::35::Ventus:: The Whirlwind Lancer::

This way, Ventus.

I had been running for a while in the darkness, so long that I had almost forgotten about…my own existence, and somehow, for a split moment, I felt as though I wasn't the only one thinking this way. The corner of my lips came out grinning once I saw a faint light in the far distance.

"I'm almost there, Namine!" I called out.

Be careful.

The voice seemingly vanished, and nothing was left.

"Hey!" I stopped to a sudden halt. My heart began to throb heavily as I was left on my own, staring at a ball of light. "…What do I do now?"

The Voice just up and left me. I thought, feeling rather uneasy all of a sudden. Some…kind of danger?

"Danger or no danger…" I bit my bottom lip. "I need to help make things right!"

I sucked in a huge, deep breath and grabbed the ball of light.

"Take me to Namine!" I yelled out. "Please!"

With that being said, I threw myself to the Light, embracing its gentle warmth with both arms, and the light nearly blinded my eyes as I closed them.

There was silence, and when I opened my eyes, I was floating in the air. Once I had regained conscious, I was dropped almost carelessly and landed on my feet at the nick of time. I held onto the Keyblade in one hand, searching about the mysterious white room I was placed into. The portal in which the Voice had provided me with…led to here.

It was quiet…a bit too quiet.

Then, there before me, stood a beautiful angel. Her soft blue eyes reflected back my shock, quickly filling up with hot tears. She dropped the sketchbook and several crayons to the floor.

"N-Namine!" I exclaimed. "You're okay!"

"…Ven?" she whispered.

"Oh, this?" I tugged at my brother's vest. "Yeah, Roxas and I decided to trade clothes, so we can throw them off for a while!" I stepped forward. "Come, let's get away from this place!"

But once I reached out for her, the blonde coiled back with hesitance.

"?" I opened my mouth. "What's wrong…Namine? I came to help you!"

"I…I can't…" Namine said, looking down. "I can't…leave this place, Ven."

"Did they threaten you?" I asked. "If they did, it's okay! We'll protect you! Promise." Her strange behavior was beginning to worry me even more, causing more anxiety than ever before. "Hurry, let's go."

I held out my hand for her again; however, she only pulled away even more, widening the already-huge gap between us two. My heart sank. I swallowed, being given the reminder of our relationship compared to hers with Roxas.

Maybe…it's because she wanted Roxas to come rescue her. I thought. Not me…

Still, I tried to keep a smile on, holding my hand out once more.

"Ven…did you notice the shift in Time and Space in the Present plane of which you left for the longest while?"

I blinked. "What?"

"…Your friends, Roxas, and everyone else are in grave danger right now." she continued, softly. "You need to go back and rescue them—instead of me."

"I can't go back without you." I said, firmly. "I won't."

"When you were warped along with Aqua and Terra, the Present plane's time frame froze." said the girl. "I advise you to go back and join Roxas and the others in the Past plane and find a way to stop the Organization—before that time frame is up."

! I clenched my teeth together.

"But you're the thread that binds the Organization's plans together!" I cried out. "How can we just abandon you here, knowing that we may lose you at any given time at all?!"

The girl tore her eyes away from mine, with her fingers clawing at the white dress.

"We may not have much time to fix things, but we don't have time to lose you either!" I stammered. "Just come back with me, and I can reassure you that everything will get better—as long…" My voice nearly cracked. "As long as you're with Roxas and everyone else, I can promise you that much!"

Then, for a second, I could have sworn that a light flickered on in her bright sky-blue eyes when I said that one name. The one name that managed to waver her heart a little, even by a stir—I knew it did something. She met my eyes hard, and it was there when she knew what I saw—the grief and sorrow embedded in them, threatening to devour her whole. The guilt. The truth.

"…You're more important to him than anyone else in all Worlds." I said.

"…I'm glad."

I exhaled a deep breath. "Well, then." I held my hand out for her in a dramatic gesture and chuckled. "Princess Namine, would you allow me to take you home…to your Prince Charming?"

I honestly thought…that were such things.

Little by little, the small girl began to approach me, with her hand reaching out for my fingers—ready to take on the warmth, ready to take on the only request I wanted to fulfill from my own behalf…as well as my friends'.

Almost there… I thought. Almost…

"Are they empty vessels devoid of hearts?"

The sudden, deep voice startled me—and we tore back our hands—with five vicious lances piercing into our direction.

"!" I was cut off breath, quickly wielding the Keyblade. "Xaldin?!"

"Ah, I see that you recognize Xaldin, the Whirlwind Lancer!" He sneered down, and before I knew it, the older man had a lance right under my chin, the sharp edge nearly cutting into the skin. I swallowed, silently cursing myself for letting down my guard. "You might have heard much about me from your Master, but I have known you since forever…Ventus."

A cold chill shot up my spine. I turned around, elbowed him hard in the stomach, and ran away from him as he winced at the pinching pain.

Xaldin glowered at me, with long, dark bangs falling over both sides of his forehead. His eyes shifted over to the small girl, and as the man turned sharply into her way, his long ponytail whipped around to the side as well. From the side, I saw that he too had long, dark sideburns and thick eyebrows. His wide shoulders immediately forewarned great strength as I was small compared to him.

"Namine, what are you doing?" Xaldin asked, with dark eyes piercing her.

The man then summoned back his lances—two being carried with his left arm, one with his right hand, and the three floating around himself.

I stood in front of Namine, tightening the grip on the Keyblade. We were about ten feet away from him, and for every step he took forward in the familiar black trench-coat, we inched back.

"I won't let you guys keep her!" I yelled out. "I'm taking her with me!"

"Is that so?" Xaldin sneered darkly upon us. "Then, let the battle begin!"

Suddenly, to my surprise, wind began to sweep through the windows of the room, causing the curtains to fly everywhere. My heart tightened with fear as the air whipped their way around Xaldin and his lances. He laughed at my dreaded expression and just before I could move, the man was already running into our direction—fast as the wind itself and with swift, clean motion.

"Get away from here!" I yelled, and Namine quickly went for the door.

At the nick of time, I managed to lock the Keyblade against the first lance and ultimately, deflected it against the other four. I knew there were six in total, and I quickly coiled back, being nearly out of breath—wondering where the last one went.

"Over here!" Xaldin laughed, and feeling the hair stand on at my neck's back, I turned around to block his final hit. "Ah, good block!"

"!" My breath was nearly cut off when he threw my Keyblade off path with the weapon, then, summoning another lance at his left, he bashed the pair against my chest. It knocked me back across the white, cold floor until I slammed into the wall, which stood at the opposite side of the room. "Augh!"

"Ventus!" Namine cried out.

She then sketched into her notebook with a crayon. One moment I was lying on the floor, the other—I was already on my feet and just as I began to charge into Xaldin's way, a huge creature—a Moogle, if you will—exploded from nowhere and shoved Xaldin off his feet.

"Don't you hurt Ven!" yelled the girl.

"You two are playing dirty!" the man muttered.

All six lances tore through the stuffed Moogle toy, which surprised both of us, and while the white cotton fell to the floor, I quickly lunged myself toward Xaldin. I slammed the weapon against his right shoulder, and he grabbed hold of the Keyblade—pulling me toward him. I clenched my teeth, attempting to use that force against Xaldin—hoping to tear the Keyblade away by slamming it against his shoulder again. Before I could, the man had already warped five lances to his right.

"Damn!" I cursed softly.

Xaldin was much stronger than me in physical strength, and I knew that as compared to battling Terra, he was also much more powerful with attacks and faster. Then, to my shock, several wind blades swept off my balance and I was being carried back across the room, without the Keyblade.

"!" My head collided with the floor once more, and because I was dropped from a fifteen-feet height, my vision quickly blurred and voices began to fade out.

"Already defeated?" asked Xaldin.

Not a moment was wasted when I summoned back the Keyblade into my right hand, and I struggled to return onto my feet. I nearly fell over, feeling rather dizzy from the fall.

"If it's not over yet," the man continued, "then, let's keep fighting—to the death!"

And then…everything began to shift.

I held my breath, unable to think clearly.

Images, faded ones, began to flood my mind.

I fell down to one knee, using the Keyblade for support—to keep me up still.

"What's going on?" Xaldin asked.

"What did you mean about Terra being a different person?" I asked.

Vanitas sneered. "Exactly what I said, idiot. The Terra you know will be gone forever."

The sinister boy brandished his Keyblade toward me.

"A Keyblade?" I gritted my teeth.

"Good." Vanitas said, loudly. "Let's see what you're made of."

I didn't understand what was going on.

"It happened when you and I were split into two." said the shadow boy. "The negativity took shape as these monsters. They are what I feel."

I was already on the floor, unable to hold onto the weapon.

"…The X-Blade is made from your heart too, idiot. If you destroy it, your heart will vanish forever."

All six lances were driven toward my vulnerable figure, and as my hand trembled, I slowly reached out the Keyblade once more.

"…Somewhere out there, there's this tree with star-shaped fruit." Aqua explained. "And the fruit represents an unbreakable connection. So, as long as you and your friends carry good luck charms shaped like it, nothing can ever drive you apart."

The blue-haired teenager tossed me an emerald-painted star-charm and Terra an orange one.

"You'll always find your way back to each other. An unbreakable…"

I cursed to myself, dragging my entire body into a standing position—ready to fight.

"An…unbreakable connection." I whispered.

In a flash of motion, I charged forward—as all six weapons collided against my force.

And in the distance, I heard her voice, "VENTUUUS!"

I honestly thought there were such things.

An unbreakable connection.

To always find my way back...