Always One
Aqua darted forward and reached out a hand to grasp Terra's. She squeezed it, tried to give him comfort with the news she had been forced to deliver.
That Ventus had run away.
Terra scoffed and ripped his hand out of Aqua's grasp. He stepped away and allowed and bit out sharply, "Just stay put!"
Aqua tried to dart forward again, crying out, "Terra!" but Terra dodged. "Listen! Please!" She was able to land a hand on Terra's shoulder but the brunette rolled it sharply and stepped away, blue eyes downcast and hands clenched.
"I don't want you to get hurt," he muttered, head bowed.
"And what is this dangerous task, Terra?" Aqua quarried; they had trained together since children and he still doubted her abilities? Even when she's bested him in combat?
Terra glanced at her and turned his head away. He uttered the one name he knew Aqua would be horrified to hear.
"Vanitas."
The boy that Aqua had always dreamed about; that Aqua swore she knew, almost as well as Terra and Ven. The boy that wasn't supposed to exist...
Aqua shook off the memories and touched a hand to Vanitas' helmet; she wanted to see that face, wanted to know if what she dreamt was true or not. Surely Vaniats was unconscious now, after that fight? But as her hand moved towards the latch Vanitas began to laugh.
The bluenette jerked back, horrified. Gritting her teeth she backflipped away from the monster of her dreams as he stood.
"Not bad at all! Congratulations," Aqua could feel Vanitas' smile beneath the hood as the dark portal sprung to life behind. Golden eyes would be peircing her knowlingly from within that darkness.
Vanitas turned slightly towards the portal and uttered, "I'll keep you around. Never hurts to have a back up." Vanitas was gone.
Aqua stood in the middle of the area, teetch clenched tightly, angry.
"Aqua!"
She turned sharply and blinked at the brunette racing towards her, "Terra!"
Terra halted before her, panting slightly as he took in breath and thens tood, smiling at her.
"Did you manage to locate-" Aqua started only for Terra to interrupt.
"No."
"Oh."
'So Ven is still missing, searching...'
"All I can tell you is that his search hasn't taken him here," Terra sighed and continued moving forward. Lately it had become just business between the two friends, ever since Ven ran away truly.
Aqua beant her head, acknowledging what Terra was telling her. Another dead end, another failure.
"Alright. I'll stay and see if I can find more clues," Aqua sighed, turning away. "Thanks!"
Terra paused, warring with himself a minute before turning, calling out and stopping Aqua in her tracks, "Aqua! Do you still have the same dream?"
She was running, searching, hunting...where was that bastard?
"So," she heard him say and quickly came to a halt, "have a good time hangign out with the kiddies?" Angry Aqua whirled around, searching for him.
She started when she say the toy blade in his hand; Terra's blade, gifted to Ven. What had this monster done to Ven?
"How'd you get that?" she demanded, furious.
Vanitas raised the sword, as if examining it but Aqua could feel his eyes entirely on her as he spoke. "I think the kids outgrown such a childish toy. If you ask my opinion."
There was a crack of wood breaking and Aqua gasped; the sword was snapped in two and with a lazy toss of his wrist Vanitas flung them aside. Aqua wanted to turn, to grab the peices and hold them close to her chest. To cry-but she held fast and turned back towards this man, this monster, this nightmare.
"Just like..." Vanitas would be sneering as he summoned his blade and fell into a stance, "I've outgrown my need for you!"
Aqua grit her teeth and her fists and yelled out, "You freak!"
She remembered him, as a boy, on the islands os cheerful. She remembered playing and fighting with him, and then everything went wrong. Vanitas attacked, chocked, fought...he was suddenly wrong and Aqua couldn't take it. She ran and ran and made up a life with Terra and Ven; learned who they were and learned everything about them. Inserted herself with them, Master Eraqus and Yen Sid felt the shift in their own memories but they ignored it. It was minor.
So what if there was another apprentice on the role that was never known about?
Vanitas collapsed, beaten back, and Aqua stumbled, falling to her knees. As she stood she let out a slightly happy, yet weak, "I've done it...he..."
The world went dark.
Aqua blinked and the dream memory faded to Terra calling her name again; she turned towards him and stared, wondering what he wanted to say.
"No matter how impossible things seem..." Terra uttered softly, "Ven and I will always love you; we'll go out sometime after this, okay?"
Aqua nodded in agreement with an uttered, "I'd like that." She blinked; odd wasn't she talking to Terra? When had she fallen asleep?
"Aqua."
Aqua stood and turned, surprised to see King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Master Yen Sid. She was confused for a moment but it all came back; just a memory in a dream.
"The stars bring me grave news," Yen Sid uttered and Aqua felt herself stiffen, afraid for what this news could bring. "Master Eraqus' star has blinked out. I'm afraid that means he's been struck down."
Aqua gasped, horrified; not Master Eraqus!
"The Master?" she demanded, shocked. "But-Who is responsible?" She wanted, no needed, to know. Eraqus had always been kind to her, she had to fix this!
But she knew; she could See it. Eraqus attacking Ven after touching him, Terra coming ot Ven's rescue. Eraqus getting struck down and Xehanort standing there, smirking.
"Master Xehanort," Yen Sid continued, depsite knowing what Aqua was Seeing. "And...Terra."
Aqua shook her head of the mere notion, anger coursing through her. She slammed her fists down and yelled out a sharp, "No! That's absurd! Terra would never!"
Yen Sid just bowed his head.
"I hope with all my heart that you are right about your friend. There are some things even the stars cannot tell me."
But Aqua could See it.
"Where is he? Where can I find Terra?" she demanded and it hit her.
The Land of Departure...
She turned and left; as she stepped out of the portal she could see Eraqus sword on the ground, her world in ruin. Gingerly she picked it up and she started forward, memories of the day that prompted this all flowing through her head.
She had to get to the Graveyard.
Terra...Ven...please just be safe. I'll find a way to get you out of this.
Aqua landed and dismissed the glider back into Keyblade form. She glanced around and gasped at the site of Ven in his armor. Happy that the blond boy was okay she raced forward and touched his shoulder. But Ven wouldn't respond.
"Ven?"
Suddenly she was staring into golden eyes; Aqua backed up, horrified. No, no, no! Hadn't she defeated this monstronsity-
And suddenly the entire thing hit her. Terra racing here to fight Xehanort and ending up trapped in a barrier of some sort just as an explosion rang out; Xehanort grinning from the mountainside, knowing Terra was dead. Meanwhile Ven found himself trapped, who knows how long ago truly, and Vanitas took him over; Ven was dead.
Aqua was alone. The monster wasn't anyone she knew, just a monster. She struck down the imposter and fled.
There was nothing left here.
Standing over the cliffside Aqua summoned her Keyblade and stared up at the sky.
"The three of us," she uttered, raising her Keyblade, "will always be one."
She plunged the blade into her chest and closed her eyes as the light engulfed her. A smile was on her lips as she finally rejoined Terra and Ven.
Yes, they would always be one.
This was made for a video of mine called [Aqua] Always One [Ven Terra] it is a BBS AU; the video is on youtube under the username twinkatsshadow. This is my YT account if you want to check out any other videos of mine. Thanks for reading!