A/N: Enjoy Chapter 2 of Darkest Essence in Terra's P.O.V.!

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"Riku! Kairi!" I call over my shoulder. Kairi keeps screaming Riku's name and I keep trying to keep Young Xehanort's attacks from hitting them. "Guys!" I call again, "Are you okay?!" "Riku..." Kairi says. Ngh.. This can't go on.. Not like this. I open a corridor to my left and call over my shoulder, "Go! Get Riku to Yen Sid!" "What about you?!" she cries. "I'll be fine. Now go!" I answer, facing Young Xehanort again.

Kairi nods and carries Riku over tot he corridor and they disappear through it and as it closes behind them. "Fighting me alone isn't very smart, Terra." he says. I smirk, "Haven't you learned this yet? I'm never alone. Not as long as I have people counting on me, not as long as I have friends to give me strength. My friends are my strength, and I will not let them down. No matter what."

"To think that, you'd be a fool." he says, pointing his Keyblade right at me. "So it'd seem. But I'm not afraid of you. I never was." I answer. "I'll make you wish you were." he says, his eyes narrowing. I swing my blade across me as I get into an attack position once more, "I'd love to see you try that." "Very well." he says, "Your end is now."

"Heh.. Just try it." I smirk, running at him now. He disappears and I turn around quickly, seeing him across the room, floating higher and higher into the air. I shoot at him and he simply reflects my attempt. I grunt and dodge the shots fired at me as he rises higher. "Giving up already? Come on, Ventus. I thought you were stronger than that." I smile playfully. "One more try, Ven! You almost had him that time!" Aqua cheers to Ven. "Hey, are you two teaming up now?" I laugh. I shake my head briefly. Why did that memory appear like that?

"I wouldn't day dream during a fight, Terra. It's a good way to die quickly." says Young Xehanort. I grunt and run at him, shooting as I go. He dodges my attack and dashes to the side, still hanging in the air. I jump up at him and get a combo hit before he knocks me back to the ground. "So their not real lucky charms?" asks Ven in disappointment. "That is yet to be decided. But I did work a little magic on them." smiles Aqua, walking back over to us. I gasp, Another one? Why? Why now?

I land and shoot at him but he deflects it. "Useless. That's what your attacks are. They do nothing to me. You have no hope of winning this fight." "Ugh, shut up!" I growl, "I've had enough of you!" "I get one too?" Ven asks in surprise, catching the green colored star shaped Wayfinder. "Of course. One for all three of us." says Aqua, holding hers up to rival the shine of the stars. I run at him again. Ven. Aqua. I won't let you down again. He grins slightly and shoots at me but I dodge him and get another combo hit on him before we both come crashing back to the ground.

"Why still fight?!" he growls, "You must know you cannot win!" I laugh lightly and stand up, "Because I made a promise." "A promise? What good can a promise do?" he scoffs. "A promise can give you the strength you need to carry on. The strength to win. My promise has given me hope. And that hope fuels my strength. I know I can beat you." I answer. "Rubbish!" he snaps.

"Not in the least." I assure, "My dreams lie within that promise, and I refuse to let it slip away because of you!" "Then fight me for real." he says. I run at him and he shoots those blue wires from his Keyblade again and I whack them away from me with my Keyblade and I get to Young Xehanort and deliver three good combo hits on him before he manages to block me, getting our weapons locked as we stare into each other's eyes hatefully.

"You can not win this war. Surely you of all people must know this?" he asks. "We'll win." I growled, pushing against him. He pushes back and I jump back, using Cure on myself quickly before shooting fire at him. He blocks my fire and shoots Darkness at me. I block the Darkness and blast him with my own. He laughs, knocking it away with his Keyblade as if it were nothing, "You can not rid Darkness with Darkness!"

I grunt and shoot more magic at him but he blocks every attempt I make to hit him with. "You're still so weak. I can't see why my older self even had interest in you. There were far stronger vessels he could have picked from. Hell, even Ventus would have made a better fight against me." "he says. "You shut up about Ven!" I roar, "You know nothing about me or my friends!"

"I know more than you'd expect. Our paths are written for us before we are even born, Terra. I know my path, and our side wins. There's still time to join the winning side. Otherwise your demise is certain." he says. I roll my eyes and glare, "I don't leave my life to fate and chance. I don't believe our paths are laid out before hand. I believe we are given a choice, and from that choice, we create our own path, shape our own life. We decide what the outcome is."

"Believe what you will. You are still a failure. You subcome all too willingly. You can't hide it from them forever. You will crack, and when you do, I will be there to finish the job. Live while you still can, Terra. Your end is coming. What's left for you is numbered. Choose your making wisely. We shall meet again." And with that, he leaves through a dark corridor. I sigh and sit down slowly. He's just messing with me. He doesn't know a thing about me or the path I've chosen. The only thing numbered is how many hits it will take to kill him once and for all.

I let out a sigh and a corridor opens behind me. I turn quickly, expecting an enemy. I let out a sigh of relief when I see it's Ven and Aqua. "Terra!" they both say in union, running over to me. I smile and stand, leaning slightly on my Keyblade for support. "You're hurt?" asks Aqua, immedietly looking for a wound. I chuckle lightly, "I'm fine, Aqua. Honest." She makes a "hmph" sound and continues looking for a wound.

I turn to Ven. "So, how are you healing up?" I ask. "I'm healing just fine according to Masters' Yen Sid and Eraqus. They said if I rest for at least another day I'll be able to leave with you guys no questions asked next time." he nods. I smile, "Good. It's just not the same without you fighting along side us." Then I sigh, "This was just supposed to be an information gathering mission, there weren't supposed to be any danger. And I fucked up and now Riku's hurt." "That wasn't your fault." assures Aqua, "Young Xehanort did that by trying to off Kairi."

"I know." I sigh, "But I should have been faster to act, I might have been able to protect him." "Don't beat yourself up over it." says Ven, "It wasn't your fault. So don't sweat it." "If only it were that simple, Ven." I say, placing a hand on his head just as I used to do. "Hey, cut it out!" he grins, "I'm not a little kid you know!" "I know." I chuckle, dropping my hand to my side once more.

"Hey, Terra?" asks Aqua. I look down at her and blink, "Yes?" "Where's your Wayfinder?" she frowns. "Wha?" I mutter, putting both hands in my pockets, searching for the yellow colored star shaped charm she made for me. I always keep it in my right pocket, so where is it?! I gasp and pull my pockets inside out, "It's gone!" I put the pockets back and frown at the floor, "How could I have lost it? I had it before we left for this mission..."

"Looking for this?" smirks the voice of only Vanitas. We all turn around and glare at the masked boy. He was leaning against the wall, one hand cupping his elbow while his free hand held up my Wayfinder. Even with his helmet on, I knew he was smirking at us. "How did you get that?" growls Aqua. "Hey, give that back to him!" yells Ven. I clench my fists tightly and glare at the boy. He laughs, "You want it back, pay up!" Then he's gone, disappeared into the wall through a corridor.

"Vanitas!" growls Ven, "How dare he steal Terra's Wayfinder!" "Cool it, Ven." I said. "But, Terra!" he frets. "I said cool it!" I snap, "That trinket is important to me, surely you both know that, but your life is way more important than any charm I could ever be given." "Terra's right." says aqua, "I would love to get Terra's Wayfinder back too, but not if the price is your life, Ven."

"Auh.." Ven mutters, looking both sad and angry. I put a hand on his shoulder, "Our friendship runs way deeper than those charms, Ven. You of all people should know that. You're the one who taught me that." "Yeah.." he sighs, closing his eyes and looking down, "I know. But still! It makes me so mad that he'd stood so low!"

"When hasn't he?" I shrug, releasing my best friend. He looks up at me in astonishment. "Tell you what," says Aqua, smiling at Ven, "I'll make him a new charm. Will that make things better?" "Yeah, a little.." he mutters. I smile, "Of course it will." "It's just.." he sighs, "I want you to have the original one." "So do I." I say, "But at the cost of my best friend? I'd rather it burn in lava." Ventus looks at me with a weird expression and I smile lightly, "You and Aqua are what I care about. Not some little trinkets. Yes, I hold the Wayfinders close to me, but you two come first. Always."

Ven and Aqua smile, "Always." I nod and another corridor opens behind us. We turn and Lea is standing in it. "Come on, Yen Sid's got something he wants to discuss. Oh, and we got Riku to wake up." he says, grinning at the end. We smile, knowing Riku's going to be okay now making us happy. We follow Lea through the corridor and come out in Master Yen Sid's office.

"You're back." says Master Eraqus, "Is everyone all right?" "We're fine, Master." I answer, Ven and Aqua nodding behind me. He smiles, "Then all is well." "Vanitas stole Terra's Wayfinder." Ven grumbles. "Those star charms Aqua made?" asks Master Eraqus. "That's right." says Aqua. "We'll be sure to get that back for you then." smiles Eraqus. I smile back, "Thanks, Master."

I turn to Kairi, "Are you okay? How's Sora?" "I'm fine, Master Terra." she nods, "Sora's.. I'm really not sure, I haven't seen him yet. He's talking with Riku right now I think." "And Riku?" I ask, "Is he okay?" "Riku's fine now. Thanks to Master Yen Sid. We're still not sure what exactly is wrong with him, that attack the replica hit him with is still messing with him, but other than that, he's just as fine as I am." she says. I nod and turn to Roxas. "And you? How are you holding up?" I ask. "Since Yen Sid subdued the Darkness in my heart, I'm doing great.." he says. It's easy to tell in his voice he's hurting over Namine.

Master Yen Sid clears his throat and we all turn our attention back to the old wizard. Riku and Sora come into the room. We all stand in front of Master Yen Sid's desk, awaiting whatever news he has to tell us. He clears his throat again. Then he speaks, "Would all who participated in the Mark of Mastery Exam please step forward?"

Aqua, Ventus, Lea, and I step back as Kairi, Roxas, Riku, and Sora step forward. I notice Master Eraqus and King Mickey standing by the wall, both smiling and talking softly to each other. I wonder what their discussing. I return my attention back to Master Yen Sid. "The Mark of Mastery Exam is over. I'm sure I don't have to explain that." he says.

We all stay quiet. He continues, "And it is time to announce the new Keyblade Masters." A smile comes across Aqua, Ven's, and I's faces. It's about time they joined our rank of Keyblade Master! Master Yen Sid looks each one of them over, and when his eyes stop on Sora, the start of the line of participants, he speaks.

"Because of the mishap with your heart being tampered with, and because you were asleep through most of the exam, you, Sora, you have not shown the Mark of Mastery, and therefor, have not become a Keyblade Master." he announces. Sora's face fell and he looks hurt. Poor Kid. He lost his chance to become a master all because of Xehanort and his lackies. He'll surely pay for that. Master Yen Sid looks to Riku, "And you, Riku." "Yes, Master Yen Sid?" he asks, his voice betraying his worry.