Terra cannot find any words to describe the savory flavor of the gently spiced, hearty food he is eating. It is like a child going crazy in a candy store, if he is the type of person to like sweets...
Aerith listens to him inhale his food. "Sounds like you really enjoyed it."
Terra swallows all of the milk in one gulp. "Yeah. I'm sorry. I just can't believe..." What, that I couldn't taste food for how long now? "It's very good."
"Tifa'll be very happy to hear that." Aerith gets up from her chair. "I have to go run some errands. Stay and relax. I'll send a happy camper... like Yuffie." She pauses. "No."
Strange, but her own suggestion makes her severely disagree with herself. "Maybe I'll send Merlin to see you. Yuffie can get a little overwhelming."
"I think I am okay."
"But you haven't been properly checked since you woke up. Please, just relax."
Aerith leaves him behind to sit in that cabin by himself. What is left is the sound of the water dripping in that damn bucket. Something about such a steady, hypnotic sound makes him tighten his grip.
No, he won't relax.
He steps outside onto the street... and can't believe what he is seeing.
This is Radiant Garden, but what happened here?
The city he once remembered to be adorned by mounds of flowers, running water fountains, and pristine upkeep has been marred by signs of violence and war. Various pieces of machinery and piping have replaced all of the flowers. Every once in a while, Terra notices a robotics system sweeping the roads. He suspects, by the pattern of movement, that this is an alarm system.
Could the Unversed do this kind of damage?
No. Don't be stupid.
Terra shakes off these intrusive thoughts and ignores the headache he is developing. Despite feeling bad for leaving Aerith behind, Terra decides that he has to choose Aqua and Ventus over the kindness of strangers, and ventures off into the streets with the goal in mind of uncovering information as to their whereabouts. I failed them. I have to do what's right by them now.
Some areas of the city have been so heavily damaged that they are still under construction. The castle can be seen in the distance, steam being pumped out of it as if it needs the machinery to keep standing, exhausted from the abuse it must have suffered over time. A knot of dread curls in Terra's stomach as he looks at it.
Directly ahead of him, Terra sees several people gathering around in a military station among debris, categorizing supplies and moving crates of weapons.
One of these people is a tall man with long brown hair, fur trim on his dark shirt-jacket, and a scar on his face.
The man looks at Terra, and speaks with the tone of someone who sounds like he can never be happy. "This area is off limits to civilians."
"I- I'm just a tourist."
"That's worse. Get out of here."
This is obviously someone with authority. Terra wants to ask about him about his friends, about what happened to Radiant Garden, about the spread of the Unversed. And yet, will he think I sound crazy if I look like I know absolutely nothing about what's going on?
Before Terra can respond, a woman with curled, rose-colored hair and a red cape briskly walks (though that is an understatement) up to the man with the scar. She carries herself with a disposition like she might kick an Unversed so hard it will fly into the sky.
"The Great Maw has been overrun. We lost it," she says.
The man winces at the news, at first unsure of what to say. "We don't need this right now. That is a very large field to lose."
"Oh really? I didn't know it was so large. I assumed it was just the measly size of my house." The woman gives the man an intense glare as she says this. She speaks with a strong authority, in the kind of voice that demands attention and respect, and will probably retaliate if she doesn't get it.
She looks over at Terra. "Who are you?"
"My name is Terra." He surprises himself for the confident way he speaks to her. Maybe it's because she looks like she will kill me if I stuttered.
"Terra, do you see those guys over there? They are dragging force barriers that we're going to need to set up and may need a hand. You look strong. Be useful," she says.
"Lightning." The man with the scar buries his face into his palm as he objects.
"You and I need to have a little talk," she tells him. It's like two lions butting heads with each other. Two alpha figures working together.
Terra promptly agrees with her request and goes ahead to make himself useful with the tasks demanded of him. It is hard labor, and at times, it seems like his back cannot handle the work or the weight of some of the machinery he carried. Still, I need to be able to prove my worth if I can ever get these people to open up to me. I need a lead, anything to get me closer to them.
Several hours later, when he is given a break, the woman named Lightning and the man approach Terra.
"Terra, I was told you are a civilian. I'm sorry for ordering you around," she says, crossing her arms. "You can call me Light. The fact that you had no qualms volunteering for us has earned you my respect."
"I'm honored to have it."
The man with the scar speaks, "I'm Leon."
Lightning dramatically rolls her eyes when Leon introduces himself, like she cannot believe what she is hearing. Although he hasn't noticed.
"Sorry for the way I treated you. As you can see, we just have a lot on our hands," Leon continues.
"Those Heartless just won't give up. It's like breeding mice," Lightning says.
"Heartless?" Terra wishes he never said that out loud. Yet a part of him feels like he already knows what that word means.
The two commanders look at Terra with incredulity, and he can sense their eyes set tensely on him. Any moment, they will ask questions about his background, wondering why he doesn't know anything.
Please, someone save me from this.
In a sudden moment, without much of a warning, a swarm of shadows surrounds the area, with a tremendous speed that Terra can only assume must be Unversed.
But these aren't Unversed. Those drain the livelihood and joy out of anyone among them.
These shadows are darker, more rotten, and carry an aura of raw hunger. The presence of them makes Terra nauseous.
Heartless.
Lightning and Leon wield their weapons and brace themselves for attack. People who cannot fight are scrambling around for safety. Some of the Heartless have already run off deeper in the alleyways, chasing passerby's and are sure to be attacking those who are unaware that their city has been breached.
Terra calls for his Keyblade, only to find that he cannot wield, and cannot call, for anything.