Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters, locations, or attacks listed. They're the property of Square Enix, Disney, and Tetsuya Nomura.
Author's Note: In this story, dark keyblade wielders are believed to have died out long ago. Therefore, Master Eraqus and Aqua are under the impression they have nothing to fear regarding dark organizations. Quick note, any mentions of organizations are not referring to Organization 13, the nobodies and heartless plotline is not included in this tale. Some of the creatures from the videogames might be used in the story but think of them as nothing more than an average creature that's a headache to civilians. (I freaking hate the purple Sniperwild heartless that keeps sling-shotting me to death in the KH final mix game).
Chapter 2: After the Battle
From their vantage point in the treetops, Terra and Vanitas watched the citizens of Traverse Town going wild with speculation over the whereabouts of the armored individuals. A small, ragged search party was sent outside the town to investigate the local bridges and roadways.
Nobody wandered too close to the nearby forest though.
Smart decision, the strange monsters plaguing the world thrived in the shadows and were known to attack in hordes during the night. None of the commonfolk knew how to fend against swarms of these magical creatures.
Vanitas let out a shout when one of those creatures stealthily climbed up the tree's trunk to chomp down on his foot and attempt to drag him down. The poor creature exploded into a pile of goo when an irritated Vanitas sent out a dark lightning attack as a warning to the creature's companions waiting in the thicket.
The sight of the carcass sent the creatures scurrying away.
Vanitas climbed back up the tree and plopped himself down on a thick branch near Terra's. "Damn, I hate those things," the younger male informed him with irritability.
He leaned back to glance up at the older male hanging above him. "How much longer do we have to wait? If another one of those dimwitted creatures approaches us, I'm setting the forest on fire. Mark. My. Words."
Terra snorted, "Wouldn't the master love to hear about that."
Vanitas mocked him in a baby tone, "'Wouldn't the master love to hear about that,' says the charitable one this evening. Instead of putting those losers in a coma you practically rocked them to sleep. Mind explaining that one, Terra?"
Before they left the battleground, Terra cast another sleep spell on a pleading Ventus to silence him. His companion didn't like the "charitable approach" and repeatedly informed Terra the light wielders should have been eliminated to spare their organization from future hassles.
Then again, there were personal reasons why Vanitas wanted Ventus eliminated.
For the fiftieth time, Terra lectured Vanitas on the Master's plan entailing the light wielders needing to survive the initial ordeals. The old man never divulged the entire specifics of his scheme so they were left in the dark on his end goal.
Unfortunately, their master also failed to mention light wielders could prove to be formidable foes.
The blue-haired woman was a strong combatant, not some withered old coot lounging about collecting dust in the ancient training ground. Terra was under the impression the light wielders could be easily subdued based on his master's information. That woman actually gave him a run for his money!
His teenage companion was growing bored with the frequent strategy meetings and wished their master would start finalizing his goal and stop with all these backup plans.
"Fine, I get it. However, does being around light wielders make you forget your upbringing?" insinuated Vanitas, still looking for a fight. "The master doesn't approve of these altruistic actions. You're meant to immobilize them with blunt force, not magic spells."
"Vanitas," Terra's voice turned hostile, shadows starting to emerge around him, "drop it."
The older male wanted nothing more than to return home so he could chuck this armor off and sleep in his own bed for once. But the master's plan still hadn't been completed so off to work they went.
Vanitas scoffed, "Aren't you a killjoy this evening, Terra."
Terra gave him a finger in response earning a dark chuckle. Young and impulsive- and slightly deranged- Vanitas was always stir-crazy; if Terra had to pick his companion's one weakness it was impatience.
There was a four-year age difference between them, but Terra- who considered himself an old soul- felt like there were twenty.
"We've got five minutes left then we can leave."
Vanitas rolled his head back, "Five minutes?"
"My sleep spell doesn't always last the full duration," he admitted bitterly, hating signs of weakness, "the light wielder could wake early and pursue us across the globe now that she's aware of our existence."
Terra broke off a branch and started to carve it into a weird shape to ease his boredom. "Also, we don't need one of those villagers to witness us leaving through the corridors of darkness. Remember, the master is trying to keep our existence concealed until the destined time?"
The destiny portion always made him grimace, he felt thankful the helmet covered his facial expression. He didn't want another lecture from the master on his lack of understanding the big picture.
God, he didn't look forward to the return home, the others would be furious that civilians were aware of their mechanisms.
The master was possibly going to order them to undergo another week of uninterrupted training session upon their return home. Which session was the master's preference that day always depended on his mood. Terra prayed the old man was in a forgiving mood.
The master called it training, his apprentices called it torture.
The last time Terra was ordered to attend one of these training sessions the master sent him into a burrow and told him to fight off the colony of creatures living there without his armor.
He still sported scars from those things clawing at his flesh. The master informed the young man to remember that any future failures would earn further punishments- each one to be worse than the last.
The keyblade bearer wanted to slash the old man into ribbons to see how he tolerated the pain. Alas, the bastard never ceased to prove appearances could be deceiving. Masking his expression into one of indifference, Terra would nod his head to signal he understood his master's threat.
Any sign of insubordination would have earned a darkness wave attack or dark projectile.
"Terra, it's nighttime," Vanitas stated in a deadpan tone. "Unless they have night vision, I think we're good."
"Vanitas."
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
"Buzz off," Vanitas responded with an obvious smirk under that mask.
The clock tower finally chimed at midnight; Terra immediately dropped his carving to stand up. He skimmed his eyes over the village entrances and sent a silent prayer up when the light wielder didn't come charging out.
One less headache to deal with.
Of course, Ventus was another issue altogether but Terra didn't have the motivation to weigh his options on the appropriate means of dealing with him. The kid should be in respite for a couple of days, there was time to formulate a plan.
Terra stretched his arms over his head, a jolt of pain ran down his skull making the keyblade wielder see black spots. He gripped his forehead and waited for the pain to pass. Once the pain ran its course, he quickly dropped his hand and snuck a glance at his companion in fear the teenager bore witness to his moment of humiliation.
Thankfully- and somewhat outlandishly- the teenager was ripping off branches and throwing them at the top of the creatures' heads. He chuckled anytime they howled indignantly. One of the larger ones with glowing eyes and brightly colored spikes along its' spine opened its' maul to shriek vengefully at the boy.
The boy threw a branch in the creature's mouth in response, "Eat this, freak."
"Cut it out, Vanitas, it's time to report back to the master," Terra opened a shadow corridor in the tree trunk and motioned for the boy to follow him into the abyss.
Vanitas rose in the laziest manner possible and jumped up to stand by his elder. "Lead the way."
An urge to push the boy through the tunnel almost overtook the young man but he restrained himself. He paused briefly to smirk at the village where the light wielder was sound asleep, he thought, "Sleep tight, hopefully our paths won't intersect again, vexing woman."
Quietly, he tacked on in his thoughts, "Ventus, don't look for us."
Terra stepped into the shadows and didn't look back this time.
At the Land of Departure
Master Eraqus was standing in front of a window, gazing at the shooting stars in the clear night sky, when he felt a shift in the alignment of light and darkness. It was a tiny fraction but he felt the presence of darkness creeping into the realms of light.
His eyes went wide.
It couldn't be! There hadn't been any traces of darkness for centuries!
He placed a hand over his heart and hung his head in misery, "Troubling times are upon us, my young pupil. I pray my time to depart for the afterlife is not upon us."
He should have searched for more light wielders; he should have done more to prepare for this moment. Alas, he had grown overconfident of the light overcoming any source of darkness.
A foolish old man with limited time on his hands. A pupil soon to be alone in the world without guidance to deal with this travesty.
"Aqua, I fear I have failed you, my child," he closed his eyes and turned his attention away from the shower of stars brightening the darkness of night. The star shower was mocking him were the tiring thoughts of an old man heading for bed.
He felt something else was off in the alignment but couldn't quite put his finger on it. Master Eraqus prayed his pupil was alright.
Traverse Town- Hours later
Sunlight filtered through a small window, the rays draping across the beds in the infirmary. Patients moaned and stirred in their beds. A healer quietly stepped into the room to check on her patients.
Most of these patients were the children from the alleyway. Multiple healers were called across town to offer assistance. After lengthy hours of casting curagas and handing out medicines the children were in better shape.
Some of the children would remain hospitalized for several days extra but there was color in their cheeks and they could speak coherently now. An improvement from when they were first admitted.
Overall, the worst part of transferring the children to this facility was the stench. Certain members of staff took the children's apparel to nearby cleaners to have them washed thoroughly to purge out the scents of black ooze, blood, and urine. Now, the infirmary didn't smell like a morgue.
Besides their tasks of attending the children, other healers met with the stampede of parents rushing to the clinic to check on their child. The healers met with the families individually to discuss the status of their child and forewarn them the children couldn't be discharged until they were ruled disinfected.
For the most part, the healers' instructions helped to soothe the parents' nerves and they returned home to await further instructions.
The healer slowed her steps while approaching the beds furthest in the back. She was given strict instructions to not jostle these patients too much since their conditions were considered the worst at this stage.
On her right was a young male with bruises and dark wounds. A sleep spell had been cast on the boy from an undetermined source. Despite reports stating the spell was cast with malicious intent, the healer thought of it as merciful. The boy was sleeping fitfully and the shadows underneath his eyes were fading.
Additional curaga spells were used while he slept, some of the wounds looking less painful now.
To the healer's left was the keyblade master, the young woman was checked upon frequently out of concern for the shadows swarming beneath her skin. The darkness hadn't left her system yet. She was given multiple sedatives to dull the pain.
Gently, the healer set her water basin down on the table beside Aqua. She removed the cool towel off Aqua's brow to soak it in the warm waters. The splashing of water made the young woman stir from her slumber. The healer replaced the towel on her patient's forehead, and lowered the back of her hand against Aqua's cheek. The keyblade master's skin was scorching hot, Aqua groaned at the unfamiliar touch of coolness on her skin.
Aqua opened her eyes and jumped at the sight of the woman tending to her. Where was she?
She voiced this question out loud, whimpering at the feeling of darkness coursing through her stomach region. The healer gently shushed her and wiped smudge off the blue-haired woman's forehead. "Rest now child, you'll get better once you've let the spells run their courses."
The keyblade master tried to argue but found it difficult. Her eyes closed finally and she willingly let sleep overtake her.
Traverse Town: One day transpires since battle's end
Three teenagers were discharged the following morning. A fading in-and-out of consciousness Aqua provided information on her findings to the staff.
After careful examinations by the healers, they reached a conclusion: the three children presented no stimuli to the darkness and were found unworthy for further experimentation in the dark trials. Supposedly, without the appearance of stimuli, the children were swiftly cast out from the other trial specimens.
The positive news sent a thrill throughout the community that these teens would have information to offer regarding the experiments. The town's spirits were slightly crushed when the trio displayed signs of amnesia. The healers deduced their memories were tampered with to prevent outside forces from discovering the whereabouts of the enigmatic group's base.
The only hazy details the teens were able to recall were shadowy figures in armor often called in to check on their status while an unknown individual jotted down notes in the background.
One of the teenagers threw up after describing the one portion of the experiment they were able to recall- the shadow blast. The observer with the notepad would shoot rays of darkness at the immobilized teen and determine whether there was any response worth noting in their records. These attacks were done simultaneously and wouldn't relent no matter how much the teenager plead for a repose.
The healers, not wanting to incite more trauma, backed down in their questioning when the children became hysterical. No need for additional cruelty weighing on these children's minds.
The people in authority positions within the town's council were downtrodden; there was nothing to offer the keyblade master to assist in her search for these scoundrels.
However, they were able to manage sending out warnings to neighboring towns, cities, and kingdoms, to be on the lookout for any suspicious characters. They did everything within their capability to try and prevent further experimentations but it still felt like a defeat.
After receiving the information from Traverse Town, a representative from the looming city of Twilight Town texted one of the leaders to provide collateral on information obtained from their own body pileup incident weeks past.
The same man that assisted Aqua on her arrival was thrilled at the prospect of having information to provide to the keyblade wielder.
Interestingly, Twilight Town's mayor was still incredulous about one of their teen victims; the teenager's case file left room for skepticism. No information was provided on the teenager's demographics but a note mentioned the teen exhibiting strange powers believed to be unconnected from the experiments.
Maybe this teenager was their salvation?
The man was giddy over this revelation.
At this point though, the incidences were outside their scope of knowledge in Traverse Town's small community. It was best to let the keyblade masters dive into the heart of these matters.
There were other issues that must be dealt with. For starters, squashing the latest rumors running rampant that were disquieting the community and making the town's leaders nervous. People were discussing the possible return of the dark keyblade wielders and questioning whether this meant another Keyblade War was on the horizon.
Traverse Town: Two days transpires since battle's end
The infirmary was in a state of absolute chaos.
Besides dealing with hysterical parents and the patients' lapses of consciousness and withdrawal-like symptoms, the healers were arguing with a determined keyblade master limping around the room trying to prove she was capable of handling herself without assistance.
One elderly female healer proceeded to yell at Aqua to sit while holding a patient's hair back as they vomited black ooze. The sight almost made the keyblade master retch, too. A young male healer was putting all his weight down on a patient scratching at their skin trying to claw the darkness out.
Aqua couldn't sit around in this infirmary, pacing was helping to calm the frantic energy building inside her. There was much to be done!
The same kindly healer that kept checking on Aqua's temperature and shadow infliction earlier was proving to be a formidable force when it came to patient care. The woman kept shoving Aqua's medical records in her face displaying all the concerns and necessary medical precautions.
Aqua waved the papers off, "I've rested long enough, I have to return to the Land of Departure and inform Master Eraqus of my findings."
Truth be told, she could feel lingering traces of darkness within her system. Unlike the past two days, the foreign entity felt more like an irritating pest than life-threatening. There were occasional moments of nausea but they passed quickly.
The only reason her recovery period was this short was thanks to her strong affinity towards the light. Her light was burning the shadows away faster than the average human.
Guilt washed over her; these teenagers were suffering horrifically while she was strutting around trying to keep herself from mentally breaking down. If she was able to walk, then she was able to resume her search to try and apprehend these dark keyblade wielders.
With this in mind there wasn't any reason to delay her journey home.
She couldn't waste any more precious time, there were children probably being kidnapping while she slept!
Master Eraqus was wise, he could offer solutions on how to deal with these blasphemous wielders. The longer she whittled away her time resting the higher the chances of a new destination being selected for the kidnappings and experiments to recommence.
Besides her desire to protect children from undergoing these barbaric dark experiments, she secretly had a bone to pick with Terra and Vanitas. Never in her life had she faced opponents of their aptitude. Getting knocked out in such a pathetic manner left a chip on Aqua's shoulder, she wanted a rematch to avenge her lost dignity.
Next time she wouldn't be caught off-guard, nor would she fall victim to their cheap gambits. Like hell would she allow herself to be slain, or defeated twice, by a dark wielder.
When she came out of their next match the one victorious, Aqua would be the one to stand over them laughing at their crumbling defeat.
Aqua's blue eyes grew wide and a cold chill ran down her spine. She placed a hand over her racing heart and willed it to slow down. What horrific thoughts, she sounded no different than a dark wielder!
Shame filled her. The master wouldn't approve of these desires for retribution. She felt physically sick.
Curse Terra and Vanitas.
The dark keyblade bearers were leaving a bad impression on her mentality. The oath of light wielders was to protect and defend the innocent, and hinder anybody threatening the world's order. Nowhere in the oath did it state to demolish her opponents for petty reasons.
The young woman needed to spend time meditating to recall her teachings. Tonight, she would set aside time for self-reflection in her bedroom.
The thought of laying in her bed nestled under her thick covers almost made the woman sigh in pleasure. It had almost been a week since she'd been home. God, Aqua couldn't wait to get back to her own room.
"How's the boy- I mean Ventus?" Aqua inquired sheepishly, she needed to stop referring to him with such blasé terms. Currently, Ventus was the only direct source of information regarding this mysterious organization and their experiments. Treating the younger male with respect- and permitting him to maintain his dignity- was the best way to establish some amicableness in their communication.
"Alive and well, he's resting at the moment," a notable hint of disapproval was in the healer's tone. "In my professional opinion, I think it would be wise for the two of you to stay an extra day. Are you certain it's wise to transport him on your own?"
Aqua fixed her gloves, "Ventus is the least of my concerns, I can handle him."
The teenager was hardly putting up a fuss, he appeared to still be reeling from the revelation that Terra and Vanitas abandoned him. People overheard the former dark wielder commenting about his refusal to believe his comrades wouldn't come back for him.
Occasionally Ventus would make a statement about needing to return home but his attempts to leave were half-hearted. An elderly male healer gave the boy a gentle push and the boy returned to his bed without any confrontation.
Aqua couldn't help pitying him.
The healer tsked. "Very well, I'll prescribe some medication in case of any lingering side effects. Please see a specialist if either of your conditions worsen."
Aqua nodded. "Thank you, if you don't mind can I have some bandages for the trip?"
When the healer gave the woman a strange look Aqua explained, "Should he prove to be combative, I would like to have material available to make into restraints. I wish to prevent him from escaping without using force." At the reproachful look on the healer's face, Aqua added, "Since he's still wounded."
The clarification seemed to appease the healer. Nodding her head, the healer exited the area and returned to deposit bandages in Aqua's awaiting arms. Aqua thanked the woman and took a deep inhale and released slowly.
Here came the part she was dreading.
She approached Ventus's bed tentatively, despite his compliant nature with the healers' demands it wouldn't surprise her if he responded with hostility to her request to depart. Physically, he was in prime condition compared to their first encounter.
Perhaps his own affinity towards the light was helping him similarly to hers? At some point they would need to have a conversation regarding the reason he was found inferior to his darkness-loving companions.
Today, was not the day.
Aqua nudged the bed with her hip, "Ventus, it's time to wake up."
The boy groaned and rolled over reluctantly. He looked up at her curiously but his demeanor shifted to opposition at the sight of the bandages. "Don't recall you tending to my wounds," he stated with obvious suspicion, "what's up with those wrappings in your hands?"
Aqua took a deep breath and tried to put forth her best face, "I'm preparing to return to the Land of Departure, and I would like for you to come with me."
"No thanks," Ventus quipped before she could say anything else. "It's high time for me to return home."
He rolled over when the metaphorical lightbulb flashed over his hand, he rolled back to inquire, "And you haven't answered my question."
Great, here came the part she was hoping to avoid.
"Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't your master banish you?"
"Way to go, Aqua," she thought and mentally kicked herself. In her attempt to avoid an awkward confrontation regarding the bindings she just escalated the situation without thinking things through. Her brain was scattered from all the revelations recently.
Ventus swirled around to point a finger at her accusingly, "Don't meddle with things that don't apply to you."
This next part would sound cruel but it needed to be said. "Ventus, your companions abandoned you. Not only that, they were ordered to annihilate you."
The woman contemplated briefly then added, "Out of everyone, the only one to show some form of compassion to your plight was Terra. Instead of agreeing to your execution he offered an alternative- to never show your face again or they wouldn't hesitate to strike you down."
Secretly, she wanted to blanch at her lame attempt to offer some resemblance of benevolence by mentioning the only person to show a shred of decency towards the heartbroken teenager. Even though she despised the man, Ventus considered Terra a friend. Red colored her vision but she gritted her teeth to keep from badmouthing Ventus's 'friend'.
She lowered her voice to a whisper, "It would be foolhardy to return to a place where they're willing to kill you simply because you're the weakest link in the chain."
Ventus punched the bed, making her jump, "Would you just shut up."
"They'll welcome me back once I've proven myself, I just to need to get stronger. Then I can return home." His voice broke.
Her heart bled for the boy. She reached out but hesitated and gripped her hand into a fist looking away. It took a few seconds for her to contemplate what was an appropriate response to such a vulnerable admission.
Aqua kneeled down to rest on the balls of her feet. Before she overthought things, she reached a hand out to grip his shoulder and looked up towards him with sympathy. "Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Until that moment arrives, why don't you come with me to figure things out?"
The boy gave her an admonishing look, she added, "It's better than wandering the streets."
He brushed her hand off, she didn't take offense. "Light wielders are my enemy; it wouldn't be in my best interest to travel to a place where possible torture could await me."
An urge to remind him that his organization was the one kidnapping and torturing children was strong but she resisted to try and maintain their civil conversation. "We're not like that."
"And why should I believe you?"
She shrugged, "That's up to you to decide."
Aqua stood up and extended an olive branch, "For now, I would like for us to depart as traveling companions. Speaking frankly here, my master and I have questions to ask that you can choose whether or not to answer."
She nodded towards the wrappings in her hands, finally getting to his earlier question, "Personally, I prefer to avoid an unnecessary confrontation but that decision is up to you: either come with me as a free man or in restraints."
Ventus's brow furrowed but he hadn't declined her request, she pushed on, "Once we've finished our discussion, you're free to go wherever you please. Though I would advise for you to take advantage of this lodging opportunity, the world is a cruel place and isn't kind to those trying to find their way."
She offered a gentle smile, "I promise we don't imprison visitors, that's more up a wizard's alley than a keyblade wielder."
He appeared speechless by her offer.
For the briefest moment Ventus smirked at her sarcastic comment but shook his head trying to disguise his expression. Ventus grunted and looked away, but his eyes kept gliding to Aqua's hand. The boy was trying to hide his gaze under his golden locks but those piercing blue eyes of his weren't good at hiding his emotions.
She could see him mentally weighing his options before finally conceding, "I'm not in the mood for restraints so I'll comply, for now."
It didn't escape her notice there was a subtle threat in his statement but she wasn't going to acknowledge it. Aqua smiled at him thankfully, making Ventus sigh, "Well, let's go, it's not like I have any possessions to bring with me."
"Not to worry, I'm sure we can find some clothes for you at the castle. I'll also get you some toiletries and other essential items that you're welcomed to keep."
"Castle huh?" A dreamy look came over his face. "Never been inside a castle." The teenager flushed in embarrassment but composed himself quickly, "Thanks for the generosity."
"No problem, our home is always open to friends and weary travelers."
The boy rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "Light wielders."
Ventus's petulant blush and pouty face reminded Aqua of a child stubbornly trying to act tough and not admit they wanted something. Maybe Ventus was a lost child desperately searching for his place in the world.
She informed her younger companion to look for her outside once he finished meeting with his assigned healer for discharge. When she rounded the corridor and was out of sight, she had a bounce to her steps and was smiling ear-to-ear.
"Don't worry Ventus, there are decent people out there willing to help you find your purpose in life, trust in me," she thought happily. Aqua stepped through the doorway and stopped to close her eyes as sunlight warmed her face.
Yes, things would work out in the end.
Author's Note: Hi readers, hope everyone is have a fabulous day! Quick mention, I'll try to keep my notes shorter as time goes on because I'm sure you all don't want a dissertation. Leave a comment or follow if you're enjoying what you've read.
Jumping topics, several of the characters will have personality changes due to different upbringings than their game counterparts. Vanitas is Vanitas though. No matter the guy's background he will always be sarcastic in my opinion.
This chapter is more of a cushion before crap hits the fan again. I don't want every chapter to end on a cliff hanger so there will be shorter chapters occasionally to help diffuse the tension. Also, Ventus needs one chapter where bad things don't happen to him. It was fun to describe the differences between the two parties' departure. Aqua is excited about returning to her home while Terra is dragging his feet. Ventus and Vanitas are practically the tagalong kids.
Remember how I mentioned the rating would switch to mature at some point? Guess what, that point is now because I want to have characters say f**k. I was going to wait until further into the story but it is literally grating on my nerves how much of Vanitas's dialogue got toned down due to the teen rating. Out of all the characters within the KH universe, if someone was allowed to cuss frequently it would most likely be Vanitas, with Axel (who's already cussed), Xigbar, and Demyx following- in that precise order. Eventually, the rest of the cast will start dropping swear words but Vanitas is going to be my main sailor. Just change the damns and buzzes into f**k and you have his original dialogue.