~*MirroRorriM*~
Mirror, mirror, on the wall…what if one had never been at all?
~*X*~
A lone light soared through the indistinct shadows and colors of the Ways Between, one of the many names for the corridors of Darkness that connected one world to another. It would be perilous to try and traverse them without the specially made protective armor of a Keybearer…fortunately; Terra was neither unprepared nor unaware of the risks.
He was on two missions, currently, and one had him a bit more concerned than the other. He had failed his Master Qualification Exam when some inner Darkness he hadn't even known about had temporarily infected him, causing him to volley a stream of Dark Firaga-balls at the spheres of Light that had been acting as his targets. Master Eraqus had been so ashamed and disappointed…the mere memory made Terra flinch.
He, too, was ashamed and disappointed…in himself. To make matters worse, Master Eraqus's old friend, Master Xehanort, had been there…and Ven had had to sit through that…
Speaking of which, Ven was out somewhere in the universe looking for him! Eraqus had sent him a magical message about it, via Merlin the Wizard, back in Radiant Garden. So on top of investigating the Unversed, searching for the masked boy and fighting his own Darkness, he had to go find his adventurous scamp of an adopted brother…
Redemption and a promise of being a Keyblade Master— (his dream!)—awaited, if he could only do all of the things he had been instructed. Stop the Unversed, and bring Ventus home.
If only…
The whining of his Rider's engine was beginning to become faintly annoying. It was the only sound in the dreary abyss. Terra shifted in his seat, tightening his gauntleted fingers around the handles of his machine…and then he sensed it.
Here, in the void, he sensed the most incredible source of light. It reached out to him, warm and comforting, a blaze of white heat that seemed to him almost motherly, or maybe even sisterly.
Terra hesitated, knowing that he shouldn't wander since he had absolutely no time to do so. Regardless the temptation was just too much for the tired young man, and he gunned his Rider down through the multihued plane of existence he currently resided in.
The closer he got to the light, the greater his shadow became. But he didn't know this.
Because he never looked back.
~*X*~
The burning ivory radiance of his Rider resuming its true form as a Keyblade was blinding. Terra had to shut his eyes against it temporarily. Finally, once it was complete, he dismissed his weapon and let his armor retract back into his gleaming bronze shoulder piece.
Dusting his hands off, he looked around curiously.
The sky here was long, blue, and eternal. It stretched from one horizon to the other without any interruption whatsoever. No clouds, no smoke, no mountains. Dark green hills rose and fell on all sides but one. A valley opened up, its ridged walls streaked with clinging foliage, dead-ending at the ocean. In that tiny canyon were a few dozen houses, with small yards separating them and what seemed to be even a town of a sort. It was very picturesque, since every house was made out of stone of some kind. Gray, brown, warm reds and coppers…Smoke came out of a few chimneys, but nothing raised high enough to obstruct the view of the sky. The sun flashed off of the ocean, turning it into a field of shifting gold.
Livestock milled about to the right of the valley's opening, kept safely penned up by a sturdy wooden gate. They weren't too exotic, though some of the horses and cows were colored in fantastic shades. What seemed to be a chicken the size of an ostrich milled amongst them, its feathers the same hue as the sun.
Terra was taken aback by the quiet serenity and beauty of the place. Here was somewhere in the universe that had never known the Heartless, nor the Unversed. This was a safe haven, a muted spot of solitude.
It seemed very enticing, after all of the mayhem. And he still needed to find the source of the Light. He knew it was on this world, but he didn't know where. His Rider must have put him down somewhere nearby…
With nothing else to do, Terra squared his broad shoulders and set off down the dirt road.
A cool breeze blew in from the ocean, but the air was warm. The atmosphere almost made him feel sleepy, but at the same time it seemed to induce thoughts of Ven. He missed him…at the moment, Terra had never felt more alone.
He walked up to the fence and examined one of the brilliantly hued animals, a purple cow with red horns. She mooed contently at him and went back to chewing the grass. Terra peeked down both ends of the path, and upon seeing no one; he reached a hand out and patted the cow on the head. "Good girl," he murmured. Her fur was soft against his fingers.
Turning around and resting his arms on the gate, Terra sighed and tilted his head back to survey the limitless sky. What was he even doing? Did he have the time to go find the mysterious Light that had drawn him here? He knew he couldn't have imagined something as pleasant as that…
Had it run away because of his Darkness?
Saddened by the thought, Terra sighed and straightened. "I should go…"
He heard footsteps behind him. The Keybearer pivoted around and blinked as a girl came jogging down the dirt road. She was dressed simply but prettily. A white shirt with long sleeves, tight fitting dark pants, a black belt that curled around her slim waist, holding a decorative silver-blue cloth in place. The color matched her hair, but the blue of her eyes was a much deeper shade.
Terra raised a hand in greeting, unsure of what to say as she approached. He suddenly felt awkward and out of place here, as if he was an intrusive mountain amongst this world's easygoing hills. However, this train of thought left the station as it hit him.
It hit him hard, like an anvil to the head.
It was her. The Light he had sensed, the Light that had drawn him to this docile place, it all came from her. Waves of it. Though he couldn't see it, he could feel it like sunlight on bare skin. Such purity…!
She came to a halt, head tilted to the side inquisitively, just a foot or so away from Terra. She gazed down the road towards the valley town, and then looked at him again. "Excuse me, are you from around here?"
Her voice had a slight accent, only the barest of hints, but he could still hear it. It wasn't bad; he found it more intriguing than anything. "Um, no. I'm from…far away. Do you know where I am?" She obviously did, but this was the safest approach.
The girl—she looked about his age—nodded. "This is Arcadia, and we're just outside the only town here for miles." She extended her hand. "My name's Aqua, and you are?"
He took her hand, surprised by the fact that she had calluses. Maybe she was a farm girl? "I'm Terra."
"Terra." She smiled. "That's a nice name." Aqua let go of him, opting to cross her arms instead. He examined her, noticing with a trace of surprise that her eyes were the same color as the sky of this world. "Where are you from, Terra?"
Could he tell her? Wasn't he breaking the rules of the World Order if he did? But there was something about her…maybe it was the Light, or the shade of her azure gaze, but he imagined that she could take anything he cared to throw her way. He lifted his head proudly. "I'm from another world."
He expected laughter, but instead she narrowed her eyes.
"I'm not joking. There are hundreds…thousands of worlds besides just this one. I'm here visiting because…"
"Because?" She prompted, her tone neutral.
Terra looked her in the eyes. He wondered how much darker his appeared compared to hers. "I followed the Light here. And found you."
Aqua seemed flabbergasted. She drew a hand up to her chest, her breath catching in her throat. "You followed the Light here? What do you mean?"
He rubbed the back of his bristly, earth-colored hair. "How to say this…I can sense Light and Darkness. You have a lot of Light in you."
"And that's good?" Aqua's lips twitched upward, clearly knowing the answer already.
"That's good," he clarified with a grin. He sobered up suddenly. "Would you mind doing me a favor, Aqua?"
That same steady look. Like nothing could faze her. "Of course."
Terra summoned his Keyblade, his arm automatically adjusting to its familiar weight. He readjusted his grip and offered it to her handle first. As always, the Keyblade's homey colors reminded him of his world.
Aqua blinked at him.
"Aqua, do you like your world?"
Her expression shifted, becoming more pensive. "I do," she said softly. "I love the people here, and the friends that I've made. But if what you say is true, that there are really other worlds, then I would like to see them as well."
Terra knew then, inexplicably, that she was the one he wanted to pass the Keyblade onto. He knew she could inherit its blessing—why else would the Light summon him here? And he could do it to more than one person, right? Anyone could wield a Keyblade, be they strong of heart.
"Would you be willing to protect everyone?" He inquired solemnly.
Her eyebrows rose. "Protect…everyone? Are the other worlds in danger?"
"Yeah." He couldn't say anything else, since he knew so little himself. "But you don't have to worry about that right now. If you're interested in seeing other worlds, and you want to protect others…" He silently offered her his Keyblade's handle again.
She looked so serious that he wanted to laugh. But again, he could sense something strong in her. Unyielding as steel. To his shock, she shook her head slowly. "I don't know how to fight, really," she admitted.
Terra smiled. "That's fine, don't worry about it. I'd…I'd love to teach you later, maybe even my Master would. Right now I have things to look into, though. What I'm offering you is the power to fight."
"The power to protect others," she corrected quietly.
She had taken his words from those of violence, the power to fight, to something more positive sounding. The power to protect. She was perfect, a perfect candidate for a Keybearer.
"In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend—the heavens won't contain you then." Terra glanced up at this world's strikingly blue sky. "No more borders around, or below, or above…so long as you champion the ones you love."
Aqua took a deep breath and curled her fingers around the handle. For a heartbeat, nothing happened…and then a white glow emanated out from her clenched hand. She gasped, stunned, and Terra felt the Light coming from her change slightly. She had a Keybearer's aura.
"Did it work?" She asked hesitantly, letting go.
"Yeah." He grinned. "Congratulations, Aqua."Terra wondered if Ven would like to meet her.
…Ven!
"Are you all right, Terra?"
"I just remembered, I've got to go, sorry." The Keyblader flinched as he recalled the masked boy saying something about finding Ventus. He had to jet. Terra met her eyes again, eyes the same color as the expansive skies residing over Arcadia. "Don't tell anyone about what just happened. When I'm done with my work, I'll come back and explain everything."
She looked like she yearned to ask a million questions, but did not. She merely nodded. "I'll be waiting. Good luck, Terra."
"Thanks." He slammed his palm onto his shoulder-guard, letting his armor materialize. Summoning his Keyblade Rider, Terra sprang onto the back of the craft and blasted off into a portal to the Ways Between.
He looked back once, and saw Aqua gazing levelly after him, one fist clutched over her heart.
As the last twinkles of light faded from view, Aqua stared at the hand that had held the strange weapon. "A Keybearer," she murmured. "Just like in my grandmother's stories."
Author's Note: A birthday gift for Dani-Chan! Happy Birthday! The prompt was, basically, what if Aqua had never been a Keyblade Wielder? I hope this satisfies. Review if the rest of you want to.