Chapter 20: Guidance
Draco and Terra leave Dwarf Woodlands and return to the Lanes Between and make their way to find where Yen Sid's whereabouts are and they later find what looks like a giant crooked tower with a wizard's hat and so they decide to land there.
Draco and Terra arrive at a grassy field with the night looking sky with many stars.
"WHOA! This place is sick!" Draco said but Terra shakes his head.
"Draco, keep your enthusiasm at a lower level. Remember, this could be Master Yen Sid's home." Terra said.
Orobu then sees something.
"Huh?" Draco asked as they see two people leaving and one is a black mouse while the other is a black rabbit leaving the tower and in the black mouse's hand is what looks like a Keyblade that's blue with stars shocking Draco and Terra. "Is that what I think it is?" Draco asked.
"A Keyblade?" Terra asked.
The mouse then takes out a star shaped item and holds it into the air.
"Alakazam!" The mouse and the rabbit said at the same time and they both disappear in light.
"What was that?" Draco asked.
"Who knows, but we need to see Master Yen Sid." Terra said.
"Yeah!" Draco said.
(World of Mysterious Tower)
(Field Theme: Magical Mystery)
(Tower Entrance)
Draco and Terra make their way into the tower.
(Yen Sid's Chamber)
Draco and Terra arrive at a chamber and find an elder wizard sitting on a chair with a desk.
"You must be Master Yen Sid. It's an honor to…" Terra was cut off.
"Yo! Good to meetcha!" Draco said but Terra punches Draco's head.
"Draco! Show respect to him!" Terra yelled.
"Now, now. There is no need for this. Draco, Terra, I have been expecting you." Yen Sid said.
"Y-You have…?" Draco asked.
"Then, you know why we're here." Terra said.
"It is the Unversed and the Daraz." Yen Sid said.
"We thought it would be better to seek the counsel of someone wiser than us. By the way, weren't those two your pupils we passed on the way here? One of them had a Keyblade." Terra said.
"I believe you are referring to Mickey, my former apprentice, and Oswald, my new student. Like you two, they both sought guidance here. While Mickey wished to learn the ways of the Keyblade, Oswald is only interested in sorcery. As a king, Mickey is good and kind, but the weight of the crown has not even cured him of impetuousness, and while Oswald keeps a good eye on Mickey, even he acts rash most of the time. They both left with an object of mine, whose powers they do not understand nor how to control. They imagined the Star Shard will be of help on their current quest. Like you two, they are eager to set things right." Yen Sid explained.
"Draco and I have been to other worlds, and as you feared, the Unversed and the Daraz pose serious threats, but now we've learned that a masked boy, a veiled girl, and a demonic monster are controlling the Daraz and the Unversed. Not only that, Master Xehanort and Hazama have disappeared. With all this happening, neither one of us are sure what to make sure of this." Terra said.
"I believe that in order to reveal the truth, you should approach things differently. Consider them one and the same problem." Yen Sid said.
"Huuuuh?" Draco asked confused and Orobu shakes his head at his master.
"You're saying that Master Xehanort, Hazama, the Unversed, and the Daraz are connected somehow?" Terra asked.
"We cannot make assumptions, but finding Master Xehanort and Hazama should provide a good start. Find Xehanort and Hazama, and the truth will come in time." Yen Sid said.
"Thank you, Master Yen Sid." Terra said.
"Yeah. Thanks a bunch!" Draco said as they both leave the chamber.
Draco and Terra leave the Mysterious Tower and return to the Lanes Between and continue on their search.
"Terra. Draco." A voice called.
"Huh?" Draco asked.
"Master Xehanort!" Terra said.
"Terra, Draco, come see me at once." Xehanort said.
Draco and Terra then see what looks like a world that looks like a wasteland and so they go for the wasteland and land there.
(Badlands)
Draco and Terra arrive at the badlands and they find two people on a cliff and those two are Hazama and Xehanort.
"There they are." Draco said.
Draco and Terra land on the cliff in front of the two.
"We've been to other worlds, and seen what you two have done. We just don't understand why." Terra said.
"Oh, dear… I think you have the wrong idea." Hazama said.
"Someone had to safeguard the light…from the demons that are unleashed. Terra, Draco, I am sure you know now about the boy in the mask and the girl in the veil. The masked boy's name is Vanitas and the veiled girl is known as Malicia." Xehanort said.
"Those two are creatures of pure darkness." Hazama said.
"Vanitas was one of my making." Xehanort said.
"You're saying Vanitas came from you, Master Xehanort?" Terra asked.
"He came from Ventus." Xehanort answered shocking Draco and Terra.
"Ven?! No way!" Draco said.
"Yes. Vanitas was the darkness inside your friend. It was an accident. While training with me, Ventus succumbed to the darkness, and there was but one way to save him: Strip that part of him away, and thus Vanitas was made." Xehanort explained.
"Whoa…" Draco said.
"In the process, I damaged Ventus' heart in the horrific way. I did what I felt was right, and left him with Eraqus. I knew the boy could not stay with me, the man, who did him such grievous harm." Xehanort explained.
"Master Xehanort, Ventus has gotten a lot better and stronger since then." Terra said.
"Yeah! Don't blame yourself for tryin' to save him. If anything, you're like a hero." Draco said.
"Well, thank you, lads. You know how to put an old man's heart at ease." Xehanort said.
"But, what about this Malicia? What's her story? Was she made by you too?" Draco asked.
"No. Xehanort had nothing to do with Malicia. She was a creation of darkness, but she came from Astra." Hazama said shocking Draco and Terra again.
"Astri?! Did she succumb to darkness too?" Draco asked.
"Yes. I saw the whole thing. She was all alone, with no one to look after her. I offered her care, but before I could take her in, she had already become possessed by darkness. I have studied a spell to exercise one, who is controlled by darkness, and performed an exorcism spell to strip Astra of her darkness, and Malicia was born." Hazama explained.
"So that's it…" Terra said.
"While Astra was saved, it came at a terrible cost: Her heart was damaged. I could have never forgiven myself on that day. I made the poor innocent girl suffer. Then, someone came, and it was a white cloaked figure, who offered to send her someone else to care for her. I agreed to this, and gave Astra to this stranger, and he promised that the Lord of Light would take better care of her. Better than what I have done." Hazama said.
"C'mon, Hazama, you were tryin' to help Astri. I can't be pissed at you for doin' somethin' good." Draco said.
"Why, thank you, Draco. You really do have a talent to cheer a sad soul up." Hazama said.
"So, that's what it was…" Terra said as he remembers his first time meeting Ven.
Flashback:
In Land of Departure in the castle Terra and Aqua are training but then doors open revealing Xehanort and a depressed looking Ven arriving inside and Eraqus and Xehanort start talking somewhere else leaving Ven alone.
"That boy. Is he okay?" Aqua asked.
"I'll go see." Terra said as he goes downstairs to meet Ven. "My name is Terra. What's yours?" Terra asked.
"…Ventus." Ven answered.
"Whew, you can talk. Aqua, c'mere!" Terra called and Aqua joins in.
"Hi, my name is Aqua." Aqua introduced.
"Terra…Aqua…" Ven said.
"So, you here to train with us? Where are you from? Who was that man with you? You good with the Keyblade?" Terra asked but Ven starts crying in pain while falling to his knees shocking both Terra and Aqua.
"What did you do?!" Eraqus asked shocked while Xehanort rushes to Ven to hold him.
"Nothing. I just asked him some stuff." Terra said.
"Ventus cannot tell you anything because he doesn't remember anything." Eraqus said.
Flashback End.
"And that's why…" Draco said remembering his first time meeting Astra.
Flashback:
In Divine Kingdom at the castle yard Draco and Jin are sparring with each other and they lock Keyblades.
"That all ya got, Jinny?" Draco asked.
"Shut the hell up, you dumbass!" Jin yelled as they keep sparring and Fortitudo watches their spar but then a door opens.
"Now what is it?" Fortitudo asked as he goes inside to find a white cloaked figure and Astra entering the castle. "You. Why are you here? And who this girl?" Fortitudo asked.
"I must speak with you, Milord." The white cloaked figure said.
"Very well." Fortitudo said as they go somewhere leaving Astra alone.
"What's goin' on, and who's that girl?" Draco asked.
"This is none of our concern." Jin said.
"Well, I'm gonna go see if she's okay!" Draco said as he goes to meet with Astra. "Hiya! Name's Draco? What's yours?" Draco asked.
"I'm Astra." Astra introduced.
"Astra, huh? Cute name. Yo, Jin! Get over here!" Draco called making Jin sigh and joins them.
"What's your purpose here?" Jin asked.
"My…purpose…?" Astra asked confused.
"Answer me!" Jin demanded.
"I-I don't know…" Astra said.
"Jin, don't be such an asshole!" Draco yelled.
"My name is Jin. How long will you be staying here?" Jin asked.
"I'm not sure, but it's nice to meet you two, Draco, Jin. I have a feeling we'll be great friends." Astra said.
"So, you here to train with us or something? Also, where'd ya come from? Who was that weird robed guy? Ya got a Keyblade?" Draco asked.
"Um…" Astra hesitates to answer.
"Knock it off! Enough with those damn questions!" Jin yelled.
"Hey, I'm curious!" Draco yelled.
"That's enough." Fortitudo said entering. "Astra, correct? I will show you around the castle. Come." Fortitudo said.
"Bye." Astra said as she joins Fortitudo.
Flashback End.
"Ya know, I never thought about what happened to Ven, until now, but he did seem a little shy… Now I know why." Draco said.
"Yeah. Master. Hazama, are Vanitas and Malicia still free?" Terra asked.
"Ah, yes. Well, I did my best to contain Vanitas the moment he emerged." Xehanort said.
"I also did my best to stop Malicia as she was made, but…" Hazama stops talking.
"They escaped, right?" Draco asked.
"They both escaped, but not alone. They had help from another being of pure darkness." Xehanort said.
"A demonic monster by the name of Demiz, if I recall his name correctly." Hazama said shocking Draco.
"So, that's what that demonic bastard's name is!" Draco said with hatred.
"Both Vanitas and Malicia use the Keyblades to sow seeds of darkness while under the guidance of Demiz, and now you see, the worlds teem with their ghastly underlings." Xehanort said.
"The Daraz!" Draco said.
"The Unversed!" Terra said.
"Vanitas and Malicia have no control over the darkness in their hearts. The Keyblades are theirs to bear. They're both abominations beyond hope and salvation." Xehanort said.
"And what's worse is that Demiz is on their side, meaning the worse has yet to come." Hazama said.
"Lend us your strengths, Terra and Draco. Right this wrong that we have wrought." Xehanort said.
"You bet!" Draco said.
"But we don't even know where to begin." Terra said.
"What I can tell you about Vanitas, Malicia, and Demiz amounts to this: Their darkness is drawn to light, which they seek to disrupt, and then destroy." Xehanort said.
Terra has a vision of Aqua and Ven being brought down by Vanitas and is on the ground face first while Aqua falls back to the ground.
Draco has a vision of Astra and Malicia fighting against each other but Malicia is winning while Jin fights a very powerful being but dies in battle.
"It stands to reason that they will strike next in two cities of light. One is Noble Palace while the other is Radiant Garden." Xehanort said.
"Then, we'll go to those two next!" Draco said.
"Don't worry. We'll take care of Vanitas, Malicia, and Demiz." Terra said as they fly out of the badlands with Hazama and Xehanort watching them leave.
And there's the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one. Well, I hope you enjoyed seeing Draco and Terra again, and sorry this was short, but hope you enjoyed this chapter regardless. Next time, we go back to Astra and Ven and they are confronted by the same two enemies they encountered before, but they get help from two characters. I'll see you in the next chapter! Don't forget to favorite, follow, and review! Take care and bye for now!