Terra sighed to himself, knowing he had probably messed things up more than he imagined. He hoped that his stern tone had driven it into Ventus' head that he had to go home, and he'd let Aqua take him there. Them being out of the way meant he could take down Vanitas and stop the source of the Unversed on his own, without his friends being at risk.
What if his actions had damaged their friendship? He would certainly hope their bond was strong enough where that wasn't the case, but one could never be entirely certain with these sorts of things…
The young man found himself in a non-residential part of the city. In fact, he took a stone ramp downward into the bowls of it, massive pipes going in and out of the walls. He couldn't help but wonder where they all went to…
"You must be Terra." A man's voice called.
The Keyblade wielder looked up, having been so lost in thought he hadn't even noticed someone was standing right in front of him. He was tall with slicked back dark hair and brown eyes, donning some sort of uniform with a tattered red scarf. His speech and mannerisms were pretty relaxed, as if Terra was an old friend of his.
"…I don't think we've met. Who are you?" Terra responded, feeling a bit suspicious of the stranger. He just popped in out of nowhere and knew his name, after all.
The man didn't seem put off by the response, instead he gave a wide grin. "Me? I'm Braig. But you're right, we haven't met. The old coot kept mentioning you, though."
Old coot…? That could only be one person. "Master Xehanort? You know him?"
Braig nodded. "In a matter of speaking, sure! He's my prisoner, but I guess that's close enough to knowing someone." He said it in such a casual way, like it wasn't a big deal or maybe some sort of a prank.
Terra frowned at that, put off by the odd tone this strange man spoke in. "What are you talking about? Master Xehanort imprisoned by someone like you? I don't buy it, you're not a very good liar, you know." Yet this Braig guy knew his name…
The man chuckled with a smirk. "As if! I have that old guy right where I want him!" He lifted an arm, pointing down towards a tunnel leading further into Radiant Garden's underground. "He's down there, in the Outer Gardens. Better stop by before I lose my patience, Terra."
Without waiting for a response, the man leapt away. As in he actually sprang towards the tunnel, making it half a dozen yards in a single bound! Jumping more, Braig was quickly out of sight.
Terra still had doubts that Master Xehanort could be beaten by some random thug…but the fact that Braig knew his name really concerned him. This smelled like a trap, but he couldn't just walk away and pretend like nothing had happened. Maybe this Braig guy was working with Vanitas? It seemed unlikely that a dark being like that would work with a human, but who could say for sure?
Earthshaker at the ready, Terra quickly followed Braig, ready for an ambush…
The way forward led further down into the city, into an almost cavernous area. It was massive and handcrafted from stone. Terra found himself on a metal walkway heading towards a large platform, far below him was water that came from waterfalls all over the place. More of those enormous pipes ran through the area, and once more he wondered just what they were for.
When he reached the platform, he sighed to himself. It was empty. Just as he suspected. It seemed that Braig guy really didn't have Master Xehanort at all. Still expecting an ambush, Terra quickly turned around…but there was nothing there either. No one attacking him from behind.
The young man let out a sigh of relief and a chuckle despite himself. He was about to leave when something caught his eye. Up above, only visible from the platform, was a massive pipe. The structure in question had a man chained to it, and Terra recognized him instantly. "Master Xehanort?!" Somehow, the elderly man had really been captured, his head slumped forward as the chains kept him standing up.
"The old coot could sure take a beating!" A familiar voice rang out. Terra turned to see Braig walking down towards the platform. Like before, he was giving a grin as if this was all some sort of joke.
Scowling, Terra readied himself as Braig reached the platform. "What are you after?! Why did you attack Master Xehanort?!" Who even was this man? There was just something so…off about him. The Keyblade wielder really couldn't explain why, but he sensed something very unusual about the stranger.
"I'm after that thing right there." Braig replied, holding up his hand. In a small flash of light, a crossbow appeared in it. "That's one of those Keyblade things, right?" He nodded up towards Xehanort. "The old man told me all about it…told me what it was capable of. So, I thought I should get one of my own! After all, how could I not want one?"
Terra eyed the weapon, staying on guard as Braig stood at a distance. "Well, if you think it's that easy, you clearly don't understand Keyblades at all. They choose their wielders."
That didn't seem to trouble Braig at all, that confident, toothy grin remaining plastered on his face. "Well, that old coot told me you were something like a Keyblade Master, right? So, if I defeat you, that'll make me worthy of one of those beauts. Seems to make sense to me! Not the nicest way to go about it, but if it's my only option then so be it!"
At that, Terra shot forward, ready to pulverize the man before him. He had to be strong to be able to capture Master Xehanort, but it wouldn't stop him from trying! To his shock, Braig summoned another crossbow, aiming that one at his prisoner. This made Terra stop in his tracks. "What are you doing?!"
Braig laughed, rolling his eyes. "You think I'm going to fight fair? Please, those Keyblades are too strong for me to not rig this. You come at me, and I'll kill the old man. Trust me, I can hit him from all the way down here. Right between the eyes…"
Terra was sure that was a bluff…but the man had sounded so sure of himself that he couldn't be positive. Why did he take Master Xehanort prisoner in the first place? Just to draw him here? Maybe Braig wanted both their Keyblades…
Ventus had no idea where he was going.
His conversation with Aqua had lasted long enough that he completely lost track of Terra! Sighing, he slowed down to a walk as he went through the city. He had to find him, but where should he go? If Ventus didn't hurry, Terra may finish his business and head elsewhere. Who knew when he'd be able to find him again?
Still, Ventus was determined. He had to prove himself to everyone and let them know he was as capable as they were! Sure, he wasn't a Keyblade Master, but he wasn't some little kid that wasn't able to look after himself. After all the things he had gone through since leaving The Land of Departure, he found it insulting that Aqua kept insisting he just go home. She didn't everything he had experienced, but she even admitted he had gotten stronger!
Before long, the teen found himself near the plaza of Radiant Garden once more. Just before it was in his line of sight, he heard a scared cry from a child. Snapping to attention, he readied Wayward Wind as he charged into the plaza to see what was going on.
To Ventus' horror, he saw a young boy being chased by several Floods. He was wearing what seemed to be a lab coat and had grey-blue hair that covered one eye. Dashing forward, the Keyblade wielder got between the Unversed and the boy, swinging down on one of the creatures and evaporating it into a dark mist…
Terra cried out as another bolt hit him, knocking him to the ground.
Braig smirked, still having one crossbow aimed at Master Xehanort. For the last few minutes, he had used his free minute to fire odd bolts of energy at Terra. Most of them were deflected by the Keyblade, but he managed to get a few shots in.
Gritting his teeth, the young man got up and glared at his opponent. He wasn't sure what to do! If he really charged at him, Master Xehanort would be attacked! If he tried to ready a spell, Braig would probably panic and fire! How was he supposed to move forward with this…?
"For someone with one of those Keyblade things, you're not very good at fighting!" Braig mocked, sounding faux disappointed to taunt Terra.
From up above, a voice rang out. "What are you doing, Terra?!"
The young man looked up to see Master Xehanort was conscious again. "But Master, what about you?!" He couldn't let Braig hurt the imprisoned elder!
Master Xehanort shook his head. "Pay no mind to me! You have to fight; you can't simply let this ruffian win!" He sounded rather upset, struggling against the chains to no avail. "Think of Master Eraqus! If you let this man beat you, think of the shame it would bring you and those close to you! Use the Keyblade and win!"
Terra realized that Master Xehanort was right. If he lost here to some thug…it would shame Master Eraqus and anyone else that had ever used a Keyblade! He still worried horribly about the elderly man getting hurt, but he at least had to try! Gritting his teeth, he prepared Earthshaker, glaring daggers at Braig.
Despite the clear change in attitude from his opponent, the crossbow wielding man didn't seem upset. In fact, he seemed oddly amused. "Well, so much for my bluff…"
The young Keyblade wielder was sick of this guy already! Without further hesitation, he charged at Braig, readying Earthshaker to slam into the kidnapper's side. When he swung, Braig leapt up into the air, dodging the attack entirely. To Terra's shock, his opponent actually stayed up in the air.
In fact, somehow Braig was actually standing in the air, though upside down. It was as though his feet were stuck to some invisible platform or something. Smirking at Terra's shocked expression, the man shot a volley of projectiles at the younger man.
Terra was caught so off-guard that he barely had time to react. He swung his Keyblade hard, scattering the shots harmlessly to the sides. One managed to hit him in the side, but he grit his teeth through the pain and leapt up at his opponent.
It was Braig's turn to be surprised, either not expecting Terra to force through the pain or didn't think he could leap so high. He wasn't able to dodge as the other combatant slammed his Keyblade into his side, hitting him in the ribs harshly. Letting out a frustrated grunt of pain, Braig was sent down to the floor, rolling from the momentum of the impact. He managed to recover at the end, using the momentum of the roll to spring to his feet.
The young man had never seen powers like that, to levitate the way Braig had done. Certainly not something Master Eraqus had ever taught or displayed. He snapped out of his thoughts as his opponent started to run circles around Terra, firing off a stream of the projectiles at him. Raising his Keyblade, he summoned a barrier around himself to block the attacks. He wasn't as skilled with this sort of magic as Aqua was, but he was good enough that he was able to protect himself form harm.
Seeing that his attacks were doing nothing, Braig stopped and leapt to the edge of the platform, ready for Terra's counterattack. He wouldn't have to wait long as Terra pointed Earthshaker at him and unleashed his own volley of attacks. A number of small Fire spells shot out of his Keyblade and headed towards Braig. Terra was still tired from the Trinity Armor fight, but he still had enough magic in him to last this fight!
Once more, Braig displayed a power that shocked Terra. As the fireballs came at him, the mysterious man smirked and vanished! One second he had been standing in the way of the fireballs, and the next he was next to Terra, one of his crossbows aimed right at the young man's head.
In a flash, Terra swung his Keyblade up, smacking Braig's arm harshly and forcing his limb straight up. It was perfect timing, as the opponent tried firing but ended up shooting upward. With a cry, the Keyblade wielder swung Earthshaker down, barely missing as Braig jumped backwards.
"He's a slippery one…" Terra murmured, frustrated. It was like this Braig guy was just toying with him. Did he have that much confidence in his victory that he thought he didn't have to go as hard as he could in the fight? Feeling a sense of rage fill his heart, the young man once more charged his opponent, ready to take him down quickly.
Of course, Braig didn't seem concerned, as usual. He mirrored Terra's action, running forward with a smirk on his face. As the two drew near to each other, Braig leapt over his foe, firing his energy projectiles, and hitting Terra in the back.
Crying out, Terra once more fought through the pain and turned around, swinging Earthshaker in a wide arc. It seemed that he managed to catch Braig off-guard once more, as when the man landed, his eyes widened that Terra was still able to attack. The mysterious thug raised his crossbow in a desperate ploy for it to act as a shield against the blow.
Of course, a crossbow was hardly a good shield, the attack slamming into the raised weapon and sending Braig off the ground, bouncing twice as he skidded across the platform. Panting, the mysterious man stood up, his casual demeanor gone and a look of anger on his face. "Take another step towards me, and I'll kill the old man! I ain't bluffing this time!" He yelled, pointing one crossbow at Master Xehanort, who had been silently watching the fight.
That dirty snake! Terra gritted his teeth, gripping at Earthshaker until his knuckles turned white. This guy…this random thug kidnapped Master Xehanort and kept threatening to kill him! Terra had enough of it! He felt his heart fill to the brim with anger, a darkness emanating from him as he once more glared harshly Braig.
If Braig didn't want him to take a step, Terra would just attack from where he stood!
Pointing Earthshaker right at his foe, the young man let the darkness and hatred build in him without even thinking things through. With a cry, he fired an orb of darkness at Braig, an attack that went shockingly fast!
The opponent's eyes widened, unable to dodge as the attack shot straight towards him. He let out a cry as the attack struck him in the face, at his right eye, causing him to drop his weapons. He dropped to his knees, panicking for the first time since the fight started, a black mist covering the right half of his face.
Terra wasn't done though, and fired another shot, this one Braig was able to partially dodge, but the orb still scraped at his face. This caused a horrible scar to appear on the left side of his face, nearly reaching his other eye. The attack veered upwards, hitting the chains that held Master Xehanort in place and freeing him.
With a glare, Braig stood up shakily. Without even grabbing his weapons or saying a word, he turned tail and sprinted away. Terra was tempted to chase after him…but at this point he was able to calm down and realized there was no point.
He panted heavily, it slowly donning on him what he had just done. Not only did he use darkness so blatantly in a fight again…but it was against a person! It was one thing if he used it on a monster like in Hyrule, but using it on a human, even a kidnapping thug…? That was just too much!
"Well done, Terra!" Master Xehanort's voice called, snapping Terra out of his thoughts. He looked up to see the old man had somehow managed to get down from where he was and slowly walked toward him. His gait was troubled, no doubt due to Braig.
"Master!" Terra called, rushing to meet the elderly man. Without hesitation, he cast the strongest Cure he could. To his surprise, it healed not only Master Xehanort, but Terra himself. A Cura? He had never been able to use that before. He really had been growing…
Master Xehanort let out a noise of content as he stood more comfortably. "Thank you, Terra. That feels much better." He gave a small, closed-mouth smile at the young man. "It's clear you have taken yet another step forward."
"No, Master…I was consumed by hatred and darkness…" Terra replied, shaking his head dejectedly as he retracted Earthshaker. "You saw what happened. I nearly killed that man."
The elderly man shook his head. "You didn't, though. You used darkness that you channeled! It was not an explosion, but concentrated blasts instead."
"I still succumbed to it, no matter how it manifested." Terra said, looking down to the ground in shame. This was the last thing he wanted, for him to unleash darkness again. The whole point of him leaving The Land of Departure was to get a better hold on the darkness within his heart, after all. "This happened before. I let out an attack of darkness in a world I visited…"
Master Xehanort seemed shocked at this. "Did you hurt anyone? I couldn't imagine you would, even in such a situation…"
"Well…no. I didn't. I used it to save a friend I made from a monster." Terra explained, somehow feeling sheepish to mention how the situation wasn't as bad as Master Xehanort thought it was. "It doesn't matter, though. I can never return home now…I'm a failure…"
The Keyblade Master looked to Terra with something akin to pity, but it quickly became a look of determination. "Then don't." He replied simply.
That caught Terra off-guard, looking from the ground into Master Xehanort's golden eyes. "M…Master? Come again?"
"Then don't." Master Xehanort repeated. "I want to make it clear that I have the utmost respect for Master Eraqus." The elderly man went on. "But if he can't see the benefits of using something other than light…he may not be the best teacher for you. You talk as though you've done horrible things with darkness. Yet, if I have the entire picture here, you only used it to save a friend of yours and then myself. Do I have that right?"
Leave Master Eraqus? Terra could hardly even imagine! He hadn't simply been the young man's teacher…but someone he had seen as his father for years! Yet…Terra admitted it really hurt to think that Master Eraqus would reject him due to his giving into the darkness. It hurt even more when he realized it wasn't even that unlikely of a scenario. After all, his teacher's hatred for darkness was something he wore on his sleeve.
"…You have that right, yes. I don't know if I can just abandon Master Eraqus, though…" Terra had to at least admit that Master Xehanort had a point. The only times he gave in and actually used darkness since leaving The Land of Departure, it ended up saving the lives of people he cared about. Master Eraqus would be baffled at even suggesting such a thing could be possible.
"Master Eraqus is so afraid of darkness, that he too has succumbed. Not to darkness, but to light. If it turns out he rejects you, I will gladly make you my own pupil." The elderly man responded, nodding as Terra looked to him in shock. "I am quite serious. With Master Eraqus, he forgets that light begets darkness. You cannot have one without the other." He shook his head solemnly. "Unlike him, I understand that quite clearly. I don't know what he has said about me or what you may think, but I do not reject like. I use darkness, yes, but I understand there are times where light must be used instead. A balance is needed. You cannot fully reject one or the other."
Terra couldn't argue against what Master Xehanort was saying…and the offer was very tempting. It was clear the elderly man was far more accepting of Terra's darkness than his own teacher would ever be. "…You really think that's the best path?"
"I do. I don't want to force you into anything, nor would I try." Master Xehanort replied, pacing back and forth as he spoke. "Master Eraqus…he doesn't see that you show the true Mark of Mastery. I do! I believe that my colleague refuses to see it because he is afraid of you."
Despite himself, Terra let out an almost shocked chuckle. "Afraid? Of me? Forgive me, Master Xehanort, but that seems a little ridiculous…"
"Is it? He rejects the darkness, clearly fears it. You showed such promise in your exam, I saw it!" The elderly man said forcefully. "And yet he rejected you because you let darkness into your heart for a single moment? You did not even use it, you even suppressed it, but that wasn't good enough for him. I believe he thinks if he had let you pass, you would think darkness is right to use, something he would be terrified of."
Fear or terror seemed like strong words to use…but once more Master Xehanort's explanation made sense. It picked at Terra's insecurities. After all the training he had done…he was somehow not good enough for the title of Master? He studied under Master Eraqus longer than Aqua, and though he believed she deserved to pass as well, he couldn't help but feel betrayed that a single moment of weakness, a moment he suppressed, stopped his own passing. "…That…I think that makes some sense, yes."
Master Xehanort reached up, placing his hands on Terra's shoulders. "Then join me, Terra. You and I understand this balance, and with it we can do the worlds much greater good by wielding light and darkness in equal shares!"
Terra was flabbergasted, but from his emotional and mental state…the words Master Xehanort said really moved him. They pushed him in the direction that the Keyblade Master desired. "…I do want to help…I want to aid the worlds as best as I can."
That brought a wide grin to Master Xehanort's face, clapping Terra's shoulder with one hand and making a sweeping gesture with the other. "Then go, see more worlds! Grow and understand more, Terra! You can't do any good without seeing what this vast Universe has to offer! Seek out the darkness that upsets the balance!"
Terra gasped out, realizing something. "Master…what about Vanitas? You said he would be here, right? Why were you here in the first place? I saw you earlier but managed to los e you."
Master Xehanort seemed surprised a bit that Terra would even bring that up. "Ah…yes…I did. And he was. I put in some thought after our last meeting and decided I couldn't let you do this alone, so I came to help. As it happened, I saw Vanitas and I tried to capture him…but in the process, that ruffian you fought got me from behind. In my meddling, I allowed Vanitas to escape…surely to some other world nearby." The elderly man sighed. "I'm deeply sorry, Terra. In my desire to help, I just made things worse…"
Shaking his head, Terra gave the older man a reassuring look. "Please, don't talk like that, Master. I can't be upset at you for trying to help. I'm just glad you're okay." It was unfortunate that Vanitas escaped…but at least Terra's friends and the Keyblade Master before him got out of this okay.
"It brings this old heart joy that you're so understanding." Master Xehanort said, taking his hand off of Terra and starting to walk towards the exit. "I will not get in your way; this situation proves it is not a good idea. Find Vanitas and vanquish him entirely…" He paused and turned to the young man. "…Master Terra…"
The two words were enough to really get to Terra. They were two words he had pined to hear for years! He straightened his back and bowed lightly to Master Xehanort as he continued to walk away. "…I understand. Thank you, Master."
Ventus destroyed the last of the Unversed, the creature fading away into nothingness. With a relieved sigh, he looked to see the boy he had saved approached him. "Hey, are you alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?"
The boy, wearing a pretty serious expression for one his age, shook his head. "No, they didn't." He replied, looking Ventus over curiously, almost like he was studying him. "What's your name? Mine's-"
"Ienzo! There you are!" A voice called. The two looked to see that Even approached, the scientist looking relieved. "I was looking all over! Didn't I warn you not to wander off, child?"
Clearing his throat, Ienzo looked up to Even as he grew near. "I apologize, sir. Those monsters started to chase me…but he saved me." The boy pointed to Ventus.
"Is that so?" Even turned to the teen. "Then we owe you our thanks. Tell me, what's your name?"
"My name's Ventus, sir. But please, call me Ven. I just happened across Ienzo in trouble, so I had to do something, right?" The teen didn't think much else of it, he just did what was right.
Even nodded, seeming pleased with the response. "It's nice to see a young man with some manners. We've done our best to raise Ienzo, as his parents aren't around to do so. Sometimes he manages to slip past our sight…"
Ventus wasn't sure what 'we' referred to, but he still felt a bit bad for the boy. "Oh…I see. I know how that feels." He said this to Ienzo. "I don't have any parents either…" Not that he could remember, at least. Unlike Terra, he didn't view Master Eraqus as his father, though he respected his teacher. "Um, sir…" He looked back to Even. "I'm actually looking for a friend of mine..." Ventus went on to describe Terra to the man.
Humming, Even rubbed his chin lightly. "I do believe I saw someone like that going to the Outer Gardens." He pointed off to an opening in one of the massive walls surrounding the city. "It's off that way."
Nodding, Ventus was relieved he met someone that had seen Terra. He was a little surprised that Even spoke to him as if he knew Ventus was an outsider. "Thank you."
"It's the least I could do for you since you saved Ienzo's life." Even said, taking the child by the hand. "And besides…I have the feeling our paths are destined to cross again…" He said cryptically, starting to lead Ienzo away without another word.
That…really confused Ventus. What did he mean by that? Well, it hardly mattered. Following what the man had said, he ran towards the opening to the Outer Gardens. It was a gorgeous area with flower beds and fountains all around. This city really was amazing, and Ventus actually hoped to visit it again one day.
Those thoughts had to wait, though, as the teen quickly spotted Terra, walking up from some underground area. Instantly, he made a beeline towards the older boy. "Terra!"
Terra turned to Ventus, startled by his appearance. "Ven? I told you to go home, didn't I? Where's Aqua?" The young man had really hoped that his stern tone would've convinced his friend to do as he said. At the very least…he was glad that Ventus didn't seem angry at him…
"I ran away from her, trying to find you! Take me with you, Terra!" Ventus couldn't just let Terra go off on his own. He'd prove to the older boy at least that he could hold his own. After all, clearly Aqua wasn't going to see him the way he wanted her to.
"…I can't do that, Ven…" Terra realized that yelling wouldn't help. He kept his emotions more in check this time. Either way, he couldn't let Ventus go with him. Not only was it too dangerous, but Terra knew there was a chance this might end with him leaving Master Eraqus' fold. He really didn't want his friends to be there for that. This was becoming something of a personal journey for Terra, and he needed as few distractions as possible. He had decided he was going to let the darkness into him in small amounts…and he felt neither of his friends would accept that.
"…Because it's dangerous?" Ventus replied, frowning. "You saw how strong I was, though! I've grown a lot! Just give me a chance…"
"That's part of it." Terra admitted, nodding. As he thought things through, he realized that Ventus would surely still accept him no matter what. The two had grown so close since the teen arrived at The Land of Departure. "This is just something I have to do on my own. Not with you. Not with Aqua, even. But I know when I need you, you'll be there for me."
That actually cheered Ventus up a bit. The reasoning was a lot sounder to him than Aqua's. If Terra needed to do this for personal growth…he'd feel bad for getting in his friend's way. Giving the older boy a smile, Ventus nodded. "Well…okay. And you're right, of course. What else are friends for?"
Terra smiled, looking to the teen. "You're right…thanks, Ven." Without another word, he donned his Keyblade Armor. Walking away from Ventus, he summoned his glider and flew off away from Radiant Garden for parts unknown.
Ventus watched Terra leave, still a bit disheartened he couldn't go with him. At the very least, Terra seemed to have changed his tune. He didn't yell this time, at least. The teen realized that Terra had only done that out of concern, so he didn't hold a grudge. Ventus also noticed that Terra didn't tell him to go home this time. Maybe he had changed his mind and thought Ventus couldn't handle things?
The teen did wonder what exactly Terra was doing that he needed to be alone. Fighting his inner darkness, he assumed. "…I should see if I can find Aqua and tell her about this…" He felt she needed to know Terra's desires, at the very least. With that, Ventus started to make his way slowly back the way he came.
Aqua found herself in the plaza of Radiant Garden once more. She was frustrated with herself for letting Terra and Ventus get away from her. The Keyblade Master especially hoped to find Ventus, but she couldn't find him! The emptiness of the city was kind of unnerving to her. She realized it had to be because of the Unversed but walking along silent cobblestone paths with no one else around felt off. The fact that the city was so gorgeous made it worse, because she'd expect people to be out and about, not huddled inside.
As she walked through the plaza, Aqua suddenly felt something. It was the same cold feeling she got when she encountered Unversed, and she felt her emotions go unbalanced. A sense of anger, sadness, and dread wormed into her heart and there was nothing she could do to stop it!
Looking about, Aqua quickly spotted a figure walking slowly towards her. Right away she noticed the mask he wore, a blank visage that hid his face entirely. "Hey…who are you?! Are you…Vanitas, the one Ventus warned us about?"
The masked boy scoffed, crossing his arms as he stood in place. Despite the mask, it was somehow evident that he was staring intensely at Aqua. "Ah yes, Ventus…has he learned to put up a fight on his own yet? Or is he still a weak little worm?"
"What are you talking about? Are you Vanitas or not?!" Aqua demanded, though deep down she knew he was. "Why are you here?"
"And why should I answer your questions?" Vanitas replied, reaching out a hand and summoning Void Gear. "After all, I'm the only one walking away alive!"
A Keyblade?! Aqua brought forth Rainfell, getting into a defensive position. She had no idea this guy had a Keyblade of his own! And what was that feeling? She felt like she was staring down an Unversed, but that couldn't be possible, could it? Maybe his heart just had so much darkness that it felt similar?
There was no time to ponder further, as Vanitas charged forward, Keyblade at the ready. Aqua didn't hesitate to let out some magic, casting a Thunder spell at the approaching foe. The masked boy darted between the magical strikes, using his weapon to deflect one that almost hit him.
After closing the gap, Vanitas slashed downward, aiming to strike Aqua in the head with his Keyblade. She was able to block the blow, but was shocked at how strong her opponent was, the Keyblade Master feeling her legs buckle lightly from the impact. She was still able to swing her weapon forward, knocking Vanitas away.
When he landed back on the ground, Aqua took no time closing the gap and taking a swing at him. She aimed for his torso, grunting in frustration when he quickly, almost casually, blocked the attack.
This caused Aqua to hastily realize that being up close to her current opponent was a bad idea. If he blocked her attack so easily, she'd never stand a chance. Her expertise was in long range fighting, after all. Before Vanitas could counterattack, Aqua leapt far away from him, unleashing another volley of Thunder to prevent being chased.
Vanitas was apparently caught off-guard this time, as one of the Thunder strikes actually hit him, causing him to convulse lightly and stay stunned in place as Aqua widened the gap between them. Once he recovered, he charged towards Aqua, moving swiftly. Before he got far, a small barrage of fireballs shot out of the young woman's Keyblade, heading towards him!
He dodged past them easily, even destroying one with Void Gear as he went by. To the shock of the masked boy, however, he suddenly felt a searing hot pain in his back. Letting loose a noise of pain, he turned to see the fireballs were following him! He swiped at the fireballs and then quickly turned around to face Aqua once more.
Except…she was gone.
The masked foe looked about in confusion, turning every which way and yet Aqua was just not there! With a grunt of realization, he looked up to see the young woman had leapt high up into the air.
"Didn't think you'd look up in time!" Aqua called, unleashing her attack, Chaos Snake. A dozen purple streams of magic shot from Rainfell and went right towards Vanitas. Unlike most spells, these attacks moved in unusual, erratic patterns. They zigzagged about and would randomly change direction before quickly zeroing back in on the masked boy.
Being caught off-guard once more, Vanitas didn't have much time to dodge. He leapt backwards, but the Chaos Snake attack kept following him. The masked boy tried swiping at one of the energy beams with his Keyblade, but at the last second the attack zigzagged past Void Gear and struck him in the arm. Momentarily stunned, he wasn't able to do anything as the rest of the attacks struck him, making him cry out in pain as he was knocked back.
Aqua landed on the ground, watching as Vanitas recovered to his feet. If she was facing someone like Bowser, a large, slow, dumb target…she had no qualms getting in close. A wielder of a Keyblade with intelligence and speed she had to fight from afar with whatever she could. Unfortunately, thanks to the fight with the Trinity Armor, she couldn't use too many spells. Certainly nothing outrageously powerful like Flare.
Vanitas didn't give much time for Aqua to think of a new strategy. Faster than before, he closed the distance between the two. Before the young woman could get away, he swung Void Gear at her with a blinding speed. It hit her in the side, sending her sprawling to the ground, even bouncing once before hitting the ground hard again.
The masked foe didn't pause, charging towards Aqua and thrusting his Keyblade down at her neck. She managed to roll out of the way, shooting out a fireball at Vanitas. The attack hit him in the chest, sending him backwards as the young woman recovered.
She closed the gap between the two while Vanitas was patting out the flames scorching his torso. Aqua didn't have much magic left, probably only having a spell or two left before she was done. That fireball was a desperate move on her part! Forced to go up close, she swung Rainfell down, slashing across Vanitas' body. As he cried out, she swung her Keyblade in a wide arc, aiming to hit him on the side of the head.
To Aqua's surprise, her blow went right through him! It didn't slice him, it just phased through his body! The afterimage of Vanitas vanished, and the real one was nowhere to be seen. The young woman looked around but didn't see him. Feeling a presence behind her, she turned just in time to see Vanitas coming from above, Void Gear stabbing downward at her.
With no time to dodge, the young woman instead cast a Reflect spell, as powerful as she could muster with what little magic she had left. The masked boy hit down on it hard, the impact of his strike going right back to him and sending him flying backwards, slamming down hard onto his back.
Panting, Aqua readied Rainfell for when Vanitas got up…except he didn't.
The masked boy just lied on the ground, and Aqua was wondering if he was knocked out. Cautiously, she approached, not even sure if he was breathing. She'd be very shocked if such a blow would actually kill him, but she couldn't even tell if he was breathing. As she got close, she nearly leapt out of her skin as Vanitas started laughing wildly up into the air.
Quickly, he jumped up to his feet, backing away as Void Gear vanished. "A tricky one, huh? Stronger than I thought." Despite his words, his tone wasn't sincere at all. "I'll keep you around. Never hurts to have a backup…" With those ominous words, a dark portal opened up behind him, Vanitas entering it quickly.
"Hey!" Aqua ran forward, wanting to apprehend the masked foe. Unfortunately, she was too slow, and the portal closed before she could reach it. Alone in the plaza, Aqua sighed as she dismissed Rainfell. How could she let him get away? She had him right there! What did he mean by calling her a backup? A backup for what? Aqua stood there, thinking, but nothing came to mind as to what it could possibly mean. At the very least, she wished she could find out about the old man Bowser had mentioned, who apparently was working alongside Vanitas…
"Aqua!" Ventus' voice cried out, snapping Aqua out of her thoughts. She turned to see the teen approaching, a grin on his face.
Feeling relieved that her friend was safe, she gave a small smile back. "There you are! Did you find Terra?" With that masked guy running around, she was worried for Terra and Ventus both!
"Yeah…but…he left." Ventus admitted, his smile diminishing. "Terra said he had to work some things out on his own. So, I'm not going to try and tag along with him…not until he's finished whatever he's doing, at least."
Aqua wondered if it involved the darkness she felt within him. It really concerned her, and she really wished she had a chance to speak to Terra before he left this world. "I was afraid of that…I have to leave too…" She had to hunt down that masked boy and find out what he's plotting!
"Let me go with you, Aqua!" Ventus attempted. If Terra didn't want him going, maybe Aqua would relent. He felt if he just kept trying, at least one of them would see he could handle things.
Sighing, the Keyblade Master shook her head. "No, Ven. It's too dangerous. How many times do I have to tell you that?" She was starting to lose her patience, but she recalled how hurt Ventus was when Terra yelled at him, and she didn't want to do the same thing to him.
"But why? Didn't you see how strong I had gotten when we fought that giant Unversed?" Terra had to save him at one point, sure, but he felt like he held his own pretty well! He managed to even start the attack that finished the monstrous thing off! That had to count for something, didn't it?
Aqua placed her hands on Ventus' shoulders but kept her grip light. "The way you go on about strength shows me you aren't ready. This is more than just being strong. Like Terra…his heart had more darkness in it than I've ever seen. He's very strong, but I'm still worried about him like I'm worried for you. You mean a lot to me, and I don't want anything happening to you, whether it's an injury or something with your heart…"
Ventus couldn't help but be taken aback by the last bit there. How he meant a lot to her. He felt stupid because he knew she just meant as a friend. Why would she ever mean it in a different way for someone like him? Yet he felt his face grow warm and he really hoped he wasn't going red. Either way, he understood what she was saying, but he still felt like she was underestimating him. His heart was fine, wasn't it? Why was she worried about it?
"…I can do this…I know I can…" Ventus insisted, hands curling into fists. "I just need a chance."
Aqua sighed, letting go of Ventus as she donned her armor. She didn't feel like she could drag him back by force, not easily. In a switch, she was currently more concerned for Terra than Ventus, and she also knew she had to track down Vanitas as well. She couldn't just stop everything to drag her friend through The Lanes Between and back to their homeworld. It'd take too much time. She'd have to just hope he'd ponder her words and understand he had to go back home.
"…I'm going on ahead. Don't follow me. Please, Ven, just go home." Aqua patted Ventus on the shoulder before walking by him. Without looking back or uttering another word, she readied her glider and flew off and back into The Lanes Between.
Ventus looked on after her, feeling more dejected than before. He walked over to the plaza wall next to one of the ramps and sat down with a heavy sigh. It didn't seem to matter what he said, Terra and Aqua both just saw him as someone who had to be looked after at all times and couldn't do anything alone! What did he have to do to prove this wasn't the case? How did he prove both his strength in combat and the strength of his heart?
Reaching a hand out, he summoned an object to it. Not Wayward Wind this time, no. Aqua had taught him a spell that let him carry things in an invisible space. At the moment he only managed one object, which he gripped tightly. It was a Wooden Keyblade, crafted somewhat crudely and resembling Earthshaker. It had Terra's name carved into the handle.
"The three of us, we all share the same dream…"
That's what Terra had said when he gave it to Ventus. The teen had held onto it because the object had meant a lot to him. After all, he couldn't remember any time before that when someone had given him a gift. It was a gift he didn't feel like he deserved anymore, though. Terra was off dealing with his inner darkness alone, and what was Ven doing to help?
Nothing.
What could he even do, though? Even that thought didn't help him feel better. He should have done more in the past to prevent the darkness from creeping in to begin with. Really, Ventus had no idea how he could help or how he could've in the past, but he still felt terrible for not doing more. Sighing again, he absentmindedly spun the Wooden Keyblade in his hand.
With a startled noise, the object slipped out of Ventus' hand and to the ground. At this same moment, two people were walking down the ramp. They were both around Ventus' age. one of them had spiky red hair and green eyes while the other had blue hair with green eyes as well, and notably a yellow crescent moon on the breast of his jacket.
The redhead picked up the Wooden Keyblade, looking to Ventus. "Hey, this yours?" His voice was laid back and relaxed.
Ventus was pretty surprised to see two teens out and about so casually. Weren't they scared of the Unversed?
Before the outsider could respond, the other stranger cut in. "Lea, we don't have time for this." He seemed to be the sterner of the two.
Lea rolled his eyes, looking to his friend. "Lighten up, Isa. We can spare a minute, you know!" He sauntered over to Ventus, tossing the Wooden Keyblade back to him. "Still playing with toy swords, huh? That's kind of funny!" He didn't seem to care at the annoyed look Ventus gave him. "Now these…what do you think?!" Lea took out two frisbees from his pockets, the objects having flames with sharp grins painted on them.
"Not a lot. They're…something." Ventus remarked, wishing the two would just leave him be. He especially was pretty annoyed with the redhead making fun of Terra's gift.
Once more, Ventus' attitude didn't seem to bug the redhead. "You're just jealous! Name's Lea, by the way. Got it memorized?" As he asked this, he tapped at his temple. "What about you?'
The Keyblade wielder wasn't even looking at the strangers, staring at the sword in his hand. "Ventus." Was all he said, not even giving his nickname.
Nodding in an excited manner, Lea took a few steps back. "Alright Ventus, let's fight!"
This finally shook the teen out of his funk, looking up at the redhead as Isa looked on in annoyance. "Fight? Why would I want to do that?" He was annoyed at Lea, but not enough to hurt him.
"What? You scared? Come on, the first one to get knocked down loses!" Lea called, grinning widely.
It was only then that Ventus started to realize that Lea wasn't just mocking him. This was something friendly. Smiling a bit himself, the teen stood up. "Alright, fine. You'll be sorry, though!" He declared, wielding the Wooden Keyblade.
Isa watched on, smirking lightly at the very short fight.
Ventus didn't even mean to win so easily, but he supposed that Lea didn't really fight much for real. The redhead threw one of his frisbees at the Keyblade wielder, who ducked under it and hit his opponent in the chest. That one hit was enough to knock Lea backwards and onto his rear. Ventus hadn't even hit him that hard, but apparently it had been enough!
Lea didn't seem bothered, wincing lightly but still with a grin. "Had enough? I'm willing to call it a draw!" He crowed, beaming at Ventus.
A…draw? Well…it hardly seemed that way. Still, Ventus chuckled lightly. "Alright, we'll call it a draw."
"That's funny…" Isa said, going to get his friend's thrown frisbee. "…I only saw a devastating loss on your end, Lea." He tossed the object back to the redhead. "I think a newborn kitten would've put up a better fight."
Lea scoffed, looking over to Isa. "Hey, isn't this the part where you try and cheer me up or something? You know, you tell me I just got unlucky, or the wind got in my eye or something!"
"So…you want me to lie." Isa remarked, sarcasm quite heavy in his voice.
"See what I gotta put up with?" Lea said to Ventus, placing his hands behind his head and lying flat on the ground. "Hopefully you don't have friends like him."
There was a moment of silence…but then Lea's grumpy exterior cracked, and he started to laugh. It was contagious as Ventus and even Isa soon joined in. "But seriously, Lea…we have to get going." The blue haired boy said as the laughter died down.
"Alright, alright!" Lea admonished, standing up and putting his frisbees away. He stood up, dusting himself off as Isa started to walk off.
"You're going already?" Ventus asked, actually having had some fun with the two, as brief as their interaction was. He certainly felt a lot better than before they ran into him. The teen still wondered why the two were out in the open but decided to mind his own business.
Lea shrugged. "I'll see ya when I see ya. I mean we're friends now, after all." Flashing Ventus a grin, he tapped his temple again. "Get it memorized!" With that, he walked on after Isa.
Ventus couldn't help but smile at the redhead's odd catchphrase. "Alright, Lea. That sounds good." Hopefully something that'd actually come true. He had made a lot of friends in numerous worlds, but who knew when he'd see any of them again. Or if he'd see any of them again…
When they got out of earshot, Isa turned to Lea. "What's with you helping out stray puppies like that?"
"Puppy? Weird way to put it." Lea remarked with a shrug. "I mean why not? He seemed pretty down for some reason. Besides, I want everyone to meet to remember me! Inside people's memories, I can live forever."
Isa rolled his eyes. "Well, I guess you're invincible as long as I'm around. I try my hardest, but I just can't forget you."
"See, there we go! It's already working!" Lea joked, giving a toothy grin to his friend. Getting more serious, the two turned to the castle that towered over Radiant Garden. "You ready, Isa?"
The blue haired boy nodded. "Yeah…we have to find a way to get to her…" With that, Lea and Isa made their way to the structure, leaving Ventus alone.
Putting the Wooden Keyblade away, Ventus let out a sigh of relief through his nose. He really did feel a lot better, like a weight was lifted from his shoulders. Still, it only lasted a few moments as he let out another sigh, this one of distress. "I still don't know what to do…" He murmured to himself.
What should his next course of action be? Did he try to pair up with Terra or Aqua again? He doubted that would work. Going home wasn't an option, he felt that much. The only thing left for him to do, he felt, was hunt down Vanitas and put a stop to him. That was part of his original mission, so it was the best bet in his eyes.
Making sure he was alone, Ventus donned his armor and looked to the clear sky above. This world was full of odd people…Lea and Isa especially, but others like Even and that boy Ienzo. Those two guards were a bit more normal, though. A lot of faces to remember for his return trip…if it ever happened.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Ventus summoned his glider and soon he left Radiant Garden behind…
In the bowels of Radiant Garden, where Terra and Braig had their fight, Master Xehanort stood alone. He looked over the edge of the platform at the water below, smiling to himself. The elderly man didn't even flinch when he heard a shout from behind him.
"Hey, you old coot!" It was Braig, the man scowling as he approached Master Xehanort from behind, his weapons drawn. He had a large bandage on his left cheek, and a wrap around his head that covered his right eye. The man fired several shots at the old man, but they were all dispelled by an invisible forcefield. This didn't stop Braig, who kept firing as he grew closer. "You said I wouldn't get hurt! I didn't sign up to be that guy's punching bag!" As Master Xehanort turned around, he shoved his weapon in the old man's face. "No way! As if!"
At first Master Xehanort didn't say anything, merely staring at Braig. He summoned his Keyblade, No Name, into his hand. From the position of the two men, the Keyblade's tip nearly pressed into Braig's neck. "An issue?" Was all the older man said.
That quickly changed the taller man's tune, who even dispelled his weapons as he raised his hands in surrender. "No! No, I'm fine! I mean…hey…you still need me, right? You still need me to do something for you, right?" He kept his hands up, his eye fixated on the Keyblade. "All I'm asking is you keep your end of the bargain!" Braig let out a sigh of relief as the weapon was put away. "I mean…yeah, what's a scratch and an eye, right? I thought that Terra guy was going to kill me or take my heart like you did with that one girl. Erina Pendleton, right?"
Master Xehanort shook his head. "No, he wouldn't have done either. A powerful light still lives within Terra, after all. People like him can't just take hearts in the heat of the moment like that…"
"Well, that makes me feel a bit better, I guess." Braig said, scratching the back of his head. Despite his words, his face still throbbed quite a bit from those darkness attacks Terra shot his way. That first one especially had been so close to killing him it wasn't even funny! "Alright, so…what's next with that big plan of yours anyway?"
A/N: Radiant Garden officially done. Something something thirteenth chapter...I guess this being roughly the halfway point counts enough. I don't want to make fights with Vanitas too long considering how many times he'll be combatted against. Gonna save the longer bout with him for the end. I feel like that works out best. He'll have plenty of opportunities to show off his moves. Not much else to say here except I'm dreading the next chapter. I'll try and just wrap up the next world all up in one chapter, even if the chapter itself ends up bloated, but I'll try and condense it into a quick, semi-painless series of three trips.