Summary: Aqua, Terra, Ven and Axel gradually learn of the events surrounding their Master, Eraqus, and his Mark of Mastery Exam via the Master's Tome of a Keyblade Master they had long forgotten. Prequel fic to the Reconnect: Kingdom Hearts saga. Better Summary inside.
Summary (The better one): Aqua, Terra, and Ven are given a final gift from Master Yen Sid. This gift is the Tome of Master Lillian, the last of the mystical Foretellers, individuals with the power to see through time. Through this tome, they (plus Axel) learn of the strange events that occurred involving their late Master, Eraqus, and his Mark of Mastery Exam thirty years prior to the First Kingdom Hearts Incident. Prequel to the Reconnect: Kingdom Hearts Saga.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except perhaps Lillian and maybe a few OCs but not many. Everything else belongs to Disney and/or Square Enix. Also, this is a musical. The origins of the songs used will be listed at the ends of the chapters in which they appear.
Author's Advice: This story is the 6th installment of the Reconnect Kingdom Hearts saga. If you haven't read those stories, I advise you stop, turn around, and start from the beginning which is Reconnect: Kingdom Hearts. A full reading order can be found on my profile page.
The Land of Departure
It had only been a few days since the incident in the Forgotten Worlds had come to an end. Aqua was taking some time to relax from the long journey, but not too much time since there was a special event set to occur at the end of the month which was only six days away. Terra and Ven were already making preparations, Terra wiping down the thrones in the Land of Departure's throne room while Ven used Zero-G magic to float in the air and clean the chandelier. As they worked, Aqua walked in with a smile.
"You're cleaning, and I don't have to beg you to do so?" Aqua asked as Terra and Ven both shrugged.
"Want things to be spotless when Si'Lea and Nixe arrive." Terra replied but Aqua wasn't fooled.
"Si'Lea specifically, am I right?" she asked as Terra shrugged.
"May~be." He replied, unsure of his own answer. Aqua merely smirked and shook her head with a chuckle.
"I'm glad to see you're optimistic about it, Terra. It's about time something good came your way." Aqua said as Terra shrugged.
"Well, I might as well hope." Terra said as Ven floated down and landed onto the ground.
"Have we gotten the RSVPs for the 'event' back yet?" Ven asked as Aqua held up at least five envelopes.
"Si'Lea, Nixe, Riku, Kairi, and King Mickey have all RSVP'd to say they're coming. Still waiting on Master Yen Sid and Sora though." Aqua said but Ven and Terra exchanged worried looks.
"Yeah, you might need to give Sora some time." Ven said, Aqua giving a sad nod. Terra's expressions were also rather saddened as well.
"Right." She replied softly. She was visibly worried for Sora and she wasn't the only one.
"Look, let's not dwell on this. What about Master Yen Sid? Is he coming?" Terra asked.
"If he was, he wouldn't have sent me instead." A familiar voice said from nearby. Everyone turned and saw a familiar figure in a black coat and hood with some kind of box-shaped object tucked under its arm, standing at the top of the stairs to the right of the thrones.
"Axel? What are you doing here?" Terra asked as Axel, the former Flurry of the Dancing Flames, approached with an uncharacteristic frown on his face as he pulled back his hood.
"The old man sent me with his reply." Axel said, handing Aqua a sealed envelope. Aqua quietly took the envelope and opened it, pulling out the letter and blinking in surprise at what it said…
"He's not coming. Master Yen Sid isn't coming." Aqua said, surprising Terra and Ven.
"What?! Why?!" Ven asked.
"He says, 'Axel will explain everything.' Well Axel?" Aqua asked as Axel blinked in surprise and then groaned.
"Thanks for that little blindside there, boss. Okay, it's like this. The old man is retiring. He says that his power has diminished to the point that he can't keep going. He was supposed to have retired eleven years ago but put it off when that whole mess with he-whose-name-starts-with-an-X began. Now that there's at least four Keyblade Masters out there with more on the way, he feels that continuing to call himself a Keyblade Master is unnecessary now so…he's going back into retirement." Axel explained, the three Keyblade wielders all looking at each other sadly but understandingly.
"Well, if there's anyone who deserves it, it's Master Yen Sid." Aqua said, Terra and Ven both nodding in agreement.
"So what about you Axel? Weren't you his assistant?" Ven asked, Axel scratching the back of his head slightly.
"Kinda, sorta. Any openings here by any chance?" Axel asked.
"We'll talk." Aqua said but Terra couldn't help but notice the strange box beneath his arm. It was wrapped in simple brown paper and tied together with twine.
"Axel, what's that?" he asked. Axel looked confused for a moment before he realized Terra was referring to the box and held it up.
"Oh, this. Yen Sid wanted me to pass this on to the three of you specifically. It's something he feels the three of you should know about. Says it belongs to one of his former apprentices. Didn't say who but that the three of you would know." Axel said as he handed Aqua the box. Aqua quickly tore off the packaging and pulled out a thick blue hard covered leather book with a stylized letter L in gold emblazoned on the cover and a gold lock keeping the front and back covers of the book together. Aqua's eyes widened and her jaw dropped open in awe, recognizing the meaning behind the letter L immediately.
"By the light! This…this is-…" She gasped in shock.
"A book." Axel deadpanned.
"Not just any book." Aqua replied, turning to Terra and Ven who were both curious.
"Terra, Ven, this is the Tome of Master Lillian." She said, turning the cover of the book towards them, both of them looking just as awestruck as Aqua was.
"Master Lillian? Are you sure?" Ven asked, but Terra was surer of the declaration as he gazed at the cover.
"It's hers alright. That's her symbol, that gold colored letter L. I'd know it anywhere." Terra said as he gently took the book from Aqua, running a hand over the cover in awe.
"Okay, Axel's confused. Who's Lillian?" Axel asked.
"Where do we start?" Ven asked no one in particular.
"Master Lillian was…she was practically the closest thing to a mother we ever had." Terra said, Aqua nodding.
"She was a Keyblade Master, trained right alongside Master Eraqus even." Aqua added.
"We didn't see much of her for years at a time but once in a while she would come and visit us. She was always so kind, so loving. She always said we'd become great wielders of the Keyblade, never doubting us for a second." Terra explained.
"And when she said it, you were smart to take her word as gospel." Aqua said as Ven gave a nod.
"I only met her a couple of times but I could never forget her." Ven added, Axel crossed his arms over his chest.
"If she's such a great Keyblade Master, then why haven't I heard of her?" Axel asked.
"Because she's been in exile for almost thirty years now." Aqua replied, startling Axel.
"Exile?! Sheesh what did she do to deserve that?!" Axel asked but Terra and Aqua merely smiled and shook their heads.
"No-no, not like that. It was self-imposed. She believed the nature of her work was so important that she could not afford to share the details of where she was or what she was doing." Terra explained.
"All that she would say was that she was, and I quote, 'kindling a spark that would become a brilliant light in the future.' I don't think even Master Eraqus knew what it was." Aqua replied.
"She would know." Ven mumbled with a slight shrug.
"Not to be 'that guy' but, what makes you say that?" Axel asked Ven who scratched his head.
"Well…I'm not sure how to put it." Ven said as Terra smiled slightly.
"Easy, she's a Foreteller. A rare individual with the power to see the future." Terra answered.
"The visions of a Foreteller are kinda fickle. Sometimes they can call them up at will, sometimes they come without warning, and sometimes they won't come at all. But they were always considered accurate predictions." Aqua explained.
"And sometimes when they grow older, the scope of their vision increases to the point where they can look into the past, to see past events from different perspectives, even the ones they participated in. Like seeing events through the eyes of another, seeing what happened behind their backs." Terra said as Aqua took the book from him, marveling at it.
"I wonder what sort of prophesies or accounts she has written down in here." Aqua said, as Axel shrugged.
"Not much from what I can tell. Seems to be all about your old Master, Eraqus." Axel replied.
"That's no surprise. The two were very close." Terra said but Ven furrowed his brow.
"Wait, how do you know, Axel?" Ven asked as Axel arched a confused eyebrow.
"What do you mean? I opened it and read it. Only got as far as the first page though." Axel replied.
"But how did you get past the lock? It's a Master's Tome." Aqua said as Axel shrugged.
"It opened for me. Didn't have any problem with the lock. I just thought it was broken." Axel replied as Aqua checked the lock. It unlocked for her, allowing her to open the covers. She then handed it off to Terra who, surprisingly, was able to open the book without any resistance.
"He's right. And I'm not seeing any secret script either." Terra said as he closed the book and handed it to Ven who, like the others, was easily able to open the book and read from it.
"That's odd." Ven said, handing it to Axel who demonstrated his own ability to open it.
"See?" he asked as Aqua took the book back.
"Maybe she'll tell us why inside." Aqua said as she headed for the castle library, the other three in tow.
"So what else should I know about this Lillian woman?" Axel asked.
"Well, she was Master Eraqus's Fiancée." Terra replied, causing Axel to blink.
"Whoa! Really?!" Axel asked as Terra smirked back towards him.
"Really. They called off the wedding though. Not sure why. I know it wasn't out of any form of dislike. They certainly acted like they still loved each other whenever they were together." Terra explained.
"I always wondered why they called it off. I guess maybe it had to do with Master Lillian's work." Aqua said as they reached the library, Aqua moving to sit down on one of the couches for comfort.
"Maybe that's in there too." Ven suggested as he and Ven sat down in chairs near her, Axel standing near them.
"Possibly." Aqua replied. Terra's expression then slightly darkened.
"I wonder if…he is in there." Terra said as Aqua and Ven both looked at him sympathetically.
"It's extremely likely. They were classmates after all." Aqua said. Axel didn't have to guess who they were talking about now.
"You're talking about ol' Superior, right?" he asked.
"Yeah." Ven muttered.
"Well, Aqua?" Terra asked, looking at Aqua who swallowed nervously before standing up.
"I suppose that this calls for something more than just sharing the same book." She said, setting the Tome down on the couch, walking over towards one of the towering bookshelves where an object shrouded in a drop cloth sat near it. She then proceeded to remove the cloth, revealing a brass and gold music stand-like object. The stand was decorated in elegant golden swirls and designs. Aqua quietly picked it up and carried it to the semicircle of chairs and couches where the others were. Axel looked at Terra and Ven and finally sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Great, gotta be 'that guy' again. What is that?" Axel asked.
"It's the Arcana Librium. It's a sort of magic teaching tool used to aid in instruction. It's like…hmm, how to describe it." Aqua said as she adjusted the stand.
"You know that device Sora has in his room? The one with the disks that makes music?" Terra asked. Axel gave him a blank stare.
"You mean the CD player? Come on gramps get with the times." Axel said, earning a glare from Terra.
"I've been preoccupied." Terra said using his Xehanort voice, causing Axel to recoil in alarm.
"Is this going to become a reoccurring thing with you?" Ven asked Terra who sat back in his seat but said nothing.
"So what's this thing do then? Read the story to us?" Axel asked as Aqua set the Tome on the stand.
"Pretty much. It allows us to see what the author envisioned when writing it. It usually just makes approximations, but I would imagine in the case of a Foreteller like Lillian…" Aqua said, looking at the tome for a moment in thought.
"You mean kinda like how an author would put their heart and soul into their work, right?" Axel asked, earning startled looks from the other three.
"That's…that's right, Axel. The Arcana Librium is usually able to decipher that and translate it for others to see." Aqua said as Terra kicked back in his seat.
"Doesn't always work though." Terra said as Ven sighed.
"Putting Aqua's diary on it doesn't work." Ven said as Terra smirked with his eyes closed.
"Juicy stuff?" Axel asked. Aqua was surprisingly casual about the alleged invasion of her privacy.
"Not unless you count critical self-examinations of her fighting and magic abilities to be juicy. Some of it is just magic spell formulas and calculations. Complicated stuff. If anything it's worth a look just to see how scary smart Aqua is when it comes to magic." Terra replied as Aqua gave a dismissive wave, sitting down on the couch.
"Please, I'm not that good. But that's beside the point. Are we ready?" Aqua asked as Axel pulled around a chair, sitting backwards in it.
"This thing has a pause button, right?" he asked.
"It stops after every chapter. We have to initiate each chapter manually." Aqua said as Axel shrugged.
"Go for it." Axel said, Terra and Ven giving Aqua a nod. Aqua nodded back and raised her hand towards the Arcana Librium.
"Arcana Librium! Begin first entry!" Aqua said as the stand began to glow with a soft blue shine, the room around them turning dark. The stand even faded away until there was nothing but darkness. Finally a single light began to shine from overhead, illuminating a simple table, a cloaked figure sitting in a chair, hunched over the table with the open Master's Tome before them. This figure was a woman of early-middle-aged years with long slightly curled auburn hair and green eyes, a white shirt with long sleeves and the cuffs rolled back under a brown coat with tan cuffs and gold lining (not unlike Captain Hook's coat only a different color), a pair of loose fitting brown slacks held up by a brown leather belt with a polished silver Mark of Mastery symbol for a belt buckle, a pair of black seaman's boots with down turned cuffs near the top, and with a light blue with silver lined metal cuff around her right bicep. She sat writing on the first pages of the tome with a sad expression, using her left hand to write while her right hand held the page steady.
"Look to the past, to know the future." A woman's voice said with an English accent. The voice was sourceless but it was clearly the woman's own.
"That is the creed of every Foreteller. Although this creed is passed down through the ages. It is not properly known or even understood until the time is right for us to understand it" The woman's voice said as she took a moment to calm herself. Her expressions implied that some past trauma had awakened. Her right hand shook a little and she took a moment to calm herself before continuing.
"I have seen much. Seen things I wanted to see and things I wish I hadn't but needed to all the same. In doing so, I realize the curse that has befallen me. To see such Darkness that I should have always seen but ignored. To see the fates of those I love so darkened…and to know that they will not live to know the truth until it is far too late, if they ever learn it at all. The people I had hoped to save, cannot be. And so…" she said. She then paused her writing to look up from the table, looking squarely at where Aqua was sitting. She then smiled warmly towards her, causing Aqua to swallow nervously.
"I thought this was just going to be some kind of projection." Axel muttered to Terra, both men and Ven displaying similar expressions of shock. The woman then turned and looked towards Terra and Axel, seemingly smiling at them before looking over at Ven.
"It must be coincidence." Terra muttered back. The woman then resumed her writing. Scratching out the words "And so…" (Music Cue: Simple & Clean Orchestra Instrumental Version – KH1 Soundtrack)
"The people I had hoped to save, cannot be. But I know the worlds will be protected. It has been my duty these past nineteen years to kindle a spark that will ignite into a brilliant light. My time guarding this spark is drawing to its end. Darkness is returning to the worlds. This Age of Light is ending. But the Light will not die. It never can, never will. But I know it will be protected. I have seen it. I have found the one who will protect it." The woman said as the light around her faded away.
"But…to know the Future, I must show you the Past."
Boskov01 Presents…
…A Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction…
…Inspired by the Kingdom Hearts Franchise owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company…
…the Sixth Chapter in the Reconnect: Kingdom Hearts Saga…
Reconnect: Kingdom Hearts – Prophesies of the Past
End Chapter 1.
Please R&R…
And just to put this in perspective, the bulk of this story takes place twenty years before Birth By Sleep. That's Thirty Years before Kingdom Hearts 1, and Thirty-One Years before Kingdom Hearts 2. So basically this story takes place 31.5 Years prior to the current story.
I'm envisioning the older Lillian as being voiced by Cate Blanchett, quite literally for her role as Galadriel in the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies. She's both gorgeous and has a beautiful voice for narrating.
IMPORTANT REQUEST: Please refrain from posting ANY Kingdom Hearts III spoilers in your reviews or any personal messages.
IMPORTANT REQUEST FOR ANONYMOUS AND GUEST REVIEWERS…
Never let it be said I don't appreciate receiving reviews, but I like to be able to communicate effectively with my readers. Anonymous Reviews rob me of the opportunity to communicate with my readers. I don't feel it's smart to answer someone's reviews IN a story unless it's particularly noteworthy (e.g. sharing an interesting question that others might want to know the answers to). So please, not to discourage those who read my stories, if you have a FF dot net account, please sign in before reviewing. If not, please make an account. It's free, it's easy, and it takes about 5 minutes tops. You don't have to write or post any stories yourself. There are people who have accounts strictly so they can review and keep track of their favorite stories as well as communicate with other authors.
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Boskov