Ventus soared through The Lanes Between, wondering just where he should go next. He couldn't help but feel a bit disheartened at his lack of luck, but he still knew how silly that was. After all, he had only visited two worlds so far. It would've been pretty miraculous if he managed to find Terra or that Masked Boy so quickly!
Letting his heart guide him, he passed by several worlds. One seemed to be entirely frozen over without a hint of life on it at all. Another was dotted with massive volcanoes constantly spewing out lava and ash, very clearly visible even with how far away Ventus was. Yet another world seemed rather normal and was orbited by half a dozen moons.
His heart didn't guide him to any of these worlds, however.
The teen thought about the two worlds he had gone to already, and the things he had seen. It had been nice to make a few new friends, even if he had to separate from them so soon. Ventus actually felt a bit bad he couldn't stick around longer and help them with their problems, but it wasn't like he didn't have things he had to take care of as well. Was Terra okay? Where was he, and what was he up to? Did that Masked Boy meet up with him or mess with him in some way?
Letting out a frustrated sigh into his helmet, Ventus flew on.
He was just working himself up with questions he couldn't even answer by himself. Ventus told himself to stay determined and not to let his heart give in so easily. He would prove himself to the others no matter what it took! To his best friends and to Master Eraqus! All three would see he wasn't useless…
As these thoughts swirled inside the teen's mind, he found himself veering to a nearby world. He felt drawn to it, as if subtly pulled by an invisible force. This had to be it, this had to be where he had to go next! The world itself seemed pretty normal with oceans and deserts and frozen poles. He was nearing a greener part of it, however, eventually coming down near a populated town.
Ventus made sure not to be seen during his descent, going down behind some trees so he didn't scare any of the inhabitants. The town didn't look too advanced, so traveling between worlds probably wasn't something they could do. Dismissing his glider and armor, the teen walked from the woods and towards the town.
It all looked pretty pleasant, with cobblestone streets and well-built houses. People were out and about, walking through the street or stopped at corners for a chat. Kids were playing and some cats and dogs bolted down the way. Didn't seem as though any Unversed were around, as no one seemed worried!
Still, the teen stuck out like a sore thumb in his clothes. His hair was unlike anything the townsfolk had either, so he did get some curious glances. One elderly man even gave Ventus a bit of a glare, which he did his best to ignore.
He wasn't sure where to start, hoping to just run into Terra. After all, he too would stick out a lot from the townsfolk. But Ventus knew that'd get him nowhere, so he started to ask about. He'd describe how Terra looked and how he dressed, feeling that if anyone saw his friend that they'd recall very easily. Unfortunately, even after asking dozens of people, he got no luck, not that it'd stop him.
While Ventus took a small breather by a corner, he overheard some people gossiping. Two men and a woman nearby, chattering away for anyone nearby to hear.
"…The Pendletons? You mean you haven't heard?" The woman said, sounding pretty surprised.
"No? Why? What happened?" One of the men asked.
The woman clicked her tongue with the shake of the head. "It's their daughter, Erina. She's come down with something awful, some sort of unknown ailment!"
"Nothing deadly, I hope. Certainly nothing contagious, surely!"
"That's the unusual thing, they don't really know." The woman said with a sigh.
The other man made a 'humph' noise. "Well, out with it! What's wrong with her? You sure seem to know a lot…"
"They don't really know, that's what makes it unusual! On the outside, she seems perfectly fine! She's breathing just like one usually would. But she won't wake up! It's as if she's in a sleep that won't end!"
"So, she's merely asleep? They really can't wake her up?"
"Exactly! It's been several days now, and she simply sleeps on. She can't drink or eat, but that doesn't seem to have any ill effects. That's not the strangest part, though…"
The first man shook his head in disbelief. "Surely you've heard this from a dishonest source! What could possibly be stranger?"
The woman shook her head right back. "It's true, every word of it! I saw her myself! The strangest part is she has no pulse! It's now slowed down or irregular, it simply isn't there at all!"
"No pulse?! Oh, I can't believe that at all! How would she be breathing without a heartbeat? That would mean her heart is stopped or even gone!" The second man said.
"I swear up and down it's true! You can ask their other friends. I wouldn't visit their home, though, they don't want to be disturbed…" The woman said as she and the two men started to walk off, still gossiping.
Ventus was pretty shocked by what he heard. A girl with her heart stopped, or even gone? That sounded impossible! Hearts were unusual things, though, as Master Eraqus had taught him. Was there something that had stolen it? Or was it just some sort of unusual disease that existed in this world? It could be the reason why he was called here in the first place! Maybe he'd have to see for himself, if possible…
So, the teen started his questioning again, but instead of asking for Terra, he asked about the Pendletons. For a bit, he didn't have much luck, the people he asked not knowing where they lived. One boy a bit younger than him perked up, though.
"The Pendletons? Well, I don't know much about that except Jonathan Joestar has been seeing her a lot recently, but I don't know her personally." The boy explained.
"Do you know where I find Jonathan?" Ventus asked, just glad to have some kind of a lead.
That seemed to surprise the boy. "You're not from here, are you? You don't know about the Joestar Mansion? It's right outside of town…" He pointed off to his right.
"Right, okay. Thanks!" The teen called, running off to where the boy had pointed to. Maybe this Jonathan Joestar would know a bit more about what was wrong with Erina. He thought it was best to ask around before trying to go to the Pendleton's home outright from the start…
Terra kicked himself as he shot through The Lanes Between.
He kept thinking about his actions in Hyrule, how he had let darkness take hold of him, even for a moment. While, yes, the only one that had gotten hurt was a horrid monster, that did little to help ease his mind. Sure, that time none of his friends or someone innocent got hurt, but what about next time? Or the time after that?
Each time Terra allowed himself to use darkness, even for a moment, it could hurt someone he cared about! Master Eraqus had hammered in the idea that darkness was never to be allowed to surface, and yet Terra had failed to follow that teaching…
Maybe he really hadn't deserved to be Keyblade Master.
The young man gave a bitter sigh, wishing he could just get better control over himself. Then Master Eraqus would see he had the potential to be a Keyblade Master too! After all, it had been all he had dreamed about for years now…
While he was thinking this over, Terra had failed to noticed he was accidentally making a beeline towards a new world. Well, calling it a world was very generous, and the sight actually surprised him a bit.
Out in the space ahead of him floated what was essentially an extremely small island. There was grass, trees, and other foliage about. It was all there simply on this mass of land that could be walked across within a few minutes. The only sign of habitation at all was a single tower sprouting from the ground. It was an odd tower too, as it bent a bit as it went up, yet was somehow able to stand just fine.
This triggered something in Terra, a faint memory. He had recalled Master Eraqus talking about Yen Sid in the past…and one of the things he talked about was how his old friend lived in a bent tower! Was this really it?
Terra felt as though he should check to make sure. After all, if anyone knew where Master Xehanort was, it'd be Yen Sid. Besides, it'd be awful rude of him not to go and pay respects when he was already so close!
Making up his mind, the young man rushed over to the miniature world and landed. After dismissing his glider and armor, Terra took in the fresh air. The small world was pleasantly cool, just the perfect temperature. It even made him feel like taking a small nap…which he of course knew he had no time for.
As he approached the tower, he was surprised to see someone leaving it. He was a mouse, maybe half Terra's size. This figure didn't seem to even notice Terra, to focused on an unusual star-shaped object in his hand. In his other hand…was that a Keyblade? Was that Yen Sid?
Before Terra could approach or speak up, the mouse lifted the star into the air and gave a shout. "Alakazam!" The figure was enveloped in a flash of light, small star-like shapes erupting from it before fading into the air. This light shot upwards, flying in an erratic way, and seeming to almost bounce off of the empty space as it went off and away.
Well, that answered Terra's question. That couldn't be Yen Sid. Retired or not, there was no way a Keyblade Master would use such an awkward mode of transport. Who was that, then? A student? But Yen Side was retired, and Master Xehanort had no students that he was aware of. As far as Terra knew, there were no other Keyblade wielders outside the five he already knew about…or rather six at this point. After all, Master Eraqus had said that The Land of Departure was the last world out there for training students with the Keyblade. Maybe that mouse was from a previously unknown center for learning?
Terra internally kicked himself again. Why was he standing there with all these questions when he could just go ask Yen Sid? With that, he walked up the steps to the Mysterious Tower and went inside. The interior of the tower was well kept, as he expected. The foyer had little else but shelves with some large and ancient looking tomes as well as a staircase going up. Made sense that it was so sparse, it was just Yen Sid and he probably got little company…
The young man made his way to the top of the tower, passing by various other rooms, a majority of which were behind closed doors. When he reached as high as he could go, he reached yet another door, which he knocked on.
"Enter." A deep voice called from inside.
Letting himself in, Terra found himself in a study with unusual glass-free windows with star and crescent moon shapes. Sitting behind the desk in a tall chair was Yen Side himself. An elderly man with a long flowing beard and blue robes with a pointed hat. He had a pair of intense, but not malicious, eyes. "Master Yen Sid?" Terra asked, closing the door behind him.
"Just Yen Sid is fine." He replied with a light shake of the head. "I am no longer a Master. I doffed that mantle. Now…why have you come here, Terra?"
That startled the young man a bit. "You know my name?" He had heard of Yen Sid a few times over the tears but had never met him!
"I knew you were coming; I have my ways." Yen Sid answered cryptically. "I could not see, however, the reason. Please, take a seat and explain." With the wave of his hand, a simple wooden chair materialized in front of the desk.
"Thank you, sir." Terra replied, not too surprised at Yen Sid's abilities. After all, he spoke to Master Eraqus across worlds and lived in such an unusual tower. Abilities such as foresight didn't seem too farfetched. Taking the seat, the young man found that despite its appearance, it was very comfortable! Far more comfortable than a regular wooden chair should be! "I was hoping to seek counsel with someone with greater wisdom than myself." The young man explained. "To tell you the truth, I wandered by your tower by chance."
Yen Sid listened quietly, stroking at his beard idly while Terra spoke. "I see…There is wisdom in admitting you need a guiding hand, you know. There's no shame in that, Terra. Surely Master Eraqus has taught you that."
"He may have mentioned that, yes." Terra replied, still not liking to have to rely on others. Even if it was for advice from someone who was once a Master. "Actually, if you don't mind me asking first, who was that I passed on the way inside? He had a Keyblade, so wasn't he your pupil?" There was certainly no Keyblade Master who would use such an awkward looking travel method…
The elder man sighed lightly through is nose. "You speak of Mickey. He, too, came here for guidance. As a king, he has a good heart, but such responsibilities hasn't cured him of his impetuousness."
"A king? He was royalty?" Terra was a bit baffled at that. He certainly didn't look like he was a king! Also, he had never heard of a monarch ever taking up a Keyblade like that before…
"Indeed, he is. I made a light exception for him, as while it seems I speak ill of him, he has great potential. Even so, he has left my tower with a power he doesn't fully understand or know how to use. He thinks my Star Shard will aid him on his quest." Yen Sid explained, shaking his head lightly. "Like you, he is eager to use his Keyblade to set things right."
Terra nodded, wondering just how much potential this Mickey had for Yen Sid to agree to train him. He must have been far more skilled than he looked! "I'm still not exactly sure what's wrong, to be honest. Master Xehanort is missing…and my friend Ven mentioned a Masked Boy. I think he may be connected to the Unversed somehow, but I'm just not sure."
Yen Sid nodded solemnly, staring at Terra with those somewhat intense eyes of yes. "You should look at these problems from another point of view, perhaps. It's entirely possible these two conundrums are on in the same."
Wait, was he saying what Terra thought he was? "You think Master Xehanort and the Unversed are connected somehow?" Surely not! Master Eraqus trusted his old comrade and friend, so Terra never stopped to think for a moment that he was actually involved with the Unversed!
"It would be foolish to jump to conclusions." Yen Sid assured with the shake of his head. "All I am saying is to keep several ideas in your mind. For now, I think you should focus solely on Master Xehanort rather than the Masked Boy you mentioned or even the Unversed themselves."
Terra still didn't like that train of thought…but he didn't go to Yen Sid just to ignore his advice. "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind, Ma…Yen Sid." It was just in his nature to try to refer to him as Master.
"I think, perhaps, that wasn't all." The elder replied, idly stroking at his beard again. "That wasn't the only reason you wanted to speak with me. Please, tell me what else ails you."
"It's that obvious, is it?" Terra asked, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Well…there was an incident in the last world I was at. I was helping a new friend in a fight with a monster…and when my friend got hurt, I used darkness to destroy the monster. No one else got hurt, but…I'm ashamed that it happened."
"And why is that? You didn't hurt your friend, did you?" Yen Sid asked, not seeming very shocked by the confession at all.
The young man shook his head. "Well, no…but if that happened again, I could hurt someone innocent. It's something I try to keep under wraps, but in that moment I just lost control."
"I take it Master Eraqus still dismisses any and all use of darkness, is that right?" The former Keyblade Master asked, humming when Terra gave a nod. "I do not take it upon myself to go against the teachings of someone else. Master Eraqus has always seen light as the only path, while Master Xehanort embraced darkness quite strongly. I, however, keep my eye on both in balance. You cannot have light without creating darkness, something Master Eraqus never liked to acknowledge. If you use darkness to help defend your friends, I personally see no issue with that. It is up to you, and you alone, to determine if that's the wrong path for you to take."
That was a bit vaguer and less established than Terra was hoping for…but it still made sense. Master Eraqus had always hammered in the point that any and all use of darkness was unnecessary…but it had done good this one time. Was it just a fluke, though? Terra had heard quite a lot of his Master's thoughts on it, Master Xehanort's thoughts, and now Yen Sid's…but he still didn't feel satisfied. He thought, perhaps, he needed to speak with Master Xehanort about it once more. After all, the darkness was his expertise.
"Thank you. That's been very helpful." Terra said politely as he stood up. "I should take up more of your time, I need to keep trying to track Master Xehanort."
"Of course, Terra. I wish you luck, and may your heart be your guiding key." Yen Sid replied, watching as Terra gave a small bow and made his way out of the study. When the door closed, the elderly man sighed through his nose and spoke to the empty room. "I had hoped, Xehanort, your heart would no longer lead you astray…"
Ventus soon arrived at what had to be the Joestar Mansion. Or, at least, it was in view. The property was really worthy of being called a mansion; it was huge! Not as big as the castle where Master Eraqus taught his students, but still pretty big! It was even walled off with a gate at the entry.
The teen started to wonder how he'd actually gain access to the mansion. He couldn't just waltz into a gated area like that. Maybe there would be someone near the entrance he could talk to?
Alas, this wouldn't be a problem. As Ventus got closer, he heard cries off effort off a ways in a nearby field. Curious, the boy took a look and quickly summoned his Keyblade at the sight. There were at least a dozen Flood Unversed fighting with a boy! He couldn't even have been a teenager, yet he was able to hold his own! The boy was using some boxing techniques to weave between the attacks and throwing some surprisingly strong looking hooks at his foes.
Bringing out Wayward Wind, Ventus charged at the fight. When he got close enough, he threw his Keyblade in a Strike Raid and took out a few of the Floods just as the boy punched one into a mist.
The stranger was surprised, but it quickly got replaced with gratitude as Ventus caught his weapon when it came back to him. "Much appreciated, friend! You came just in time!" As he said this, a Flood came at him from behind, which scratched at his back, inciting him to quickly whip around and counterattacked with a mean right hook.
"No problem! I've got this!" Ventus replied, reaching the fight properly and taking out the rest of the Unversed with a few well placed swings. When all the foes were gone, he looked to the boy. "You alright? I saw one of them land a blow on you."
Panting a bit, the stranger waved his hand. "Not to worry. I've received far worse beatings. I'm just grateful you came to my aid. What is your name, by the way? I'm Jonathan Joestar." As he said this, he stuck out his hand to shake.
Wait, really?! What luck! Taking Jonathan's hand, Ventus grinned. "Ventus. You can call me Ven, though. I was actually looking for you."
That took Jonathan by surprise. "Really now? Are you sure you weren't looking for my father, George Joestar?"
Shaking his head, Ventus glanced at the mansion for a moment. "No, I was looking for you. I wanted to ask you about something, but I didn't expect to find Unversed here! Things seem so peaceful in the town…"
Once more, that seemed to surprise Jonathan a bit. "You know about these creatures too? They showed up only recently, but they seem drawn to my home for reasons I don't understand…"
Too? Did that mean what Ventus thought it did? "Did someone else help you out before? His name wasn't Terra, was it?"
This time, the younger boy's face lit up in recognition. "Yes! That's it exactly! He showed up just the other day and really helped me out. You're a friend of his, then?"
On one hand, it was good to hear that Terra was okay and helping out those that needed it. On the other, it was a bit disappointing that he would most likely have moved on by this point. "That's right. I've known him for years. He was okay when you met with him, right?" Ventus couldn't help but worry about Terra's internal conflict with darkness. Had it cropped up again after Mark of Mastery exam?
"He seemed perfectly fine to me. Why? Is he in some sort of danger?"
"Not exactly. He just has some things he had troubles with. Don't worry about it. You said the Unversed have been around here for a few days? Have you seen a Masked Boy too?" Ventus knew he'd have to move on soon to look for Terra, but he could still try and gather information. He still wanted to help with that poor girl's heart as well.
"Yes, these Unversed creatures showed up out of the blue, but as far as I know they've never actually been to town. I haven't heard anyone else discuss them, at least." Jonathan said with a light sigh. "No idea what they want with us. And no, sorry, I haven't seen any kind of Masked Boy around."
Well, that was unfortunate. Ventus was so sure the Masked Boy and the Unversed were linked, so if Jonathan hadn't seen him, he probably hadn't been around. After all, it was apparently the mansion they were drawn to. "I think that some boy in a mask is behind the Unversed somehow, so if you do see him, be careful."
"I'll keep that in mind. Terra actually thought a mask I owned was somehow connected, but apparently he was wrong." Jonathan said with a small shrug. "Say, wasn't there something else you had initially wanted to ask?"
"Right, got a bit sidetracked, sorry. I was told you know about a girl named Erina Pendleton." Ventus frowned at Jonathan's reaction, which was that of surprise and then a solemn gaze.
"That's right. She's a friend of mine." He replied, looking off towards the town. "A few days ago, she fell under a mysterious illness…something unusual with her heart. Why do you ask?" Jonathan turned back to Ventus.
"I thought, maybe, I could help her." After all, Keyblade wielders were meant to help with matters of the heart on top of combating darkness. Especially unusual things like this.
Jonathan seemed cautiously optimistic at that. "Really? You're some sort of doctor? You seem a tad bit young for that…"
"Not exactly a doctor, but if I can reach her, I think I can help somehow." Ventus almost started to feel a bit silly with how vague he was being, but this was his first encounter with such a situation. He wasn't even entirely sure he could help. Still, he wanted to at least try.
The younger boy thought for a moment before giving a slow nod. "Well, you're a friend of Terra's, so I trust you. Not sure how willing Erina's parents will be, but I can at least vouch for you. Come on, Ven, I'll lead you to her home."
As Jonathan took Ventus back into town, Aqua was making her way through The Lanes Between.
Hyrule hadn't been too helpful of a trip, but at the very least she knew that Ventus and Terra had left it in one piece. She was letting her heart guide her to the next place to search, hoping that her luck would improve. Eventually, she approached a rather average looking world, approaching a part of it with a lot of greenery and populated by a somewhat large town.
Aqua would land in the nearby forest, unknowingly doing this around where Ventus did so just a short time ago. She'd shed her armor and let her glider disappear as she eyed the town from the trees. It looked peaceful, everyone going about their day without issue. She thought that maybe the Unversed hadn't gotten to this world, or at least this part of it, quite yet. At the very least, she could try and see if Ventus or Terra had passed through…
When the Keyblade Master entered town, many eyes were drawn to her. Not that she was surprised, given how unique her attire was compared to everyone. Her hair probably turned a few necks as well. Still, a lot of people were willing to talk to her, but no one she talked to had actually seen Ventus or Terra at all…
As she walked down one of the town's cobblestone walkways, she saw someone familiar about to round the corner. Before she could get a good look, this person got out of sight. Quickly, Aqua broke into a run, quickly rounding the corner herself. Her eyes widened when her thoughts were confirmed.
"Ven?!" She called out, catching up to her friend. The teen was with a boy younger than him, clearly the two traveling together as they both turned to look at her. Aqua was so relieved! She was of course hoping to find Terra or Ventus in one of these worlds, but actually managing to do so managed to catch her off guard. After all, the chances she'd pick the right part of the right world at the right time to look through was unlikely.
She supposed her heart truly acted as her guiding key.
Ventus was just as surprised when he heard Aqua's voice distinctly above the buzz of the town calling his name. Turning around, he could hardly believe it, but she really was going his way. How had she found him? What were the chances?
"A…Aqua? You're here?" Was all he could think to say as the older woman caught up to them.
Jonathan eyed Aqua, looking between her and Ventus. "A friend of yours, Ven? I take it one of Terra's friends as well?"
"Yeah, she is…I just didn't expect her to be here!" Ventus exclaimed, still a bit stunned. Had she been looking for him or Terra? He didn't even realize she had left The Land of Departure! The younger teen instantly recalled the last words he had said to her and felt a mix of embarrassment and guilt stir in him. He really must have sounded like a loser in those last moments, and perhaps Aqua was tasked with looking for him from Master Eraqus. After all, he wasn't really supposed to have left. "Aqua, did Master Eraqus send you?"
The young woman was just relieved to see one of her friends in the flesh, seeing that he was unharmed. "Well, of course he did! You just ran off on your own!" And on top of relief, Aqua was feeling a bit mad at Ventus' recklessness. "I don't suppose you managed to find Terra at some point too?"
"No…I haven't. He's been here, though." Ventus replied, rubbing the back of his neck at Aqua's scolding. "Sorry I made you worry, I just wanted to help."
Jonathan shuffled in place, seeming a tad uncomfortable at being right next to a fight. "If you need me to step aside for a moment…" He started to offer.
"No, it's fine." Aqua said with a shake of her head. "We were just leaving, actually."
"Leaving? What do you mean?" Ventus asked, stepping back. "Back home? I can't go back yet! I haven't even found Terra!"
Sighing, Aqua crossed her arms. "It's not safe, Ven! Master Eraqus wants you back home, this is what's best for you!"
"I can't do that! I can handle myself! Also, I promised I'd try to help Jonathan!" Ventus shot back, not willing to just give up in the middle of trying to help someone.
"Jonathan…?" Aqua mentally kicked herself as she turned to the boy in question. "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself. I'm Aqua, as I guess you've gathered."
At the very least, Jonathan didn't seem to mind. "Jonathan Joestar, it's good to meet another friend of Ven's and Terra's. I do hope you don't mind me saying, but I was hoping that Ven here would help aid me with something."
Aqua frowned, glancing around the area around them as though something sinister may pop out. "Help with what? There's some kind of trouble around here?" Things seemed so peaceful, though…
"It concerns a friend of mine, Erina." Jonathan started, pausing a moment before going on, as if unsure. He gestured for the two to duck into a nearby alley, which they did. With the trio alone, he went on. "She's been struck with an odd disease, one that seems to have stopped her heart, yet she still lives! She breathes just fine and seems to be simply sleeping, but she won't wake up for any reason and she has no pulse! Ven had heard of it and said he could help me. I didn't want anyone to overhear. Only those close to Erina's family really know this…"
That wasn't what Aqua was expecting at all! "I don't think this is something we can solve by going to her. It almost sounds like…her heart is missing."
"Missing?!" Jonathan exclaimed, face going pale. "Surely you can't be serious! There were no wounds on her, so how could her heart be missing?"
"You really think that's what happened, Aqua?" Ventus wasn't so sure either. How would someone do such a thing? More importantly, why would they do that?
Aqua of course had no personal experience with such things, but in her lessons with Master Eraqus, she came to know that hearts were far more complicated than she once thought. There were some things she and Terra had been taught that Ventus wasn't. After all, he wasn't quite old enough for the Mark of Mastery exam, so he wasn't privy to all the knowledge she and Terra had. Then, of course, the idea of the Princesses of Heart came to her mind. Yen Sid had told Master Eraqus that they were in trouble, and it was possible that Erina was one of these Princesses. If that were the case, it'd make perfect sense for some dark force to snatch hers away.
"I do. Jonathan, would you say that Erina's heart is pure? Would you describe her that way?" Aqua knew his opinion wouldn't be the final nail in the coffin, but it was worth knowing.
Jonathan seemed pretty confused, but still gave a nod. "I'd certainly say so, yes. Why? What does that have to do with anything?"
The young woman wasn't sure if she should rope him into something like this…but it did impact someone he clearly cared about, and she couldn't just ask him to go off on his merry way at this point. "I think she may have had a heart without darkness. Someone like this is called a Princess of Heart. Ven, you weren't there when Master Eraqus told us, but there are seven of these people that are in danger…"
Ventus and Jonathan exchanged worried glances, the latter seeming a lot more confused by all of this. "So, someone may have stolen Erina's heart away? Would they still be around?"
"I'm not sure how much of this I can believe…but with those unusual Unversed creatures around, I find myself more willing to take this as truth." Jonathan said after a heavy sigh. "This matter of Princesses of Heart or even stealing hearts is a lot to wrap one's mind around. Erina isn't even a Princess!"
"It probably isn't literal, the Princess aspect of the name. And this has just been a theory. If her heart really was pure and is somewhere nearby…I think I may be able to feel out for it." After all, being a Keyblade Master, she was better at sensing these sorts of things than Ventus would be. Terra had so nearly become a Master himself, so why didn't he feel anything was wrong? Or did this attack happen after he had left?
Jonathan crossed his arms, still pretty unsure about all of this. "I'm still not entirely convinced, but I have no reason to doubt either of you. You…feeling out as you put it…certainly won't make Erina's condition worse, correct? We can try that, yes? If it doesn't work, will you look to her personally?"
"I will, I promise. Though like I said, a lot of this is theory. I'm not sure if I'm entirely right on this. I haven't exactly been in a situation like this before." Aqua said, peering out of the alleyway. She was wondering if the heart was still even in the world, or the person that had snatched it. After all, if this person had been after one of these pure hearts, they were surely after the rest. And the chances of two Princesses of Heart residing in a single world was too small to even consider. "Come on, I'll lead the way."
With the plan cemented, the trio emerged from the alleyway.
The town was pretty big, so that was a problem. Another problem was that whoever stole Erina's heart could possibly have moved on, far away. Possibly even to another world. That wasn't going to stop Aqua from trying, though. The process itself was rather uneventful. Aqua simply walked through the town, Ventus and Jonathan following, as she tried to reach out for a heart of pure light. The many other hearts around them made that hard, but the fact she was looking for something so unique helped. Only a pure heart, whether it be one of light or darkness, would be able to stand out with so many others around. At least with Aqua's experience, and she hadn't exactly gotten a lot of practice. It was hard for her to even say how far her range was, so they really had to comb the area thoroughly…
At least an hour passed with no luck. The entire town hadn't even been covered yet! There was little conversation during this time, allowing Aqua as much concentration as she could as she felt out for Erina's heart.
When they got near the town's edge, in the direction of Joestar Mansion, that she finally felt something. "Wait! That's it! This direction!" She called out, the two boys getting visibly excited. "It's off towards these woods…" Thinking of it, it certainly made a lot of sense for whoever had taken the heart to keep it outside the town. That raised the question, though, of who did the deed. They had the heart for whatever dark purposes they desired from it, so why were they still in this world? If they had left it, they surely wouldn't just leave it behind. "Be careful, whoever stole Erina's heart could easily be around still."
"Got it. I almost hope the scoundrel still remains. Something like this simply can't go unpunished!" Jonathan remarked as the trio entered the woods proper. "Quite amazing how you can do this, though, Aqua, and I very much appreciate it."
"It's nothing, it's practically my job anyway." Aqua replied as she and Ventus summoned their Keyblades. If this person was able to steal a hear, they could potentially be very dangerous…
"What would this person want with Erina's heart in the first place?" Ventus asked, looking about through the trees, anticipating some kind of attack.
Aqua hesitated before answering. She really had no idea what one could use a pure heart for. But, surely, with the possession of seven pure lights like that, something extremely bad could be done with them. "I don't know. I think it may be part of some grander scheme, though, but that's just a guess." She didn't like not having the answers. Things were so much simpler back at The Land of Departure.
As they walked on, the feeling that Aqua was following got stronger and stronger. It was actually somewhat tiring for her to feel out the heart like this. Though the closer they got, the less effort she had to put into it, which helped.
Before too long, they reached a river in the middle of the woods. The clear blue water ran along, oblivious to the nefarious forces at play. It was at this spot that Aqua stopped in her tracks. "Is this it? Is her heart here?" Jonathan asked, looking about. There was nothing visual that really gave away where the hiding spot may be.
At this point, even Ventus was able to feel the pureness of Erina's heart. "Is has to be here. I feel it too, Jonathan. Let's all take a look around."
The three split up around the area, looking about the trees and the riverbank. None of them had actually seen a heart outside of its body and weren't entirely sure what to look for. This search went on for several minutes before Jonathan spoke up. "I found something!" When Ventus and Aqua went to see what he was yelling about. "See? Loose dirt!" He pointed by the roots of a tree he had been looking around. Sure enough, there was a small patch of dirt that had blatantly been tampered with recently.
"Come on, let's dig it up then!" Ventus called, getting on his knees along with Jonathan as he helped the boy dig through the dirt.
"That's so odd, though…why bury it? Why keep it here at all?" Aqua mused as the two made progress in their digging. "Wouldn't the perpetrator want to keep it with them?" It was as though they had something to go and do, needing to leave the heart behind. But if this person wanted to gather all the hearts, wouldn't they want to take the first one with them. There was always the chance that whoever had done this wasn't even aware of Erina's status as a Princess of Heart. Maybe they stole her heart for some other reason, and just by chance it was a heart of pure light…but Aqua wasn't too sure on that.
"All that matters is we found it, right?" Ventus asked as he watched Jonathan fish something out of the newly dug hole. It was a simple metal box with a lock on it.
"Drat! It's locked…I don't suppose either of you could open it? Terra had displayed some rather impressive feats in the little time I knew him…" Jonathan asked, holding the box up to Aqua.
Getting Rainfell ready, Aqua took a step back. "Just hold it still…" With that said, a small beam of light came from her Keyblade and hit the lock. There was a small click when the light faded. "It's open now."
Quickly, Jonathan opened the box and his eyes widened at the side. There was what was essentially an orb of light within the box, which started to float into the air. "What…What is this? This isn't a heart!" He exclaimed, both mesmerized by the sight but also sounding downtrodden at the perceived failure.
"That's a heart, Jonathan, that's what they're really like." Aqua explained, feeling the pure light from Erina's heart just by standing there. "This is hers, and now it can go back to her body.
As the heart floated, memories flooded into the minds of all three of them, the memories of the heart's owner. When this happened, the trio saw these past events from Erina's point of view.
There were flashes of Erina spending time with Jonathan, the two playing, laughing, swimming, or just merely talking.
Another part of her life unfolded, showing an unusual situation where she was cleaning out her mouth with some dirty looking water.
The last one showed the river, Erina staring at it. There was a sudden coldness and Erina turned around, there was a figure before her, but it was too blurry to make out who it was.
After that, just darkness.
With that, the memories stopped, and the heart started to quickly fly away towards the town. "What's going on? Where is it going?" Jonathan asked, worry heavy in his voice.
"Don't worry, Jonathan. It's freed now, so it's going back to its owner." Aqua explained, letting out a sigh of relief. "She'll be just fine."
"You're sure on this?" Jonathan asked, not wanting to doubt Aqua, but the situation was just so surreal…
"I'm positive." Aqua knew enough about hearts to say with certainty that Erina would be okay. "A heart knows where it belongs, and Erina's is going back to her."
"You both saw those flashes, right? Those memories?" Ventus asked, staring off at where the heart went out of sight.
Aqua nodded, sighing lightly. "I did. I saw Erina's attack, but not who actually took her heart. We saw it from her point of view, so she probably knows as much as we do."
"I hate the thought that the perpetrator could just get away with something like this!" Jonathan bemoaned, leaning against a nearby tree with his arms crossed. "Who, or what, would do something like this?"
As he went on, a figure was off in the trees nearby and watching the trio. Dio gritted his teeth, fists clenched tightly as his plan came undone before his very eyes! He had noticed that fool Jonathan and two strangers heading off into the woods, so he had tailed them from a distance. The boy had felt his own heart sink when they uncovered the box, and he felt himself filled with rage when Erina's heart flew off.
He could knock Erina off her feet and out of consciousness, sure, but he had no way of taking her heart again! Not without that old man and that Keyblade of his! Sure, his plan had been shaky from the start, with Dio having no way to access other worlds, but he didn't think what little he accomplished would get undone so quickly!
The nerve of that pampered brat! First he had the gall to beat Dio in a fight until he bled, but now he directly undid his plot?! As the rage inside of the boy boiled, he quickly saw it manifest before his eyes in an almost literal sense.
In the clearing by the river, a number of Unversed spawned by Dio's own emotion sprouted! There were Floods, Scrappers, and even a few Bruisers. They practically melted out of the ground, and they even caught Dio off guard! The Unversed didn't react to him, though, their sights entirely on the trio that had undone his work!
This had been like before, at the manor when that doglike monster had appeared. Dio found himself wondering…had he done this? This was twice now that a spike in his emotions made these unusual entities appear. Was this some sort of power from the darkness he had with him that the old man hadn't explained? He didn't know what to think, so he kept himself hidden, watching things unfold…
"Unversed?! Where did they come from?!" Ventus shouted out, preparing Wayward Wind as several of the Floods approached him.
"We'll figure that out when they're gone!" Aqua said, charging at the Scrappers with Rainfell at the ready.
Jonathan prepared himself to fight as well, raising his hands in a boxing stance as one of the Bruisers approached. The large Unversed had its size on its side, but it wasn't fast enough to actually land a blow on its opponent. It swung its powerful limbs in vain as Jonathan ducked, bobbed, and weaved between them. As he did this, he'd strike out with heavy punched, the Bruiser's bulk absorbing most of the damage, but it would still add up as the fight went along.
This culminated in the youth leaping up and slamming his fist into the Bruiser's head, knocking it to the ground where it dissipated in a black mist. Jonathan eyes Ventus and Aqua, the two of them holding their own rather easily against the small fry. The former zipped around, throwing Wayward Wind about and cutting through the enemies while Aqua would cartwheel around attacks and use small spells to take out individual Unversed.
Keeping this in mind, it made Jonathan feel less guilty as he ran off into the trees. Not to flee, of course, but he wanted to see if the perpetrator was nearby! It sure was convenient that these Unversed appeared within minutes of Erina's heart being freed. Surely this meant that these monsters and the heart snatcher were connected!
Dio had stayed in place, watching the fight go down. When Jonathan charged at him, he didn't have time to get away! When the young man spotted his adopted brother, he stood there frozen in place.
"D…Dio? Why are you here?" Jonathan asked, not wanting to assume anything. There's no way Dio could actually be connected to this, surely…
For a few moments, Dio simply stared back, frozen as well. For the first time in who knew how long, he wasn't sure what to say. Emotions were swirling in his heart to the point it felt ready to burst! Maybe it was these emotions, getting caught in this situation, the energy from the Unversed, or perhaps some sort of mixture of the three that decided his next action.
Dio lunged at Jonathan wordlessly, gritting his teeth and giving the Joestar a harsh punch to the face. The blow made him stagger back, nearly knocking him onto his back. Jonathan backed away, the fight quickly backing into the clearing as Aqua and Ventus took out the last of the Unversed.
"What? Who is that?!" Ventus asked, hesitant about interfering. Was that the perpetrator? But he was just a kid! He couldn't just attack him with a Keyblade…
"Dio! Why are you attacking me?! Why are you here?!" Jonathan demanded, taking a swing at his brother in retaliation. But Dio was too quick, being the better fighter in general. Dodging the attack, the blonde boy cruelly elbowed Jonathan in the face, blood spewing from his nose as he fell to the ground.
Aqua approached at this point, putting Rainfell away. She wouldn't use her Keyblade against a boy Dio's age, but she could handle him without it. "Hey, are you a friend of Jonathan's or what? What are you doing here?"
Instead of answering, Dio lunged at her as well, aiming to punch her right in the face as he did Jonathan. Things didn't go quite so well for him, though. While she didn't have her Keyblade out, Aqua could still use a couple of spells, her abilities enough for her to do such a thing. It was a simple Reflect spell, her body covered in barriers of light. Went Dio's fist collided with one of these barriers, the full force went back to him, grunting out in pain as his nose gushed out blood and he fell backwards.
"Hey, are you alright?" Knowing Aqua could handle herself, Ventus had gone over to Jonathan and helped him up. "Who is this guy?"
"I'm alright…I don't think it's broken." Jonathan replied, standing up. "As for him…that's my brother, Dio. I don't know what he's doing here…"
Dio was simply lying on the ground, eyes closed but apparently conscious.
"Could he have done this…?" Ventus asked, looking to Aqua for answers.
The young woman shook her head. "Taking Erina's heart? No…that's impossible, or about so, without a Keyblade." It never crossed her mind it could've been anyone she actually knew. She assumed it was someone with a lot of dark magic…but could it be a rogue Keyblade wielder? It wasn't impossible, but not a thought she wanted to entertain…
"Then why are you here, Dio?!" Jonathan demanded, walking up to his brother, standing over him. "Answer us!"
At this, Dio's eyes snapped open, and he sat up quickly. "Jonathan…?" He called out, rubbing his head, and then wiping the blood from his upper lip. "Where are we? Who are these two?"
All three of the onlookers frowned in confusion, Ventus putting away his Keyblade. "What do you mean? You don't remember?" Jonathan asked, showing concern as he got down on one knee.
"No…I remember…those creatures…and then my emotions got out of control! It was so unusual! Next thing I knew, I was here on the ground." Dio explained, seeming a bit shaken. All part of his plan. With his back against the wall, he relied on the unearthly nature of the creatures he apparently summoned. They were clearly something mythical, appearing out of nowhere and vanishing in a mist when killed…
"The Unversed…could they have done all this?" Ventus asked, once more looking to Aqua for answers.
Aqua sighed, shaking her head a bit. "I don't know. They're new threats and I haven't been able to find out anything about them. It's…possible…" Or, at the very least, it wasn't impossible as far as she could tell. "Either way, I think Dio here was just a victim of the Unversed and their influence."
Jonathan helped Dio up, sighing. "Then the culprit got away, it seems. I'm just glad you're alright, Dio."
"Thank you, Jonathan…" The boy replied, looking to Ventus and Aqua. "What culprit? And who are these two?"
"I'll explain later, they're just some friends, no need to worry. Let's get you home." Jonathan replied, looking to Ventus and Aqua. "Thanks to the both of you for all your help. I'll be visiting Erina soon, right after I get Dio home."
"Do you want us to come with you?" Ventus asked. "Just in case?"
"No, I think we'll be okay. Our home isn't too far from here, after all. I hope I'll see you two and Terra sometime soon." Jonathan replied, looking off towards the Joestar Mansion.
"That'd be great. One day for sure!" Ventus replied with a grin, hoping it was a promise he could keep.
Aqua nodded, also not sure if it was a promise that could be fulfilled, but she didn't want to bring down the mood. "I hope everything stays okay here." She'd have to tell Master Eraqus about all this, maybe the two of them could come back and investigate further.
"Of course. I hope so as well." The Joestar replied with a grin. With that, Jonathan and Dio went off into the woods towards their hoe. The former felt relieved if a bit frustrated at the lack of answers. The latter had to fight back his rage as he feigned being so weak and helpless. This was a major setback, and he had no one with one of those Keyblade devices he could get help from! That old man was his only hope there! This wasn't the end of things, though. It may take time, but Dio knew he'd figure out some new plan…
When the two were out of sight, Aqua turned to Ventus. "Alright Ven, it's time for us to go back home."
Ventus had a feeling this would happen, shaking his head as he looked over to Aqua. "I can't! I said I could handle myself. Besides, I have to find Terra, and that Masked Boy…"
Masked Boy…? Oh! Right, he did mention that before flying off. Aqua had just been so worried, she hadn't given it much thought since then. "Explain to me a bit more who this Masked Boy is, Ven."
"I don't really know." He admitted, sitting against a nearby tree. "He just…showed up in my room and said awful things about Terra. I think he has some kind of plan, but I don't know."
That wasn't a lot to go on, but someone so casually breaking into their home was cause for concern enough. "Terra can take care of himself, Ven. You don't need to worry about him." Aqua decided to omit the part where Master Eraqus specifically asked her to keep an eye out for Terra. A bit of a lie, but if it'd help get Ventus home…
"He's my friend, of course I'm going to worry about him!" Ventus argued, staring at the river.
"Well, that really shows you care, and that's good." Aqua replied, sitting down next to Ventus. "But you still need to go home. Master Eraqus is worried."
"No." Ventus replied almost instantly, still not looking at Aqua. He didn't like arguing with her, or how close she was sitting. Even with all that was going on, his feelings towards his friend hadn't gone away. He actually felt his face get warm just with her sitting right next to him, and he just hoped his face didn't go red. "And it's not just about Terra…it's about proving I can handle things."
Aqua recalled how Ventus insisted he wasn't weak or a loser, something that really made her upset that he'd consider that about himself. "It's about what you said, right? You're afraid we think you're a loser?" He didn't respond, just giving a nod. "I can guarantee you that isn't true. None of us ever thought that…" She placed a hand over his, just wanting to provide a bit of comfort.
Ventus flinched, flustered at the touch, but let it happen. He kept telling himself that she didn't feel that way about him, but it wasn't like he could just make his own feelings disappear. And while it was nice to hear Aqua say that, he still felt he was weak and useless. It really seemed like he was miles behind everyone else, and he knew that he was the youngest and that was natural, but to him the gap was just so large that a mere two or four years younger shouldn't make Aqua or Terra so high above him. At least, that's how he saw it. He just wanted to be as good as them, and Aqua insisting he had to go home just hammered in the thought that even Master Eraqus thought he couldn't handle himself at all.
"Well, I'm still going to prove myself." Ventus insisted, standing up. "I'm going to find Terra and help find out where the Unversed come from and stop them!"
Standing up as well, Aqua shook her head. "Ven, Master Eraqus really wants you to come back. At least go talk to him first!"
"No! He's going to just tell me to stay! I'll prove to the three of you I can do things on my own!"
Without waiting for another word of argument, Ventus ran off into the woods. "Ven!" Aqua called, giving chase. "Come back!"
But he didn't listen and kept running. Ventus could really book it when he wanted to, and with his head start and weaving through the increasingly cluttered forest, he soon went out of Aqua's sight entirely. The young woman kept running about, calling out for her friend to no avail.
Frustrated, she would eventually stop, leaning against a nearby tree as she caught her breath. Ventus had probably already left the world, going off to chase Terra or that mysterious Masked Boy. Aqua internally scolded herself, felting like she had failed big time! Ventus was right there with her, and she failed to get him back! And while she helped aid a Princess of Heart, she had no idea who was going after her. Was it that Masked Boy, or someone else? That thing that called itself a Mahjarrat came into her mind…but it didn't seem interested in hearts…
Sighing, Aqua would prepare her armor and her glider, having just enough room in the woods to get it ready. She could kick herself later, but for the moment she still had her missions! Without further delay, the young Keyblade Master took to the sky, hoping she'd run into one of her friends again soon…
A/N: Another world cleared, only the Mushroom Kingdom left of the first set before the story really moves in a major way. At least with some small sprinkles here and there like with Terra visiting Yen Sid during this chapter. I feel like I should say I'm basing the timeline here off of Everglow's videos, for those who don't know he's a YouTuber that made a really comprehensive timeline series of Kingdom Hearts. I'm generally following what he does, and I think it's working out in terms of pace so far.
Either way, just one more world until Radiant Garden, but I don't think I'll be able to wrap it up in a single chapter, but at least I can get to the rough midpoint of things before the year is over. As always, any and all comments or criticisms are welcome.