This chapter hates me, truly. It has three iterations and I am now having to split it into two chapters. I've also created a small outline for how I'll end this story. I hit a complete block on where I should be taking things at this point so I apologize if this and the next chapter are somewhat weird. Ven's 13/14, Aqua 15/16, Terra 17/18

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A man is coming in thirteen-one
To charm the daughters and the sons
Scared for our lives, I turned to your hand
Hold this tight while we run, if we still can
-Anberlin, Miserabile Visu {Ex Malo Bonum}
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Eraqus was staring at the carefully set up piles of books that he and his apprentices had prepared to send away for Yen Sid's perusal and probable destruction. He still felt the burn of shame and embarrassment of Ventus's findings, realizing that while the boy was generally slow with reading scholastic technicalities, his ability to retain knowledge from skimming books was unsettling.

His older students had giggled and teased one another as they set up each pile for transport while also boggling at some of the publication dates (he'd forbidden them from looking into them further). Ventus just minded his work and discussed with him how to adjust the file keeping system and requested more books for jewelry crafting and Charming items. As if he hadn't totally just soaked up countless hours worth of erotica without the slightest impact on his perceptions of the world and innocence.

It was also upsetting to know more than one Master that was laid to rest within these walls had created this inappropriate collection, and it made him uncomfortable wondering what other sorts of books might be stashed elsewhere in hidden gnooks of other abandoned personal Libraries in the Castle.

His personal study was only one of many in the much-too-big structure.

'Ven is rather unique, isn't he?'

Eraqus stiffened as he turned, unfamiliar with the voice that had spoken. The phantom had his feathered fedora pulled over his eyes with a bit of a smirk on his face. His left hand was in his pocket as he held a relaxed and lazy posture. Eraqus frowned, his hand itching for his Keyblade, while his Keyblade was- singing?

"Who are you?"

The stranger's expression didn't change as he shrugged, lowering his right hand to motion dismissively, 'Your First.'

His-

The white capsule hidden deep within his study of his family tree immediately came to mind, having only last bothered with it to add Thea and Terra's name's alongside his own. He thought back to when he'd first received it, and the note left behind from his Grandfather as his final charge to his remaining family.

A charge he had yet to even begin pursuing due to Xehanort's obsession with the knowledge his house had possessed.

The phantom simply studied him as he contemplated, 'I'm sorry, Eraqus. The path you've set upon, what we hoped to prevent…' He sighed, 'Ven's Heart should've never been split in that manner, and the results of it will be devastating for you all.'

Eraqus stared wide-eyed at the specter as Master's Defender came to his hand unbidden. He blinked, turning his gaze to it as it sung to the phantom.

The First tipped his hat up, revealing his facial features that reminded Eraqus of himself and patted the outer guard, 'Still going at it, Master's Union?'

His Keyblade warmed in his hand, humming a pleasant tune that only the Heart could hear.

The phantom smiled and tipped his hat back down as he began to fade, 'May the Fates be in your favor, Eraqus. Take Heart and be Strong.'

The Master stared down at the Keyblade he'd inherited, and felt a brand new weight added to his blood's legacy.

He had much to investigate and time was running ever faster.

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There was a ghost in the hallway.

There was a ghost in the hallway.

Ventus didn't particularly fear the night. The Castle was safe, cozy, and had a feel to it that left him completely comfortable within its walls. He'd remembered being there for more than a year and a half and had occasionally noticed the odd shift in shadow during the day at his peripheral, or the Master talking to his reflection on occasion. Terra and Aqua found all of this normal so he had simply accepted it.

Yet, somehow he hadn't realized that ghosts were what the Master was speaking to.

The boy in front of him had white hair and grey-green eyes. His clothes consisted of white and black, 'Ventus… right?'

He took a half step back with a cautious nod, "Y-yeah…"

The Memory smiled as he gave his name and explained to the blond what he was and why the Castle used them in the manner it did. This information left Ventus stunned. So the Castle could hold onto Memory like that? "Uh…"

Baldr approached him and gently took his hands, 'Ventus… your memories are sealed away for an important reason. In due time you'll remember everything... but unfortunately the Castle can't always control what Memory it pulls up. You have a strange connection to the Castle and its Founder, which has brought about unintended consequences.'

His eyes widened, "The Castle's.. Founder?" It was a lot to take in.

The phantom nodded, 'The one who built this place. He had Memories that he installed into the deepest part of this Castle as both to help preserve his memory, as well as to help protect the Castle when needed. Up until you arrived here… you were a part of its defense it could call upon.'

Ventus stared at the Memory in confused fear, "So.. I was a ghost, like you?"

Baldr frowned, 'I'm… ' He floundered, 'What I'm trying to say, is to be cautious of the Memories that may appear that aren't related to the present Guardian. Ask him to show you a photo so that you can know who is a Memory you can interact with, and one which you should avoid. The Castle doesn't want to hurt you or Aqua again because of the knowledge it has yet to obtain.'

He gasped lightly, "Aqua… the Castle hurt Aqua?"

Baldr shuffled as he released Ventus's hands, 'Hurt might be an exaggeration. Causing her fear might be more apt. One of the Memories the Castle accidentally pulled from your subconscious… It attacked her.'

Ventus was wide eyed with horror, "So my memories… are best locked away and forgotten-"

Baldr's eyes widened before he took Ventus's hands again in reassurance, 'No! No, you should be able to remember your past safely one day, Ventus. Everyone deserves to remember where they came from, who their parents were, their reasons for their journey. But in the Founder's Memories, no such information exists. Everything is buried deep within you, locked away by your own mind.'

Baldr sighed lightly, 'You are kind and gentle, and despite how you were only a few years younger then you are presently in the Castle's archives, your abilities were incredible despite your age. However, now you're a living, breathing person... and with how long your Memory has been here, you might Dream things that didn't happen to you personally. That was truly what I was meant to tell you.'

Ventus relaxed slightly, "Oh."

Baldr slumped, 'I'm sorry… for causing you any alarm or worry.'

The blond thought for a long moment before smiling a little, "Maybe that's why it was so easy for me to believe for so long."

The phantom looked at him in confusion as Ventus continued, "When I first started to hold onto every day memories and interactions… It just... felt like I'd always been here, that it was home. Maybe it's because of the Memory of myself that's been left behind here that I could feel that way."

Baldr studied him for a long moment before smiling wistfully, 'I certainly hope so.' The phantom faded, his ghostly touch fading along with him.

Some wondered what it'd be like if the walls could speak.

Ventus was sure he'd never contemplate that idea again.

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Eraqus, while pleased with how his students were doing, decided that it was time for a refresher course of varied forms of combat. It was a week-long crash course, but he wanted to ensure that his students could pick up a number of weapons or hand-to-hand combat techniques used in other Worlds. They needed to be familiar enough with them either to not stand out, or to be able to turn them onto an attacker and physically defend themselves.

This was one of the few sorts of lessons that relied entirely on him to demonstrate. Scala had a much more in-depth manner of teaching such things, but he was only one man and unfortunately that left them with only short reminder courses as he felt was needed.

This would be Ventus's first time dealing with such a lesson since arriving nearly two years ago.

He looked over his three students as they were mostly finished with their breakfast, "Terra, Ventus?" The two boys sat at attention as he continued, "I need for you to go to the upper floors to get the Off-World weapons and tools."

Terra nodded, familiar with that particular storage space while Ventus gasped lightly, "You're going to allow us to go to the upper floors?!"

The three paused and looked at him curiously as Eraqus frowned as he recalled this same reaction the last time he'd suggested going there, "Ventus, we went up there to see about what furniture you preferred for your new room some time after you recovered…" That was after he'd finally stopped wandering around like a zombie.

Ventus's face warmed, "Uh, we did?" He rubbed his head, "Sorry Master, I must've still been a little hazy…"

Eraqus shook his head, "That is quite alright, however, why did you think you couldn't go to the upper floors?"

Aqua tilted her head, "Yeah Ven, there's a music room, a ballet room, a gymnastic room… Terra and I go up there all the time. What've you been doing when we're not training together..?" She'd caught him reading in the Library or outside figuring out new combo moves, but it was definitely weird no one'd noticed, especially when the weather didn't allow for the outdoors.

Ventus stared at them all blankly. "But, we were told to never go to the upper floors because that was where…" His brows furrowed as he glanced down at the table lost. "We weren't supposed to go up there." The blond brought a hand up to one closed eye as if he were getting a headache, "The Master said we couldn't go up there because of that room."

Eraqus studied his youngest student for a long moment before speaking gently, "I've never forbidden you from going to the upper floors, Ventus."

Aqua frowned, realizing that this was something from Ventus's past just as the other two did.

Terra stood and clapped Ventus on the back, startling him out of his lost-memory induced headache, "Well, the armory won't be getting down any faster, c'mon! I'll even give you a quick tour, just to make sure you know where everything is, alright?"

Ventus brightened, "Uh, Right!" He jumped out of his seat and trailed after Terra as Eraqus and Aqua slowly glanced to the other, confused and with a hint of worry in the back of their minds.

Yet, Eraqus couldn't help but remember that Scala had its own rules about the upper floors where special knowledge was kept. The central plaza, the display that held half of a golden orb with moving mechanisms to stop and overlap over red, blue, and green pieces that spoke of the fall of Daybreak as it rose into Scala ad Caelum.

And about what lay at rest under the water.

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It was late one evening Terra knocked on Eraqus's bedroom door, "Master, can I speak with you a moment?"

The elder stood and opened his door, "Certainly." He stood aside as Terra entered, the door closed softly behind him. "What is it that troubles you?"

Terra paced a little bit in thought before turning to his teacher, "Have you noticed… any weird shadows?"

Eraqus furrowed his brows in concern as he recalled the incident in the Library some time ago, "What do you mean, Terra?"

Terra hated when his voice got strict in private like that, but it couldn't be helped, "A while after Ven came, sometimes there are different… phantoms that just barely seem to pass my peripheral. I don't see them too often, but they are watching Ven from behind. Some are sort of weirdly more solid like Bragi, some are even more faint then Hermod… It's strange, Master. I don't like it."

Eraqus rubbed his chin in curiosity, "Can you describe their appearance?"

Terra shook his head in frustration, "As I said, they sort of sneak around outside of our view. I don't think they're out to harm us but… I'm uneasy. I know Aqua was quiet about it, but whatever the Castle showed to Ven before he fell asleep that second time when he was still blank... she had the Castle show it to her and the Memory went to strike her."

Eraqus's eyes widened at the prospect. He sighed heavily, thinking of how Xehanort had spoken to him about Ventus's particular origins, that he was a pure Light that could be used to create the Lord of all Keyblades if he clashed with a pure Darkness. About his Ancestor's warning.

He looked to his son with a nod, "I understand. I know we don't always see the same phantom Memories as others do simultaneously, but I will try to be more aware of such oddities if you would also report such things to me as they occur. I will inform Aqua to report such things as well."

Terra nodded with a slight bow, "Thank you, Master."

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For the most part, Ventus did a great deal of self study when it came to figuring out how to imbue jewelry with various magical properties, but he was sure to have specialized study sessions with Aqua twice a week in the clearing by their training field in an effort to catch up with his peers outside of their regular class time.

Ventus's Magic capabilities flourished because of these one on one's in his attempts to correct personal errors with how he'd sort of winged his Magic Casting at first. Eraqus had been pleased enough initially with how the blond Cast that he hadn't quite noticed the bad habits he'd developed.

Aqua was at a bit of a loss with how he managed to get results despite honestly not really having a base for what he was doing even after two and a half years. She was more than aware that their in-class Magic lessons went straight over his head.

This was their third week focusing on the basic elements again, and the blue haired apprentice was rubbing her temple in confusion as Ventus cast Water, "Like that?"

She clenched her teeth a moment, "Uh, Ven, what is the basis of the Water spell's Cast?"

He stared at her blankly, looking between the puddle and Aqua as he tried to think it over, "Uuuuh, m-moisture in the air?"

She grimaced, "Yeah, but like, how much Magic are you using to Cast that?"

He rubbed the back of his head as he thought it over before finally slumping a little as Wayward Wind dismissed itself, "Aqua, you know I don't... really understand what you're saying when you mention amounts…"

Attacks took a certain amount of each individual's internal Power, Ventus had an abundance of Speed based attacks on his repertoire that allowed him to get easily overlooked since he could move so quickly, but his Magic was… horribly dubious. She had no idea how he'd learned to Cast in the first place. "You don't really go out of your way to preserve your Magic… so you're quick to run out of energy to do so, right?"

The blond nodded, "Yeah…"

"I know the Master hasn't been exactly strict with you in that regard, but if you aren't careful, he will eventually notice, and when that happens you're going to be even more frustrated with starting over from scratch."

Ventus shuffled with a slight nod, "Alright." He stood in front of her as he kept steady eye contact, "So how do I preserve Magic?"

She thought how best to explain herself since Magic was almost too easy for her and thus difficult to word at times, "Think of it like stamina. When you dash, you use a lot of energy at first to go quickly for a short distance. That takes more energy then say, a long distance run where you have to keep a steady pace to prevent fatigue, right?"

Ventus slowly nodded, "Uh huh."

"So then, you need to figure out how to apply that to your Magic usage."

The blond grimaced a little, making a few faces as Aqua smiled at him encouragingly, "You know how you make that ball of light for wandering around at night?"

Ventus paused, "Yeah."

Aqua tilted her head a little, "How exactly do you do that?"

He stared at her blankly for a moment before looking down at his hand and forming it instinctively. He examined it this and that way before his eyes widened, "Oh. That's what you mean!" He tossed it up and it popped, raining down tiny light particles that reminded Aqua of glitter.

He shifted away from her and called for Wayward Wind again. With a flourished spin he Cast, "Water!"

This time Aqua could tell no Magic had been wasted. She clapped, "Good job, Ven! Now you just have to apply that to all of your Casting and you should be able to do a lot more in succession!"

He turned to her happily, but curious as well, "You mean for Multicasting?"

She nodded as she summoned Rainfell, "Yup." She Cast Water three times in succession, followed by a fourth larger and stronger Watera. "You can either finish with a higher level spell, or you can go into a Command Style with combined Magic for various attacks and effects."

Ventus nodded thoughtfully, "So that's why Magic conservation is important."

"Mmhmm." She thought for a moment before speaking, "Ven… do you know how you learned to Cast?"

He looked at her a moment before looking down at his feet with a slight shuffle, "Uh.." He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. He raised his face to the sun as he thought for a long while. He usually Cast by feeling rather than actual scientific or theoretical application.

Enough time passed in his contemplations that Aqua became a little concerned and was about to say something when he spoke lightly, "I don't… remember what they looked like, really. But… I remember a young voice telling me to try a new method from what I used to know, because the way things used to be done wasn't the standard anymore. I think… I think I was hurt, so I was able to Cast Cure kind of just... Hoping for it."

That was a depressing way to figure out how to Cast any Magic. It made Aqua's heart hurt, "Ven… when you Cast Cure, do you think of the pain you felt then every time?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her confused, "Huh? No, I just… barely remembered that now. I've otherwise done it because I wanted to heal faster." He shrugged, "I don't know if Cure always takes a lot of Magic to Cast, but for some reason I remember how it feels really, really well."

Which meant he'd needed to self Heal a lot. That was rather concerning, to have to Heal oneself enough to instinctively know its caress with little thought behind it.

She pursed her lips in contemplation as Ventus watched her for a long moment before smiling, "Well, at least that'll help me get one more step closer to finishing these jewelry pieces I've been holding onto!"

He grinned happily as Aqua looked him over, "What do you mean, holding onto?"

Ventus paused, as if he hadn't meant to say it before slumping a little, "Oh… I. You know how I sometimes accidentally pull out jewelry?" She nodded as he continued, "I know they aren't mine, and some of them are in envelopes with notes for what was needed to be imbued into them…" He ruffled his hair, "I'm kinda sad I'll never know who they were supposed to be for, and that I ended up with something that probably meant a lot to them…"

Like a promise that couldn't be kept. Someone, somewhere, had been let down by Ventus's inability to finish what was in his possession for their needs.

Aqua smiled with a hint of melancholy, "Even if you can't remember.. Or reach those people anymore, at least when you finish charming them you'll get to know you were able to complete what they needed, right?"

He looked up at her slightly hopeful, "Even though my having them is failure in and of itself?"

She frowned before lightly placing her hand on his shoulder, "Ven… Don't beat yourself up over it. All you can do is complete what you started, right? It's still an important and unique skill that can help others even now."

He nodded slowly, absorbing what she had to say before taking a half step back with a slight nervousness, "...I know… I haven't always lived here, in The Land of Departure like you all let me believe at first."

He sounded sad, and Aqua couldn't help the shame that came over her as she balled her hands to her chest in unintended defense. She went to say something before he shook his head, stopping her.

"I'm not mad. I've known for a while now. I'm… fine with letting the Master and Terra think I still believe that. I can understand why since no one knows where I came from. It's why you all didn't know when my birthday was… Which, I'm not entirely sure why I thought it was March 28th." He frowned, rubbing his head, "I know you're curious, just as much as I am about my past… But it really hurts if I try to remember anything. It's like I've been forced to forget." Ventus gave her a lost look, "I don't know why I'm not allowed to remember… But something's keeping me in the dark for a reason."

Aqua lowered her hands, "Ven... No matter what, you're a part of our family now, so don't forget that and put everything on yourself, ok?"

He nodded with a sad smile, "Then you promise me the same." She blinked as he continued, "Don't let us push you around just because you're a girl Aqua. You're your own person, too."

She smiled and ruffled his hair as he squawked, "Right."