Chapter 2 - Relationships


Destiny Islands, Ten years before Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep


The next morning, Terra woke up at his usual time and began strapping on his armor. The sun was hours from rising as he stepped outside. The smell of salt clung to the air, even that far away from the beach, making his nose tingle. 'If I could rid myself of salt water for eternity, I would.' The proximity to the water also made the air colder, sending shivers down his spine. His feet tingled in his armored boots and he rubbed his arms to try to warm them up.

"Bodies of water, especially large ones, do that to the surrounding area," Aqua explained as she joined him, still adjusting her sleeves. "They trap heat during the day to produce a cooling affect."

Terra rolled his eyes. "Not another science lesson," he groaned, "You know that kind of stuff doesn't matter to me."

"Of course," she laughed dryly, summoning her Keyblade, Rain Fall, in her outstretched arm, the end appearing half an inch from the tip of his nose, "You never were smart enough to understand the simple mechanics behind it."

"We'll see about that," he grunted, summoning his own Keyblade. Earth Shaker appeared in his hand and he swung it up, resting it on his shoulder. Despite having grown in the last few years, as well as having added a great deal of muscle, the giant Keyblade was still far too large and heavy from him to hold in one hand for long periods of time.

Exchanging confident glances, Aqua struck first, Terra bringing his Keyblade to meet it in an overhand block. From there, he shifted it into an attack, pushing her Keyblade down and out with his own, stepping into her reach before elbowing her back. Aqua retaliated, using the momentum to fall into a back flip, narrowly avoiding clipping Terra's face with her boots. They gave themselves some space and charged. Terra's assault was pure strength, bearing down on Aqua's defences with unrelenting force. She held her ground, though, balancing his strength with magical defences. Finding an opening, she dodged and countered, switching roles with him. Her attacks were infused with magic, each strike sending different sensations through his arms: burning, numbness, tingling; each one leeching more and more strength from him. In response, he shifted his defenses, each of her hits connecting at a different angle, meaning that she had to readjust her aim with each strike.

When he found his opening, he ducked under her strike, turning on his heels to bring his Keyblade into an upward arch. Aqua jumped easily out of the way, her flexibility taking her back ten feet in only two bounds. From there, her next bound was another back flip, one arm supporting her as she fired a magic fireball for her Keyblade with the other. Terra batted it away easily with his Keyblade, but when he realized what was she was trying for it was too late. She swung her Keyblade up through his open defenses, and he did the only thing he could: he leaned back, using his Keyblade as support, and kicked her in the stomach, pushing her back. Aqua skidded back a few feet before she lost her balance and fell flat on her back.

She glared up at him. "That wasn't fair! You fight dirty."

"All's fair when it comes to fighting," he reminded her, holding out his hand to help her up, "I didn't hit you that hard. An enemy wouldn't be that thoughtful."

"Still," she pouted, dusting herself off, "if I told Master Eraqus you tried that…"

He cringed. "Fine, fine. At least I didn't hit you with my Keyblade…"

"That wasn't my fault! Master Eraqus distracted me!" she growled. "And I didn't hurt you that much…"

"You gave me a concussion," he deadpanned.

She sighed, exasperated. "And I said I was sorry!"

Laughing from the house brought them out of their argument and they both turned to the source. Demetra was standing at the door in a creased pair of track pants and a pale orange wool sweater, leaning up against the frame. Beside her was a younger boy with scruffy straight red hair and aqua eyes, his face littered with freckles. He was staring at the two of them in awe.

"Are you two always this energetic so early in the morning?" Demetra asked, stifling a yawn when her laughing had stopped. "You'll end up waking the whole island."

Aqua chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry. Did our practice wake you?"

"Yes and no. My alarm is set early, but your practice helped me wake up faster. Your argument was louder. I'm surprised you didn't wake up my parents."

"We'll try to keep it down from now on. This is something we do to make sure we're ready," Terra explained, and then pointed to the boy, "Who's he?"

The boy hadn't budged an inch since Terra had noticed him, but when he noticed he was being addressed, he stepped forward and gave the two Keyblade wielders a thorough examination, eyes wide.

"That's my brother Lericc," she chuckled, "Don't mind him. He's eight, and very curious."

Lericc suddenly rounded on them, eyes bright. "That was amazing! The way the two of you were practicing was so cool! It was back and forth and all over the place, but it was all there and it was awesome!" His eyes darted to Terra's Keyblade. "Can I hold it? Please!"

Terra was too startled by his exuberance to reply, but Demetra snapped her fingers, calling her brother's attention to her. "Lericc, stop pestering them. Mom and Dad told you about this." She rolled her eyes and smiled at them. "I swear, I think he has ADHD. It's the only explanation for his behavior."

"But I just wanted to hold it, Demi…" Lericc complained, giving her a deject look.

"Sorry Lericc, but that's not something you can do," Aqua explained in her polite voice, "Keyblades are very particular about who they let hold them. You have to be chosen to hold one, and not just anyone can choose. Besides, Terra's Keyblade is heavy. It would end up squashing you."

"No one asked you," Terra grumbled, resting his Keyblade on his shoulder.

Demetra giggled. "Well, you two are probably hungry. I'll go make us all something to eat before my parents get up."

"I'll come with you," Aqua agreed, dismissing her Keyblade, and the two of them went inside.

Terra stared after them for a while, daydreaming, his Keyblade digging into his shoulder. When he broke out of his stupor, he noticed that Lericc was standing beside him, smiling at him expectantly. They stared at each other until Terra dismissed his Keyblade and headed inside, Lericc close on his heels.


For the next couple of days, Lericc followed him around, asking him questions. Terra answered some of the more general questions, but each time a question got too personal, his lips locked and Lericc started a new line of questioning. The constant company was a bit irritating and got in the way of him scouting out the island, but he couldn't get the kid to keep his mouth shut long enough to send him home.

"He won't leave me alone," he grumbled to Aqua as he undid his armor, "He's driving me crazy and I can't get him to listen to me."

She chuckled. "I think you like him, but you're too stubborn to admit it. You're a role model for him."

"I wish I wasn't," he groaned, pulling the pillow over his head.

After two weeks of surveying the island, the two Keyblade wielders were no closer to figuring anything out. The Heartless had been sparse in appearing since they had arrived, so there were no signs leading to their goal or of the Keyhole, letting them enter the world.

"There should be an entrance somewhere, but I'm not picking up anything from anywhere in this town," Terra muttered as they walked into the kitchen from their morning training, "It's around here somewhere, but something is either blocking it, or it's out of my range."

Demetra looked up from making breakfast. "You two really are working hard. You deserve a break."

"There's never a break. We practice, we do our job, we head back home, and we train. The process repeats itself over and over," Aqua muttered dryly.

Lericc bounded around the corner and, ignoring Terra growls of complain, he started questioning him again. "Are you sure I can't use a Keyblade?"

"I'm sure," Terra replied, cradling his forehead in his hands, "for the thousandth time."

"And there isn't any way?"

"Lericc, please," Demetra sighed, "Give them a break. Asking once is enough."

Aqua settled back in her chair. "There is a way, isn't there?"

"I know what you're talking about, and no, it's not possible," he retorted, glaring at her over his fingers.

Lericc sat up. "There is?"

"Not really. It's used by masters to choose successors in the absence of actual chosen wielders, but it's not something I understand the mechanics of. And our master always says…"

"'If you don't understand how it works, you can't do it'," Aqua chorused, rolling her eyes.

Demetra giggled. "You master seems like a great person."

"He is," Aqua smiled, "A little strict at times, but he's an amazing teacher. He's been family for us in the absence of our real ones."

Lericc leaned forward to reach the cereal box, but his reach was too short. "What happened to your families?"

"None of your business," Terra snapped, pushing the box into his outstretched hand, "Besides, it doesn't matter. Master Eraqus is family enough."

Demetra sat down at the table with her own breakfast. "But doesn't it get lonely? Family is always there for you, and they help you feel loved. Don't you miss that?"

The answer was mixed: Aqua's clear "yes" muffled with Terra's blunt "no".

"That's… interesting," Demetra muttered, eyebrows raised. "So alike, and yet, so different. You two were made for each other."

Red faced, Terra grabbed a piece of toast off a plate and left, biting it nervously as he walked out the front door. 'Why did such an offhand comment set me off? Aqua and I aren't… There's nothing between us. We're friends. That's all. That's all… isn't it?'