Chapter 4: Into Battle Once More!
I sat on the edge of the castle wall, letting my legs dangling over the edge.
'Poor Terra' I thought. 'The loss at the exam has really saddened him. It's okay to show darkness as long as it doesn't consume you...maybe I should try talking to Master Eraqus.'
"What are you doing?"
I quickly turned around to see a guy standing there. He had the same physique as me and looked about the same age, he had black hair with blue streaks in it. He was wearing a white shirt and slacks that had red markings on it, the marking on his chest was weird, it looked like sad/angry red eyes.
"Who are you!?" I demanded, getting into a battle stance.
He just ignored me, looking at me with his piercing red eyes. "To think, you went from sitting around in a graveyard, to sitting around in a castle. Such a dishonor for a Keyblade."
I gasped. "You know I'm a Keyblade?"
"I know a lot about you, V. Or should I call you Z?" He smirked knowingly.
"Answer me!" I yelled.
He seemingly ignored me again. "If you continue to remain here, you will just rust once more."
"I'm staying here because I'm happy! And I have friends!" I told him.
He laughed cruelly. "Friends!? Your nothing more then a weapon to be used. You don't make 'friends'. You have wielders, and nothing more. And when your no use anymore, you'll just be tossed aside."
"Your wrong!" I got out my red Wayfinder. "We're all friends, no matter what!"
"Keep telling yourself that." A portal of darkness then opened behind him. "See you again V, we'll see who was right next time we meet."
"Hold on!" I tried to give chase, but he walked in and disappeared before I could catch him. 'Who was that?...And how did he know me?'
Suddenly I heard a large bell ringing, and looked around. 'Big bell ringing! Okay V, think! Big bell means big...something! I gotta see what's going on!' I jumped up and ran to the stairs.
I ran down the halls until Terra ran beside me. "Z! Are you alright!?"
"Yeah." I nodded. "What's going on?"
Terra shook his head. "I don't know, the bell could signal anything, but we need to get to the main room as fast as possible."
We both ran into the hall where we lined up alongside Aqua. "What happened?" Terra asked.
"I don't know." Aqua sighed.
"Why isn't Ven here?" I said, looking around.
"Very well then, I shall send my pupils to investigate." I heard Master Eraqus said from behind the chairs. "Yes, I understand. Farewell."
We then stood to attention as Master Eraqus walked in front of us. "That was my dear old friend Yen Sid. As you know, he is Master no more...but he still keeps a close eye on the tides of light and darkness. His council serves as signposts, on the road we wielders of the Keyblade...and Keyblades themselves, must walk."
I scratched the side of my cheek in embarrassment from the mention.
"All the more reason then for concern, for he tells me the princesses of heart are in danger." Master Eraqus nodded.
'Princesses of heart?' I thought in confusion.
"The princesses of hearts are those whose hearts contain no fear, and a pure with light." Master Eraqus elaborated, picking up on my confusion. "They are not only at risk from the forces of darkness as you assume, but also from a new threat, one that feeds on negativity."
'An enemy...that feeds on...negativity?' I thought, I'd never heard of anything like that before!
"Fledgling emotions that have taken on monster form." Master Eraqus continued. "Yen Sid calls them...the 'Unversed'."
"Unversed...' I repeated in my head.
"As wielders of the Keyblade, and a Keyblade yourself, you are tasked with striking down any who would upset the balance of light and darkness. The Unversed are no exception. I tried to pass this news onto Master Xehanort, but my repeated attempts to reach him have failed."
'I knew there was something up with that man...'
"I doubt there is any connection and yet...this all troubles me."
"Master Xehanort...is gone?" Terra thought aloud, was that a hint of confused knowing in his voice.
"So here we are, I need you three to get this situation under control. Eliminate the Unversed, and find Master Xehanort. I have unlocked the Lanes Between." Master Eraqus said.
"The Lanes Between are passages between worlds that are only to be used in emergencies." Aqua told me, as if knowing I didn't know what they were.
"You may use these forbidden pathways to travel between this worlds and countless others. The darkness looms closer then usual within these spaces, but your armor will protect you. Lastly, remember that order must be kept. You cannot tell anyone there are other worlds. Now go, and fulfill your duty."
"Yes Master." We bowed before turning.
"Terra." Master Eraqus' call stopped said person. "Consider this an oppurtunity. A second chance for you to change my mind."
"What?" Terra said dumbly.
"You must know. I care for you like my own son." He walked up to him. "If I could have my way, I would name you Master in a second. But how can I, when you are so obsessed with power?...Terra. You mustn't be afraid of losing. Fear leads to obsession with power, and obsession beckons the darkness."
He rested a hand on his shoulder. "You must never forget."
"Thank you, Master." Terra said with a small bow. "I swear...I will not fail you again." He then walked off, and I decided to follow him.
Suddenly Ven rushed past me. "Hey! Ven!" I began to run again, when I happend to hear Master Eraqus.
"I told Terra this could be a second chance to show the Mark of Mastery, and I meant it. However, that flicker of darkness he displayed during the examination, I can sense it runs very deep. If he were to-...if those powers proved too much for him to handle, I want you to bring him back to me at once. It's for his own good, I could not bear to lose any of you to the darkness."
"Of course. I would never let that happen." I heard Aqua say. "I promise you I will bring Terra back. Only this time, you'll see he has what it takes to be a Master."
I heard Aqua walking towards me and I hurriedly rushed off. I ran out the door just in time to see Terra, who appeared to be clad in armour, riding into a portal on some kind of vehicle. I ran down the stairs heading towards Ven, who slapped the gauntlet, and in a flash of light he was covered in armor as well.
Ven looked at himself in awe before materialising his Keyblade and thrwoing it into the air. I heard Wayward Wind scream something along the line of Form Switch in Keyblade language before changing into that strange vehicle.
'I didn't know we could do that...' I thought as Ven jumped on Wayward Wind and flew after Terra.
"Wait! Ven!" Aqua called after him as she and Master Eraqus ran out.
"No! He Musn't!" But Master Eraqus' words fell on deaf ears as Ven had already gone.
"You have to bring him back!" Master Eraqus told us both.
"Don't worry, Master." Aqua siad.
"We won't let Ven get hurt!" I agreed.
Aqua then did the same thing as Ven. "Wait, how am I supposed to go?" I asked her, Rainfall cockily reminding me that he was a single seater.
"Can't you transform as well?" She asked.
I thought for a second. "I'll...try." I jumped up spinning and transformed into my Keyblade form. "Form Change!" I felt a warm bolt of electricity shoot through, though it wasn't painful, I felt my form grow and change until...WOW!
I LOOKED SO COOL! I was now an aircraft that was mainly electric blue and silver, with a laid back seat for someone to sit on. I had two large gears spinning either side of my sleek sharp main body, with two jets at the back, one set big and one set slightly smaller, and six blue extra jets jutting out the back.
"Well done, I didn't think you had it in you." Rainfall chuckled.
"Gee, thanks." I had to deal with a LOT of sarcasm in the Keyblade Graveyard.
And so we both shot upwards into a portal (I wobbled a lot adjusting to my new third form) and exited the world.
I found myself floating in a space-like area, the Land of Departure's portal floating beneath us. "V!" I turned my body towards Aqua. "Let's split up, we can look for Ven faster that way."
I nodded to show my understanding before flying around, testing my new form and movement, until I came caross a portal. 'Well, what have I got to lose?' I then flew into the world.
I admit I mistimed my landing, falling through and transforming into my Keyblade Form, getting stuck into the ground. I turned back into my human form, staggering around. "Ohhh..." I groaned. "The world is spinning..."
I finally steadied myself and looked around, I appeared to be in some kind of forest. "I can't believe I'ce actually come to a different world!" I had never been to different worlds before, it was so exciting!
Suddenll I heard something behind me, and I looked to see a weird creature behind me, it was blue with spindly limbs, but its eyes...it looked like the mark on that guy I saw on the castles shirt.
"What the-!?" I began, when suddenly I was surrounded by them! "Are these the Unversed!?" I instantly got into a battle stance.
"Z!" Suddenly a familiar figure jumped into the circle and went back to back with me.
"Terra!" I gasped.
"Hope you don't mind having a little hand?" He offered.
"Guess not." I smirked.
We both swiped heavily, destroying half of them before the rest jumped at us. "Strike Raid!" Terra threw Earthshaker spinning, destroying several of them before it came spinning back to him.
Then more Unversed appeared, these ones looked like floating red pots with a symbol on them, which I guessed was their symbol.
We got ready before I realised something. "Hey, these ones aren't attacking." Ipointed out.
"Perhaps they're being cautious, let's strike now." Terra said before we both started attacking.
"Quick Blitz!" I jumped up in a circle and stretched my leg, delivering a far reaching axe kick that ook care of the rest of them.
Then one more Unversed appeared, this one looked bigger and bulkier then the others. "Sure are varied aren't they?" I said.
"Guess they are." Terra shrugged before we both charged.
The bulky thing jumped up and slammed into the ground, creating a shockwave that we both had to jump over. I stretched my arm and wrapped it around the neck, pulling it along and smashing its head into the ground.
It got up and glared angrily at us before charging recklessly. "Wind!" Terra cast Aero, significantly pushing it back.
"Hrah!" We both jumped and slashed it together, making it disappear in black flames.
"Heh, not bad." Terra chuckled.
"Good to shake of the dust." I admitted, brushing some dust off of me.
We heard another noise and turned to see one more of those spindly Unversed. "Another one!?" We both got into battle stances, but it didn't attack. "It must be acting wary again..." Terra lunged for it, but it suddenly ran off!
"Hey! Come back!" We both yelled before giving chase.
And so the journey has begun! How will V impact the story? Just keep reading to find out!
Thank you for reading! Reviews are always appreciated!