Master Eraqus's orders for him to find Master Xehanort was proving to be quite the task. The Unversed were growing in numbers by the day and it took everything Terra could to keep them at bay. Unfortunately, this realm called the Castle of Dreams was not spared from the taint that was brought upon by the darkness. He needed answers, and he needed them now.
"Make it stop!"
At the call of distress, Terra was snapped back to the present. He had offered to escort the young lady by the name of Cinderella, to the ball that was currently being held by the King. However, what was supposed to be a cakewalk, turned out to be a troublesome fight when The Unversed started showing up on the way to the palace. Terra was a man of his word. Therefore, when he promised the young lady safe passage, he intended to keep it that way.
"You want some of this!"
He yelled at the Bruiser that was coming his way. He hated them with a vengeance, the way it came bumbling up to him and bumping him around like a piece of meat. He was having none of that. With a swift flick of Earthshaker and a sliding dash, he charged towards the enemy with a newfound intensity. It only took him a single hit to make the Bruiser burst into vapour, leaving behind a bountiful scatter of munny which he was quick to pick up. Currency would come in handy in his next visit to the Moogle shop. He was running low on Hi-potions.
Seeing that the last of those fiends had disappeared, Terra led Cinderella hastily through the palace doors. The sight that greeted them thereafter was almost enough to make Terra cuss under his breath.
Shit.
There were more of them waiting even within the walls of this assumingly 'impenetrable' fortress. He was lucky that his 'surge' mode was still active from the previous fight; hence it took him twice as fast to clear the path for Cinderella to scurry up the flight of grand stairs. He maintained his vanguard position with ease and at the same time, ensuring that no surprise attacks could spring from the rear or that he was not going at a pace that was too fast for the young lady.
Once they reached the area of the grand ballroom, Terra paused at the entrance to give Cinderella a chance to catch her breath.
"Are you alright?"
Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the endeavour but other than that, a grateful smile was present on her face.
"Yes, I am fine. Thank you, Terra for keeping me safe."
She gave him a slight curtsey. The formality took him by surprise but he managed to reply with a curt bow which he hoped had looked as dignified as how Master Eraqus had taught him long ago when he was still a young boy who was training how to wield the Keyblade.
"Master Eraqus?"
"Yes, Terra?"
"Why do I even need to learn about the proper way to hold a fork or even the proper way to bow?"
"Because that is common etiquette"
"But… how does this relate to being a Keyblade Master?"
He remembered the faint smile that was on his master's face.
"Being a Keyblade Master is not only about being strong, Terra. It is also about being a man."
"Huhhhh? I don't get it."
At this, Master Eraqus released a tired sigh.
"Trust me, Terra. All these training I have taught you will come in handy one day. And when that time comes, you will be eternally grateful."
However, even by the age of 19, Terra still could not see the significance of all those (in his own words) 'pointless' trainings. Either that, or Terra was just lucky enough to not have to come across such a situation. He only wanted to be strong, that was all he needed.
Glancing back at the direction of the ballroom, it seems that Cinderella had gotten herself comfortably acquainted with the Prince himself. He noticed the look of mirth on her features as the prince twirled her around the dance floor while keeping a steady conversation going between them. Terra was never the sentimental type but sort of knew that what Cinderella and the Prince had going on was truly something special. Seeing that his task was done and that Master Xehanort was nowhere to be found, he might as well make a move onto the next realm. There was nothing left here for him.
"Terra!"
At first, he thought it was just his imagination that a voice so familiar would be calling out to him in a place that was undeniably out of the way. Searching for the source of that voice, he saw a very familiar shade of blue in the midst of the crowd. That unorthodox hair colour could only belong to one person.
"Aqua!"
When she finally caught up to him, she rested her hands on her knees and bend forwards to try and catch her breath. After a few seconds, she looked up at him and smiled.
"Terra, what are you doing here?"
"I am looking for Master Xehanort, at Master Eraqus's request."
He saw Aqua gave him a careful look, as if trying to figure out if there were something more to his words. Instinctively, his brows furrowed in annoyance at the scrutiny. He did not understand why his childhood friend and sparring partner would think that he had given her a reason to doubt his motives. Perhaps he was being overly sensitive since he had lost the title of Keyblade Master to her, but it was unsettling to think of someone whom he had grown up with to show signs of distrust. He knows that he should not give in to the feeling of envy that was threatening to surface as it would only create an open invitation for the darkness to consume him. Besides, Aqua was someone he knew and trusted with his life, there was no way she would turn her back on him. Unknowingly, he had slipped his right hand into his pocket and the feeling of the star-shaped amulet against the surface of his skin sparked a warm sense of reassurance which coursed through his entire system. No, he should never doubt Aqua. Or even Ventus.
"You looked surprised…"
That was all he could manage. He was trying his best to keep a casual tone and not to sound accusatory. He saw her expression change from one that was of deep thought to one that was sheepish. Unsure if he was imagining it, he thought that she was carefully trying to avoid his gaze. He did not know what had happened back at The Land of Departure after he had set off to look for Master Xehanort but he did know that something was bothering her. And he was not one to keep unsettled business.
"Come on."
He nudged her to follow him. The crowded ballroom was not a good place to talk about these matters and the crowd was starting to come in droves. He was not surprised if the majority of it only came to see the Prince and perhaps, to snag an engagement with him. The throng of people was starting to prove to be a challenge to manoeuvre through. He was slowly being separated from Aqua's view, so the only way to solve this was for him to lead her out by the hand. He turned around to see her being sandwiched between two buxomly young women in their ridiculous frilly dresses which were too tight for comfort. With no other way around it, he encircled his grip around her slim wrist and led her away from the ball room and towards the balcony which was free from the buzz of people.
"Tell me what's bothering you."
He leaned his waist against the banister and waited for her response.
"Nothing is wrong." An amused expression on her face. Perhaps a little 'too amused' by his standards. Something definitely was not right.
He let out a frustrated sigh. "Aqua, we grew up together. We both know who the better liar here is."
She looked taken aback by his comment and he saw her bit her bottom lip, a trait which she picked up whenever she was going through an inner struggle with regards to issues which she had difficulty confronting with.
"Terra…," she began, the edge in her voice wavering. "… what's going to happen to us?"
He was confused at her vague statement. What was happening to them? Honestly, he had no clue.
"I don't understand what you are saying."
"I mean… Ever since all The Unversed started showing up, I have been having all these unsettling feelings. As though something bad is going to happen to all of us and we would be powerless to stop it."
When she finally fixed her gaze up to meet his, he saw a look of great discomfort loomed on her features. Unknowingly, it caused something to stir in his chest. Waves of worry surged through him and before he knew it, he was closing the distance between them. It was only when he felt his arms wrapped itself around her shoulders did he realize she had triggered the need in him to comfort and alleviate her from the troubles that were burdening her spirit.
This sudden proximity between them came as a surprise. Not too long ago, this physical display of camaraderie would not have batted an eyelid between them. Even in the earliest memories of his life, he could never recall a moment where Aqua had not been there beside him. They had grown up together under the care of Master Eraqus and when they were old enough to wield a Keyblade, they had trained the days away under the blistering heat like comrades in arms.
Then when did it all change?
In truth, even he could not pinpoint an exact date but it was definitely during those years where he was going through some changes. Well, mostly the physical changes that comes with hitting puberty. Suddenly, their sparring sessions were no longer a simple showcase of combat mastery. Instead, as each day went by, it became a reminder to him of the changes that Aqua was also going through in her own way. He saw the way her clothes no longer hung loosely on her. Instead, he became aware of how much she had 'grown' into her attire. She no longer had the gender-ambiguous skinny frame. He recalled the way her outfit would seem to cling against the contours of her body, especially near the chest and hip area. And it's not like he had been staring unabashedly at her figure or anything but somehow, the changes in her were becoming too painfully obvious. Too obvious to a point where he had to request for Master Eraqus to allow him to train solo in preparation for the 'final exam'.
He knew that it was unfair for him to gain consent without informing her first, but who could blame him? Honestly, their sparring sessions were getting a little too distracting for his liking. He did not know how to respond to these 'feelings' that were creeping up in his system and above all, he did not want the way things stood between them to change. If it did, he did not know if it was going to be good. In short, he was afraid.
"Aqua, it's going to be fine. I promise."
He murmured against her hair, taking in the familiar scent of her before resting his chin atop of her head. Somehow, the feeling of them locked in an embrace seemed right. It was interesting the way she just 'fit' right into him, like as if it was meant to be. Also, how his limbs were long and large enough to encompass her whole being, keeping her safe in a protective shell.
When they finally let go, neither were able to look each other directly in the eye. The heat of the moment was over, and all that was left was the lingering awkwardness in the air.
"Umm…" He could mentally picture her wrecking her brains to dismiss the stiffness of the situation.
Perhaps this was one of those times where Master Eraqus's 'pointless' teachings would come in handy. He rubbed the back of his neck impatiently, trying to recall a single one of his master's training tips. But of course, not one came to mind. He mentally cussed himself for his over confidence in not taking his studies in those matters seriously. He was about to tear his fringe out in frustration when one (and the only one) of his master's teaching came back to his memory. And just his luck, it was the one teaching which he had always questioned its credibility.
Master Eraqus, you better NOT fail me now.
With newfound courage, he stepped towards Aqua and closed the distance between them. Placing both his hands on her shoulders, he fixed his gaze on hers and said, "Aqua, I don't know how to take away all your worries. I really wished I did. But, if it helps… share your worries with me."
With that, he threw caution to the wind and leaned down to press his lips against hers. He felt her body froze but his kiss was quickly reciprocated when he felt her hands snaking its way up to his neck and her fingers caressing the tangles of his hair before giving it a slight tug. His own hands were now making its way down, with one settling against the curve of her waist and the other on the slender arch of her back. Their kiss grew in intensity and they soon had to reluctantly separate themselves to come up for air.
They remained locked in each other's warmth for a few more moments before he felt her body shiver from the cold night air. He forgot that she was clad in her sorceress gear, one that was mostly made of thin fabrics and high slit lines for greater ease of movement in combat.
And distracting enemies…
He added furtively and smirked.
"Shall we go in?" He looked at her quizzically while rubbing his hands against her bare shoulders for friction.
"Sure…," she grinned suspiciously before adding, "…only if you dance with me."
He groaned in resignation as she dragged him back to the ballroom by the hand.
Master Eraqus, I am eternally grateful.