After his conversation with Terra, Ventus returned to his room feeling a heart-churning sense of dread. Ven laid down on his bed, cuddling Mizz Piggy. "I have this terrible feeling in my chest," he told his doll. He shut his eyes and breathed quick, shallow breaths. "I'm panicking. My heart won't stop racing. Something bad is going to happen. Something like, really, really bad is going to happen."
"You're right," said a boy's voice.
"Mizz Piggy!?" Ven exclaimed, opening his eyes.
"No, you idiot," the voice said again. Ven turned his head to see a teenage boy, perhaps his age, clad in a red-and-black bodysuit, complete with a red-and-black grass skirt and knee-high leather boots. He wore a black, helmet-like mask over his face, shielding his identity. Ven sat up. Ven rubbed his eyes. Ven stared at the armored boy. "Are you seeing this too, Mizz Piggy?"
The masked boy got angry. "It's a fucking doll, you piece of shit! Stop talking to it!"
Ven laid his head down. "I must be dreaming again," he tried to convince himself. "Haha. Or I'm going insane. I'm hallucinating."
The masked boy leaned against Ven's desk. "You're such a fucking idiot, Ventus."
Ven tried to ignore the guy by turning his head toward his window. "Just ignore it Ven. Look at the clouds. What a beautiful day."
"Fine, ignore me. That's exactly what Terra will do to you when you beg him not to leave."
Ven tried not to listen. He told himself, "Don't pay it any attention Ven. You know that Terra will eventually leave. He'll still be your friend even if he does."
"No he won't. He'll go away forever. He'll forget all about you, Ven. He's going to cut off all ties with you."
Ven struggled not to listen.
"And he's going to take Aqua with him." A slight pause to chuckle. "Dead or alive."
Ven summoned his keyblade and jumped out of bed. "Shut up! Shut up! You're a figment of my imagination! Shut up!"
"Can't say I didn't warn ya~!" mused the red-and-black boy as he walked through a portal of darkness.
Ven sat down on his bed again. "I'm going crazy, Mizz Piggy," Ven told his doll. His heart was tap-dancing in his chest. "First that dream, then Terra goes berserk, and now I'm seeing and hearing things."
Mizz Piggy couldn't reply. She is, in fact, a doll. Frustrated, Ven threw her against the wall. "Why am I talking to you?!" he shouted. He plopped down on his bed once more. "But who else can I talk to? Aqua's frustrated. Terra's being a jerk. Master Eraqus doesn't say anything useful..." He sighed and picked up the doll. "If not for you, I'd be all alone again. I don't want to be alone…"
If only Mizz Piggy could speak.
"You're right, I'm not alone." He reached into his inventory and pulled out his Wayfinder. "An unbreakable connection, right Mizz Piggy? Terra, Aqua and I have a bond that can't be broken, no matter what." He draped the pendant around Miss Piggy's neck and hugged his doll close to his chest. "So when I hug you like this, maybe I'm hugging Terra and Aqua."
He stood like that for a little while.
"Come on Miss Piggy, let's just walk around for a little bit to clear our minds."
Around that same time, Aqua searched around the palace. Finally, she saw Terra sitting on the staircase leading down to the courtyard. He looked defeated, as if he had been the one injured yesterday. Aqua took a moment to think about what she would say. Perhaps she should start by asking him why he had attacked her? No, maybe it would be best to tell him that she was okay and she simply wanted to hear an apology? Or maybe it would be better to sit beside him and be quiet until he spoke up?
She took a deep breath. "Terra?" she called out. She took a few steps closer to him. "Terra, we should talk." She attempted to sit beside him. He stood up and backed away, as if she was a threat to him. "Back off," he demanded.
"Terra, what's going on?"
He kept silent.
"Terra, I love you. I want to help."
His eyes widened. He was briefly dumbfounded.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Why are you acting like this?"
Terra winced. He turned around so that she couldn't see his face. "What do you think?"
"I don't understand. Just talk to me Terra..." She placed both hands over her heart and fought back tears. He heard her sniffles. Turning around, once more, he saw her struggling not to cry. "No, no, Aqua, don't cry." He started to reach out to caress her cheek, but he stopped halfway and retracted his hand. "Look, just leave me alone." He strode toward the throne room.
She watched as he disappeared inside. Frustrated, Aqua took out her wayfinder and clasped it in her hands. "An unbreakable connection, right?" she whispered. Then she hurried after him. The two entered the throne room right as Master Eraqus was finishing his conversation with Master Yen Sid on the phone. "Yes, I understand," said the Master. "Very well. Goodbye."
"Terra, listen," Aqua begged, grabbing his hand.
"What part of leave me alone don't you understand?" he growled, pulling away.
Master Eraqus spoke up, "Actually, I need to speak with the both of you. I have just received word from one of my friends, Master Yen Sid. He is a very wise man that monitors the status of the worlds around us. There seem to be creatures born of negative emotions running amok. He calls them unversed. They are upsetting the balance of light and dark, causing distress and chaos. It is our duty as wielders of the keyblade to protect worlds from this upset, and maintain the proper balance. Therefore, I shall be sending you two out into the worlds to strike down the unversed and protect the light."
Master Eraqus continued, "Also, it seems that Master Xehanort has departed. I am not sure where he went, and according to Yen Sid, he is not answering his phone. I wonder if he knows of this unversed threat." Master Eraqus rubbed his fingers against his goatee, as he said, "I wonder if he knows the reason behind this unversed threat. I am not sure. Either way, please be on the lookout for him. Should you find him, please relay to him the message that I have given you." He faced Aqua. "Aqua, consider this your first task as a Keyblade Master." He faced Terra. "Terra, consider this a second chance—a test of will against the darkness in your heart. Perhaps I shall reconsider awarding you the Mark if you prove worthy. I want both of you to travel together to accomplish this task, for it is dangerous to go alone."
"Yes Master," Aqua said.
Terra kept quiet. Master Eraqus raised his voice. "Terra?"
"Yes Master," the young man grumbled.
"Very well then. You have received your instructions. You are dismissed."
Master Eraqus walked away. Aqua mumbled under her breath, "So our lazy bum Master isn't going to come with us?" She rolled her eyes. Then she brushed her bangs out of her face and turned to face Terra.
But he was already gone.
She hurried toward the courtyard. "Terra, wait!" she shouted.
He ignored her. Slamming the shoulder plate that he wore, he activated his keyblade armor. He tossed his keyblade into the sky, and it returned in the form of a motorbike. Jumping onto it, he forged a portal in the sky and zoomed off into it.
Aqua mumbled, "Terra…"
"Aqua!" shouted Ven. He clumsily ran down the steps of the courtyard. "What's going on?"
She sighed. "There's a situation that Terra and I need to handle. It's a mission from Master. No need to worry about it." She was about to activate her armor, but Ven grabbed her hand.
"Aqua, I saw you shout at Terra, but then he flew off. Is he leaving us?"
Aqua stooped down to be at eye level with Ven. "No, he's not. He's just upset or something. Don't worry Ven. I'll go get him."
"No! Aqua!" Ven shouted, squeezing her hand. "Don't go alone. Let me come with you."
She shook her head. "It's dangerous if you come along."
"Why? What's going on?"
Aqua explained, "There are vicious creatures called unversed, popping up all around the different worlds. Master tasked Terra and me to destroy them. But Terra's being ridiculous and left without me. But I'll figure everything out, Ven, so just go back to your room and wait, okay?"
"I can't sit around and wait, Aqua!" he whined. "I can't wait because…" He hesitated. Would she believe him if he told her about the masked boy that appeared out of nowhere? "I can't wait, because I want to try to talk sense into Terra."
"No Ven. Go back to your room." She grabbed his hand and tried to drag him back to his room. He snatched his hand away and insisted, "No, Aqua, you stay here, and I'll go!" He made a mad dash, activated his armor, and summoned his keyblade glider.
"Ven, wait!" Aqua shouted, as she activated her armor and summoned her own glider. Ven flew through the portal that Terra had opened. Aqua followed.
