Chapter 12: Hostage of Sleep
The glow of the Celestial Moons created an eerie glow around The White Isle; a glow to make the island feel alive itself. Stone statues littered the place, guarding from any, if any, intruders who would make their way into the Celestial Caves. The sand's white glow gave Terra a fear he would soon get over. Why he was here, he didn't know, but his choice to Sora was made clear: he would have to investigate, and if Ventus was near, then so was Aqua. Traveling through, he fought through so many stone guardians, crushing them with single blows of his keyblade.
So many fights took place through his eyes, but fighting stone figures such as those proved to be a fair challenge, but he still managed to pull through. Continuing through, Terra realized the enemies soon began to weaken off until there was hardly any, which rewarded the silent night a sigh of relief from Terra. His small venture proved worth when he arrived in a giant room with five different doors, and to his surprise, the door opposite his end was open, and on the other side could he catch sight of two shadows. Walking towards the open door he took quick look from the large gap between the two rooms; from what he could see, there were many bookshelves around all the sides of the room, and a giant hourglass coursing with pure blue energy decorated the center of it. He cracked the door until he could slide himself in without making a sound; he didn't want to deal with whatever the two shadows were if he were to just barge in. Closing the door behind him, the brunette began a small venture until he was standing nearly a foot away from the hourglass itself; he seemed to be more fascinated in what its energy could do rather than the rest of the room. A slight glimpse of a boy sleeping in the corner of the room averted his attention from the hourglass; the same boy he had searched for in the past months while searching for Aqua. He lightly shook him to wake him up, but to no avail. In his lap was a drawing of everyone he knew, plus some uncommon faces he did not recognize; one of which was a small dragonfly flying between Spyro and Sora. Terra let off a smile as he put down the drawing, and looked at the sleeping boy.
"You always wanted to draw, right?" Terra asked, not aware of what had happened to Ven in the past. Footsteps became clear, and Terra made his turn, summoning his keyblade on Naminé. Seeing her there, he unsummoned it almost as fast as he did summoning it.
"You're here?" The blonde asked, as to his answer was a nod. She smiled, and walked back over to where Ven was sleeping. He averted his attention to the two, and to his surprise, Naminé made no attempt to wake Ventus up. Kneeling down, he tried again, but the spiky-haired blonde wouldn't awaken.
"Aqua already tried," Naminé briefly said, taking the picture from Ventus's lap, and placing it in her sketchbook. Terra sighed in sadness; he thought Ventus might've drawn that, but it in turn was Naminé who drew it.
"Why won't he wake up?" Terra asked, paying all attention to Ven; the boy he thought of as a little brother.
"Because his heart has disappeared from him, if it returns, he shall awaken," a voice from behind answered, startling Terra again, but not by much as it did with Naminé. He turned his head to see a light blue dragon equipped with assorted scrolls and a vibrant crystal necklace. The dragon bowed his head to Terra; a symbol of greeting towards the brunette. "I am glad to finally meet you Terra," the dragon said, lifting his head to await what Terra had to say.
"Were you expecting me? And how do you know my name?" Terra questioned him.
"I am Ignitus, but you can refer to me as The Chronicler."
Allies meet face to face, and old sleep awakes
With the soundless hostage of sleep, he yet sees that everything is in disorder.
War erupts in the entire world as devidants of the dark and nothing take form and originate,
Malefor and Xehanort now gain the upper hand, and with it...
The light will sooner fade until its heroes can rise up to its final challenge.
To the hero of the dawn, and to the healer of the worlds...
Rise to the challenge, and find the courage to end the war.
We forever count on you.
"The Chronicler? Aqua has mentioned you before," Terra mentioned, recieving a nod from Ignitus.
"Indeed," Ignitus admitted, "I have brought you here for a reason."
"So you were the one who called to me in the darkness, weren't you?" Terra asked.
"I was; I'm deeply afraid that Aqua is now taking the path you sought out in the past," Ignitus sullenly answered, bowing his head in shame. Terra couldn't help but let out a sigh of despair for his friend: was she really turning towards the darkness as an answer?
"I could set her on the right path, but I need to know where she is," Terra offered.
"I was hoping you would say that," Ignitus said, moving his gaze from the ground, to a book on the shelf not far from where the two were standing. The cover held a silvery-bluish hue that seemed to shine in the darkness, and had the symbol of Aqua's keychain on the center. Opening the book to a new page already added to her story could Terra see the blunette, traveling with a companion on an open trail into the middle of nowhere.
"Where is she?" Terra asked, closing the book.
"Farther away from Dragon Shores, but from there, I cannot say where she might be," Ignitus answered, "Yet she travels with an Avalarian named Prowlus, if you find him, you will find Aqua," he added. Terra nodded to his own approval, and gazed over his shoulder at Ventus.
"Another question, what do you mean by his heart has disappeared?" Terra asked. A sudden book came flying his way as he finished his question; the same one that Aqua had continuously read from the time she had first arrived, to the time she had to leave.
"Read this, it will tell you everything," Ignitus answered, turning away to read another book. Terra took his answer into consideration, and opened the book to a random page; the page he landed on was the time they all fought the same Unversed. Continuing to flip through the pages, they were all involving Ventus and his travels: he had faced many hardships, and gained many new friends, but one page changed what Terra had thought forever; it was the moment they were all together at the Grave of Keys.
"Xehanort wants me and Vanitas to fight, and make some kind of X-Blade."
"But the Master said we can't let that happen, and he tried to destroy me for it."
"X-Blade?" Aqua asked.
"I still don't know exactly what it is. But... It scares me to death. Even just the thought of it."
"Relax, Ven. We're here and we're gonna take care of you," Terra promised, grabbing Ven's shoulder with understanding.
"I may have to fight Vanitas after all. If I do, guys... I want you to-"
"The three of us can never be torn apart, all right? I'll always find a way," Terra said, encouraging Ven to remember the union the three shared. Aqua kneeled down to look him in the face, and give him an understanding of the hope she shared for her friend.
"I'm asking you, as a friend... Just... put an end to me."
"You've done it, Ventus."
"Now that my body is about to perish... You and I will have to join together!"
"The X-Blade will be forged!"
Vanitas: "Our union was not finished."
"The X-Blade shouldn't stay broken like this. Join me now, so that we can complete the X-Blade!"
Ventus: "I've got a better idea. How 'bout I destroy you both?"
Vanitas: "The X-Blade is made of your heart, too, idiot. If you destroy it, your heart will vanish forever."
Ventus: "Whatever it takes. Anything to save Terra and Aqua."
Vanitas: "Hmph. It's always about your friends, isn't it?"
Ventus: "At least I have some! I've become a part of their heart, just as they've become a part of mine. My friends are my power, and I'm theirs!"
Terra closed the book, and looked over at his sleeping friend again; he fought for his friends, defeated Vanitas and the X-Blade, and lost his heart to the darkness.
"He did all that, for Aqua and me," Terra smiled, a single tear forming, and dropping off his face. Naminé smiled, as did Ignitus: they understood what hardships the trio had shared in the past, and now, it was time for them to become reunited once again.
"His heart is returning to him, slowly, but surely, but there are a few problems in doing so," Ignitus managed to say.
"Such as?" Terra asked.
"Sora and Kairi will lose their abilities, as will you and Aqua," Ignitus sullenly answered. Terra was caught in shock; he was going to lose his abilities as a Keyblade wielder.
"Is there any way I can make sure he awakens safely, without the loss of our Keyblades?" Terra asked, possibly coming up with any solutions.
"Only one; find Aqua, and the two of you will have to find Sora, for he carries Ven's heart within his own," Ignitus answered. Terra let out a shocking gasp; he feared that Ven's heart was deep within the darkness, when it was only with Sora. Would Sora have to lose his heart in order to awaken Ventus?
"I'll do it, just be sure that nothing happens to Ventus, and if he does wake up differently, make sure he doesn't leave here until I come back," Terra said, walking away from the two. This journey was proving to be a new, yet difficult task set out for Terra, but with Keyblade in hand, he would make sure Ven awakens safely.
Ventus was plunged into the deepest darkness, but wasn't far for him to travel into the same darkness. He awoke to see an Awakening; he was returning back to his heart.
The union of destiny was ready for him, and he was willing to accept it.
A/N: Next chapter is the full-fledged battle for Warfang: Sora has to fight the Heartless alone, and with his abilities to wield the Keyblade slipping, as is Kairi's, will things ever be the same? And will Terra convince Aqua that finding Sora is the only way to wake up Ven? There are dark secrets hiding in every corner for the heroes, and a darker one awaits Spyro. Things may never be the same, but Ventus is coming close to waking up.
By the way, the Grave of Keys is simply another term for the Keyblade Graveyard, for those of you who haven't played Birth by Sleep.
Kingdom Hearts characters owned by Square Enix
Spyro characters used in this story are owned by Sierra and ELB
JourneyofShadows
