And after a long extended holiday I am back. I am really sorry for taking so long with these updates but to keep a long story short 2016 was an awful year and I was depressed for most of it so writing wasn't on my top agenda, for the latter half of 2015 I was going through the same thing. It's only now that I'm finished uni, have some time off work and my life has started going right again that I feel I can write and continue these stories. A lot of them I'm struggling to remember the outcomes of, (because I'm an idiot who doesn't write out her plans first!) so there will be some stories I finish sooner than expected or some, where the story veers off on an unexpected path. I will also comment that the age cap between stories i.e. I'm now 22 as opposed to 19 so my language and way of writing is a little different to. I will apologise in advance if story changes mean you lose interest but I am grateful to all the readers and reviewers who have sent messages of support about my stories. I think once I get started again I'll be back into a funk but you can take a rain check on that yourselves.

Thanks again and enjoy Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: In the year or so of disappearing neither Square Enix nor Disney have handed over any rights so… yeah… I own nothing… also don't own the franchises that may be mentioned throughout the story.

As Ven slammed the door to his room he felt himself spinning before he collapsed with his back to the door. Just hearing the news that the very masked boy who had attacked his friends, was created from him disturbed him to no end. He wrapped his arms around himself shivering.

"Why did this have to happen" he muttered to himself "We were happy before this, why did this happen!" his voice increased in volume before he heard a shy knock on the door.

"Ven are you ok?" He heard Terra ask from the other side. Ven immediately quieted, refusing to let his lips say a word in case he screamed out all his frustration at his best friend. "Ven please, I know what you heard, but just because you share a connection with Vanitas doesn't mean you're exactly the same" He argued, desperate to break through Ven's own disbeliefs. "You are our friend through and through" he continued even though he couldn't tell whether Ven could hear him or not. Ven heard Terra sigh and he felt tears well up in his eyes, he hated hurting his friend, the man he looked up to like an older brother but what he had to say next would break Terra's heart

"That's why you all had me stay here." He heard Tera gasp "isn't it?" He demanded.

"Ven I swear, we knew nothing about this, we just wanted to keep you safe here, we had no idea about the real reasons why" Terra pleaded

"I followed you to try and keep you safe" Ven shouted "isn't that what families do? You rode off into danger and I couldn't… I couldn't lose you." He whispered the last part, his throat choking with the tears threatening to escape. "I never told you, but Vanitas came to visit me before any of us had even left." Terra sighed once more and gently pushed on the door.

"Come on Ven, I think we both need to come clean about what we know and I can't say talking to you through the door will do either of us any good." He lightly joked. Ven gave a small huff at the joke but stepped back from the door, giving his eyes a swipe before Terra could see. As Terra came in he took one look at Ven and guided them both to the bed, sitting him down with an arm around his shoulders. Ven sighed as he leant into Terra's embrace.

"I never asked before, but…how's Aqua, will she be ok." Ven whispered, worry for his female companion clouding his thoughts once more. Terra gave him a smile.

"She'll be alright, the Master cleaned her wounds easily enough and she's resting now, that's why I thought now would be a good time to see you alone. Figured Aqua's mothering probably wouldn't help right now." Ven gave a small laugh as he knew full well Aqua's worry would cloud her judgement a little over Terra. "How about we start from the beginning, you said Vanitas came to visit you before leaving, what happened?" Ven took a breath

"I want to say he threatened you but I guess at the time, I took it for more of a warning. He said that I may be losing you, if things stay on this path. I didn't think much of it until I heard the bells and realised something was wrong that I started to believe him. I didn't know whether he meant the darkness manifesting in you or if he himself was going to take you away, but I was worried. That's why I followed you and disobeyed the master's orders." He explained. Terra was silent for a moment. "Terra are you mad at me?" Ven tentatively asked. Terra smiled at him and shook his head.

"While I can't argue that leaving the Island was dangerous for you, I understand your reasoning and…" here he paused "Ven I've done some things that I'm not proud of and I just hope you won't be mad at me." He muttered. Ven venomously shook his head.

"I could never be mad at you Terra." He protested. Terra smirked once more

"We'll see." He muttered "You were right about both things, Vanitas was indeed trying to make trouble for all of us but not just against me, but I also think he was right about the darkness taking control of me. In several worlds I have tried to do the right thing but I caused so much pain and heartache that I wavered on the side of darkness." He felt Ven stiffen under his arms but held him tighter hoping he wouldn't run away. "I'm not saying all this to scare you but… I need you to be prepared for any outcomes that may come of this" he explained. Ven was still for a moment taking in Terra's words. Terra waited with bated breath till Ven spoke again.

"I met Maleficent, she told me you'd done something and I refused to believe her, thinking she, like Vanitas, was just trying to scare me… but… to hear it from your own mouth, Terra what's happening to you?" Terra sighed once more trying to keep the tears at bay, the thought of his friends rejecting him hurt more than anything else, even the masters disbelief didn't hurt him as much as Aqua's and to hear Ven might be the same nearly broke his heart.

"I wish I knew, I've never been tempted by darkness before. I felt for the first time since the exam what the darkness truly felt like and at first, it was powerful. I felt that by not using it I was limiting myself, especially when Master Xehanort confirmed that it was only natural. But once Maleficent got involved, I realised what the darkness could do and I tried to stop it before I lost control, but for whatever reason, I could never dissolve the line between light and darkness once I'd been tainted." He looked at Ven's awe filled face. "I never wanted any of this to hurt you Ven, or Aqua and if I could take all of this back I would." He pleaded. Ven was silent for a moment once more

"Are you still fighting the darkness now Terra?" It was Terra's turn to be silent "You're planning on using it aren't you, Terra don't you know how dangerous that is! How do you think we would manage without you or even worse having to fight you as an enemy? What about if the darkness becomes so strong you have to be split like I was, Vanitas is challenging enough and I'm much weaker than you!" Ven cried.

"But Ven, Vanitas is too powerful with just light, and if I'm right and Master Xehanort is up to something with this, then his dark power is even stronger, I know it's not what you want but It may be the only way." Ven stood up and faced Terra

"The Terra I know would never give up, and you're forgetting what you have around you, do you really think me and Aqua would just let you go ahead with this on your own?" He got down on his knees and pleaded with Terra "Please Terra, I can't lose you, you're like my big brother, and Aqua my sister and Eraqus my father, I don't know what I do if you were gone." He sobbed. Terra put a hand on Ven's head and shook his hair.

"Then I won't give up. You're right I should've had more faith in my friends from the beginning." Ven looked up with teary eyes, "We'll beat Vanitas together and find out what's going on." Ven smiled and leapt at Terra's chest and gripped him tightly in a hug which Terra returned full force. "Thanks for believing in me kid and, I'm sorry, for everything." Ven pulled back

"Don't say sorry, just help me kick this guy's butt," He scoffed, Terra smiled and ruffled his hair once more.

"Come on, we need to get back to Aqua and Master Eraqus, it's time to come clean."

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Eraqus stroked Aqua'a forehead as the girl slept, pondering the issues he'd been confronted with. He had already suspected Xehanort was up to something when he all but demanded to see his new apprentices in their exam. He had never shown interest before and if anything, he would have thought he'd come to see Ven when he eventually graduated yet he paid the boy now mind. Now to find that his disappearance in connection with the masked boy's appearance was startling and left Eraqus reeling in his thoughts. He was brought from his thoughts by a sharp breath from underneath his hands.

"Uuh, Master Eraqus" Aqua whispered dreamily. Eraqus smiled and continued stroking her forehead.

"It's good to see you awake Aqua, you gave us all quite a scare child." Eraqus soothed. Aqua was silent for a moment

"We're home" she looked around "Where's Terra, he didn't leave again did he?" She started to rise in search of her friend but Eraqus gently pushed her back.

"Terra is fine, he is with Ven at the moment, I believe they both needed to speak to one another." Aqua stilled

"Ven… the masked boy, Master he said something about Ven, I think he wants to hurt him." She warned. Eraqus nodded and leant back in his chair.

"I am aware of all that has transpired Aqua, and it worries me greatly. The X blade cannot be forged, I will not allow it. Too much pain and suffering was caused in the last keyblade war and I refuse to allow another one, not when my children are at risk," Aqua smiled at the comment but her smile dimmed once more.

"But Master, the only way to stop it was for Ven to not exist, and I don't know whats worse, a world with the X Blade or a world without Ven and Terra." A few tears broke loose of her eyes when she said this.

"We will find an alternative, I promise you dear, I will protect him, protect all of you." He promised. At that moment, Terra returned with Ven in hand. At seeing Aqua conscious once more, Ven ran up to her in happiness and hugged her tightly. She grunted slightly at the impact but squeezed him tightly. She had missed him during this journey.

"I'm so glad you're ok Aqua, I was so worried, we all were." Ven fussed, Aqua smiled at him.

"I'm ok Ven, you know it takes more than that to bring me down." She answered. Terra smiled at the two and sat on the edge of Aqua's bed putting his arm around her.

"I think we all need to have a talk."

And I'll stop it there. There will be one more chapter of this story but it's better to finish the story in the next chapter than try and squeeze it all in here. I hopefully won't take as long this time, and will aim to get my stories out a lot quicker.

So in response to a lot of peoples reviews, I am aiming to finish as many stories as possible, at least updating the chapters more frequently , but as I'm in full time work now, I don't' have as much time on my hands. Thank you once again to all the support you've given and I hope you're able to get back in to my story after a LOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG Hiatus.

Krissystvs