish natures; the others rarely laugh or smile, and wouldn't ever do so if it weren't for those four (though, Larxene, not as much).
Later that night, Aqua has trouble falling asleep that night, and seeks Terra. The darkness is troubling her heart again. He is not in his room, or anywhere in the castle, to her surprise. There is only one other place she can think of, then, where he could have gone off to.
He crouches over her keyblade armor in the large, white chamber, one palm placed over her keyblade.
"Terra," she murmurs softly, stepping out of the corridor of darkness and towards him. She was right.
He whirls around, slightly surprised by her presence, and Aqua lets out a gasp when she sees his dark, topaz eyes, full of intent.
"Xemnas was just here," he states bitterly, eyes narrowing at her. "He was talking about you."
"Oh." She isn't quite sure how to respond to that, especially with how threatening he looks right now.
He stands up and takes long strides across the room, and Aqua's blackened heart beats quicker as he approaches her. He towers over her short frame.
"Do you feel something for him?"
She furrows her eyebrows in confusion. "What? No." The darkness in her heart, though weakens her heart, gives her the courage she needs to say things she normally wouldn't be able to bring to her lips. "It's you, Terra. It's always been you, Ter —"
In a quick movement that she momentarily cannot register, he presses her against the back of the throne, his mouth and tongue attacking hers suddenly.
His lips feel rough against hers, and slightly warmer than his cooled ones. His hot breath mingles with hers, and she leans up on her toes so she can easily slip her fingers into his white, silky hair. When she breaks away and gasps for air, seeking repose from his rough, passionate kiss, his nose traces the shell of her ear, his lips lightly nipping at the skin there for a moment, before moving back to kiss her again.
He traps her bottom lip between his teeth and tugs once before releasing it. "Tell Xemnas to leave you be," his chapped lips murmur then against her soft, smooth ones. "You are only Terra's. Mine." His lips and nose drag, tantalizingly slow, along the length of her neck, causing her to let out a small, breathless moan.
She closes her eyes and tilts back her head to give him room to kiss her collarbone. "I gave up my body as a vessel for Terra," she whispers, her fingers threading into his hair once more. "Xehanort promised to extract his heart from Terra's body. Only you, Terra. Not Xemnas, not anyone else, but you."
He glances up at her from his position, and she can only imagine what he sees — her, struggling to catch her breath, her lips parted and her heavy-lidded eyes full of desire. (There is no doubt in her mind that she wants him.)
"Only me?" he breathes in shock, his eyes shining with unshed tears. Not for Xemnas, not for anyone else.
She nods, her fingers brushing against his cheek, feeling beads of moisture roll down her cheeks as well. "Only you."
Their days leading up to the end of this dark-hearted Aqua are full of domestic living and their nights are full of passion.
He doesn't know how the Guardians of Light were able to extract Xehanort from Aqua's heart, but he suspects Kairi, whom he recalls from his time in Radiant Garden, had something to do with it, being a princess of light. Aqua went to Cable Town with Venitas on a mission, but when he shows up to make sure the two of them are safe, she is standing in the courtyard alone. Though her hair is still a pale whitish-blue, her eyes are once again the color of sapphire, glistening with tears.
"Aqua!" he calls out, that warm feeling surrounding him more with every step he takes towards her.
"Terra!" she cries out, running to meet him halfway, her hands immediately seeking him out as soon as she is close enough to touch him. Her embrace feels as comforting and familiar as home — Terra's old home — but it feels wrong to him for some reason. "I'm here, Terra. I'm with you."
Realization hits him like a brick, and it makes his chest ache in despair. He always thought, that though he has loved it when Aqua has called him Terra, he did not deserve to have been called that by her this entire time. He is only half of Terra. The other half is Xehanort. But he so easily forgot that the Aqua he had been with for the past few months was only half of Aqua, and that the other half of her Xehanort as well.
Of course, it feels wrong to hug her like this and let her call him Terra — this is the Aqua who is starting to erase any trace of Xehanort left in her heart.
He shrugs out of her embrace. "My name is Xehanort," he says firmly. And suddenly, he is back in the long hallway of rooms, standing in front of a stubborn, unwavering Aqua.
She shakes her head and gives him a watery smile. "No … I can feel that it's you, Terra" — she places a hand over the left side of her chest — "here, in my heart. You are the one in front of me, not Xehanort."
He stays silent, and lets her cry and hold him until she begins to lose consciousness. Whatever the outcome of this all may be, Xehanort finds himself grateful to be with her in her final moments of having the darkness in her heart.
The Terra in him yearns to join her, but the Master Xehanort that also resides in his heart fights against the pining to keep him in line and stay in the fight as a seeker.
And fight as a seeker, he will.
"Rest now, Aqua," he croons, smoothing her hair back, which is now blue at its roots, as he sets her down onto the grassy field. His lips press to her forehead one final time before he pushes himself back up and walks away from her. Now that Aqua is back to her normal self, there is no way that Master Xehanort will extract his heart from Terra's — this — body.
In spite of that, he will let a now wholesome Aqua return to her friends, and hope that he can one day find his way back to her, too (not as Xehanort, but as a wholesome Terra).