For the first time since his adventure started, Sora felt fear.
Now, he had been afraid before. When the islands were lost to the darkness the first time, when Riku turned to the darkness, when he Kairi was kidnapped by Axel, when Goofy… there were multiple stances when Sora was afraid.
The point here is that, on each of those moments, he was afraid for others. For their safety, for their whereabouts, but never for himself.
That is, until now.
"H-hey, let me go! You said it yourself, you work for the light! Well, so do I, I'm the-"
"Boy who wields the keyblade… one of seven walkers of the light, I know."
The voice was kind, warm, and even a little innocent, and Sora thought he was a good guy, but now he was trapped, and without a way to fight back.
"Then let me go!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that… I am aware of the danger that is looming over us at the moment, the sleeping worlds have been directly compromised because of that man."
There was a tint of sadness, and a downcast expression on the face of the other guy, as if talking about Xehanort pained him.
"Then you must know that he needs to be stopped! Let me go!"
The man eyed him for a moment, his gaze intense under the bangs of blue hair framing his face, and the scar on one of his eyes gave his a look of wisdom…
"I sense something inside you… almost… familiar…" then he shook his head "I am sorry, the time I have spent locked away in this echo of my old home has only eaten away memories I'm sure were once important."
Sora was about to speak again, but was silenced when the white-robbed man extended his hand and, in a flash of light, a keyblade appeared.
"I can only recall that Xehanort must be stopped at any cost, and I could feel him following you throughthis void of sleeping worlds, then you just… vanished. I don't know why he was after you, but you must posses something he wants."
Then he pointed the keyblade at him.
"N-no! Please, my friends… we are working to stop him! You can't kill me!"
The man lowered his keyblade and gave him a curious look.
"I don't intend on harming you" he said confused "but I need someone to help me fight against him. I can't leave this limbo until this world is released from the sleeping worlds, but you on the other hand… you can enter and leave this plane at will, and that can be useful, indeed."
"I can unlock this world then! I have done that before!"
"I'm afraid you won't be able to do it. A boy has to free this world, true, but it is not you."
The keyblade was once again pointed at him, and it started to glow this time.
"What are you going to do?!"
"Like I said, you have something that Xehanort wants, so I will have it first. I will have to erase your memories though."
Sora's blood froze.
"Why? I can help! You don't need to do that!"
"What I have in mind… it may break the rules between worlds, but in desperate times, desperate meassures. Besides, you may be willing to cooperate, but not everyone you know may be so willingly ready. Don't worry, it won't hurt, and it won't be permanent. Once Xehanort is defeated I will restore your memories, and all this will be like it never happened."
Sora was ready to say something else, anything, to stop this man, but as the light from the keyblade became brighter he slowly felt the worry, the fear, everything, fade away.
Why was he afraid in the first place?
Oh, true, his homeland had fallen to the darkness, but somehow ended in the sleeping worlds.
Why was he worried?
His master… he had been looking for him too, because they had to stop Xehanort, but his master had been lost along with his homeworld.
With the help of the keyblade he had traveled through many worlds, searching for him, and now they could find a way to fight against Xehanort.
Right?
Chains made of light faded from his wrists and legs, and the keyblade lying on the floor faded, but he didn't noticed it, his brain still reconnecting all that had happened, and how he made it here.
It was a bit fuzzy still, but he guessed it was because of the sudden black out he had.
Why he had a black out?
"I see you finally regained consciousness, student."
"Hehehe, sorry master" he answered sheepishly, a hand scratching the back of his head.
"Don't worry" he said with a kind smile "We are still on time to prepare for the comming fight."
He just nodded as he rose from the ground.
"What I will ask of you might go against what I once taught you, but the dire circumstances are forcing my hand. You are to leave this world-"
"But master! I've just arrived! We still need to leave and unlock our world from the sleeping plane!"
"I understand your worry" his master answered while ruffling his hair "but sadly that has become of lesser priority. I hope you can understand."
He looked downcast, but, even if reluctantly, nodded.
"Good. Now, what I need from you… damn you Xehanort for forcing my hand" he was surprised, his master never cursed "you have to go to other worlds, foreign worlds, and gather a group of people who's light can help us fight against the darkness that looms on the horizon."
He was speechless.
"B-but master… the world order…"
His master kneeled before him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I know I ask a lot from you, but our options are short, and I doubt there is much else left for us to do."
His eyes filled with determination, he nodded and gave him a confident smirk.
"Don't worry master, I've got this."
"Before you leave, there is something I think you have finally earned."
Pointing his keyblade to the sky, master started muttering words, and an orb of light started to grow and grow, and after some more seconds he lowered the keyblade and the orb of light flew towards him.
At first he felt nothing, but then some extra weight was placed on his shoulder.
"This gift will follow you beyond the sleeping worlds, and will help you fight back the darkness that will threaten you between the worlds… this gift marks a new stage on your journey, for it is a sign that you no longer hold the title of student, but that now you are my equal. Now rise Master…"
Master… he was finally a keyblade master… true! His master always called him just student, so he didn't really knew his name, right?
He was about to say Sora, but then his mouth moved on its own.
"My name is Ventus, but evwryone call me Ven."
That was his name? Well, it has to be, right?
"Very well Master Ventus, you may call me Master Eraqus."
Ventus couldn't contain his joy, he was finally a Master of the keyblade! Master Eraqus had deemed him worthy of the honor!
"Don't worry Master Eraqus, I will not fail you!" And on instinct he slammed the gold and silver pauldron on his shoulder, encasing him on a golden and silver keyblade armor, and threw his keyblade to the air, transforming it on his glider.
With a final wave he was gone, ready to acomplish his mision.
Back on ground, Eraqus' happy face fell, and a sigh escaped his lips.
"I hope you can forgive me boy, I know it's not fair for you, and your memories showed me how much you went through, and even if you do deserve to become a master this was not the way, but this is for the greater good…"