"H-How...how can you be alive?"
His mother gently laid a hand on his cheek and brushed her thumb to clear away the dust. She felt so real, so warm and alive, that he hoped against all hope that this wasn't a dream.
'But then...how?' And how had he suddenly become so sure that it was her?
"Your heart knew what your mind did not," she said, as if answering his thoughts. "You know who I am, and you know this little one too." She stretched out her other hand, palm facing up, and a small, glowing light popped into existence, hovering just an inch above the skin.
As he shifted his attention to the little ball of light, Roxas felt...strange. He remembered a faint dream he had had, so long ago, where he'd been lost in the forest. He was small then, and the rocks and trees around had reached out to grab him, but then a fairy appeared before him, leading him somewhere more open and safe.
A fairy that looked remarkably like this thing...
Without thinking, Roxas reached out hesitantly to touch the light. It hopped into his hand obediently, and suddenly, another wave of warm calm washed over him. This time, it was stronger; it felt like a hole inside of him had been filled. As though most of the loneliness he had ever felt as a child had disappeared in that instant, and in its stead, there was only joy.
The feeling was so powerful, tears sprang to his eyes again, and the prince fell to his knees. He felt so unbearably happy that he didn't have the words to describe it.
"What is 'his' name?" he whispered, looking up at his mother in awe.
Aerith smiled sadly. "Ventus. He is your twin, taken from this world long before I was."
Roxas's eyes fell closed. He should feel shocked, aghast, maybe even betrayed for all of the years he hadn't known such crucial thing, but in this moment, he didn't care. Couldn't care. He just felt complete.
He hugged the light close to his chest and wept.
"Then that day was real..."
After a few moments, he wiped his eyes and looked up at his mother. "Did you send him to me?"
Aerith nodded.
"Are you ghosts? Or magic?"
"In a way, we are both." She took his other hand and led him through the garden. "Magic is what keeps the world in balance. It is neither good nor evil, but it can be harnessed for both purposes by those who know it's secrets.
In life, I was born half-fae, and I grew to be an earth witch, as my mother had before me. I was still prey to mortal ailments, but I could harness the power of the planet, mostly for subtle tasks. You remember my garden?"
Roxas thought for a moment. He did vaguely remember his mother having a garden on the far side of the courtyard, but it sat old and overgrown and disused now. Cloud hadn't the heart to maintain it or get rid of it.
Even in its full glory, it was nothing compared to what surrounded the two of them now.
He nodded, and his mother continued.
"That was my one condition when I married your father. I grew things for pleasure, and made a few potions, but I was well-content to be a human queen in such a rich, green, wonderful land as this."
"But you loved him, right?" the blonde asked. He had to. He barely remembered his mother, but something about her seemed off. Not quite cold, but certainly distant in some way. Subdued.
Aerith stopped them in the middle of the field. "I still love him very much, as I do you." She kissed his forehead. "After I passed into the world beyond, I was content then to simply watch over you both with Ventus. I could still speak with the earth's magic, though it never heeded my words. For so long, I wished that I could reach out to you. It was difficult at times, watching you from afar.
On that day, the peaceful land was disturbed. It told me that something was seeking to harm you, and it was a force that no one around you could have known. I was terrified, but for once, the magic listened to my voice. It sent Ventus down to the earth to find you."
"You saved my life that day." The prince lifted his hand, still feeling so secure and happy in the presence of his twin. The little light twinkled softly. "Thank you."
"But all magic comes at a price," Aerith said, making the blonde look up in alarm. "Ventus forfeited his human form forever that day."
"But...why?" Even as a ghost, his brother could never be human? And what about rebirths?
There was a bone-deep weariness in her voice as she replied this time. "It was the only way. My power can change him into some things, but even that is difficult. It takes time and patience."
Roxas felt tears in his eyes again. Even when he thought he had no more to spare, they just poured forth even stronger.
Though she hadn't said it, he just knew that she must have given something up as well. And it was all his fault...all for being a stupid, thoughtless child.
Aerith led him over to a wall of rose bushes and sat him down on a stone bench.
"There is so much more to tell, but I know it must be overwhelming." She ran her hand through his hair, gently soothing. "Please don't be sad. I did not wish to trouble you so."
"But I never knew! All that you and he sacrificed, and I barely even know you!" He clenched his free hand tight into a fist. "It's my fault! And Father...how could Father do that? Keep Ventus from me, and never speak of you again?!"
"He was wrong, certainly, but he was in pain and tried to do what he thought best for you; to spare you from the same pain."
"By lying to me?" he snapped. "And all this time, we've been pulling away from each other...is that why he travels so often? To be away from me?"
She sighed, and her hand stilled for a moment. "He does not hate you, Roxas. He feels a great deal of guilt, yes, but he has a duty to his kingdom. Sometimes that has to come before even family.
Don't despair, Roxas." His mother laid her hand over his, the one holding Ventus, obscuring the spirit from sight. "We are both glad to sacrifice anything necessary to keep you and this land safe. We love you."
"I-I love you too, Mother," he replied sadly, desperately trying to bring his emotions under control. "Forgive me...for everything."
Aerate shook her head. "You have done nothing wrong, my child. If anyone must be forgiven, let it be your father. And maybe one day, he will forgive himself. That would make the both of us very happy."
Roxas nodded, his mind racing with thoughts and emotions as he watched her pluck a rose from the wall behind them, cradling the blooming bud in her hand. It was as yellow as corn, and seemed to glow as she smiled down at it.
"Do you like flowers, Roxas?"
The blonde nodded, looking at her with an expression that was curious, but still nearly heartbroken.
"Did you know that every flower has a special meaning?"
"I didn't. But I suppose it makes sense." Why else would ladies be so excited to receive them? Beautiful things usually had value, but a flower is not the same as a ring.
"Yellow roses symbolize friendship and joy, but they also hold the promise of new beginnings." Her eyes became serious and somber again, as they met his gaze. "I want to offer you a new beginning, Roxas. One that will keep you and the kingdom happy and safe for many years to come. There is only so much that I am able to do - for I am only here by the grace of the Earth and its natural power - but I will help you if I can."
Roxas looked down at his hand then, as she lifted hers, and his eyes widened.
"Ventus is gone!" The tiny light was no longer in his hand. He looked around for it, alarmed, and almost jumped to his feet. The content, secure feeling he had had when holding his twin was beginning to evaporate. "W-Where has he gone?!"
"He's perfectly fine, dear. Now, look here."
Forcing himself to calm down slowly, Roxas did as he was told and focused on the rose in her hand. His mind still felt like it was caught in a whirlwind, but he stared at the bud until the rest of the world around him became fuzzy. He needed an anchor in this turbulent sea of magical chaos.
Aerith lifted the flower up to her lips and blew gently. Petals effortlessly pulled free of the bud and drifted towards him, until all that was left was the green, leafy base. And when the first petal grazed his cheek, the prince felt a tingling warmth all over his body. It embraced him, as though his mother was holding him herself, and all at once, his fury, panic, and other worries faded in silent reassurance.
After a moment, Aerith set down the spent flower bud, and then reached up to lay a hand on his head.
The bandage was gone, as was the bump from two nights ago.
The blonde gasped, reaching up just as her fingers retreated. He felt the spot, rubbing harder than even Axel had, but there was no pain, and not even the tiniest protrusion from the skull. The bump had vanished.
"I have healed your head in more ways than one. You will still have the knowledge I have imparted to you, but you will not worry over it now. This is no time to be distracted."
"Why?" he asked, following easily as she stood up and took his hands. "Am I in danger again?"
"I fear you soon will be," she replied, running her thumbs in soothing circles across the backs of his hands. "There is evil at work. The Earth can feel it building, climbing higher and higher. You must not let yourself be caught unawares."
"Is it the goblins?" That was the only thing that came immediately to mind. His father had strong allies in each of the neighboring kingdoms, but even still...could that be it?
"The danger is all around you. Be careful in whom you place your trust."
As she finished speaking, she and the surrounding land began to blur. Roxas could no longer feel her warm hands on his own, though they still appeared to be holding tight.
"Wait!" he cried, trying to grab hold of her waist before passing right through it. He spun around. "Mama! What's happening?!"
She smiled tiredly. "My time is short, child, but there may come a time when you need me again. The way will always be open to you, and you will find safety here, even if you do not see me."
"Don't go yet!"
Then, a flash of light overtook his vision, and Roxas forced his eyes shut and threw his arm over them in cover.
When he could see again, he was alone in a small, dusty, empty room.
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"I'm going to kill him."
Several soldiers who stood huddled in the doorway looked to the captain nervously, but Leon paid them no mind, instead massaging the bridge of his nose. He felt as though his head were about to explode.
The undisturbed order of the room and the calm chocobo regarding him from the prince's bed led him to suspect that, wherever Roxas was now, he had not been kidnapped. After a thorough search of the stables and the courtyard, the captain was further led to suspect that the boy was still in the castle somewhere, hiding and brooding no doubt.
Still, one could never be certain. Just how Roxas could have escaped his locked room in the far right tower, let alone gone about the castle completely unseen, was a mystery to him and everyone he had questioned.
'I just know that he's doing this to spite me...'
Still, he sighed. Regardless of when he found the boy again, Leon was not looking forward to the king's return.
Ever since that day in the woods, so many years ago, Cloud seemed to become afraid of appearing too weak in front of the men. Roxas had been upset for longer than either of them had expected, refusing to speak to both of his guardians for several days. Though he had surely forgotten the incident by now, the damage had been done swiftly. Cloud withdrew from his son again, as he had after his queen's untimely death, and he kept withdrawing so far that he buried himself in his work, barely spending any time with the boy at all anymore.
And yet, Cloud had also become needlessly fearful for Roxas's life. He insisted on a constant guard, and Leon had found himself falling into the roll without initially realizing it. When it came right down to it, the captain did not trust his men much more than the king did to protect the boy. Very few soldiers who were tasked with his personal guard showed any promise in that area, and it was utterly baffling. Was it simply incompetence or a sort of rebellion, every time the prince managed to "lose them"?
Leon resolved that he would deal with such concerns later, but it seemed that later never came. Roxas, on top of his other duties to the kingdom, consumed all of his attention and patience.
What once was a sort of brotherly love and affection had become stern and paternal, which sadly distanced the captain and his charge as well. Though he was genuinely worried and cared deeply about Roxas, Leon found that the boy often became yet another headache that he had to manage.
It was truly a shame. He knew that the prince never meant any harm.
"Sir!"
Leon turned to find a new man at the door, saluting.
"Any sign of him?"
The man nodded, stepping aside to reveal the very blonde he was looking for.
"And just where did you run off to this time?" he snapped, satisfied to see Roxas shrink back a little bit. He also began to notice, much to his dismay, that the boy was caked with dust. "Roxas, you're completely filthy! What on Earth have you been doing?!"
"I'm sorry, Leon." The prince hesitated then, ringing his hands in front of him. "I...well, I uh..."
Leon shook his head. "Nevermind. We have no time for this now." He strode forward and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him along. "Your father will be home by sunset. We'll discuss this with him later, but for now, you must be cleaned up again."
Roxas paled a little at that, but he nodded and followed obediently enough. His unusual silence was a bit concerning, but Leon had little time to think of that too.
As the captain barked orders at passing servants, he busied his mind with half-dreams of rolling hills and white sand beaches. Anything that would calm his nerves and help him prepare.
Men of his position and caliber rarely had time to spare on such things in reality, but it was nice to imagine.
