Aqua's steps echoed loudly as she ran through the dead silent woods, using her Keyblade to light the way. Though she knew that the noise would surely alert the person she was trying to track down, she couldn't afford losing time by sneaking around. Any second she lost was a second he might be getting away further and further from their grasp.
She'd rushed to Terra and Master Eraqus and told them of Vanitas' disappearance as soon as she could, sending the castle into a frenzy. Eraqus had immediately ordered a thorough search for the boy. No stone was to be left unturned and no corner to be left unchecked. Right now, Terra was busy examining every single room and area on the castle grounds for signs of the escapee. Aqua, as the faster of the two, had been given the task to search the surrounding mountains, valleys and woodland. She'd already wasted three hours circling the land on her glider in her search and found nothing. Now searching the forests was all she could still try. Sharpening her senses, Aqua tried to find anything, a sign of life, may it just be a hint of movement hiding in the bushes…!
There. Something caught her attention. Aqua stopped running and looked around. She'd sensed something, but what exactly it was, she didn't quite know yet. All she was sure of was that this 'something' wasn't just a wild animal running from the noise she was making. It felt much too unsettling for that. Too… hostile.
Darkness. That feeling, it was the presence of something dark seeking to devour light. A person with a tainted heart, maybe? No, this was different, this felt more… "wrong" somehow. Almost as if it wasn't coming from a person at all. Downright inhuman, but somehow also familiar in the worst possible way. Carefully Aqua resumed walking down the path she was going, her Keyblade held in front of her body, so she'd be able to use it at a moment's notice. Then, just ten meters later, it appeared.
It started with an unsettling sensation, like cold water and ice showering down her back, then she spotted a red gleam, almost like a pair of angry eyes, shining at her from between the trees. Finally, it leapt at her. It was a creature, the kind of which Aqua couldn't describe as anything other than a monster. A body covered in unnatural, rubbery purple skin and a head pointy like a bird's beak, with strange antennas that looked like lightning-bolts. It was short, only reaching to her knees, but its appendages were sharp like spears, lunging at her and seeking to stab her body. Aqua dodged with ease, but in doing so she quickly realizes that the small monster attacking her wasn't alone. From the shadows on the ground all around her, more and more of these creatures rose, until she was surrounded entirely. She'd never seen anything like this before.
INFORMATION: Take out the Unversed!
A pearl of sweat glistened on Aqua's forehead as it dawned on her that this would be the beginning of a battle. A proper one, not the kind she'd been used to all these years training. These things certainly wouldn't just stop attacking if she fell and lend her a hand to help her stand; They'd fight to destroy and strike to kill. This wasn't training anymore. This was what she'd been training for. The real deal. It felt so surreal…
Sink or swim. That's what it would all come down to now. Shaking her nervousness from her mind, Aqua focused on the targets all around her and charged her Keyblade…
"Gotcha!"
Bubble Blaster. She'd cull the crowd, as many at once as possible. Her shots hit, encasing the enemies and tearing them up into the air until the bubbles exploded, ripping apart a few of the creatures right then and there. Not all of them however. A good number was still able to fight, and the overflowing sense of irritation Aqua could feel from them put her on edge. The sooner she ended this, the better. She charged forward, placing her slashes with precision to cut straight through the creatures' bodies. She did her best to keep the amount of time it took her to destroy any single one of them to a minimum, but she couldn't quite manage to cut them down in only one hit. She lacked the raw strength needed for that. Eventually, she began using ice spells to keep enemies further back from closing in on her before she could get to them. She soon realized that the rows of enemies weren't thinning out nearly as quickly as they should have, and spotting a few new kinds of monsters among them clued her in to the fact that reinforcements were coming in. So the initial wave that had attacked her weren't all that had been lurking in these woods…
Just what were these monsters? All these years Aqua had lived in this world, she'd never encountered anything like them before, not in the woods nor anywhere else. These creatures hadn't just spawned out of nothingness, she was sure. The distinct scent of Darkness was all over them, and their aura was charged with a negativity so powerful, it made her body shudder whenever she just gave herself a moment to think about it. Their shape, their way of moving, their flowing, misshapen eyes, it was all entirely alien to Aqua. So how come she felt a distant sense of familiarity as she fought, as if she'd encountered these things before in a bad dream? It was all so odd.
Eventually the barrage of enemies began to lessen. The reinforcements had stopped. Maybe she'd soon have culled the last of them? If so it would have been great, because honestly, as well as the battle was going for her now, Aqua still knew she wouldn't be able to keep going like this indefinitely. She hadn't brought any curative potions with her and when it came to healing herself mid-combat she was still a tad inexperienced. All in all, this strange battle was a learning experience as much as it was a shock.
'I'm almost through,' Aqua thought to herself. 'One last finishing move, and this'll be over!'
But just as she got ready to make use of the fact that she'd entered her Spell Weaver Command Style a while ago and wanted end the fight in a whirlwind of magical energy, the enemy seemingly decided to shake one last ace out of their sleeves. All at once the remaining creatures gathered in two spots, melting and coalescing, until, finally, it all exploded into a burst of pure energy, one powerful enough to cancel out Aqua's finishing attack. She was thrown off her balance and fell to the floor, coughing up the dust that had been kicked up around her. Was that it? Where those monsters finally gone?
Of course not. It couldn't be that easy. In a hurry Aqua got back on her feet. Something was rising from the cloud of dust left by the explosion of the two meeting attacks. Something with an aura even more menacing and overwhelmingly negative than any of the creatures she'd been fighting up to this point. Outlined by the light of her own Keyblade, Aqua saw two silhouettes of about the same size and roughly the same shape leap from the clouds, spinning playfully, their appendages swinging around them, until they finally came to a stop on the ground in front of her, grasping on to each other's arm-like tentacles and snuggling close to another as they starred beadily at their enemy. It was then that Aqua realized what these two grotesque figures reminded her of, however distantly: A pair of children, holding hands. What kind of sick joke was this?
INFORMATION: Take out the two remaining Unversed! Watch out to not get caught in their sugar trap!
Aqua tried to use Bubble Blaster again. Maybe she'd be able to take the initiative and cut this battle short. However, she quickly realized that this would be a fruitless endeavor. The two creatures were too fast to lock onto, leaping about the battlefield as if they were made of rubber, going everywhere, behind the trees, onto the branches, behind Aqua—
She screamed when she felt a sharp pain in her back. One of the two little beasts had attacked her from behind with a pointed object. Aqua whirled around and tore at the thing piercing her. She quickly identified it as a sort of bone shard and threw it away. Not too far from her she could hear a sickening noise, like a poor imitation of a child's giggle. The monster that had attacked her stood on a tree stump just a few meters away from her, throwing bones from the container on its back. On the other side of the battlefield, its "sister" sat up in the tree branches, transfixing Aqua like a hungry vulture.
'I think they have some sort of strategy,' she thought. 'I can't just attack blindly, I need to keep an eye on what they're doing.'
She kept dodging the 'brother's' throws, while watching the 'sister' as closely as she could. Eventually, the 'sister' made an unsettling sound, as if trying to speak without actually having vocal chords. Its 'brother' must have understood what the creature was trying to 'say', because on that exact cue, the 'brother' jumped off the tree stump, and the 'sister' off its branch. The two of them skipped around, circling Aqua, dropping small items in their trail. Aqua was nothing short of baffled when she saw what exactly it was that fell out of the creatures' "hands".
"…Candy?" She picked up a piece of glazed gingerbread, not understanding the purpose of this move.
It was a mistake. She should have run out of the circle the monsters had drawn around her when she'd still had the chance. Behind and in front of her, Aqua heard the creatures' strange voices, making the same sounds over and over again, almost as if they were singing, no, chanting something. They became louder and louder, and in the very last moment she had to think about it, she almost felt as if she could distantly understand what it was that these creepy, squeaking voices were saying…
'Burn the witch.'
The circle burst into flames, with Aqua inside it. The noise of the plants and dead wood around her combusting and searing away only drowned out by Aqua's own screams. The fire bit into her skin, her flesh, her lungs.
'I-I… Can't breathe…!'
She had to get out of here. Immediately.
Focusing all her power, Aqua jumped out of the spell circle, shaking off the flames. As soon as she could, she ran to hide behind a tree, biting her tongue while trying to ignore the pain of her burnt soles as her shoes touched the ground. Then, as soon as she felt out of enemy reach, she cast Cure on herself. The burns thankfully weren't too severe and healed in seconds. Still… That was close.
'I shouldn't have let my guard down…!' Aqua reprimanded herself while peeking out of her hiding place. 'Still, at least now I know their attack pattern. If I avoid the one throwing the bones and stay away from their spell-circles, I should be fine.'
The creatures were now back to skipping across the battle-field, trying to locate Aqua for their next attack. She wouldn't allow them to catch her a second time. Now it was her turn. Aqua took aim for the 'sister' with her Keyblade.
"Freeze!"
The spell fired and hit its target, which squealed loudly upon feeling its results. Shocked stiff by it, the 'sister' stopped in its track for a moment, causing its 'brother' to hop in surprise. That was all the chance Aqua needed. She stormed out into the field, beginning her full-on assault on the 'sister'.
'This is the one giving the command for their spell! If I take it out first, the other one probably won't be able to use it on its own.'
Aqua had just unleashed a finisher on the still-stunned 'sister', when the impact of something small cutting into her shoulder tore her out of her flow. Right! The other one could still attack her to try and save its comrade. Turning quickly and with the goal to not spend any more time than necessary on aiming, Aqua cast another spell.
"Thunder!"
Success. The 'brother' was still in range, just barely. The impact of the lightning strike violently threw it to the ground, giving Aqua more than enough time to finish what she'd started. One strike, a second one, a third, and a surge to finish off. Her blade finally cut through the small monster's body, causing it to split into halves, which quickly fell to the ground and burnt up in their own, dark flame. Behind herself, Aqua could hear a loud, angry squeal. Someone here clearly wasn't happy with what she'd just done. The 'brother' was charging at her, throwing one bone fragment after another.
Aqua kept dodging the attacks as well as she could and managed to avoid the brunt of them. Now that the creature was attacking while moving, it would be a little harder to get a proper hit in on it. Harder, but not impossible. In fact, Aqua knew exactly what she had to do. Running from the berserking creature, she took sharp turns closer and closer to the trees. Finally, halted in front of one, blocking the incoming attacks with her barrier. She only dodged out of the way once her opponent was about to collide with her. The monster's head hit the tree, causing it to bounce back in an almost comical fashion, and additionally also shaking lose a few pinecones, which fell on its head. Aqua would have almost laughed at the sight, if the situation hadn't still been so serious. She used the time the monster spent dazed to attack. By now, Aqua had entered her Spell Weaver style once more. All she needed was to get in some powerful, well-placed hits on this thing and then…
"It's over!" Aqua yelled, tearing her Keyblade above her head. Her radiant aura gathered, exploding into a twister of energy that tore her along, commanded by her will. She dragged the creature in with her, whirling it around and around in the storm of her power, until finally, with a pathetic shriek, it stopped holding on to existence. Aqua watched it burn up in its own flame, just like its 'sister' had, as the last traces of her magic faded from her air, and her aura returned to normal. That was it. She'd destroyed the creatures. The fight was over.
"What were those things…?" Aqua wondered aloud, starring at the spot where the remains of her enemy had just disappeared. A certain sense of melancholy, stemming from the monster's negative aura, still lingered. It made Aqua feel uneasy to know that things like these existed in this world, in their world, and, much worse, what would have happened if somebody without the power to wield a Keyblade had run into them.
Still, those monsters weren't what she'd come here for. Now that the fight was over she was right back where she'd started. She'd hoped that defeating those things would at least give her a hint as to where Vanitas had gone, just some sort of clue, but-
"…Huh?" Aqua stopped herself. On the ground not far from her, something was shining in the light of her Keyblade. She ran and picked the item up. "This…!"
An artfully crafted metal ring, which had the emblem of the Masters attached to it by a silver chain. Even broken as it was, Aqua recognized it easily.
"That's Vanitas' bracelet! So, he was here…"
Here, where the creatures had gathered to assault her. A dark suspicion entered Aqua's mind. If those things had attacked her unprompted, then who is to say they wouldn't have done the same to any other Keyblade Wielders who happened to pass by?
"I need to tell the Master about this!"
Closing her fist around the broken bracelet, Aqua threw her Keyblade to transform it and summon her glider. She had to get back to the castle, as quickly as possible.
Ventus would have been bored if he hadn't been so anxious right now. Aqua left him with more questions than he could even put on a piece of paper. What had she been about to say about Van before she left? Had that stray thought he'd felt been real? Had Van really… left? Even if, that couldn't be what she'd been trying to tell him. She'd looked way too surprised about his words for that. Swinging his wooden Keyblade around while lying flat on his bed, Ventus sighed to himself. Aqua had told him to take it easy, but all this tension was killing him. He couldn't just do nothing! He had no idea what'd happened this morning, or what was going to happen next. Even just trying to think of where to start with unraveling the mess of questions in his head was hard. What should he do? It was then that his eyes wandered to the name carved into the handle of the weapon in his hand.
Terra. Right, Terra always knew what to do! If anyone could walk him through this, it was him. Now, Ventus' memories of what exactly had happened this morning were hazy in parts, but he was pretty sure Terra was the one who stepped when things got out of hand. Maybe he could try and explain everything, and then they could solve it all together! Ah, but for that, he would have to go talk to Terra… Ven frowned to himself. He should stay in bed and take time to heal, Aqua had said, but…
'Oh, she worries too much. I feel fine! I'm sure it can't hurt that much to go check on Terra. I mean, it's just walki-'
"-Ouch!" As soon as Ventus' feet touched the ground he flinched a little. For a moment a sharp pain had jolted through his body, from the soles on, up to his chest. Maybe he'd tried to get up too quickly. It seemed fine now though. Alright then. This was okay. He'd just have to try and walk slowly. No big deal. Not how he usually got around, but beggars can't be choosers, right? …He'd just have to take big steps to get to Terra quickly.
His path first led him to Terra's room on the second floor, the stairs to which were a little more annoying to conquer than Ventus would have hoped. Of course, when Ven then knocked on the door only to receive no answer, he moaned a little. Terra wasn't in there, huh? Where else could he be? Think, Ven, think…
The thrown hall was the first thing that came to him. Right, maybe the Master needed something from Terra. It'd only make sense for Terra to be there if so. Ven ran off- ouch. Okay, he walked off, steadily aiming for the castle's largest hall.
Aqua arrived back at the castle just in time to hear the clock-tower's deepest bell ring. A summon from the Master. Did that mean he and Terra had found Van? Returning her Keyblade from its glider-form to its regular shape, she hurried off into the throne hall.
Ventus was already right at the door to the hall when he heard the bell ring. Great timing! Good thing he'd decided not to stay in bed. If he'd left only now, he'd never have made it in time for whatever meeting it was the Master was calling them in for (and he really didn't like being left out of meetings like these, even if they rarely actually pertained to him or Van, since they were so much younger than the others.) Well, now he was here already. Feeling confident about his choices, Ventus pushed open the door-
"…mustn't let the Darkness have its way with you, Terra."
"I…I understand, Master."
Wait, what was going on there? Terra and the Master were talking, but from the sound of it, it almost seemed as if Master Eraqus was scolding Terra for something. Why? Had something else happened while he was out, Ventus wondered? It felt wrong to just barge in and interrupt the conversation right now, but still, he kept listening.
"The way you acted in the morning was rash and foolish. Had Aqua and I not come, Ventus' wounds might have taken far more of a toll on him. I fully understand why you felt it was necessary to neutralize whatever threat Vanitas was posing at the moment, but your actions were excessive. You let your anger take control of you, Terra. I expected more from you. I know you are capable of more."
"Master…" Terra sighed, his posture slumping. The usually so tall young man looked so much smaller now. "I know I have let you down… And I've let Ven down. But I won't let that happen again. Just let me go on this mission, and I will show how much better I can do!"
"To be frank with you, I was actually going to send Aqua."
"We could both go, right? If we split up, we could cover a lot more ground at once! I-I mean… It is not that I am questioning your decisions, of course. But-"
Ventus had heard enough. He pushed the door open and walked into the room.
"You should let Terra go do it, Master!"
The sound of the young boy's voice caused the two men already in the room to turn for him.
"Ven," Terra said.
Ventus smiled at him, "You'd never let me down, Terra. I don't even know what you two were talking about. I mean, you were the one who saved me this morning, right?"
"Well… I…" Terra didn't seem to quite know what to say to that, yet Ventus still interpreted his answer as a 'yes' somehow.
"See? You're strong and you've been training for ages to get the skills you have now! Whatever kind of job it is the Master has for you guys, I'm sure you can handle it! …Right, Master?"
Expectation in his gaze, Ventus looked at Eraqus. The old Master watched how the boy's eyes sparkled and shone with nothing but pure confidence and trust in his friend. It was enough to make Eraqus sigh. How could he argue with eyes like that? Especially when, if he was truely honest with himself, he agreed with everything Ventus had said. His own faith in Terra was just as great as the boy's. Even so, he couldn't allow himself to be careless. Maybe a compromise could be reached…
"Alright. Terra, you will be accompanying Aqua on this mission. But I expect you to follow any and all guidelines given to you as closely as possible. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Master!" Terra bowed, and Eraqus nodded at him.
"As for you, Ventus," Eraqus' eyes wandered to the younger boy. "You should be resting in your room."
"I heard the bell," Ventus explained.
"That summon was meant for Aqua and Terra. Also, had you really come here just because of it, I would not think it possible for you to arrive here just seconds after the bell's last strike has echoed out. What really brings you here?"
Yikes. Caught red-handed. Ventus pulled his shoulders up, as if to hide his head between them. This was so awkward.
"Well, actually, I'd wanted to ask Terra about some stuff… Ah, but I can wait until after this is finished!" Suddenly remembering what sort of important business it probably was he had barged into here, Ventus bowed deeply before his Master – only to flinch when his ribs started hurting. "Ungh-!"
A surprised Terra hurried to the boy's side and helped him stand steady. "Ven, you should really go back to bed. Your wounds won't heal properly like this."
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
On this, however, Eraqus had to disagree with the boy. "Ventus. This briefing does not pertain to you in any way. Please go rest in my chamber for now. I will help you return to your room after I've discussed everything necessary with Aqua and Terra."
Eraqus' chamber was located very closely to the throne room, meaning that going would spare Ventus of the torture of having to climb the stairs all over again. Ven couldn't deny that that offer sounded quite nice… Even if not getting what he'd come here for still bugged him.
"Terra…" Ven looked at the older boy.
With a smile Terra put a hand on Ven's head and ruffled the boy's hair. "We'll talk as soon as I'm back from the mission. Alright?"
"I guess so… but…"
Ventus couldn't help himself. He was really worried because of the 'thought' he'd had of Van. Where was he? The bell's ringing should have called all of them to the throne hall, but maybe Van had been hurt just as badly as him, and was still sleeping in bed? He wouldn't miss out on a chance to slack off like that, Ven was sure. Anything that didn't have to do with training or fighting, his twin gladly skipped out on whenever he could.
Still, as much as Ventus wanted to believe that that was all that was going on here, he couldn't shake the feeling that things were much worse than that. After all it wasn't only Van who was missing right now. Aqua, too-
-Speak of the devil, there she came. Running up the stairs to represent alongside her fellow students. Her clothes were dirty, Ventus noticed. Had she been out? It looked like she'd been training or fighting. Probably intensely, too. There were ashes in her hair and fringe of the cloth framing her steps looked a little burned. As soon as Aqua joined the group, she took a deep breath to say something, but then her eyes spotted Ven. She aborted the sentence before even starting it, going for something else instead.
"Ven, you're down here…?"
"He was just about to leave," Eraqus explained. Again, his eyes were on Ven, sternly but still warm. "Ventus, please go to my chamber."
"…Yes, Master." Ventus bowed again, this time only a little, so it wouldn't hurt.
Arguing any longer wouldn't do him much good. Ventus knew that. For now, all that he could do was comply… Well, at least to a degree. He walked through the door and closed it behind him, however, he couldn't entirely restrain his curiosity. Being careful not to make any loud sounds, Ven remained standing on the other side of the closed door and pressed his ear against it, trying to listen in on what was being said.
"Aqua, how did you fare in your search?" he heard Eraqus ask. There was a short pause. If Ventus had been able to see into the hall, he'd have known that Aqua was presenting the broken bracelet she'd found to the Master.
Terra gasped. "That's-"
"Master," Aqua started, still a little short of breath. "I found monsters in the woods. I think Vanitas might have been taken by them."
And now it was Ventus' turn to gasp. Monsters? Monsters took his brother away? But, no, that didn't quite make sense. He was sure that thought he'd sensed was willing. Along the lines of 'I have to go.' If Van was kidnapped, then how would that match up? Maybe Ventus had wrong about what those dissociative thoughts were after all? He wasn't sure. It wasn't like he'd ever been sure to begin with. He still had no idea what was happening around him. He kept listening.
"Monsters?" asked Eraqus. "By any chance, did those creatures you speak of carry a powerful charge of negative emotion in them?"
"Y-Yes!" Aqua sounded surprised to hear the Master's question for clarification and soon Terra spoke up.
"Master, do you know what it was that Aqua saw?"
"It is nothing less than the reason I summoned the two of you here. Though, I hoped my suspicions wouldn't turn out to be correct…" Eraqus sighed, shaking his head a little before, glancing at the crystal device on the wall behind him. "A short while ago, I was contacted by 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 a signpost on the road we Wielders of the Keyblade must walk. All the more reason for concern then, as he read the stars' movements and has me told me that in these past few hours, an unusually powerful Darkness has stirred in worlds close to where the Princesses of Heart reside. I originally was going to send you to investigate the source of said threatening presence, but hearing Aqua's account just now, I am afraid we may already have found it."
"So, the monsters Aqua saw are after the Princesses of Heart?" Terra asked.
"Not necessarily, but it is in the nature of Darkness to seek out sources of Light and attempt to extinguish them. And there is no Light more powerful than the Princesses'," Eraqus said, letting his eyes wander off for a moment. "At this point, he may just be hunting Light indifferently…"
"'He', Master?"
Terra's latest question would not receive an answer. Eraqus took a few seconds longer to ponder the situation, before he continued to speak to his pupils, "The creatures Aqua has encountered are probably the same as a species I encountered myself, years ago. In our discussions on the subject, Yen Sid and I have taken to calling them the 'Unversed'. Fledgling emotions, that have taken physical shape. They are created of negativity and feed on it. A threat to the fragile balance of Light and Dark indeed. So here we are. I need you two to get the situation under control. Travel the worlds and, should you find the Unversed, eliminate them. Above all else, however… find Vanitas."
The urgency in Eraqus' voices heightened when he said this, and everyone else shared his tension. Aqua, who felt convinced of her theory that those creatures must have taken the missing boy. Ventus, who was sick with worry after having heard her suggestion. And finally, Terra, whose thought seemed to be different in nature from those of the others' entirely.
"Master, wait. You just told us the Unversed are chasing the hearts of light, right? Then why would they take Vanitas, of all people? Maybe he's still here. The bracelet being where Aqua found it might just have been a coincidence."
Eraqus, however, shook his head, "I also told you that the Unversed feed on Negativity, did I not? No, I am certain. Vanitas is no longer in this land. And I assure you that following the Unversed's trail will doubtlessly lead you to him. As Aqua suspects, they must be connected to his disappearance."
"So, if we follow the Unversed, we'll be able to bring him home," Aqua thought out aloud.
"Indeed," Eraqus nodded. "Once you find him, it is imperative that you bring him back here, immediately and by all means necessary. Regardless of whether he is willing to come."
Eraqus hadn't barely finished that sentence when one of his students spoke up.
"Willing or not…?" Aqua whispered.
"I'll do it."
"Terra…!"
Aqua was surprised by his eagerness. The tone in his voice worried her. Terra, however, just kept talking, his hands slowly curling to fists. "I still have unfinished business with Van. Like, why he attacked Ven, or his reasons for refusing to talk and running away. The longer I think about it, the more it drives me insane. I want to know what is going on in his head."
"You must not let obsession rule your actions, Terra," Eraqus warned.
"Even so, Master. I need to speak to him. I have to know the truth…!"
The truth about the twins. What was really ailing Vanitas and why Ventus had to suffer for it. Aqua could relate very well to what she heard Terra say. Still, unlike her, the thought to just ask their Master about these things didn't seem to occur to Terra. In fact, Aqua felt as if even trying to bring up that possibility right now would be useless. Even if Eraqus were to give them an answer, Terra's expression made it obvious that he probably wouldn't accept anything other than an explanation and apology straight from Vanitas' own mouth. What had happened between him and the twins this morning had clearly left Terra deeply shaken. Aqua, who had only arrived in time to see the fallout, couldn't even begin to imagine what it must have been like to watch Vanitas inflict these grievous wounds on his own brother. She shuddered just considering it.
Still Eraqus seemed able to relate to Terra's sentiment. He put a hand on the young man's shoulder, "Very well, Terra, then I'll task you with retrieving Vanitas. However, remember the importance of this mission. No matter what it takes, you must bring him back to me as soon as possible. I trust you understand that this means you may have to make certain very difficult decisions."
"I do understand, Master." Terra nodded firmly.
"Aqua. Support Terra in his search and clear the worlds of the Unversed's presence wherever you find it. Don't leave any trace of their vile existence behind if you can help it."
"I will, Master."
"And lastly…" Eraqus stepped back from his pupils. He made sure he had both their full attention before he continued to impart his next request on them. "You must know that there are those that will attempt to lead you astray. People who would stop at nothing to tilt the scales of destiny in the favor of Darkness, should it even mean to abuse the power of the Keyblade itself."
"There are… Wielders who would fight on the side of Darkness?" Terra asked. Instead of a response he received a deeply pained look on Eraqus' face and decided that he probably shouldn't ask any further. Terra had never seen his Master looking quite as sad as this. Was the man thinking of and remembering someone specific right now?
"Aqua. And especially you, Terra. Should you cross paths with anyone attempting to sway you with teachings foreign to you, should they even claim to be a Master, do not engage with them! I have taught you all you require to know to fulfill your current task. You mustn't be tricked by those seeking to derail your journey. Have I made myself understood?"
"Yes, Master!" Both replied, stiffly bowing before Eraqus in unison.
It was at this point that Ventus realized that rather soon, somebody was bound to come through the door he was still standing by and decided he'd heard enough. If he hadn't already been worried sick before, now he certainly was. Monsters that were attacking worlds all around them? Vanitas, taken away by those monsters? And Terra was going to bring him back… maybe against his will? …Why? With an unpleasant feeling in his stomach to add to the pain in his bones, Ventus hurried to make his way to the Master's chambers and lie down there. He had to think these things over for a while.
In the meantime, Eraqus handed out a couple of items to Aqua and Terra that they might need on their journey; Firstly, a familiar-looking charm in the shape of the Masters' Emblem. He told them to use chains to attach those marks to Vanitas once they found him, however, he gave no exact explanation as to why exactly this was necessary. A vague 'It will still the threat of the Unversed', as all they received. Aqua found this odd to say the least, but she decided not to speak up. Secondly, Eraqus handed them a notebook with golden lettering on the cover each. 'Report', the volumes were titled.
"Use these books to chronicle the traits and weaknesses of Unversed you encounter, as well as to list any other notable features of the worlds you visit. The pages of these two books are linked. Whatever is written in one will also appear in the other. This way, you will be able to keep another informed of the danger looming ahead. I, myself, am in possession of a third copy of this book right here with me," Eraqus presented the copy in question to his students, and it indeed looked identical. "This way I will be able to follow your progress in culling the Unversed threat as you journey."
Aqua and Terra thanked their Master for these helpful tools and stored them away on their person.
"Now, I have unlocked the Lanes Between. You may use these forbidden pathways to travel between this world and countless others. The Darkness looms closer than usual within these spaces, but your armor will protect you. Finally; Remember that order must be kept. You cannot tell anyone there are other worlds. Now, go and fulfill your duty."
"Yes, Master!"
With this, they were ready to leave. Terra, after professing one more time how he would make sure to not disappoint Eraqus again, ran off to leave the Land of Departure. Aqua was about to follow, when Eraqus put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.
"Wait, Aqua. Before you depart, there are things I must tell you, and only you."
Aqua looked at Master Eraqus, once more finding an expression of deep worry on his face. She did not know what it was that he found so important to tell her while deciding to withhold it from Terra, yet she felt within her heart that it couldn't be anything good.
Ventus had fallen asleep. When he woke up, he was still in the Master's chamber and it was dark outside. He sighed to himself. The Master must not have had the heart to wake him up to go back to his own room. Where was the Master right now? Maybe staying in a guest bedroom or still working in his study. In any case, Aqua and Terra were probably long gone by now. The thought of it unsettled Ventus.
'I fully understand why you felt it was necessary to neutralize whatever threat Vanitas was posing at the moment.'
'I assure you that following the Unversed's trail will doubtlessly lead you to him.'
'It is imperative that you bring him back here, immediately and by all means necessary. Whether or not he is willing to come.'
The things Master Eraqus had said still echoed in Ventus' mind, like a ghostly whisper haunting the night. It all seemed so ominous. As if the Master had been talking about an enemy rather than one of their own. Yes, Vanitas had hurt him, and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to face his brother without feeling seriously scared anytime soon, but there had to be a reason for it all, right? People didn't just suddenly try to do this sort of thing to one another without a reason, did they? (Somewhere deep inside, Ventus felt a stinging as he thought that.) No, something else was going on here. He was sure of it. But, did the others think that way too?
Something came back to Ventus. Terra. It was Terra who went in-between when Vanitas attacked him. When that happened, Terra had pinned Vanitas down, and then- Right. Now he remembered. How angry Terra had looked. How scared he'd been. Vanitas and Terra, they'd both been terrifying in their own ways back then. Vanitas with his uncaring eyes. Terra with his raging eyes.
And now… Terra was going out to find Van…
"If he really finds him…" Ventus thought out loud. "If they fight like that again, one of them might…!"
Ven closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. No, that couldn't happen! He didn't want that to happen! It was wrong, all wrong, they were supposed to be together, be friends, fight for another, not among themselves! But if Terra got to Van before Aqua did, if Terra and Van made each other angry, and then went all out, fighting like enemies, rather than friends, then the result was bound to be awful. Ventus just knew it.
"I can't let that happen!" Ven shook. "I have to do something!"
But how? He was still wounded, tied to bed. Even if he went out now to go after the others, there was no guarantee he'd even be able to use his glider without falling off. Was there really nothing he could do?
It was then that a shine in the corner of his eyes caught Ventus' attention. It was a glimmer he could have sworn wasn't there when he first went to bed in this room. Now, however, there was an item on the nightstand next to him; A small bottle, filled with a golden gleaming liquid. Tied to it with a black ribbon was a tiny slip of paper. 'Panacea',it read. Ventus remembered that word. Aqua had told him about it before.
'This potion is incredibly difficult to make, Ven, but if you can get your hands on it, it's just about the most precious medicine there is. It's said that it can heal almost everything. Sickness, poison, wounds, even bones.'
…That was it! If he took that Panacea, he'd be able to run around and fight again, right? No, what was he thinking. The master had said the mission was for Aqua and Terra only. …But, even so, he couldn't help himself. Hesitation making his hand shake a bit, Ventus carefully picked up the bottle from the nightstand and noticed that something else was written on the other side of the slip of paper tied to it.
'Do you wish to know the truth?' It said.
Ventus gasped a little. The truth? The truth about what…? The writing still continued.
'You will never find it here.'
Somehow, those words resonated with Ven. There was so much he didn't know. Where the others were going, what they were going to see. Where Vanitas had gone, and why. Why he'd sensed his thoughts about leaving. Why Ven had all these weird thoughts to begin with. And how it could be, that any two of the four of them would ever fight like enemies. Those were indeed questions that he would never be able to answer if he just stayed here and did nothing, right?
…Ventus' mind was made up. He uncorked the bottle and downed it in a single, large gulp, not even thinking to test if it wasn't poisoned. To his luck, the contents were true to the label. Immediately Ven could feel the remaining pain in his joints and bones beginning to fade. It wasn't perfect yet, but it would have to do. Terra and Aqua were so far ahead of him already. He couldn't afford to lose any more time. He tucked the bottle away, hurried to put his shoes back on and made for the door.
On the table close to the exit, Ventus found an almost empty notebook lay open. 'Report' it said on the cover. He decided to take it with him. This would be useful in case he needed to make a note of anything important. He would just have to make sure to replace it to the Master later. And apologize. Oh, he'd have so much to apologize for one he came back. Even just sneaking down the hallways as he was right now, trying to get to the front gate unnoticed, he felt guilty. Still, he wasn't going to turn around now. He'd made his decision.
In the dark of night, Ventus swung his Keyblade to open a gate to the Lanes Between that their Master had unlocked, and then, somewhat awkwardly, commanded his Glider to take him through it. Truth be told, he was a little scared. He'd never been away from home before, let away used his Glider to travel to other worlds. It was exciting, but it was also frightening. He had no idea what dangers would await him, but if facing any sort of monsters or evildoers was what it'd take to make sure the others would be coming home safe, he wouldn't hesitate.
Anything to make sure he wouldn't lose any one of them.
Somewhere far away, in the expanse between worlds, a boy was flooded by more emotions than he could bear. Irritation, Frustration, Spite, Shock… Helplessness and Temptation. They flooded back into him and overpowered him, all at once, painfully, together with the image of a young woman standing over him with a cold gaze before she ended it all.
"Aqua…"
Current Status:
Aqua Lv.2
Keychain: Rainfell (Strength +2, Magic +2, Short Reach, Crit-Rate 25%, Damage x1.2)
Equipment: Silken Ribbon (Magic +1), Wayfinder (Enables D-Link)
Command Styles: Spell-Weaver (Magic)
Shotlock: Bubble Blaster Lv.2
D-Links: Terra, Ventus, Vanitas
Terra Lv.1
Keychain: Earthshaker (Strength +3, Magic +1, Short Reach, Crit-Rate 25%, Damage x1.2)
Equipment: Energy Bangle (Defense +1), Wayfinder (Enables D-Link)
Command Styles: Critical Impact (Physical)
Shotlock: Sonic Shadow Lv.1
D-Links: Aqua, Ventus, Vanitas
Ventus Lv.1
Keychain: Wayward Wind (Strength +3, Magic +1, Short Reach, Crit-Rate 50%, Damage x1.35)
Equipment: Element Ring (Magic Defense +1), Wayfinder (Enables D-Link)
Command Styles: Fever Pitch (Physical)
Shotlock: Flame Salvo Lv.1
D-Links: Aqua, Terra, Vanitas
Vanitas Lv.2
Keychain: Void Gear (Strength +2, Magic +1, Medium Reach, Crit-Rate 50%, Damage x1.35)
Equipment: Power Chain (Strength +1), Wayfinder (Enables D-Link)
Command Styles: Mad Rush (Physical), Destrudo (Dark; currently fixed)
Shotlock: Flame Salvo Lv.1
D-Links: Aqua, Terra, Ventus
Unversed Report:
Flood (Defeated: 15 Aqua/ 0 Terra/ 0 Ventus/ 66 Vanitas)
Scrapper (Defeated: 5 Aqua/ 0 Terra/ 0 Ventus/ 40 Vanitas)
Archraven (Defeated: 2 Aqua/ 0 Terra/ 0 Ventus/ 11 Vanitas)
Thornbite (Defeated: 3 Aqua/ 0 Terra/ 0 Ventus/ 7 Vanitas)
Wandering Load
These troublesome two attacked Aqua in the woods outside her home. They may look harmless on first glance, but don't be fooled by their promises of sweet gifts and baked goods: The only thing these enemies are going to share with you if you fall for their act is a world of pain. Thankfully, Aqua managed to defeat these prejudiced tykes in the knick of time before they could burn her at the stake. This is a duo consisting of separate two Unversed. Individually, they are called "Gretel" and "Hänsel".
(Associated Emotion: Helplessness (Gretel), Temptation(Hänsel))
Author's Note:
Wheew, now how to explain this delay...?
First of all, I didn't lie when I said this chapter was already done last time I uploaded. It was. I just hadn't proof-read it yet, and that's where I got stuck with it for the past two months. Life happened. I was dealing with some bureaucratic stuff, helping out some friends and also settling into a new job (love it, got a cool office and all), then I tried to get caught up with my Master's degree studies (I was writing a seminar paper on Gainax Mecha Anime for that.) and some other projects of mine, like my YouTube channel and original writing. Among all of that, uploading chapters for this kind of slipped by the wayside. I actually wanted to have the next chapter done by the time I upload this one, but I'm still stuck on Terra making terrible life choices with that one (spoilers, except not really, because Terra always makes terrible life choices). I'll probably get to finishing that this weekend, hopefully.
In other news, my siblings got me a handmade, sturdy replica of Aqua's Rainfell Keyblade for my birthday! It's so friggin' cool, I could just cry. I wish I could swing it around and do cool stunts, but my room is too narrow... *sigh* Maybe I should sneak out into the garden when I'm sure none of the neighbors are watching.
The Boss Unversed featured in this chapter are based of a fairytale I thought described Vanitas' current state of mind rather well. This fic will have a lot of original Unversed all around, since Vanitas' emotions in this are very different from how they were in the canon timeline. The battle music for Wandering Load is "The Tumbling" from the Birth by Sleep OST.