"You're Abigail?" Riley asked surprised as the woman in question shook hands with Ben.
"Yes mister Poole I am." Abigail replied as Riley furrowed his brow.
"How did you-""Know your name? I've had to check up on all of Ben's acquaintances and family. Regulations required it." Abigail explained.
"Well I honestly didn't expect anything less." Ben said with a smile.
"So does this mean that we can go on this little treasure hunt?" Aqua asked as Ven noticed the glint in her eye when she said Treasure.
"Certainly." Ben said as Patrick sighed.
"Fine…but go on without me." Patrick said as he headed back up the stairs.
"Dad please." Ben pleaded but to no avail.
"No, I'm not going to be any part of this fool's errand." Patrick said as Terra took a calm breath.
"Who's more foolish, the fool? Or the fool who follows him?" Terra asked as Patrick paused and gave him a confused look as the group vanished in a beam of light.
On the Ragnarok…
Ben, Riley, Abigail, Aerith, and Terra entered a lab that had been set aside for them where another man in a lab coat stood examining the pages of the first Sheppard's Journal through a microscope.
"This is the lab we've been assigned, it's small but it's larger than the one I have back at HQ." Abigail said as the man at the microscope stood up.
"Oh allow me to introduce Ian Howe. One of my co-workers." Abigail said as the man gave a nod and the others gave a nod back.
"So do we know the first clue?" Ben asked as Aerith laid out the second Sheppard's journal on the table and opened it to a certain page.
"I remembered from when I read through it the first time, that there were several pages right in a row that held blanks that didn't make since. But as I looked back, I noticed it referencing things like quote, 'Our greatest failure, that which could undo us all,' and so on and so forth." Aerith explained.
"So it's basically kind of a worksheet where every clue fills in a portion of the blank." Ben said as Aerith shrugged.
"In a sense yes." She replied as she turned the page and pointed to a single line in old Cetra.
"This is the first clue…'Home is the beginning." Aerith said as Ben furrowed his brow.
"That's curious." Ben said as he looked at the page, "Home is the beginning…ok beginning, that's something. Umm. What's the first letter of the Cetra alphabet?"
"Alpha?" Aerith replied as Ben nodded and started walking around the room in thought.
"Alpha…isn't alpha also the Cetra word for beginning?" Ben asked as Aerith nodded in realization.
"So it's telling us where to start so that we're on the right map." Terra said as Aerith nodded.
"Yes…and home is obvious…the same word for home in the Cetra language is the same name as their homeworld." Aerith said as Terra, Ben, Abigail, and Ian froze.
"Wait you mean…The homeworld of the Cetra is where we need to start?" Ben asked as Aerith nodded.
"Yes…we need to go back…to Narnia." Aerith said as Terra walked to an intercom by the door.
"Fuu we have our first heading. Set a course for Narnia." Terra said into the intercom.
"Affirmative Terra." Fuu replied from the Intercom.
"Whoa are we seriously going to the world where the oldest and wisest race in the history in the universe called home?" Riley asked as Aerith nodded.
"Yes and more than that…Alpha has a double meaning." Aerith said as everyone arched their eyebrow.
"Come again?" Ian asked.
"The Temple of Alpha Telmarine." A voice from the doorway said as they turned to see Mune enter, "The first temple built within the kingdom of Telmar."
"And you are?" Ben asked as Mune, Aerith, and Terra smiled.
"This is Mune…believe it or not; he is the last of another great race." Aerith said, "He's the last of the Telmarine people…their prince."
"Not entirely…you forget that I do have a daughter as well as two grandchildren…so I'm not at all the last." Mune added.
"How is that possible?" Ben asked.
"It's a long story…a very long story." Mune replied.
Later…
The Ragnarok dropped out of hyperspace over the previously hidden world shell of Narnia.
"So you left that old robot from Treasure Planet as the tour guide for the exhibit at the museum?" Aqua asked Ben who gave a shrug.
"Yeah well after a few minutes of his constant talking…it got pretty old." Ben said with a sigh.
"I'll bet." Ven said as the Ragnarok passed through the world shell and came down to hover next to the massive castle of Cair Paravel.
"Look at this place. No-one has been here for several millennia." Ben said in awe as the heroes of old just looked at each other and shook their heads.
"Not really." Mune said with a smirk as he and Ven exchanged knowing glances.
"Huh?" Riley asked.
"Later." Ven said as they all vanished in a beam of light to the surface below.
"Oh wow. This place is incredible." Ben said as they looked around. They had appeared inside main hall of the castle.
"Even cooler…my dad designed it." Ven said proudly as Riley, Ben, Abigail and Ian gave him a surprised look.
"Come on. No one has been here from an outside world for several millennia." Ian argued.
"That would be where you are wrong." A deep voice (Like Liam Nissan's) said from out of nowhere. They turned to see a large Lion approaching from near four empty thrones at one end of the room.
"Aslan!" Sora exclaimed as he and the others, except the four treasure hunters, knelt down on one knee.
"Welcome back to Narnia. And welcome home to you Mune son of Miraz." Aslan said with a smile.
"Hail Aslan. Guardian of Narnia." Mune replied as Sora and the other's looked around.
"Hey…where are Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy?" Sora asked as Aslan smiled.
"They are all hunting for a golden stag in the forests in the far east. I knew you were coming and decided to wait for you." Aslan replied as Ben furrowed his brow.
"You…you are Aslan? The legendary guardian of the Cetra homeworld?" Ben asked as Aslan gave a nod.
"Yes Benjamin son of Patrick. You have come seeking the clues that will lead you to Omega. The Final Weapon." Aslan said as Ben nodded.
"Do you know where it is?" Ian asked as Aslan gave him a glare.
"Yes…but it is not my place to say. All truths must be discovered on one's own." Aslan explained.
"Then I suppose we should be on our way." Ven said as he turned to Mune.
"Well…where's the temple?" Ven asked as Mune sighed.
"It's been so long. I doubt that I could recognize it." Mune said as he rubbed his head.
"Then where do we look?" Aqua asked as Aslan passed by.
"Perhaps we should ask the son of the man who built this place." Mune said turning to Ven who sighed.
"I don't know where to look. Dad always locked up his designs in a desk that was destroyed in a fire many years ago. All the designs were lost." Ven replied.
"Your father really designed this place?" Riley asked as Ven nodded.
"My father designed this castle…I can evenly see his handy work in its design." Ven said as Sora furrowed his brow.
"You never have told me what happened to Grandpa…when did he die?" Sora asked.
"I don't know son. He disappeared one day out of the blue. It was shortly after Mom's death. I was nineteen and one day he just puts the house keys into my hands and walks out the door and to…to the basement." Ven said as he realized something.
"Wait a minute. That wardrobe that brought us here initially is in the basement." Kairi said as Ven nodded.
"Does that mean he's here?" Lulu asked as Ven shrugged.
"If he is he's probably ancient." Ven said.
"The builder isn't as old as he may seem." A voice said from nearby as they all turned to see a familiar looking centaur approach from a doorway.
"Oreius!" Kairi exclaimed with a smile on her face as the Centaur approached.
"It's good to see you again old friend." Mune said as Oreius bowed.
"The builder is here. He's made his home here in the castle as the grounds keeper." Oreius said as Ven looked around eagerly.
"My father…is here?" Ven asked as Oreius nodded.
"I shall take you to him." The Centaur said as the group filed in line and headed outside and down a pathway. Oreius led them into a secluded area surrounded by weeping willow trees and one especially large tree in the center.
"He's in there." Oreius said as Ven motioned for everyone to wait. He walked slowly towards the tree's curtain like vines and passed through. Inside he saw the tree was truly enormous for a willow, with what appeared to be an empty stump with the towering tree leaning over towards it slightly. There was a large oval like shape in the side of the tree facing the empty stump.
As he approached the stump he found it wasn't so empty. Lying asleep on the stump was an old man in his late sixties with grayed blond hair and a fairly thin grayed blond beard and moustache. He was wearing a simple white shirt with brown pants and a pair of boots. Ven sighed as he recognized the man's face. It was indeed his father.
"It's impolite to stare at someone you know." Ventus the elder mumbled sleepily, giving Ven a shock.
"Dad?!" Ven asked as the man sat up and scratched his chin as his eyes adjusted.
"You could have woken me sooner. I thought your mother was supposed to wake me up. Damn alarm clock must have broke and forgotten to wake her up too." Ventus mumbled as Ven sighed in painful realization. His father had lost his mind.
"Uh dad?" Ven said as Ventus looked around confused.
"Now how did I get out here? Eh…I must have fallen asleep while taking a walk." Ventus shrugged as he climbed up on his feet and leapt energetically down off the stump.
"Mune!" Ven beaconed as Mune scrambled inside with a worried look on his face.
"Ah! Mune my boy! How's your father? Doing well I hope." Ventus said happily as Mune grimaced as he realized Ven's reason for calling him.
"Give me a second." Mune said as he smiled and opened his arms wide.
"Uncle Venny sir!" Mune exclaimed and embraced the elder man who hugged him back. All the while Mune placed his hand on the back of the elder's head as a surge of energy rushed through. Instantly the elder Ventus groaned.
"Son of a…what the heck was that?!" Ventus asked bewildered as he looked around and went wide eyed in realization, "Ooh…Wait…I know this place…it's the place I came during my youth…yes I'm sure of it."
"Nice work Mune." Ven said as Mune shrugged.
"You could have done it yourself." Mune said quietly into his ear as he passed.
"Ven? How…how did you get here?" Ventus asked.
"Do you even know what year it is dad?" Ven asked as the elder furrowed his brow and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Well…let me ask you this…how old are you?" Ventus asked as Ven shrugged.
"Try forty seven dad." Ven said as the elder slapped himself across the face.
"That makes me…oh hells bells I'm sixty seven!" Ventus grumbled, "But that still doesn't answer how you got here."
"It's a long story dad. My life's changed a lot since then." Ven said as Ventus nodded and rubbed his forehead.
"Right you're engaged to that girl who came from the stars right?" Ventus asked.
"Dad that was twenty eight years ago. I've been married for that long and I've got grandkids now." Ven said as Ventus blinked.
"Grandkids?!" Ventus asked surprised as Ven nodded.
"Well I'll be…How many kids you got?" Ventus asked as Ven sighed.
"I'll go one better…you wanna meet em?" He asked as the elder smiled like a child at Christmas.
"You bet your bum I do!" Ventus said as Ven reached to part the leaves but they parted themselves. Ven looked at the leaves curiously for a moment before giving a shrug and walking on out to where the rest of the group stood waiting.
After a while of introductions and explaining his life for the past forty eight years, most of which was obscured due to his years of senility, they finally got back to business.
"I can't quite seem to figure out why you guys are here though? I have the ominous feeling that it's not because of me." Ventus said as Ven nodded.
"Well…you may or may not know about this but…have you ever heard of something called Omega?" Ven asked as Ventus quickly backhanded him.
"DON'T SAY THAT NAME!!!" Ventus shouted in fear, "Anyone who even mentions that could call doom about us all!"
"Look Mr. V, its imperative we find it…otherwise the Calamities may find it." Aqua said as Ventus sighed and Lulu pulled her husband off the ground.
"Then you don't have to look any further than Narnia. The second clue you're probably looking for, judging by the fact that the Cetra woman is holding the Sheppard's journal, is in the ruins of where Digory and I found Mune here." Ventus said as everyone looked at him eagerly.
"And that would be?" Aerith asked as Ventus sighed and crossed his arms.
"It's where I'll take you in a minute…but for now be patient. I'm old and not as spry as I once was." Ventus said as he turned back and entered the curtain like leaves of the Weeping willow tree.
"Boy is he grumpy." Aqua said as Ven rubbed his cheek where a red hand print was.
"No…I think he knows more than what he's telling us. Believe it or not. I think he knows where it is." Ven said as he leaned in close towards the tree to listen.
"He's just senile again. How could he know anything?" Ian asked as Ven glared at him.
"You don't know him like I do. Dad was a mathematics teacher and a damn good one too. His mind is a lot sharper than you would think." Ven said as Aerith shushed the group.
"You hear that?" Aerith said as Ven leaned in close to the curtain.
Inside he heard his father saying something.
"You were there to tell me what to do the last time…please grant me this one last time to look upon your face." Ventus said as a gust of wind picked up.
The group froze as they heard a woman's voice singing amongst the wind.
"Ay ay ay ya
Ay ay ya"
They then heard an older feminine voice sing from within the willow leaves…
"Que que na-to-ra
You will understand
Listen with your heart
You will understand."
Ven looked inside and paled as he saw where the empty oval shape on the tree was, was a moving and distinguishable face of an old woman.
"Let it break upon you
Like a wave upon the sand
Listen with your heart
You will understand"
Then the voice in the wind finished…
"You will understand."
Ventus seemed relieved and at peace as he saw the tree's face appear.
"Grandmother Willow…It is good to see your smiling face again." Ventus said as Ven watched silently.
"Hello Ventus…it's been a long time hasn't it?" the tree said with a smile and the voice of an older woman.
"Too long. I seek your guidance again. I need to know…do I tell my son what I know?" Ventus asked as Willow smiled.
"You know my answer…" Willow said with a smile as Ventus answered for her.
"Listen with my heart." Ventus said as he closed his eyes as a bunch of multicolored leaves swirled around him as Grandmother Willow sang softly.
"Que que na-to-ra
You will understand
Listen with your heart
You will understand
Let it break upon you
Like a wave upon the sand
Listen with your heart
You will understand."
Finally Ventus opened his eyes and nodded.
"I know my answer."
End Chapter 35
Grandmother Willow is from Disney's Pocahontas. As is the song above called "Listen with your Heart."
Ventus the elder won't be a permanent party member.
I added him because I had never explained in detail what had happened to him before. So I created this chapter.