Ventus arrived in the city that Mickey's Star Shard had taken him to. It was truly a gorgeous area, yet oddly empty. This allowed the teen to simply land in the middle of a plaza as he dismissed his armor and glider. It was the middle of a beautiful day, so where was everybody? Surely the citizens of the city would be out walking about and socializing, right?
He had no idea why the Star Shard had even brought him to this world. Were Unversed causing havoc? Was that why there was nobody…
Wait, there was someone!
Rounding the corner was a duck going about a stroll. He seemed rather well off, with a top hat, an expensive looking coat, and a cane. Paying Ventus little mind, the duck went along before rounding another corner and going out of sight.
Alright, so that was one person, but where was everyone else? Ventus looked about and looked to a large castle that towered over the normal homes. Maybe that was a good place to start? It was as good a place as any, he supposed, and it was a good landmark to work towards.
Before Ventus could even get moving, though, he noticed another figure walking in the direction of the castle. This time, the person was familiar! "Mickey…?" The teen murmured, taking a few steps towards the figure.
It was indeed Mickey! The mouse didn't seem to notice Ventus as he walked off and vanished behind a house. Maybe he had the same idea about talking to whoever lived in the castle! Ventus decided to follow after his new friend, taking off and trying to catch up.
Terra landed in Radiant Garden not long after Ventus went after Mickey. He arrived at the same plaza, and he too noticed how oddly empty things were. This didn't surprise him, as Master Xehanort had explicitly said that Vanitas was somewhere in this world stirring up trouble. Perhaps the citizens were hiding inside to keep themselves safe from the Unversed…
As the young man withdrew his armor and glider, his suspicion was backed up as half a dozen Floods emerged in front of him! "Master Xehanort was right! The Unversed are here too!" They were everywhere he went, it seemed. Truly an infestation that needed to be taken care of!
Readying Earthshaker, Terra charged towards the Unversed and readied a Fire spell…
Somehow, Mickey had vanished by the time Ventus had gotten to where he last seen the mouse. Where had he gone so quickly? Was it to the castle or somewhere else? Not sure what else to do, the teen decided to just follow his original plan anyway. It wasn't like Mickey couldn't take care of himself, and maybe the two would run into each other again. That was, if the Star Shard didn't decide to send the mouse to another world at random.
He passed through small neighborhoods with comfortable looking homes. Even around these parts, he didn't see anyone. Looking through the windows, though, he'd see figures moving about and even some distinct faces. They were peeking out at him, probably wondering why someone was outside.
Another area Ventus came across was a lovely place with a lot of greenery. Grass, flowers, and even some trees dotting the section of the city. It didn't seem like anyone lived there, though. One odd thing he also noticed was, as the castle came closer, he noticed large yellow piped leading from the massive building to other parts of the city. They went into the stone walls, whatever they led to specifically out of sight.
On top of that, another unusual thing Ventus realized, was he didn't come across any Unversed. The Star Shard had brought him there for a reason, right? There also had to be a reason why most of the city was cooped up indoors. Maybe he had just gotten lucky and hadn't run into any yet…
After climbing several sets of stairs and through an open gate, Ventus arrived at the castle. It seemed an obvious thing to think, but it really was gigantic when up close, complete with a massive gate leading inside! It was even taller than the one at The Land of Departure! The teen was so busy gawking at the structure that at first he didn't notice the guards, not until he was only a few yards away.
There were two of them on either side of a door within the gate. Both were large men, one with black dreads and the other with wavy brown hair. The second guard was especially tall, more than Terra was and even more muscular. They wore uniforms with a noticeable red heart below their necks.
Armed with a spear, the black-haired one looked to Ventus with a suspicious look. The other, wielding some sort of axe, seemed indifferent. "You there, boy. What are you doing here?" The shorter of the two said, gripping his spear and seeming ready to use it.
"The castle is presently closed. No one without authorization is allowed inside." The brunette added on.
"I saw a friend of mine come here. Didn't he come to this castle?" Ventus asked, frowning a bit at the reaction he got. It seemed the chances of him getting into the castle were just about zero.
The guards looked to each for a moment before turning back to Ventus. "We've had no visitors today." The spear-wielding man said. "Now run off back home, boy. There are monsters about, you know.
"So, they are here! The Unversed!" Ventus exclaimed, having had a feeling he had been right. "How long have they been here?" He did have to wonder, though, where Mickey had gone to. If not the castle, where was he…?
"You know what they're called? Are you an outsider?" The axe-wielder didn't seem surprised, not seeming to really emote at all.
Before Ventus could reply, a mechanical whirring rang out from behind. Turning, the teen saw a massive metal shape that looked like a head floating in the air! Looking closer he saw the symbol that some of the Unversed had on it. "There's one now!" He said, surprised at the creature's metal looking body.
Without hesitation, the two guards walked past Ventus, weapons at the ready and stretching their arms as though prepared to do some exercises. They were oddly casual, as if this had happened before. "We'll handle this, you just stay there." The brunette man said, not even looking back at Ventus.
The teen didn't want anyone getting hurt…didn't they know how dangerous the Unversed could be? Summoning Wayward Wind, he ran past both guards. "I'll take care of this! Don't you two worry!" He called, feeling annoyed when the Unversed started to fly away. Still, Ventus chased after it, soon leaving the castle grounds and going towards the city proper.
"Wait! Boy! Come back, it's dangerous!" The black-haired man called. "Come, Aeleus, we have to follow them!" He said to his fellow guard, seeming genuinely concerned.
Before Aeleus could reply, a voice called from behind the two. "Where are you two going? Who do you think will protect the castle if you're gone? You surely didn't forget that, right Dilan?"
The two guards turned to see a blonde man in a lab coat coming standing by the now-open door. He had green eyes and a slim look to him, like he was too busy to always eat properly. "Didn't you see the size of that one, Even?" Aeleus asked, pointing at the receding form of Ventus. "He can't just go off on his own."
Even didn't seem too worried, however, watching Ventus as he chased after the massive Unversed. "You don't need to worry yourself with him. He's a special case…"
"What? What does that mean?" Aeleus asked, glancing between the scientist and the teen as he went out of sight.
"Mmm…Even is right…" Dilan said, not seeming too pleased. "We're meant to stay here and guard the castle. Who knows where the boy and that thing ran off to?" By the time they got to where they last saw him, the stranger and that creature would be even farther away and still probably out of sight. "Lord and castle comes first, and he seems confident in the boy's abilities." He didn't know what Even meant in his words, but the man was usually quite knowledgeable…
The scientist nodded, pleased the guards listened to him. "Speaking of his Lordship, he's requested your presence. Both of you." Even said, staring off at where Ventus went off to as Dilan and Aeleus proceeded into the castle. "Mmm…A heart devoid of darkness…" The man muttered to himself, too quiet to be heard by the guards. "Not just devoid…but stripped clean of it. Most unusual…" Turning around, he followed the guards inside, closing the door behind them.
With a cry, Terra slashed down and destroyed the last of the Unversed, the Flood vanishing into a dark mist. "That was a lot…it really makes sense that Vanitas is somewhere in this world." The young man commented. As he looked about for more of the horrid creatures, he spotted a figure walking deeper into the city. It was Master Xehanort, no doubt about it! "What? What's he doing here…?"
The elderly man didn't seem to have noticed Terra, walking away from him without so much as a glance. Terra wondered if, maybe, Master Xehanort didn't want him fighting against Vanitas alone. The young man wasn't sure how good of an idea that could be. While still a Keyblade Master, it wasn't as though Xehanort was as spry as Master Eraqus…
Deciding to follow after him, Terra ran off in the same direction. By the time he reached where he had last seen Master Xehanort, the old man was gone. Where could he have gone off too so fast…?
Before Terra could decide where to go, a scream from a nearby alleyway rang out. "Get back! Stay behind me!" A young male voice called out.
Terra ran towards the alleyway, sure that someone was in trouble with some Unversed! Indeed, when he got into the alley, he saw a Bruiser cornering three youths. The oldest was a brunette boy, around sixteen years old. There was another brunette, but this was a girl that seemed about twelve. The last person was a black-haired girl, no older than six.
The boy was unarmed but stood in front of the girls and was prepared to fight back regardless. Terra charged forward, jumping up and slamming Earthshaker down on the Unversed's head, destroying the monster with a single attack.
"Whoah! What was that?!" The youngest girl exclaimed, eyes widening at the sight.
"Are you three okay? Are you hurt?" Terra asked, looking about for more Unversed, but that Bruiser seemed to be the only one.
"We're fine…who are you? Never seen you around before." The boy asked, seeming grateful yet oddly frustrated.
Feeling it was safe from more Unversed, Terra relaxed and looked to the trio. "My name's Terra. I'm not from here, but I know there are creatures about. Why are you three out and about?"
"Squall here wanted to try and fight them off! He lost his weapon and we got cornered!" The youngest girl exclaimed, still staying behind her friend.
"We really are grateful though, thank you…" The brunette girl replied with a polite small.
Terra shook his head. "Think nothing of it. You three should go inside, though. I'm here to help, so you don't need to worry."
Squall seemed somewhat skeptical but gave a nod. "I guess. I wasn't able to do anything helpful." He seemed annoyed in his words, seeming frustrated at his inability to fight off the Bruiser.
"You were about to protect your friends from harm, that's hardly unhelpful." Terra argued with another shake of the head. "That takes a lot of guts, you know. Not everyone can just do that."
"He has a point, Squall." The brunette girl agreed, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.
The teen let out a heavy breath through his nose. "Well, maybe. We should go back, though, he's right about that. Alright Aerith, Yuffie, let's get home and make sure Cid doesn't know we were doing this. He'd lose it if he found out."
Terra watched as the trio ran off, the youngest girl waving at Terra as she rounded the corner and out of sight. The young man was glad he was able to save those three from getting seriously hurt. Hopefully they'd be fine on the way back home after all that.
With that thought in his heart, Terra would leave the alley and head off towards the general direction Master Xehanort went off to. Hopefully he was still nearby…
It was at this point that Aqua arrived in Radiant Garden as well. Terra had managed to stay pretty far ahead of her in The Lanes Between. So much so that she had no idea where he had gone off to! He was headed straight towards this world, though, so she knew she was on the right track.
She found herself in the main plaza of the city, her armor and glider dismissed. Like with her friends, she noticed how empty the area was. It was such a lovely day, so the silence was a bit ominous. Were the Unversed here too…?
As that thought went through her mind, Aqua noticed someone walking from between some houses and into the plaza. A duck in a very fancy suit and top hat. She supposed he was a good of a start as any to ask about what might be going on.
"Excuse me! Sir?" She called as she approached the duck, who stopped to turn to her. "Sorry to bother you, but I was hoping to ask you some questions." The duck seemed rather elderly, so she was mindful to be extra polite.
The duck grinned, looking up at Aqua. "Ach, what a well-mannered lass ye are! I can stop for a wee bit of questioning!"
"Thank you, sir." She glanced around at the city around them. "Where is everyone? It seems like everyone is huddled up inside."
"Ye must not be from these parts." The duck pointed out. "Those strange creatures have been cropping up! Not going to let them stop me from going out and about! Not a chance!"
That had to be Unversed! Okay, that was one thing cleared up. "That's awful…I just hope everyone is safe inside." Nothing particularly stopping the Unversed from going inside homes, Aqua assumed. "I was also wondering if you saw two others that aren't from around here…" She'd go on to describe how Ventus and Terra looked. Of course, she knew Terra was in this world, but maybe Ventus would be as well…
The duck hummed in thought for a moment. "I think I know just who ye mean! I saw the blonde boy going to yon castle in a right hurry!" He declared, pointing his cane at the massive castle in the distance.
Ventus! Odd he had seen him, but not Terra. Well, at the very least Aqua could take care of one thing. "Thank you very much sir, I've got to hurry!" Didn't want to lose track of her friend, after all.
With that, Aqua darted towards the castle, the duck watching her go for a moment before continuing his walk.
Terra had no luck with finding Master Xehanort. Him being distracted by those kids in trouble didn't exactly help. The elderly man could've gotten anywhere while Terra was busy with them. It wasn't like he could get too angry, though. That Squall kid was just trying to help his community, even if it was foolish.
Clawing against a desperate situation was something Terra could understand. He had to compete with older, bigger kids back on his homeworld just for food or a bit of clean water. A far less noble situation than what Squall was tied up in, of course.
As Terra thought about his destroyed home, a massive shape flew out in front of him. It came from one walkway and right passed him, not seeming to notice his presence. The thing seemed like a giant pair of…metal legs?! Even with only the slight glance he got, the young man spotted a familiar symbol on the unusual thing.
"Unversed? That thing's an Unversed?!" He exclaimed, running after the robotic entity. Could Unversed really be like that? Apparently it was possible because Terra knew for sure he saw their symbol on those pair of legs! The young man kept his gaze on the flying limbs, the strange thing going pretty fast, but not so much that it could outrun him.
Terra would just have to worry about finding Master Xehanort later. He couldn't just allow a massive Unversed fly off to do who knew what! The chase took him through a gorgeous district where one of the walls was a series of fountains cascading down to the ground. Unfortunately, he had no time to stop and admire the scenery, hopping up the fountains as the robotic legs kept going on…
Aqua got to the castle's outer gate around this time. She hadn't seen any sign of Ventus or Terra during her trip, which caused some concern. Had Ventus gone inside the castle itself? Or maybe he went to the castle and off somewhere else…
As the young woman climbed the stairs, she heard a scream from up ahead. A child's scream! Getting Rainfell ready, the Keyblade Master sprinted up the stairs to see a few Floods chasing after a little girl with red hair, no older than four years old.
"Go! Run!" Aqua called, charging at the Unversed. The little girl ran towards a wall, trapped by the Floods. When one jumped forward to attack her, the child managed to just barely run by the creatures and to Aqua's side.
"Make them go away!" The girl cried, placing a hand on Rainfell, and looking to the Unversed with fear.
The Keyblade Master didn't even have to try and feel out the girl's heart. "I can sense the light…" Aqua murmured, eyes widening. No doubt about it, the child had zero darkness in her heart whatsoever. She was yet another Princess of Heart! That made three that Aqua had met! "I can't fight with my full strength with her right here…" Her more powerful moves or spells would be so dangerous…
As Aqua pondered what to do, a Flood leapt high in the air, readying an attack from above. Before it even reached the apex of its jump, a figure came from behind and took to the air himself! To the young woman's surprise, this stranger had a Keyblade! It was blue with star patterns!
The figure slashed at the Unversed in the air, disintegrating it into mist with a single strike. Landing on the ground, the stranger turned to Aqua. "Hurry! You have to take that girl to safety! I'll hold them off!"
Aqua was so shocked to see a Keyblade user out of the blue that it took her a second to register his words. "Right!" She could ask questions later! Picking up the girl under her arm, she carried the child down the stairs and to the gate. Putting her down, Aqua knew she couldn't just leave the stranger to fight alone. "You stay here, okay?"
Without waiting for a response, Aqua turned back and ran up the stairs and took a stance next to the stranger, ready to fight off the Unversed…
Ventus had lost sight of the unusual Unversed he had been chasing. That was something that really troubled him! What if it was off causing havoc or attacking someone?! By chance, the direction the mechanical being was flying towards was the plaza the teen had first entered the world in. As he grew near, he heard a voice calling out.
"Ach! How dare ye! Do ye know how I am?!" The voice cried.
The teen entered the plaza to see that duck from earlier cornered by the Unversed Ventus had been chasing! "Oh no…" Getting Wayward Wind ready, he ran towards the duck and metallic creature.
To Ventus' surprise, the duck smacked at the Unversed with his cane, actually causing it to flinch away. What nearly stopped the teen in his tracks was the duck leaping up, slamming the end of his cane on top of the robotic entity, bouncing off of it and slamming it into the ground. He was stronger than he looked!
Landing on the ground, the duck turned to the Unversed, which took back to the air. "Hah! Ye want some more, eh?! Come on, I have time for another round!"
As interesting as the situation started to go, Ventus really didn't want to risk someone getting hurt when he was right there. "Heads up!" The teen called, throwing Wayward Wind at the Unversed, the Keyblade spinning rapidly. This attack slammed into the creature, knocking it off-kilter. Once more, it quickly recovered, but this time it started to fly away.
Ventus ran right past the duck, who looked after the teen. "Hold on…" The duck muttered. "Aye! Hold on there, laddie!"
"Huh?" Ventus turned around, expecting to see more Unversed. Instead, it was just the stranger beaming at him. "What is it?!" He called back.
"Don't I get the chance to repay ye! Come back here!" The duck called, walking after the teen. Apparently he wasn't in a rush, seeming to expect Ventus to simply obey.
To the duck's credit, Ventus did stop in his tracks. He looked on in dismay as the Unversed got farther away. "But…I have to…I mean, you don't need to give me anything!"
"I said wait! Come on, laddie, who doesn't like a reward!" The duck demanded, seeming a tad annoyed. "I dinna mean me fortune, just a small token of appreciation!"
Ventus looked back at the Unversed, which at that point turned a corner and went out of sight entirely. Turning back to the duck, he nodded. "Alright, but as long as it's quick…" He just really had a hard time refusing the stranger, the little guy having an oddly persuasive attitude…
Waving Ventus over, the duck brightened up. "That's the spirit, laddie! I know just the thing!" When the teen got close, he gave a smile that the two were up to something, like there was an inside joke going on. "Say, laddie, you're not from this world, are ye?"
That really took the teen by surprise! "What?! I…uh…what do you mean?" The question had surprised him too much for him to lie effectively.
"Don't worry! My bill is sealed and yer secret's safe with me. Just be honest…" The duck replied, still seeming almost cheeky.
"Well…yes…how did you know?" Ventus really didn't feel he was that out of place around the city, was he?
"I'm in the same situation, of course! I'm from another world too!" The stranger replied with a hearty chuckle. "The name's Scrooge McDuck, and let's just say I have a friend or two that can help one get around other worlds. After all, adventure is the mother of industry!"
He went to other worlds…just to make money? Well, there were far more nefarious reasons, Ventus supposed. "Uh…well, that makes sense. Was that all you wanted from me?" The teen didn't want to be rude to one of his elders, but the Unversed was going to get away!
Thankfully, Scrooge didn't seem upset, letting out a short laugh. "Aye, but I'm keeping ye! Here!" He reached into his coat, taking out three passes, each one saying 'Disney Town Passport' on them and displaying a colorful drawing of a castle and the surrounding town. "These are lifetime passes to Disney Town. It's a world that happens to be pretty close by! Ye'll have buckets o' fun there, that I guarantee!"
Ventus really didn't know what Scrooge was talking about, but he still took the passes. "Oh! Uh, thank you, I'll stop by sometime…" He doubted he'd have time, but maybe if he was able to wrap up things here he could. The Star Shard brought him to this world for a reason…
"Good! Good! Make sure ye bring yer parents, alright?" Scrooge said, chortling as he walked off, waving at Ventus before turning to face forward.
Parents? Really? Did…he seem that young to Scrooge. Well, Ventus wasn't about to whine about the gift, of course. Still, he had to keep chasing that Unversed! Putting the passes in his pocket, he summoned his Keyblade once more and ran off to where the robotic creature went…
Slaying the last of the Unversed, Aqua let out a breath of relief. She turned to her companion, the stranger with the Keyblade. He was really strong, able to jump and weave through the Unversed without a scratch. She had noticed he used some light magic too! "Thanks for the help." The Keyblade Master said, dispelling Rainfell. "What's your name? Mine's Aqua."
"Mickey Mouse, good to meet ya!" He replied, dispelling his own Keyblade. Glancing over, he saw Kairi climbing up the stairs again and heading towards the pair.
"I study under Master Eraqus…but what about you? I didn't know there were other Keyblade wielders outside of just a few others." He was surely not a Master, despite his abilities. Otherwise, Master Eraqus would have mentioned him at some point, right?
"Well, I used to be Master Yen Sid's apprentice, and I came back to him for some more training recently." Mickey replied as the girl reached them. "You felt the light in her too, didn't you?"
Nodding, Aqua glanced between the girl and Mickey. "I did…she's the third one I've met like this." She trusted her new acquaintance; she barely knew him but was still so sure he was a good person through and through. "Do you think it's why they attacked her?"
"You're right, I'm sure of it!" Mickey declared. "She's certainly something special, so that's why they targeted her!"
Did he not know about the Princess of Hearts in particular? "Well, we'll have to protect her and others like her…"
"Exactly! We'll join forces!" He replied, chipper. Just as he said that, though, a bright flash came from his pocket. "Oh no! Not now! Don't worry, I'll be okay!" Mickey was suddenly engulfed in light, bouncing off somewhat awkwardly towards the sky. "I'll see you again soon!" He called before vanishing off into the distance.
Aqua really had no idea what the heck just happened. That looked like some sort of teleportation, but one he couldn't control. Well…he said he'd be okay, so she believed it.
"Thank you!" The girl exclaimed, looking to Aqua. "For saving me from those scary monsters…"
Smiling, Aqua knelt down as she replied to the girl. "Of course. I couldn't just let you get hurt. Say, what's your name? You probably heard me say it, but I'm Aqua."
"My name's Kairi, it's good to meet you!" The girl replied, seeming to get over the attack quickly as she beamed to one of her saviors.
"Listen, Kairi, about that light-" Aqua started, wanting to warn her about going off alone and about the Unversed. However, she was interrupted by a voice calling from the stairs.
"Kairi! There you are!" The two looked to see an elderly woman approaching, relief on her face.
"Grandma!" Kairi replied, about to go over to the older woman.
Before she could go off, Aqua grabbed her hand for a moment to stop her. "Kairi, wait. Just a second…" When the girl stopped, the Keyblade Master placed her hand on a necklace the girl was wearing and put some magic into it. "I just cast a magic spell on you. One day, if you're in trouble, the light within you will lead you to the light of another, someone to keep you safe." It was a complicated bit of magic that even the Keyblade Master couldn't just use whenever she wanted. She had to concentrate it into an object, like the necklace, and the person wearing the item had to have a considerable amount of light within them.
Kairi didn't seem to fully understand what Aqua was saying, but as long as she had that necklace, she didn't need to. Either way, she smiled with a nod. "Thank you!" With that, she went to her grandma, who grinned down warmly at her granddaughter.
"Ah, there you are. Come along, we should get going." The older woman took Kairi's hand gently within her own and started to lead her away slowly.
"Yes, grandma!" Kairi chirped back, waving to Aqua as the two left. Turning up to the elderly woman, she went on. "Grandma, could you tell me that story?"
That made the old woman chuckle lightly. "Again, dear? You've heard it so many times!"
"Please? Pretty please?" Kairi pressed.
This got another small laugh from the elder. "Well, alright. Let's see…"
Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light.
Everyone loved the light. Then people began to fight over it.
They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts.
The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared.
But small fragments of light survived...in the hearts of children.
With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now.
But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness.
That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open. And the true light will return.
So, listen, child. Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you.
Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you.
Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away.
Aqua listened to the entire story, the pair walking slowly enough that only after the last few words did they go out of sight down the castle stairs. The Keyblade Master was perplexed at how Kairi's grandmother knew about other worlds and how they were divided…but she decided to let it go. She simply stood there for several minutes, thinking about what had unfolded since she entered this world.
"Kairi…I don't think we ran into each other on accident…" Aqua murmured to herself. She had only been following Terra to arrive at this world, but it hardly seemed like a mere coincidence. This was especially because Kairi had been the third Princess of Heart she had met.
As Aqua went towards the stairs to look about the city more, a large shape flew by her, high in the air. It was some sort of mechanical thing, help up by a spinning propeller on top. That alone was cause for alarm, but Aqua saw a familiar symbol on it. "Unversed?! That thing?!" She exclaimed, readying Rainfell as she started to give chase to the creature. It being so high in the air meant she'd have to wait for it to land at some point, but she'd tail it until then!
To his frustration, Terra lost the Unversed and couldn't find it! He ended up in an area of the city where there were a lot of pipes about and a circular glass floor. There was also a few ways to leave the area, so the Unversed could've gone down several paths! As Terra thought about which way to go, he heard a voice from behind him.
"Terra!"
Startled, he turned to see Aqua was there running his way!
Out from another path to Terra's further shock, was Ventus, who made a beeline towards his friends.
"Ven? Aqua?" Terra frowned in confusion. "What are you two doing in this world?" He knew Ventus had at least been in Hyrule, so he was out and about. Terra also knew Aqua would be out trying to take down the source of the Unversed, just like him. However, the young man was just shocked that all three of them went to the same place at the same time.
"I saw you by chance, so I followed you here." Aqua remarked, looking between the two boys. "And Ven, I told you that you had to go home!"
Ventus shook his head. "I told you why I can't do that, I-"
A noise from above startled the three and they looked up. Above them were the three large Unversed they had been chasing! They readied their Keyblades as the trio of mechanical beings slowly descended. "We can talk about that later!" Terra remarked.
To the shock and light horror of the trio, the three Unversed started to change shape! The leg shaped one extended, so it was even longer than before. With one of the other Unversed, its propeller went into its body, which split in half and formed a pair of arms. The last Unversed extended its body too, becoming more like a head and body.
These three Unversed combined into one being, Trinity Armor, and hovered close to the ground and stared down the trio of Keyblade wielders.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Aqua murmured at the sight.
Trinity Armor raised its arms in the air and slammed them downward at the trio, who swiftly dodged out of the way as the metallic limbs crashed into the ground. It extended its legs out, spinning them like a top with a wide enough range to reach the scattered Keyblade wielders. Ventus rolled under the legs while Aqua and Terra were hit, both of them sent careening into nearby walls.
Ventus ran over to Aqua, as she was the closer of the two, and helped her up as he let out winces of pain. "Are you alright?! That looked pretty awful…"
"I'm fine…what about Terra…?" The young woman looked across the way, watching as Terra managed to get to his feet as well. "I think we should try to take out one piece at a time!" She called out so both her companions could hear. "Let's start with the legs!"
It was probably easier said than done, but both Ventus and Terra agreed with her. The Trinity Armor, perhaps able to understand the humans, directed another attack at them. Out from the head area, beams of energy shot out at the trio in a scattershot fashion. The accuracy wasn't dead-on, but the numbers made up for it.
Still, the three were able to keep themselves from getting hit at first. Ventus was able to weave through the shots while Terra smacked them away with Earthshaker. Aqua, meanwhile, ran at Trinity Armor and would erect small barriers to block the shots. When a cluster of them came at her, she cast a Reflect spell, the energy shooting away from her and back at their opponent.
This blast of energy stunned the head/body part of the combined Unversed, but the arms and legs were still active. While there weren't any more shots being fired, the four limbs spun around in erratic patterns at the trio. They were more prepared this time, leaping out of the attack range and firing spells. Ventus and Terra shot Fire spells while Aqua cast Thunder.
While all three spells hit, they didn't seem to do much on their own. The Thunder spell ran over all three parts of Trinity armor while the Fire spells hit the legs. Scorch marks appeared, but there was little other effect while the Thunder spell didn't seem to do much of anything. Apparently the Unversed just wasn't too susceptible to those types of spells, at least not the lowest tier versions of them.
When the limbs stopped spinning, Ventus darted forward, practically a blur. He leapt at the legs and slashed at them with Wayward Wind, cutting into the metal, but not as deep as he was hoping. In response, the Trinity Armor grabbed him with one of its metallic claws, lifting him up into the ai. It'd start to squeeze at him, coldly staring at him as he screamed out in pain from the force. When Aqua tried to go help, the legs shot at her and started to pinwheel in the air, keeping her at bay.
That made Terra see red.
He sprinted at the massive Unversed, jumping up towards Ventus as rage boiled in his heart. Seeing his friend shouting out in agony was too much for him! The robotic creature's free arm went flying towards Terra in an attempt to intercept him, but the Keyblade wielder gave a cry of anger and slammed Earthshaker into the incoming fist, sending the metal limb away. In the same motion, he arced his weapon into a downward swing, hitting the arm with Ventus near the wrist area.
This caused the arm to receive a very notable dent, and the robotic claw holding Ventus let go of him. The teen was able to stick a wobbly landing, dashing away as he winced from the attack he received.
"You okay?" Terra asked, keeping close to his friend, and facing the Trinity Armor. Aqua was still being harassed by the legs, so he had to go for her next.
"I'm fine…thanks for the save…!" Ventus gasped out, honestly not sure how much more he could have handled that. That Unversed had a vice-like grip!
Grunting in acknowledgement, Terra charged forward to intercept the legs. He got between them as they spun, lifting Earthshaker and stopping one of the limbs in its tracks, grunting out in effort as his feet dragged across the floor. Aqua jumped into assist, shooting a small volley of Fire spells at both the legs, scorching them further and causing them to go back to the main body.
At this point, the Trinity Armor rose higher up in the air. "What, is it running away?" Aqua asked as Ventus went over to join his friends as they stared up at the Unversed.
"I doubt it…" Terra muttered, watching closely with the other two at what the robotic foe would pull out next.
The four limbs of the Unversed spread apart, the fists and feet pointing straight down at the ground. Without much else buildup, it unleashed its attack. Its arms and legs shot towards the trio, who leapt out of harm's way. It didn't stop there, though. The limbs would swiftly rise and fall, punching and kicking to the ground and moving about to try and crush the Keyblade wielders.
This meant that the trio barely had time to do much except dodge about the area. It seemed like as soon as they got out of the way of one attack, the next blow was a mere second away from crashing down upon their heads. Even Ventus didn't have time to do much, his speed hindered by the injury he had taken from the metal hand of the massive Unversed.
To make things work, there was no real pattern to exploit. It was almost random, but there was always one attack that was close enough to make each member of the trio be on guard or making them start running in the opposite direction. At most, they were able to perform swift counterattacks, just quick swipes with their Keyblades. These attacks were only able to perform shallow slashes across the limbs, not enough to even slow the attack down or do any really serious damage.
Aqua couldn't even use magic to help out. Anything big would need a few moments at least to concentrate which was time she didn't have. Not to mention that large spells would exhaust her and could possibly slow her down too much to dodge further attacks. A Reflect spell could work, but it was the type of magic she could only put up for a moment or two, and she'd have to stand still to do it. Not the best of ideas…
There was nothing the trio could do at the moment but run and give occasional counterattacks. This, however, eventually started to be productive. Each individual slash of their weapons may not have done much, but over time the damage on each of the limbs would add up and they started to get into pretty rough shape.
It seemed the Unversed realized this, withdrawing its limbs back into the air and all of its pieces descended to the ground again. As it did this, it started to charge up energy, an orb of energy appearing in front of its face.
"What's it doing now?! A blast?!" Aqua called, panting a bit from the workout he just got.
Before Aqua or Terra could answer, the attack was unleashed. A massive energy beam shot forth, aimed right at the trio. They each ran to the side, surprised as the Unversed spun along with them, keeping the beam going. Even if they ran in different directions, they would still have to circle around at some point. Despite the attack not landing, each of them could feel how powerful it was just by being nearby, and the three realized getting hit by such a force could put an end to them instantly.
Luckily, they didn't have to find out if that was true or not. Eventually, the energy blast started to shrink, and the attack ended. The Trinity Armor, however, instantly started to power up again.
If they were going to end this, they'd have to attack as a team. Easier said than done when getting close to the Trinity Armor was so tough. It'd just send out its limbs at them or something! So, there was only one option.
"We have to attack form afar! Together!" Ventus called, stepping in front of the two. "Follow my lead!" He wanted to prove he could handle things, to protect his friends and let them see he was strong! The teen let Wayward Wind go in front of him, the Keyblade spinning about rapidly. Digging deep, Ventus built up a large Aero attack, a miniature tornado summoning forth and going towards the Unversed.
The attack didn't blow it away or anything, but the Trinity Armor was stunned enough to halt its energy building. Aqua and Terra didn't give it time to recover, though, combining their magic with Ventus'. The young man raised Earthshaker and unleashed a stream of fire into the tornado, causing a spiral of flame to become entrapped in it and sear at the Unversed. He wouldn't stop the magic, constantly pouring out more and more Fire magic.
Aqua followed suit, raising up Rainfell and letting out light! It wasn't as concentrated or powerful as a Holy pearl, but it was still strong! The tornado was filled with scorching flame and darkness destroying light. It was more than the Keyblade Master had ever tried, but she dug down deep and wouldn't let her body falter!
The Unversed was stuck in place, stunned by the attack and unable to get away. Things only got worse for it as the trio cried out in unison, ramping up their magic as much as they could. The winds grew stronger, keeping the Trinity Armor in place as the flames become metal melting in temperature while the light grew more and more intense. Soon, the Trinity Armor wasn't even able to be seen, a blinding light overtaking the area…
Then, the attack stopped.
When the light dimmed down, all that was left was the main body of the Unversed, which even then was half melted. It was still airborne and started to flee from the trio. Ventus wasn't about to let it get away, though. Gritting his teeth, he sprinted towards the metallic creature and leapt up into the air, slashing downward. The attack hit, stunning the foe.
Aqua and Terra followed suit, jumping up and coming down towards each other, slashing an X through the Unversed and quartering it! The four pieces fell to the ground where they vanished in a dark mist…
The three landing on the ground, they panted in exhaustion as they took in the fact they just won! One thing that they all noticed was that while they were quite tired…they weren't as drained as they felt they should have been. It was something that they hadn't noticed up until this point…but all three of them were much stronger than when they left The Land of Departure. Master Eraqus had said that the best way to grow stronger was through experience and through connecting to the hearts of others.
After all, the trio left the comforts of the world they had called their home for years. No more was all combat done with their safety in mind in the way of training. Instead, all three of them had fought for their lives, along with the lives of others, people that they had become friends with! Because of this, the Keyblade wielders had all grown a great deal since The Land of Departure, and the fact they felt they could still fight or cast spells after such a powerful attack was proof enough!
"We really make a good team, huh?" Aqua remarked, laughing a bit as she dispelled Rainfell. As the other two put their Keyblades away too, she went on. "It's pretty lucky all three of us were here to fight that thing…"
"Me too…I can't believe there are Unversed like that out there…" Terra added on, looking about the area. The walls were damaged, the glass floor was apparently extremely durable to be in one piece, but some large cracks had appeared.
Ventus grinned, wanting to help lighten the mood even more after a nasty battle like that. "Oh yeah, before I forget…" He reached into his pockets and got the three passes that Scrooge had given him. "I got these from a nice duck. It's to some place called Disney Town that's in a world nearby." He handed one to Aqua and Terra. "…He…He said to bring my parents." The teen blurted out, not very amused.
Aqua couldn't help herself, laughing lightly at Ventus' tone. Did that duck really think he looked that young? "I don't know if we really have time for that but thank you." Who knew, though? Either way, she and Terra pocketed the gifts. "But listen, Ven, we need to get you home. Master Eraqus is worried about you." No need to beat around the bush, she had to make him understand…
This again? Ventus frowned, distraught. Hadn't he just proved he could take care of himself? Yes, Terra had to help him, but he still managed to hold his own, didn't he? "I'm fine, Aqua. I even got that Masked Boy beaten, though I had some help…"
Terra's eyes widened, placing a firm hand on Ventus' shoulder. "You met the boy in the mask?!" That really didn't sound good. Ventus and Vanitas…since they had been part of one heart, surely them clashing couldn't be good. "When did this happen?"
"I…Yes?" Ventus felt really nervous, not understanding why Terra seemed so upset. It was to the point that his grip was actually hurting. "I-It was before I came to this world…" Had he messed up somehow? He thought he was helping! What did he do wrong this time…?
"Vanitas…" Terra murmured, just loud enough for the two to hear. Their eyes widened, shocked that he knew the mysterious masked youth's name.
"Terra…I think you're hurting him. Let him go." Aqua said, noticing Ventus wincing and how hard the young man's grip was.
That snapped Terra out of it, taking his hand off of Ventus immediately. "I'm sorry, Ven. I didn't mean to." He sighed, glancing between his companions. "You need to let Aqua take you home." At the moment, he had to go on ahead alone. Vanitas was surely still in Radiant Garden somewhere, and he was going to hunt him down!
Terra was able to tell easily that his friends had gotten stronger since they all last met. That being said, he still worried for them. Yes, Aqua was a Keyblade Master and he wasn't…but Terra was still the oldest of the three, and he felt obligated to protect them! He felt confident he could take on Vanitas alone, and he didn't want his companions there, scared that they would get hurt. Ventus had been in big trouble, and if Terra hadn't rescued him as quickly as he had, he would probably have unleashed an attack of darkness…and he still wasn't sure he wanted to let such a thing happen again. And, of course, he was especially concerned for Ventus. Not just because he was the youngest, but because he was terrified at what might happen if he and Vanitas clashed again. Nothing happened the first time that he was able to notice, sure, but maybe that was just luck.
Thinking of it…Terra really felt no darkness from the teen at all. Just like Master Xehanort said, the darkness had just been…torn away. Yet it didn't feel quite right…how had Terra not noticed this before? He supposed he had never felt the need to reach out and get a feeling of Ventus' heart before…
"No way! I want to go with you two!" Ventus argued, shaking his head. "I've done a lot since I left home. I've fought monsters and I've been able to hold my own! I-"
"You can't! Stop arguing!" Terra yelled out, feeling his anger boil over. It was an anger that came out of concern, but he still felt bad. And yet, he kept going. "You're too young, so just go home and listen to what we say! It's dangerous out here!" If Ventus hated him for yelling, so be it. As long as he was safe, that's all he cared about.
Ventus and Aqua were stunned at the shouting, Terra never having spoken to either of them like that before. The younger boy especially felt really hurt, looking off to the side and swallowing hard. "Terra…I…" Ventus really didn't know what to say.
"Terra, that wasn't necessary!" Aqua argued, placing a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "I know you're worried for Ven too but shouting at him isn't doing any good!" Well…that may not have been entirely untrue. After all, her own, more patient method hadn't exactly helped. Still, Ventus just looked so hurt that she felt the need to defend him. "I feel more darkness in your heart than before, Terra. Are you still letting it get to you? Master Eraqus…" She stopped, feeling she had accidentally said too much.
"Master Eraqus…what?" Terra pressed, looking to Aqua. He felt awful about yelling…but he just wanted to help in any way he could.
Aqua sighed, deciding she may as well come clean. "Master Eraqus wanted me to keep an eye out for you. He wanted to make sure you didn't get too close to darkness."
It was Terra's turn to feel hurt, his hands curling into fists. "He did, did he? He really thinks I'll just fall to darkness on my own?" He had left The Land of Departure to aid in the battle for light, to cleanse the Unversed from all the worlds! How could Master Eraqus still think that of him?! Of course, he was teetering on the edge, not sure what path to take. If, however, he started to use darkness more openly, he'd never let himself be consumed by it. No, he'd learn to control it like Master Xehanort!
"It's not like that…he's just worried, Terra." Aqua felt pangs of guilt in her heart. She knew how much Terra looked up to Master Eraqus. "He doesn't distrust you, it's just…" What could she say? She really didn't know…
"It's just if I'm left alone, I can't handle things." Terra finished, once more letting his anger talk for him. He felt betrayed, like the man he saw as his father had no faith in him. It really made his heart ache, and he really didn't know how to process it. How could he look Master Eraqus in the eyes again if he wasn't able to trust his own pupil? Turning away from his friends, he started to walk away. "You two just go back home. I'll handle things on my own!" With that last order, he sprinted off ahead, going around a corner and out of sight.
Aqua didn't know what to do. Did she go after Terra…or get Ventus home? She was horribly worried for both, but she knew she could only handle one task at a time! Since he was younger, she decided to go for getting Ventus back to The Land of Departure. Maybe if she could convince him to go back on his own, she could catch up to Terra and help! "Terra's right. Listen, Ven, we're just concerned for you. We want you to be safe, all three of us. So, you need to go home, okay?"
Ventus just couldn't accept that. He needed to prove himself useful. If that meant going against the orders of his friends or even Master Eraqus, then so be it. Terra was off doing…something…on his own. Maybe he had learned the exact source of the Unversed. Was it…maybe…the boy in the mask, this Vanitas? "…I can't…If I don't prove myself, who knows when I'll get another chance. Please, let me do this…"
Losing her patience herself, Aqua grabbed Ventus by both shoulders. "Ven, you're too young! I know you seem to think we look down on you in some way, but that isn't true! You've grown stronger, I can tell that just by that one fight, but you're still too young to be out on your own like this and going against unknown forces like this! Maybe in a year or two, you'll be trusted to go out on your own. But until then, go back to the Master!"
He couldn't believe it. She acknowledged how much he had grown, but it still wasn't enough?! What more did he have to do? How many worlds did he have to visit or giant Unversed did he have to aid in destroying before she trusted him?! Ventus tore away from Aqua, not even looking her in the eye. "I won't be alone, then. I'll go find Terra." In desperation, he hoped that his friend would let Ventus go with him if he was just able to get in his argument better.
"Ven, don't-" Aqua started, but she was too slow. Ventus sprinted off away from her, going to where Terra had gone. The young woman gave chase but was still a slower runner than Ventus was. She was able to keep up with him after a few turns in the city, but before too long she had lost him again! "No…No, no…! Not again…!" She scolded herself, hands clenched into fists at her sides. She failed twice to bring Ventus home! What was wrong with her?!
Sighing, she took her Wayfinder from her pocket, the brilliant blue star glimmering in the sunlight. Aqua had to wonder what their friendship would be like after this. Ventus had this thought that everyone looked down on him and was against him in some way. Terra probably felt betrayed in learning about Master Eraqus' worries. But…this was just temporary, right? They had all been friends for years…so surely this was just a bump along the road. After all this, they'd be able to just…talk things over and things would go back to normal.
…Right?
Letting out a second sigh, Aqua put the blue star away in her pocket. Just standing there wasn't going to help. Not even sure of the right way to go, the young woman ventured deeper into the city, hoping to find either one of her friends…
A/N: One half of Radiant Garden down. Too much to get covered to squeeze it all into one chapter, though. I decided to skip out on most of the random Unversed encounters. This world is just so full of story stuff and boss battles that I felt like writing out fights with regular Unversed would just make things too bloated. At the very least, I did add in a cameo of some Final Fantasy characters. Fun fact, a few of them were actually supposed to be in the game, but Nomura said there was too much going on in the world already, so he cut them out.
In any case, any and all reviews are welcome and appreciated.