Disclaimer: "I do not own Kingdom Hearts..."

Kiome-Yasha: "Yay, another pretty long Ventus/Fuu one-shot from me 8D. I want to go for an in-universe approach...so bare with me XD, because it's also in Ventus's POV. And I'm not used to writing POVs D8."

Fragmented Stars

I kept my armor on when surfing through the dimension of space, hoping to catch Terra in time before he did something that resulted in Aqua's words being true. I just couldn't believe she would think he was being influenced by the darkness. Terra had every right to be a Keyblade Master just as much as she did. I personally sighed with shame towards her behavior. She was letting the whole title get to her head; I was sure of it. Keeping my balance on my keyblade, I managed to pull out the Wayfinder she had made for the three of us. It was sort of damaged and dented around the edges, smudges of dirt over the brilliant emerald material. I felt sort of guilty in treating it this way, but I knew it couldn't be avoided from all the battles I have endured lately.

I rarely wanted to pull it out, since I was scared I might lose it. I've been known to lose things after all...just like my memories.

All of a sudden, I felt a disturbance in the air, alerting my senses right away to keep guard. A strong force, it was familiar to me, and it coming fast. I turned my head upwards, catching Vanitas in my line of vision.

"Hey there, loser." He called out with a cynical laugh, "Didn't expect to see you around these parts of the worlds."

"I don't have time to deal with you!" I responded impatiently, not really in the mood.

"Too bad." He caught notice of my Wayfinder, making me nervous, "I see you're still carrying that stupid trinket around, huh?"

I gripped onto it protectively, not saying a word.

He wasn't impressed, scoffing with a short snarl, "I think it's about time you grew up a little, Ventus."

Before I could even react or predict what his next motive was going to be, he rammed forward and knocked me off balance. He gripped my wrist, twisting it through the armor. He was much stronger than me when it came to brute strength, so I couldn't overpower him from my current position. I winced from his aggressive assault, losing my hold around my Wayfinder.

'No...!' I quickly looked over, only to find it gone.

It slipped right through my fingers, falling downward towards the abyss below.

Vanitas floated away, feeling accomplished, "Hehehe, catch you later, loser. Let's see if you can find your precious toy now."

I knew he was trying to provoke my anger, but that was the least of my worries right now. I had to get my charm back! Blasting off towards the dark depths below, I ignored Vanitas's scornful laughter behind me. My eyes kept shifting from behind my helmet, searching for anything green that could be it. After a long time inside the darkness, a light began to appear from the horizon. It was warm, and the heat felt radiant, even from under my armor. When the glow dimmed down, it revealed a sort of town that seemed like it was made out of gold and copper. I couldn't recognize the world from my studies back home in the Land of Departure, my curiosity getting the better of me to explore it. I felt reluctant though, knowing I had more important things to worry about than my childish instincts for adventure.

Still... what if my Wayfinder was there? What if Terra was there? I couldn't pass the possibility, could I?

Making a final decision, I sprinted towards the unfamiliar world, hoping for some answers that may lead me to my questions.

VFVFVFVFVFVFVFVFVF

I landed upon a roof that seemed isolated enough for me not to be spotted, converting back to my usual training outfit. I breathed in the dusty air, taking in the scent of the warm summer breeze. It seemed nice and quiet here, almost homey. I wondered what it would be like to live here, picturing a certain lifestyle that was different from back home. Summoning my keyblade beside me, I dismissed it from view, not wanting to cause trouble of having some sort of weapon to the locals. I could already hear Master Eraqus lecturing me to keep a low profile. I wasn't even supposed to be here, so probably best to make this quick.

I went over to the edge, finding the area to be very deserted. Where was everyone anyway? Was it late or something here? I couldn't tell, time seemed frozen almost here to be honest. It was then that I caught the sound of children laughing, running over to the other side to spot them. I didn't know why I was excited, but it proved that there were people definitely living here. There were two small boys and a small girl with chocolate brown hair. They seemed to be joking around about something, while innocently eating some type of ice cream together. I couldn't help but to smile, finding their youthfulness to be commendable. They looked like they had no care in the world, enjoying each other's company. It reminded me a lot of Terra, Aqua, and I.

I soon remembered my reason for being here. I scratched the back of my head and chuckled, lifting myself off the ledge. I gazed down at the trio below one last time, a warm smile spreading on my face.

I whispered softly enough for them not to hear me, "Take care."

I didn't want to involve children in my search, so best to avoid confrontation with them. Going to each roof though, I realized how big this town really was. Thankfully, I managed to find a sign that seemed to direct me on where to go. The top said Twilight Town, so I presumed that was the name of the world I was in. Reading off the signs carefully, I was surprised over the number of districts there were. Man, this was going to be a lot harder than I thought. I sighed heavily with displeasure, knowing I was wasting time.

That damn Vanitas, if only he hadn't shown up, I wouldn't be in this situation right now. Oh well, best not dwell on the past I suppose. The word Sandlot struck me to be the most promising. I figured I could start my investigation there. Turning around, I started to press forward in hopes of finding what I lost. There were so many roads that zigzagged together. I started to wonder if I was even going the right direction. I entered another region, finding it to be a lot different than the ones before. It contained benches and billboards against the walls with an open space at the center. I read a sign nearby that read "Sandlot"; this must be the place. Looking around, I noticed three other children that were here. They were different from the group I saw earlier, perking my interest right away. There were two boys, one with light skin, and the other dark. They crowded around a girl who was holding something awfully familiar. When I studied her hands more closely, I realized it was my Wayfinder. The little girl was holding it with refined care and seemed engrossed by it, despite having one eye from under the flock of hair that covered her left.

I became concern when the small blond huffed irritably, "Fuu, how long are you going to dangle with that already? It's my turn to see it!"

She shoved the ornament in his view and answered sarcastically with a frown, "See."

He growled from her response, "You know what I meant, idiot! Let me hold it!"

"Yeah, just because you found it, doesn't mean it's yours, ya know?" The other boy stated with the same amount of persistence.

"Mine." She responded with a stubborn pout.

The temperamental child gave a low hiss, knocking the pendant from her hand, "Whatever, it's a stupid piece of trash anyway!"

"We could waste our time on something better to do, ya know?" The other boy interjected arrogantly.

"Let's go, Rai! We're not going to waste our time playing with something that holds no value to us." The blond sneered with distaste, turning his back to the girl and walking away.

"Wait for me, Seifer, ya know?" Rai announced hastily, before following obediently after the other boy.

"Idiots." Fuu muttered under her breath, refusing to shed tears from their cruel behavior towards her prize.

She kneeled down, and picked up the star-shaped pendant carefully. She marveled at its design, sensing some sort of calm wind from it. Sure it had dents and blotches on it, but that's what made it more extraordinary to her. I couldn't help but to feel sorry for her. A small and pretty girl like her didn't deserve that sort of treatment. Wait, did I say pretty? Okay Ven, start acting your age. No way I could possibly find a girl her age attractive. Still, I couldn't help but to feel drawn to her unique physique. Before I knew it, I was already making my way over to her. I didn't want to scare her, since I was a complete stranger after all. And what did Master Eraqus say? Talking to strangers was bad. Geez, I could already see the outcome to this.

She seemed to notice my presence, catching a glimpse of my tall shadow from the floor. She quickly looked up and let out a small gasp. I was actually quite impressed, she didn't run away like most girls her age would probably do when meeting someone they didn't know. She kept her ground though, giving me a feisty glare.

I gave a nervous laugh, "Um...hi..." I bent down, hoping to introduce myself in a friendly greeting, "My name is Ventus." I placed a hand over my chest to show her I meant no harm, "And I think you have something that belongs to me." I directed my eyes at my Wayfinder that she was holding close to her chest.

"Mine." She declared defiantly.

For a little girl, her eye gave off a strong spirit that was definitely not willing to bend.

I sighed with distress, hoping to reason with her, "Didn't your parents ever tell you it's not nice to keep things that belong to other people?"

She frowned from under her straw hat, "Constantly."

Well, at least she was honest.

"If that's the case, why can't I have it back?"

"Liar."

"I'm not lying! It really is mine." I countered miserably.

She studied my face, seeing the sincerity in my eyes. She stepped closer to me without any further distrust. Was she willing to cooperate now?

"Date." She blushed and demanded softly, catching me off guard.

"What?" I responded hesitantly, wondering what she meant by that.

"Date." She repeated once more, tucking my Wayfinder inside her dress's pocket.

"Um...you mean..." Okay, let me try and decipher this, "If I go out with you... I can have my thing back?"

She nodded sternly, her cheeks actually glowing brilliantly with embarrassment.

I couldn't help but to laugh at her little crush on me. I never thought I could be attractive to anyone. It seemed kind of awkward though that the first girl who would be interested in me was a young child. She seemed really intelligent for age though, and I found it to be a appealing trait.

"Okay little lady...I Ventus, will be honored to take you out on a date." I announced politely.

She squeaked and blushed, correcting me so I knew what I was getting myself into, "Romantically."

Wow, I'm actually impressed by her one-worded vocabulary. This was silly, considering we only just met, but somehow, it was sort of enchanting at the same time. My heart actually pumped mischievously.

"Well, of course. But...may I ask what the fair lady's name is first?" I didn't really catch her name, but I remember the blond boy mentioning "Fuu".

"Fuu." She clarified gently, her face impassive.

"Fuu." I reverted the name back to her, loving the sound of it.

It was simple, but it also held some sort of elemental power that was hidden beneath her.

Biting my lip nervously, I asked, "Fuu, I'm actually new here. I don't know where everything is, to be honest." I felt sort of guilty, not wanting to disappoint her.

She shook her head and dismissed my concerns, "Come."

She skipped over to me, which was something I didn't expect her to do. Even with her unusual and mature intellect, she still was a little girl it would seem. I found her unique characteristics cute, and dare I say, charming. She took my hand, adjusting her small fingers to loop around my larger ones. Wow, her hand was tiny, it was like she could slip from my grasp at any moment. Not taking any chances, I scooped her up in my arms, laughing when she yelped with fright.

"Don't worry, I got you." I held her closely, keeping her attached to my chest.

She glared at me, feeling rather humiliated that I broke her independency and pride.

"Aww, don't make that face." I poked her button nose, "Even though you look cute when you do."

"Silence." She muttered under her breath, burying her face into the bridge of my neck.

I chuckled from her huff, teasing her, "How am I going to see my date with you hiding there?"

She popped her head back right away and sulked at me, "Depart." She pointed forward, kicking her heels into my hip.

"Yes ma'am." I saluted playfully, finding her grouchy antics to be amusing.

I strolled over through all the different paths she wanted us to go. Oddly enough, Fuu had no clue how a date should go besides spending time with the person. Not like I knew either, this was technically my first date as well. There was a moment where I thought this whole thing was rather foolish. Here I am, a fifteen-year-old boy with a girl who was ten years behind me, acting like a couple. I had more important matters that needed my attention, didn't I? Like Terra, Vanitas, Master Xehanort and the unversed? I didn't want to seem like I was complaining. This was actually the first world I've been able to completely enjoy myself in without any battles. Well, at least not physically anyway. With Fuu, it was a mental one where I needed to play my part to get my Wayfinder back. The other being the fact that I was enjoying her company, and knew I couldn't get attached.

"Halt." She suddenly declared hastily, directing her sights to what seemed like an ice cream stand.

I smiled contently at her, disguising my inner concerns, "Do you want some ice cream?"

She looked up at me, and I knew she was afraid I would think of her request childish. She seemed to have a rather strong image of herself in not wanting to show any pitiful weakness. Even if she was a kid, there was something about Fuu that struck the nerves to my heart. They weren't my usual feelings towards a female of the opposite sex like Aqua. It was new, but also venturous. No, it wasn't affection or love; that much I can admit. At least, I didn't think it was.

Fuu stared up at me, noticing my frown, "Ven?"

It struck me that she called me by my nickname without me even telling her to.

I bashfully chuckled, already trying to take out some munny, "Sorry, here let me buy you some."

I placed her down, allowing her to rush over and order both our treats. I heard her demand two "sea-salts", whatever those were. If they were anything like the ice creams back in Disney Town I'm sure they would be delicious, even if the title seemed strange. Walking over to the ice cream man, I handed him the amount that was posted on the board. I took the blue frozen treats from him, passing one down to Fuu. She eagerly took it, licking the tip anxiously with a soft hum. I just stared at mine, unsure of what the flavor would be like.

She waved hers in the air, a sincere smile spreading on her lips, "Taste!"

Her grin was so innocent, how could I refuse?

I nipped the tip curiously, squinting back from the unfamiliar taste. It was probably cliché of me to say, since the locals must get this a lot. It was salty, and yet, it contained a sweet after taste that was quite hard to describe. I couldn't explain it, only that it tasted good and bittersweet at the same time.

"It's really good." I complimented cheerfully.

She gave me a blank stare, studying my face closely to see if I was lying to her. When she discovered that my eyes were sincere, she beamed with satisfaction. She then reverted back to her sulky features, making me miss her sweet smile that seemed rare to see already.

She pointed to some sort of clock tower in the distance, "Sunset."

I gathered and translated, "You want to see it from up there?" I asked inquisitively, finding the height to be a bit intimidating.

"Isn't that a bit high?"

"Scared?" She inquired, her tone hinting some sort of taunt.

My eyebrow lifted up, chuckling over her challenge, "More like worried you'll get hurt."

Crossing her arms over her chest, her cheeks became rosy, "Nonsense." She buried her face behind her frozen treat, licking it quickly so it wouldn't melt from the heat that was discharging off her skin.

"Well, I guess if I'm around, I'll be sure to protect you from falling." I suggested with a kind smile, wanting to earn her trust before devouring my own share patiently, "As your date, it's my duty to make sure you'll be safe." I was carrying that title rather more comfortably now.

Fuu accepted my heroism with respect. She sure was an awkward girl to speak with, but I found it sort of sweet. Our peaceful moment was shattered though when boyish shrieks came from the distance, alarming almost every citizen that was nearby to hear it. Fuu seemed to recognize them right away, sprinting into action.

I called out to her, "Fuu!"

I was already chasing after her, having the urge to pull out my keyblade incase if the situation turned out to be serious. There was an unpleasant sensation that was bubbling inside my chest. Vanitas, he was close by when I came to this world. And for some reason, whenever he or Xehanort were near, unversed seemed to follow. It all couldn't be a coincidence, right?

Either way, I tried to remember the routes she had shown me, losing her halfway. She sure can run fast, her feet kicking off like an uncontrollable storm. Running up a steep hill, I barely caught a glimpse of her petite body before it vanished. Picking up my stamina, I sensed trouble wasn't far. Instincts took over me, already summoning my keyblade without any more hesitation. Fuu might be in danger, and I didn't want to risk in not being able to protect her, or whoever else was being attacked. Making it to the top, I discovered the entrance to the clock tower, and to my discouragement, a mass of unversed with it. In the center were two boys, who I recognized to be the same two who were originally with Fuu before abandoning her.

I gasped in horror, noticing the lavender-haired girl who was trying to defend them, "Fuu!"

I brushed off the unversed to the side, using the skills I've leveled since my journey started. They were merely Flood, and even though they weren't too much of a threat, they were still hard to handle when they came in swarms.

"You guys get behind me!" I got to the kids, blocking the devilish monsters from getting to them.

Relying solely on my keyblade, I dashed and made multiple slashes in vanquishing the creatures out of sight. They were weak, which saved me enough energy to destroy them all easily without any much effort. When I conquered the last of them, I hurried and rushed over to Fuu and her friends.

"Ven!" She shouted with alarm, embracing my knee, "Hurt?" She examined my body, checking if there were any injuries.

I chuckled with a soft wheeze, "I'm fine. Nothing I couldn't handle. Are you and your friends okay?" I asked calmly, bowing down to her eye level.

She nodded, turning her head over to them, "Grateful."

The kid with the blond hair though, didn't seem too pleased, "We could have handled it! We didn't need a grown-up like you!"

Funny, it sounded like something I would say after being treated like a kid myself back home. I could actually sympathize with his ego, even though I would never throw a tantrum about it.

"We didn't need your boyfriend, Fuu, ya know?" The darker-tanned boy asserted with distaste.

Fuu frowned with a small blush, which caused me to lift my hands up to surrender some sort peace, "Hey, take it easy~." I gave an insecure smile, "I was only trying to help. You guys could have been in extreme danger fighting those things."

The one known as Seifer shrugged, "Well, I'm sure if we had a weapon like that!" He pointed at my keyblade, "We would have been fine!"

I passed off an encouraging smile, discarding my keyblade from view, "I'm only able to use this because of special training." I put my hands behind my head, sighing with relief, "Either way, I'm glad everybody's okay."

Fuu didn't seem satisfied though, directing her sights angrily at the boys, "Apologize!"

Seifer seemed appalled by the idea, "No way! Not like I asked him to save us!"

"Stubborn!" She declared.

"So what?" He glowered at her.

To my surprise, Fuu's glare intimidated him even more.

The blond youth gave in, throwing his arms into the air with exasperation, "Fine! Thank you!" He shouted almost genuinely at me, looking back at the girl with a loud huff, "There...! You happy?"

To seal the deal, she went over and kicked the other boy, ordering him silently to do the same.

Rai yelped, squinting in pain, "Alright! I'm thankful too, ya know!" He grabbed his foot and started to soothe it with his hands.

I gave an uneasy chuckle, appreciating Fuu's weird way of kindness. She seemed to detect my lingering stare of admiration, because her face was completely red not long afterwards. After all, I didn't deny Seifer's words of being her boyfriend. It made me wonder about her beauty, imagining her older self. Hopefully, I'll be there to see it when that time came. Not long, we were caught off guard when a Flood appeared and snatched Fuu's hat from her head, taking off quickly with trailing sounds of wisp in the air.

"Hat!" She clasped her head.

I growled, already pursuing it, "Wait here! I'll get it back!"

Chasing after the thing turned out to be a harder task than I imagined. It seemed like it wanted me to follow it, leading me somewhere private. When I made it to a dead end, I searched around the area to find the missing Flood. I scoffed under my breath, trying to find any clues of where it could have gone. Not long, I was met with a sinister laugh, whipping my head up into the air to find Vanitas sitting causally over one of the roofs. What caught my interest though, was Fuu's hat clutched in his sinful hands.

"Looking for this?" He gestured humorously.

"Give that back!" I demanded, losing my patience fast.

"Oh come on, I think it's sort of sweet." Vanitas indicated melodiously, "Didn't honestly think she was your type Ven."

So he knew about Fuu, I better not take this situation lightly.

"Although..." He jumped off, landing a few feet away from me, "I didn't think you were much of a pedo either. I mean isn't she a little..." He tapped his chin, "...Young for you?"

"It's not like that, we're friends."

"Oh right, you're only playing along with your little "date" so you can get your precious Wayfinder back." He snapped viciously.

"Have you been spying on me since I've got here?" I questioned irritably.

"Meh, you can say that." He twirled the opening to the hat around his finger, "Though, you better hurry and get it back. I can't make any promises that your friend will be safe if you decide to stick around here any longer than you have."

"You wouldn't dare touch her." I snarled protectively.

"Do you really want to test me? I'm not afraid or gullible like you." He ventured forward, tossing the hat to the ground in front of me, "You'll just get weaker by staying here. Or do you not care about your friends Aqua and Terra?"

He was testing me, I knew it, and I was falling for it.

"Stop threatening my friends, or else!" I commanded, calling forth my keyblade.

"At the rate you are now, those words are nothing but petty threats to me." He assumed confidently, "Just say goodbye to your little girlfriend so we can get this show going. I saw enough what I wanted to see from your little "side" romance."

He leaped back on the roof, sending a salute, "Catch you later!"

"Wait!" I called after him, but he was already gone.

Finding no use in lingering my stay, I collected Fuu's hat and decided to return where I left her. Vanitas's words, as much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I did prolong my stay here, and I needed to leave before I became too attached. Fuu would just be in danger, and I couldn't afford risking her life in a war that she wasn't a part of. It's...meddling from what Master Eraqus would tell me. Our affairs are totally separate, and never should cross. When I made it back to the clearing, I noticed that Fuu was alone. I passed her hat to her, allowing her to put it back on.

"Where are your friends?" I questioned curiously, looking around for any signs for them.

"Late." She answered calmly, "Home."

"Is it really late here?" I looked up at the sky, "Everything looks pretty much the same."

"Eternal." She explained lightly, "Twilight."

"Shouldn't you go home too?" I asked, completely forgetting that she was still keeping my Wayfinder captive.

"Sunset." She reminded carefully, pointing up to the tower.

"Oh...right. You did say that you wanted to see it from up there." I didn't want my encounter with Vanitas to throw off my mood, "You sure you want to go up there with someone like me?"

She shook her head, "Safe." Signaling her hands, she tried to spit out more words, though it was difficult for her, "...With...you."

Really? I thought it was the opposite. She and her friends were attacked because of me after all.

"I'm glad you feel that way." I grinned cheerfully, reaching for her hand that seemed like nothing more than a small gem, "Let's go then. Our date isn't over yet!"

She seemed pleased by my answer, though she faked ignorance and tried to pass it off with a shrug. I laughed from her behavior, knowing she was just hiding her true feelings. I led her up the entrance, passing through the doors. I became at a lost, not really knowing where we had to go. Luckily Fuu knew, already ushering me towards an elevator that was close by. We got in and it was remotely quiet for the most part, waiting for our arrival at the top. When the lift came to an abrupt stop, the doors slid to the side, revealing the orange skies that seemed to twinkle from the sun's light. Fuu went ahead, guiding me to the front where the clock was displayed. I was surprised of how tall the structure really was, taking a glimpse of practically the whole town below. Following her example, we both sat down over the edge, gazing out into the sunset. It was a dazzling sight, the red reminding me of Fuu's right eye. Almost instinctively, I took a glance over at her, observing her features. She would grow up to be a beautiful woman indeed. Not that I was checking her out! Damn, maybe Vanitas's was right?

I literally palmed my hand to my face, feeling rather disturbed by my emotions.

Fuu took notice, speaking up with slight concern, "Problem?"

I shook out of my reverie, letting out a panic laugh, "Um...no! I was just...admiring the view." Well that was half the truth, but in a more unsettling manner.

"Fun?" She was implying our date, but I didn't get the message across right away.

She tried to elaborate, "Date."

"Oh, yes! It was very fun...besides the monsters coming in." I added and sighed, not wanting to remember my conversation with Vanitas.

"Strong." She commented proudly.

"Who me?"

She nodded profoundly, earning me to smile from the compliment. All this time, I always thought I was weak, constantly being reminded how powerless I was from Vanitas. It didn't help that Master, Terra, and Aqua always turned me away either. Like I was nothing more than a liability to them. For the first time in my life though, I felt appreciated, like an equal.

"Thanks Fuu, you don't know how much that means for me to hear." I spoke wistfully, my eyes shining from the sun's rays.

I couldn't react well enough to what happened next though, something soft and small passing over my lips. Fuu, she was kissing me! It wasn't anything passionate, of course, just a small peck that got my heart beating fast enough to burst. Someday, those lips would become full, and I wondered how they would taste then. She pulled back, her cheeks burning hotly. I stared at her in bewilderment, never expecting such an innocent and intimate contact. It was my first kiss! So my virgin mind was feeling rather overloaded.

Fuu bit her bottom lip, feeling rather guilty, "Sorry."

She pulled my Wayfinder out of her pocket.

She slipped it gently into my hands, speaking apologetically, "Return."

"Fuu..." I gripped the star-shaped ornament, "You and I...are connected now." I elucidated with a delightful grin.

She seemed confused, "Huh?"

"They say...there's a world where star-shaped fruits are made. When you share it with someone, you're bonded together, no matter how far apart you are." I chuckled and scratched the back of my head, feeling rather foolish, "Or so I've been told."

"Ven..." She studied my Wayfinder, touching it delicately with her fingertips, "Connected?"

"Not sure, but I sure would like to think so." I admitted affectionately, "Thank you, Fuu. For a wonderful date." I impulsively kissed her forehead, brushing some of her hair away.

She sensed my goodbye, "Leaving?"

"Yeah...I'm afraid so." I confessed remorsefully, looking away from her.

Her eye flared, becoming moist, "Purpose." She seemed upset, "Received."

I couldn't lie to her, "True, I did want my Wayfinder back, but I did enjoy my time with you Fuu. But I don't regret losing it either, because...I got to meet you after all."

Her lips began to quiver, lifting herself up from the ground, "Stay."

"I can't..." I gently tried to persuade her not to cry, grabbing her slim shoulders tenderly, "I have to go. My friends need me."

She seemed to acknowledge my explanation, nodding meekly, "Understood." She suddenly punched my chest, knocking the wind out of me, "Promise..." She muttered, her voice straining, "...Come back..."

I smiled hesitantly, committing to her wishes, "I'll come back someday to see you. You have my word."

She leaped forward and embraced me, causing me to hold her tightly back. I never expected to grow this close to someone in such a short amount of time. Destiny had a strange way I guess. Any other person could have found my Wayfinder, anyone, but instead, it was Fuu. The girl who provided some sort of warmth I couldn't well explain inside my chest. If anything else, I did want to see her again; and hopefully explore what these feelings meant one day. Maybe when she's older, I could find my answers. But for now, this was only a brief meeting to a beginning. And I'm sure there was more value to it. Not some "side" romance like Vanitas falsely accused it to be.

Pulling back from the embrace, I pounded my fist into my armor. A light sprouted out, almost blinding the both of us. I was wearing my armor again, my keyblade already transformed into my glider. Fuu stared at me in awe, her dress blowing elegantly from the wind.

"I guess you can tell now that I'm not from this world." I stated sadly, glad that my face was covered.

Was I crying? I wasn't sure.

"I have met so many people from different places. All from different worlds like yours." I looked back at her, opposing the thought in bringing her with me, "But...I never met someone like you Fuu. You're...a special friend to me now." I shook my head, reassuring her, "And I'll never forget meeting you."

Jumping on top of my rider, I heard her shout earnestly, "You'll be in my heart, Ven!"

I gasped and stumbled with astonishment, never predicting she would say something like that. Turning my head back to her, I nodded with acceptance, letting her know she was already in mine. I then took off into the sun, creating a rift from the tip of my keyblade to travel through. When I entered the passageway, a weight inside me buried itself inside the pit of my stomach. I already missed Fuu, her broody expression reflecting off my mind. Her occasional and dainty smiles she hid so well if not seen closely with fervent eyes. Her demanding and yet supportive care, even if they were rough and blunt.

A part of me was now empty and scared in never experiencing her company again. Either way, I was glad that Vanitas was nowhere in sight. I had enough of his intrusions inside my life. So I didn't need him to make a mockery of my newfound feelings for the little girl who lived in Twilight Town.

Which at this point became the soft breeze inside my ears; waiting for me to fulfill my promise.

VFVFVFVFVFVFVFVFVFVF

My slumber seemed eternal now. Ten years was it? It's been so long since I could open my eyes. I was left comatose, drifting everywhere between my host and his Nobody who strangely resembled me. But I remembered this place. It seemed familiar enough for me to lead the unconscious Nobody here. The sun, it was warm despite the distance of its glow. What had led me back to this world? Why here? Was it because it was between light and darkness? No, that wasn't it.

Someone was here...she was here...always waiting.

After so many hardships, I didn't know how much I could take being trapped inside this body. This Roxas person, he was an entirely different being. My heart was tangled into his body, sucking up the emotions and memories that weren't a part of me. I didn't feel like myself at all anymore.

Ventus? Ven? Who was that? Is that who I am? Or was I...Roxas?

We looked the same, we talked the same, but was it really me? No, this Roxas person, he was in infatuated with someone else. Namine...they only just met, but it somehow made me relive my own experience with someone long ago.

Roxas, he continued to search for his answers, while I secretly tried to find mine. That's when I saw her, the person who I made a precious promise to years ago. She was different now, all grown up. I didn't know how, but I just knew she was someone dear to me. My heart never lied. And it was mine; it had to be!

A name...I needed a name.

Fu...Fuu...

Yes, that was her name. Fragments slowly chaining together from lost memories. Was this Namine's doing? I couldn't tell. She did say she had powers over Sora's memories and those connected to him, right? So did that mean, she had power over mine?

Somehow, I didn't seem to care. All that mattered was that I could remember her, chuckling to myself when I saw her. That bored and fierce expression; she hasn't changed one bit. Her body had matured greatly, containing certain assets I was shamefully aware of. Despite her baggy clothes, they were still noticeable to my eyes to linger with approval.

Fuu, you've grown so much. I can't believe I forgot. You must be mad at me, huh? I wish I wasn't confined here, so I can tell you how sorry I really am for leaving you. Ten years, and you've waited this long? I know; I could sense it from your heart. We're connected, after all. And even with the pieces broken, you held my Wayfinder long enough for me to know.

Unfortunately, our reunion would have to wait. There still forces against us, and I don't want you involved. You'll wait for me still though, won't you? When we meet, we should have a second date! It won't be as awkward this time too, now that we're the same age.

I gave a dorky laugh, not knowing why I was blushing so much.

I calmed down a bit, breathing with a content smile. Fuu, you'll just wait and see. I found my way to you once, and I'm positive there will be a second time.

Even if there were many worlds and stars out there, yours was the one that had shined the brightest in my heart. That's how I know the pieces will line up, and eventually, make me whole again.

End

Kiome-Yasha: "Something sweet and cute to my second OTP Ventus/Fuu. Hopefully my approach for an actual in-universe fic between these two proved successful XD."