-Ventus-

Ventus lay paralyzed in blackness when he achieved consciousness. He could feel a tingling sensation in his chest when he finally regained the control to open his eyelids. The sunlight from the windows on the other side of the room was almost blinding. When his eyes focused, he could also see a dimmer green light. It was emanating from the hands of a girl that sat over him. She was older than he was and she had blue hair and a matching pair of eyes. He could see a solemn look on her face, like the light was lost from her life. Still, her beauty and the white gown she wore, made her look like an angel.

He groaned and asked, "Am I dead? Did I go to the Isles of the Blessed?"

At an instant, her hands stopped glowing and she gasped while backing away. She ran out of the room in a panic, shouting, "Oh.. oh my! Master Eraqus! He's awake! He spoke to me! He's awake!"

When she was gone, he regained control of his eyes and looked around the room. He was on a bed with white sheets that had black stains on them. He could see there were other beds around him that were occupied with other people that lay with bandages. "Is this a medical ward? So, am I actually alive?" he wondered. "Why am I...?" He looked down to see the bloodstained bandages on his chest. More questions were running through his mind. "Why can't I move my body? What happened?" He looked up at the stone Gothic designs on the ceiling, trying to process the last event he could think of. "I remember... nothing, except dying. But how did I...?"

The door slammed open and he saw an old man march inside. He had dark skin, a bald head, a white goatee, and piercing yellow eyes. He wore a black unbuttoned jacket with gray extensions that reached his ankles. Underneath was an untucked white shirt. His arms had large white gloves that reached the elbows with black leather straps on the wrists that caused them to be splayed out. On his legs, he wore black cloth pants and black leather boots.

He came to the boy and looked down at him, his yellow gaze piercing into Ventus' very soul. Kneeling next to the bed, he grinned and laughed in a fit of joy. "Thank the gods, you're awake! Ventus, speak to me!"

"Who are you?" he asked.

The old man's smile quickly switched to a frown. "You don't remember, your dear old teacher? Eraqus was right, you are not the same boy that became my pupil."

"You're my teacher?"

A younger, sterner voice shouted, "Xehanort, back away from him!"

Another man walked into the room. He wore a white haori that had the addition of what looked like a hood draped over his back. A black do breastplate with kasazuri covered his torso underneath. A pair of hakama trousers flowed through the air as he walked forward with his tsurumaki tapping against the stone floor. His black hair was tied up into a messy fashion and the untidy facial hair made him look like a ronin. Ventus was surprised he could at least remember what a ronin was.

"We don't know if he's safe to be around yet!" he whispered.

Xehanort stepped away from the bed and said, "I am sorry, Eraqus. I was just happy to see my pupil is recovering well."

"You should be more glad, if it turns out that the light half of his heart and soul is what's recovering. I'm gathering the students in the castle garden for his test."

The old man nodded and walked off without a word. Ventus was alone with Eraqus as he asked, "What kind of test? I don't even know what's going on! I haven't even studied!"

Eraqus just glared at him and said, "I don't have time for any jokes! I will have two of my students to watch over you while you regain control of your body." He snapped his fingers as two other people entered the room. One of them was the girl from before, but this time she wore a red hakama and a pure white gi. The other was a boy with brown spiky hair that was combed back. He was much taller and more muscular than the girl and wore the same uniform. The both of them carried curved wooden swords, called bokken.

The master walked past them toward the door, saying, "Terra, Aqua, I want you both to keep an eye on our guest while I move the rest of the students away from him. You know what to do, if he shows malicious intent."

The brown haired boy stared at Ventus while Eraqus helped the other patients out of their beds. He raised an eyebrow and looked back at him. "Father, he's just a child. A preteen. What kind of trouble could he be?"

Eraqus flashed a livid look at him. "Terra, I told you that, during training hours, you will not refer to me at that title! You are to call me master or sensei! And you dare to question my orders? Once this matter is taken care of, you will be spending three hours, practicing iai!"

"What?! But I...!"

"Four hours!"

Terra sighed and bowed, "Very well, Sensei."

"Good, now don't take your eyes off that boy!" said the master, escorting one of his students, who was on crutches.

Two others passed by the brown haired guard. One of them said, "The master is really soft on Terra."

"Yeah, he made me practice for twelve hours the last time I crossed him!"

Terra just grumbled while Aqua pat him on the back. "Hey, it's okay." she said. "I'll practice with you! I'm going to need it to take m mind off everything that's happened..." The both of them looked at the boy. Aqua put her hands on her hips and asked, "Well, how much can you move now?"

Ventus tried to move his arms and could barely lift them off the mattress. "Not much." he said.

"Well, then I guess we'll be waiting a little while."

"Good, I won't have to worry about practice that much yet!" Terra said with a grin. "As for why my dad's so tightly wound about you, there might be something to do with the dark. He always gets like this about it."

Aqua nudged him. "Terra, we don't know if that's the case."

"I know we don't know! But, he's so much of a nyctophobe, that he obsessively removes anything that reminds him of the dark! He even keeps the hallways brightly lit all night and sleeps with the door cracked!"

"Sheesh! And I thought you were the child that was scared of the dark!"

"Hey!" Terra looked furious while his face was turning red.

After a few more moments, Ventus found the strength to pull himself up and sit on the bedside. "So, what if I had anything to do with the dark? What then?"

Terra shrugged. "He'd probably kill you."

The boy's face grew pale and he felt his stomach sink. He didn't know anything that was going on and now these people are telling him he might be killed! Was that going to happen, if he didn't pass this "test"? He could feel a chill in his spine.

Aqua asked, "Well, I see you have enough strength to get up now. Can you move your legs?"

"I-I think I can." Ventus said in a nervous tone.

Terra grabbed one of his arms and helped him up. "Then let's not keep everyone waiting." He pulled Ventus to his feet and helped him along toward the exit. Aqua grabbed the other arm to assist. Ventus could feel his legs were very weak, but he was glad he had help as he slowly began to feel the proper strength to walk again.

He was brought to the garden in front of the castle. It looked like it was on the top of a large circular column of rock. As he descended the white stairs, he could see the pools and swamps far below the crags that the castle's tower's were chained to. Speaking of the castle, it was very strange to him. From the inside, the large foyer and the doors to the different rooms suggested it was a very large place with numerous rooms. Now that he was out, the building looked a lot smaller; too small to hold even that giant foyer that seemed to extend beyond the building's geometry. Was this some kind of magic?

Ahead of him, on a circle of white marble that lay on the center of the column of rock below the castle, many people in uniform, the students, were gathered in an incomplete ring. The way into the center was kept clear. Standing opposite from the three that exited was Eraqus. Ventus could see some of the students armed with yumi longbows. As they approached, they drew ya arrows from the quivers on their backs.

He was brought to the center of the ring as Eraqus stepped forward. Terra and Aqua removed themselves form Ventus' arms and made sure he was stable enough to stand on his own. When it looked like he was alright, they moved into the crowd. The master spoke loud enough for all to hear. His voice echoed between the crags. "Students, I have gathered you here as a measure of force, in the case that I may have caused a grievous error. The boy you see before you, may seem to be an average little boy of nine, but he is in fact possibly dangerous! As Master Xehanort tells me, he is his pupil, a student in the school of speed!" There was a murmur among the students.

"Hey, isn't that the school that makes you run like the wind?"

"A discipline that teaches avoiding and evading? That doesn't seem threatening."

"Don't forget, that's also the discipline that lets you attack before the opponent can think!"

Eraqus raised his hands to silence them and said, "Now, I know we are familiar with what he could be capable of. You can be at ease, knowing that I removed his key chain and is unable to summon his weapon."

"He has a key chain?!"

"He can summon a keyblade? But he's so young!"

"The age of the wielder does not matter!" Eraqus exclaimed. "All that matters is when the masters believe one is ready to gain such a weapon. However, the boy's worthiness is not what I'm bringing into question. He is here for me to test the content of his heart and soul. Archers!" The ring of armed students readied their bows and aimed at the boy's head. "If he makes any sudden movements toward me, fire at will!" This made Ventus break out into a cold sweat and he stood very still as the master continued. "Now, boy, state your name to the academy!"

"M-my name is Ventus! I don't know why, but that's all I can remember!"

"Nothing else?"

"Well, I've been trying to think further back, but all I get is a slight headache."

"Alright then, Ventus, we can begin your test. I will present to you a moral dilemma and you must answer honestly to what you believe is the best answer. How you answer will determine if you can be spared." Ventus gulped as the bows' strings pulled back. "You are standing at the top of a cliff. Five people below you are trapped in front of a raging Cera Terror and they can't get out of the way in time before it tramples them to death. Standing directly next to you is a large man. You know that, if you push the man off the cliff, his weight will slow the monster down enough to allow the five to escape. However, you also know that the fall will lead to his certain death. Which do you choose to do?"

Ventus couldn't help, but hesitate in his answer. What would he say to get them to put down their arrows? Both answers sounded really bad. In this scenario, would he allow the five to die under the feet of a monster or would he murder one life to save others? Moments passed as he thought it over.

"Are you having trouble? My archers' arms are getting tired! They may not hold off their attack for too long!"

Ventus was too frightened to say anything! His heart pumped in his throat! Would he have to escape? Where would he go, if he did? On top of that, his legs were still struggling to make him stand! He could see the archer to his left twitch her fingers to let loose an arrow.

"I'd throw myself in front of the monster!"

The whole garden stood in silence, except for the soft whistle of the wind. Eraqus stared at Ventus in surprise and then changed his expression to show his approval. "Archers stand down! He passed the test." The yumi bows were lowered and the boy let himself relax to the point to where he was on his knees.

"That was the correct answer?" he asked.

"Well, there really was no right or wrong answer." Eraqus said. "The point of the test was to see if you would consider the weight of the choices. A person in the side of the light has trouble deciding when lives are involved. A heart of darkness, would choose to throw the large man in front of the beast without a moment's hesitation." He looked to everyone else in the garden. "Students, Ventus shall live among us as your fellow pupil. Treat him as such." Looking back at the boy, he said, "Ventus, welcome to the Keyblade Academy."

The silence became a cheer from the crowd as they all closed the gap of the ring to greet the new arrival. Many of the students were telling Ventus how they were glad he wasn't some kind of monster. He felt a strong force land on his shoulder, which came from Terra's hand. He said, "Hey, you did it! I must apologize for my father's paranoia. I still don't know why he thought you were a threat."

"I don't know either." Ventus said.

Aqua moved beside him, saying, "Well, whatever the case, it looks like you're going to be okay!"

Eraqus continued. "As for further news, I have received word that Master Xehanort has left while we tested you."

Terra was surprised to hear this. "Master Xehanort left? But I thought he wanted to stay to see his pupil pass the test."

"It certainly confused me as well, but he said that he had urgent matters to attend to in another world. Kirie tried to convince him otherwise, due his back pain, but he ignored her and left without another word. Sometimes I wonder what matter is so urgent for him to risk his health like that, but I just assume it has something to do with the outbreaks of heartless in the outside world."

"That is true. The heartless population has been increasing at a rapid rate." Aqua said; "But, I still think it's too dangerous for him to be fighting them alone in his condition!"

Eraqus nodded in agreement. "Right, which is why I'm going after him." He turned and walked away. "Terra, Aqua, take Ventus to his dorm while I convince him to return."

Kirie approached from the crowd as he left. She was wearing a red floral kimono and her brown hair was tied into a bun. Giving the new arrival a warm smile, she said, "But first, perhaps he would like some tea?"

The four of them gathered under a cherry tree on one of the mountains overlooking the academy. The blossoms were in bloom, showing it was early spring. Kirie poured some green tea in four white bone china cups and passed them around the group. They all sat with their knees on the ground while their heels supported their rears.

"I hope my husband didn't frighten you." she said to Ventus; "He usually has the best intentions."

Ventus took his cup. The green liquid steamed in the cool morning air. "Hey, it's alright. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I really was something to be afraid of before I woke up."

As Terra and Aqua took sips from their cups, the woman asked, "Well, what do you remember from before? You were in quite a horrible state when your teacher brought you to our doors."

"Sorry, my mind is a blank about that. You say I was in pretty bad shape?"

Terra said, "Yeah, Master Eraqus told us all about it! You were attacked by a swarm of heartless and left at the brink of death. Master Xehanort saved you and brought you to us to get you healed."

"Xehanort?" Ventus asked; "Is he that old guy from before?"

Kirie nodded and said, "Yes, he was your teacher in the ways of the keyblade. Don't you remember?"

"Beats me! I already told you I'm drawing blanks in my memory. The only things I can remember is my name and that I have a keyblade. I honestly don't know where I came from, how I got here, or who anybody here is."

The woman took a sip of her tea and placed it on the ground in front of her. She smiled and said, "Then perhaps we shall go through introductions to make things less confusing for you? My name is Kirie Yamamoto. I am the assistant headmistress of the academy, a teacher of the School of Weaponry, and wife of Eraqus. I believe you already met my son, Terra?"

Terra put down his cup and switched from a kneeling position to criss-crossing his legs for comfort. "Yeah, we met, though I wish it was in better circumstances." he said; "If you didn't catch it the first time, the name's Terra. It's nice to meet you! What was your name again?" He held out his hand to shake with Ventus.

The boy smiled and gripped it to oblige. "It's Ventus. You can call me 'Ven' for short."

The azure haired girl gracefully shook hands with him as well, saying, "And I am Aqua. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Ven."

Ven could feel the temperature of his face rise as he saw the girl's warm smile under the sun while petals dropped from the tree. He was confused about what he was feeling at this moment and decided to distract himself with a quip. "Hey, I just thought of something! Aqua, Terra, Ventus? All we need is a pyro, and we have a complete set!"

At first the three stared at him in awkward silence, but a moment later, Aqua looked like she had an idea and giggled loudly. Terra looked at her and asked, "What, you got what he was talking about?"

She waved him off and said, "It's an alchemy joke. You wouldn't understand."

He had an annoyed expression and said, "Way to remind me on how well I did in that class..."

"Still feeling down about turning half the class' faces green?"

"Aqua, don't joke about that! It took weeks for the green skin to peel off! Everyone made fun of us and the victims beat me up for it!"

"Aw, Terra, don't be such a stiff! Loosen up a little!"

"Well, I'd like to, but I have to do iai training here soon. Best get started before Dad decides to make me do it the whole night!" he said, finishing his tea before getting up and rushing back to the academy. As he did, his face was full of rage and embarrassment.

Ven saw this and asked, "Is he going to be okay? You really seemed to upset him."

"Oh, don't worry about him." Kirie said; "He's usually very serious and lacks a sense of humor, but he has his moments."

"Yeah, and they're few and far between." Aqua said.

"I'm afraid that can't be helped right now." Kirie gathered the used cups and stood. "Well, Ven, I'm sure you might need some rest after how eventful this morning has been for you. I will take you to your room."

The boy yawned a little and said, "You're right. I'm still a little sleepy."

And so, after the dishes were handled, Ven followed Kirie through the lengthy halls of the castle to his dorm. She handed him an oddly shaped card with three points on the top. It almost looked like a crown in some way. "That is your room key." she said; "Simply touch your door with it and the magical lock will shut down." She brought him to a door with blue paint on it. "Go ahead! Try it!"

Ven just looked at the card and touched the door with it. There was a loud click as it slowly opened to reveal the room beyond. It wasn't very big, but had enough space to live comfortably. It had a well kept bed, a full bookshelf, and an office area with a desk and lamp. It was certainly all set for someone to live in it.

"Please make yourself at home and take as much rest as you need. The dining hall will be serving dinner later in the evening, if you wish to join us. Take care!" Kirie closed the door as Ven entered and looked at his new digs. He lay on the bed and was instantly greeted to the comfort of the mattress. He didn't have any clue of what his life was or where it was going, but he certainly was glad he was being well taken care of.

Still, something bothered him. Eraqus said he took his keychain away. Why hasn't he returned it, now that he is staying here? He certainly proved that he wouldn't be too dangerous with it. His mind was soon overtaken by his fatigue as he closed his eyes. Maybe this will be a matter to think about tomorrow?

Four years have passed since then.