Chapter 14: Xehanort's Ambitions
Terra and Gaia began flying through the Lanes of Between when they saw a light floating through the sky. They both looked at it curiously and Terra zoomed in to get a closer look at it. Gaia held onto Terra as he began going faster. A wave of nausea passed through her but she managed to hold back her lunch as Terra flew the glider.
"That light," breathed Terra as he stared at it. "Is it Ven?"
"I dunno," replied Gaia in a dazed voice, feeling a little airsick.
"Master Terra," Terra heard Xehanort's voice in his mind. "Find me. We must speak at once."
"Master Xehanort," whispered Terra, speeding off in the direction they came from. "Hold on tight, Gaia, darling."
She held on tight and rested her head on Terra's back, feeling her stomach somersaulting. They flew back to the dusty wastelands Xehanort was the first time they discussed Ventus. This time, they didn't land to talk to the old man.
"Master Xehanort, you wished to see us?" asked Terra anxiously, halting in the air near the old man.
"There is no time to lose," breathed Xehanort quickly. "I've terrible news. Ventus has stumbled upon the secrets of his origins."
"Ven!" cried both Terra and Gaia anxiously, feeling their hearts sink in dismay.
"We just saw him; he passed right in front of us," replied Terra respectfully.
"What happened?" demanded Gaia more sharply than she intended.
"Ventus is on his way home," explained Xehanort nervously. "If you could have seen the fury in his eyes…I'm certain he's capable of anything. I fear the boy might attempt to force the truth out of Eraqus. Master Terra, you and Gaia must hurry back to see to your friend's safety."
"Of course," replied Terra hastily. "Gaia, hold on."
He sped off, leaving the old Master behind to hurry to Land of Departure. Terra made the glider go down to the castle of their home. Gaia let out a scream as he hurried the glider up like a roller coaster. Eraqus had Ven at Keyblade-point. The boy was backing up like he was trying to escape from the master.
"…But you must exist no more!" cried the Master in a voice full of iron. He released a wave at Ven, but Terra and Gaia jumped off to deflect the blow.
"Ven!" they cried, landing in front of the boy protectively.
"What?" demanded Erqaus angrily, gazing furiously at the two in front of him.
"Master," shouted Terra in a tone full of fury, "have you gone mad!"
"Terra, I warn you, step aside!" ordered Eraqus firmly, not relaxing his stance towards his pupil.
"No!" shouted Terra, shaking his head stubbornly, as angry fire burned his blue eyes.
"You won't obey your master?" demanded Eraqus incredulously, looking even more mad.
"I won't!" he cried angrily, getting Gaia and Ven behind him protectively.
"Why must all my attempts to reach you fail?" cried the master. "If you don't have it your heart to obey, then you two must share Ventus's fate." A tear went down the man's face and he stared at the kids with a look of pain on his scarred face. Suddenly, he lunged at Terra and began fighting him.
"Enough, Terra!" cried Ven tearfully, sitting on his knees helplessly. "He's right!"
"Quiet!" Terra shouted to Ven as he kept fighting against the master.
"Terra…" Ven wasn't able to finish his sentence because he, Terra, and Gaia were thrown back by a force wave produced by Eraqus.
They all cried out as they landed to the ground but Terra managed to land on his feet. He grabbed Ven and Gaia off of the ground and looked at Eraqus, who was preparing to lunge at Terra. Terra gave his master an angry look and darkness flared up around his form.
"You may be my master," growled Terra darkly, "but, I will not…let you hurt my friends!"
"Has the darkness taken you, Terra!" demanded Eraqus furiously, brandishing his Keyblade at the pupil he regarded as a son.
Terra opened a portal to the Lanes of Between and threw Ven in. Then, he looked at Gaia fiercely but she stood her ground, not budging an inch.
"Get in there!" he commanded her angrily, nodding towards the portal.
"No!" cried Gaia angrily with a shake of her head. "I'm not going anywhere without you!"
Terra gave her a helpless look and began fighting his master. Gaia watched with tears in her eyes. If she could throw herself in between she would. The tears that welled up in her eyes finally ran down her cheeks and she began sobbing as she watched the master and pupil fight each other. This has to stop now…she was thinking and, before she could stop herself, she jumped in the middle and held her arms up in an attempt to keep them from fighting.
"Stop it, you two!" she cried desperately, sobbing brokenly. "Terra, please, don't do this! You're breaking my heart!"
A look of guilt entered in Terra's eyes but he stood his ground and kept his Keyblade aimed at the master.
"Gaia," growled Eraqus, grabbing her arm with his free hand, "step aside."
"No!" she wept brokenly as she trembled. "I can't let you do this, Eraqus!"
Eraqus ignored her and roughly threw her aside before he continued his fight with Terra.
Gaia was on her knees and she watched the battle helplessly
"Stop it, please!" she cried desperately, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Enough!"
It was as if they didn't hear her because they kept fighting. Anxiety clenched her insides and felt as if she would be sick. It had to stop soon. They wouldn't fight forever, would they? She couldn't bear to watch the fall between a master and student. It was so painful to watch.
After the dust settled, Terra's Keyblade disappeared and he began inching towards Eraqus, looking extremely guilty and upset. The master was panting heavily as he clutched at his chest and Gaia knew it was over. Eraqus was so pale and he could barely stand his own weight but he kept himself up by sheer will.
"What have I done, Master?" cried Terra in a broken voice as he walked towards the master. "I just wanted to Ven and Gaia safe."
"No," breathed Eraqus, shaking his head, "you were right. I failed you, Terra. Perhaps I've no one else to blame but myself for the darkness inside you. And now I've done worse. Raised my Keyblade against you, Ventus, and Gaia. My own heart is darkness." Eraqus suddenly stopped short and slumped forward. Terra tried to catch him but the master disappeared into the light before he could so he ended up falling on his knees.
"No!" Gaia cried in a broken voice, feeling her knees get shaky with her sobs. "Eraqus, no!"
Terra dropped to his knees and began to weep over the master he regarded as a father. "Master Eraqus." His body began to quake with sobs and he wept like his heart was broken. Gaia got to her knees, wrapped her arms around him, and held him tight. He buried his face into her chest and wept into her shirtfront. Tears trickled from her eyes and they dropped into Terra's hair.
"What a sight," snorted Xehanort, standing over them. "Why do you trouble yourself with remorse, Master Terra? The man was bent on doing harm to your friend, his own pupil!"
"Master Xehanort, why!" cried Terra tearfully, looking up at him reproachfully.
"You know," remarked Xehanort like Terra said nothing at all, "at times I find your progress quite striking. But you still fall short. Let all the anger out, my boy! Give your heart over to darkness!"
"What do you mean?" demanded Terra harshly, getting to his feet with Gaia next to him.
"Still so blind," remarked Xehanort like he was laughing at their pain. "Then I will make you see. Come to the place where all Keyblade wielders leave their mark on fate—the Keyblade Graveyard! There you will watch your dear Gaia, Ventus, and Aqua meet their ends, and the last light within you will die!"
He shot a black hole up in the air that began leveling the area. The place was in ruins. The castle began falling apart and the land was stripped away. The sky was as black as night and rubble rushed around like a mini tornado was let loose. The only part of the castle that remained was the main hall where Terra and Aqua had their Mark of Mastery. Every other part of the castle disappeared into the darkness that Xehanort unleashed. All the memories and good times washed away when the castle disappeared.
"You need a home where you two are going!" Xehanort shouted over the destruction with a satisfied look on his face.
"What!" demanded Terra, grabbing Gaia to him so she wouldn't get hurt. "Xehanort!"
The man ignored and disappeared in a black corridor that he summoned.
The couple held each other and began crying softly as they watched the land contract and purge ferociously. "Ven, Aqua," said Terra, holding his charm. "I won't let him hurt you! Gaia," he now spoke to the shell-shocked girl, "he won't get away with this! I won't let him lay a hand on you!"
"I know you won't!" she shouted in response, holding onto him tightly.
The two activated their armor and got out of there as fast as they could. They had to stop Xehanort once and for all…in the Keyblade Graveyard.