I woke up in the trash and got adopted by the local trio.
xXx-xXx-awaken-xXx-xXx
Kairi leaned over his shoulder, startling him to look up at her as she peered down at him at the table, "When are you going to talk to Master Aqua and Terra, Ven?"
Ventus tensed and swallowed, "Uuuh, that's… kind of a good question." He kind of wanted to put it off still.
Kairi gave him a concerned look as she pressed against him and hugged him from behind. They'd been training partners a number of times, but the past week had brought them to a new aspect of friendship, and Ventus had the vague realization that Kairi was very touchy. It was almost unsettling, since Aqua and Terra were usually so hands off… though he supposed part of it was that she'd been Asleep for the better part of a year, and missed her closest two friends.
Oh.
Ventus relaxed and stared at the Gummi phone he'd been fiddling with in his lap, "You miss Riku and Sora?"
Kairi smiled slightly as she lamented, "Yeah. It's hard, always being left behind. All that time searching my Memories, and I'm still not strong enough to help." She rested her chin on his shoulder and leaned her head against his, "The longer you wait, the harder it's gonna be to explain things to them."
Ventus frowned. It was nerve wracking, the idea that he'd somehow been a Master this whole time. It went against the teachings Master Eraqus had raised them all with.
But he'd been made Master long before such Rules were established.
Ventus sighed and nodded slightly, "Okay." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, "You should apologize too, you know."
Kairi blinked and pulled away slightly, "What to do you-" She paused and made an unusual face before nodding, "I guess I should."
Ventus smiled while Kairi pulled away and ruffled his hair roughly, "Hey!" He pushed her hand away from his head.
Kairi giggled, "Couldn't resist!" She looked around, "Where are Roxas and Xion?"
Ventus started to set up for a call, "They went to meet up with Lea and Isa."
Kairi nodded, "Ah, got it. What about Naminé and Vanitas?"
Ventus stilled, "Naminé went out with Merlin for some supplies… and no one's seen Vanitas so far. Merlin's pretty sure he's in that bubble World though, and that it's normal for him to go in there."
Kairi frowned, "I see." She wasn't sure if it was good for him to be isolated like that, but they weren't close enough for her to state as much.
Ventus went to call Aqua as his stomach twisted in knots. There really wasn't any easy way to make things "right," but he also wasn't sure if an apology was the correct thing to say either!
The call connected and both Aqua and Terra were on the other side. They exclaimed, "Ven!"
"Uah!" Ventus couldn't help but be surprised at their exuberance as his voice cracked from nervousness. "Uh- H-hi guys!" He smiled awkwardly while Kairi grinned and waved from behind him.
"Morning Master Aqua, Terra."
Aqua nodded, "Morning. Where are the two of you now?"
Ventus lightly scratched at his cheek, "We're at Merlin's in Twilight Town."
Their eyes widened as Terra asked, "You left Scala ad Caelum already?"
Ventus winced, "Well, there was a device… and uhm, it had to recharge."
Aqua and Terra gave him a confused look as Kairi shrugged slightly and elaborated, "Basically, it's a holographic artificial intelligence machine, but super old, so the power source needed time to recharge."
Ventus glanced up at her as their faces remained confused, "...We totally skipped the first part, didn't we?"
Kairi blinked before flustering, "O-oh! Sorry! We got to Scala ad Caelum and we were greeted by an android named Sigurd. They were pretty run-down in terms of maintenance, but they were expecting us and took us to a labyrinth. Took us three days before we hit the goal, which was Ephemer's Memory… and Brain's too."
Ventus nodded and continued as the other two were in silent shock and avidly interested on the other side, "Their Memories were able to interact with us… so I was able to get some clarification on what happened in the past that I forgot."
Aqua nodded as Terra hesitantly asked, "So, have you really been a Master this whole time, Ven?"
Ventus winced, not really wanting to talk about it. It just felt awkward and callous.
Kairi bit the bullet for him with exuberance, "Yup! Sigurd and Master Ephemer confirmed it!"
Aqua sighed softly as Terra tried to not let disappointment bleed into his features as he asked, "How did no one notice that you had your Mark already?" Why hadn't Ventus known?
Ventus rubbed his neck awkwardly, "Uhm, I don't think the whole Mastery thing was fully fleshed out in general until Ephemer was a little bit older and Scala ad Caelum had been properly established. It might also be because of me that certain age restrictions were put in place, ignoring certain circumstances that would circumvent such rules."
It was kind of weird, realizing he had an odd amount of knowledge he hadn't previously. It was as if a number of gaps had been repaired or sealed while he'd been asleep within that World.
Maybe that had been part of the point of their Trails, too.
Aqua was giving him an unusual look, "...Those were rather big words for you, Ven."
Ventus blinked before he sputtered, "Aqua!" He couldn't help but laugh as Terra and Kairi snickered.
Aqua gave him a reassuring smile before it slid off her face, "We've learned some things from the Master's journal, Ven."
Ventus's laughter died instantly as he gave her a sad and distressed look, "...You did?" He felt so hesitant, and his stomach was starting to hurt from his anxiety.
Kairi squeezed his shoulders, sensing his stress as she felt sympathetic.
Aqua nodded, "The Master… I think he might have noticed that you'd already had your Mark, but with the way things were, after so many centuries and generations of certain Rules being established… I think he had a hard time believing it was possible." There was so much they could say, and so much they couldn't say about the situation. It was painful.
Ventus nodded slightly, "...Right. Uhm, I'm… sorry."
Aqua and Terra blinked as he asked, "What for, Ven?"
Ventus swallowed dryly, "It's just… weird, that I've been a Master this whole time, while we've been striving for that goal for so long…"
Terra's eyes widened, "Ven- I'm not going to say that it doesn't hurt, but we went to Twilight Town while you and Kairi were away. We observed Vanitas. There's a whole lot we don't understand about everything, especially when it comes to the two of you… But that's for us to have patience learning. I'm sorry, for making you feel bad about your own accomplishments, Ven. Even if you didn't remember, you'd still earned it."
Ventus couldn't help the idle thought, 'But did I really?'
Aqua nodded, "I'm sorry too, Ven. We didn't know what Master Eraqus was hiding back then, but we know a little better now. A lot of things were done to you right in front of us that we brushed off as normal, or as a consequence of your lost Memory, that we're at fault too. We should have pressed the Master harder about why he was teaching you so poorly compared to the two of us."
Terra sighed tiredly, "You were right. I didn't mean to overhear that part of the conversation, but I did hear when you stated the Master was trying to keep you as a prisoner in our World. You weren't wrong, and the Master realized too late that he chose the wrong person to focus on."
Ventus's throat felt tight as he tried to keep his emotions in check as he nodded slightly, "I still don't… entirely think the Master was wrong though."
Aqua and Terra gave him a surprised look as Aqua pressed, "But Ven-"
Ventus breathed out shakily, "Aqua, I've been used by the Darkness before, because I have such Pure Light in my Heart." She gasped and Terra focused on him with concern as he continued, "I'm not a Princess of Heart, guys. I'm not… I can't protect myself the same way they can, or protect the Worlds either. I'm an abnormality and a hazard. After everything that happened… I know the Master hadn't been right, but he hadn't been entirely wrong either." He felt his strength leave him, "A lot of things really are my fault."
Aqua was clearly distressed and looked like she wanted to hug him close and tell him that wasn't true at all! Kairi squeezed Ventus from behind, startling him as he had started to forget that she was there while she stated, "Ven. I know that's how you feel, but it's very sad."
Ventus felt guilty, hurting his friends with his own problems, but what was he supposed to do? He'd messed up so much, and had little to make up for the problems he'd caused.
Ventus glanced up at them on the screen, "...Sorry. I'll try to come home soon, and I'm still getting answers… but I'm not ready to come back yet, okay?"
Aqua and Terra nodded morosely as she spoke, "Stay safe you two, look out for him, Kairi."
Kairi nodded, "I will, and sorry for being so pushy when we left, Master."
Aqua blinked before she laughed halfheartedly, "It's alright. Sometimes starting the journey is the hardest part. We'll talk again soon, alright?"
They nodded and the call cut off.
Ventus leaned back with a quiet sigh as his head rested on Kairi's shoulder. They stayed like that for a moment before Kairi patted his shoulder as a signal before pulling away.
The urge to go outside and bask in the sun was overpowering as Ventus stated, "Let's go see if we can find the others." Kairi nodded in agreement, and they stepped out.
xXx-xXx-awaken-xXx-xXx
Sora realized early on that he didn't like watching television while in Quadratum. However, with the amount of screens visible to the public on the streets, it was inevitable that he'd stop and absently watch something as the crowds would walk through him.
He'd see black creeping shadows and monsters slink around people during interviews. Touching and slithering about them as they had no idea.
They'd catch him soon enough.
Sora would always try to brush off the creepy feelings he got from them. Keep moving. Don't look at them too long.
Don't look them in the eyes.
They'd creep and gather in the backs of dark alleyways, sometimes eating or absorbing vermin.
Normal people didn't notice them. He'd accidentally witnessed a stray animal get swallowed in one gulp and no one even paused in their step. There was something terribly dark and creepy in this World, and the random infant-like cries he'd occasionally hear from them made his skin crawl.
It was far too much like nails on chalk-board, really.
He wouldn't talk about them either, because that would just make them real, and then he'd really be in trouble then.
Sora buried his face into his arms while he laid at the end of Ava's bed as he kept the door shut. She'd gone to work and Riku had decided to watch some news, but it didn't matter.
News, entertainment. If it was with real people, he'd see something creeping along in the background.
Sometimes they moved even if the video clip being shown was paused.
Sora breathed out shakily and kept his eyes clenched shut. He didn't want to hear those terrible wails or the sliminess of their movements.
He wouldn't get caught!
His fists clenched into the sheets as sweat broke out over his skin.
He'd been minding himself, trying to ignore them like usual when they were suddenly all around him.
They tried to touch him, but he knew if they touched him, he'd be corrupted and be made into a dark soulless nothing as well.
His Keyblade responded to his Heart's call, and he blasted them away with Light. He might have felt fear, but it was a respectful fear of things he didn't know. Things he Knew could corrupt his Heart and Soul. His Will was strong, and he would not be devoured! Not now!
And then something cut into him deeply from behind- so deep he couldn't even scream as he suffocated on air and everything turned black.
He sank and fell. He fought the pull frantically as he thought about all of his friends and how he so desperately wanted to see them!
"I am the shadow that you cast. How much closer could I be?"
Sora felt something grab his essence, and suddenly he snapped back as the pain receded. He was covered in a familiar black as that terrible corrupting cold was cast away.
He fought in that form of Rage, with only one other Heart acting alongside him. He didn't understand, and it was difficult to even grasp.
"I am darkness."
Maybe it was true, but he still wanted to know him! He had so many questions!
"You define me, Sora-"
Sora reached out, and he escaped that hunting hoard.
The Heart that he hadn't acknowledged, the one hidden so far in the abyss that they had even warned him when he'd tried to connect with Ventus.
"No, leave him be."
Had Vanitas really been with him this whole time?
Sora reached out towards the Slumbering Dark.
He couldn't be sure of what reality should be. If it was good or not, but Sora wanted to talk to Vanitas properly… For him to stand by their side, if the two of them and Ventus were his brothers.
There was a connection. A final protection from the things that could devour what was left of him.
There was nothing to see within his Heart, nothing but the abyss far beyond his Station. He pushed outwards without fear and reached forward.
He touched something sharp that cut deeply into his hand, but it was alright. That's just how he was.
"It's time to wake up, brother."
Something breathed and silence spoke.
That's foolish.
Sora smiled, "But I'm not your prison. I'm just… the medicine for the hurt."
The silence seemed confused before it seemed to laugh harshly.
Whatever.
Sora blinked, and the biting liquid surface underneath his hand pulled away as a dim light illuminated the deep darkness to reveal the face of the foreign Heart's Station.
Dive Deep, oh Child of Light
Reach ever onwards towards the Day
Let not the Darkness take you
Lest it fester and eat away
You are Her Beloved
Dearly Awaited
Hope Onwards
Unto Tomorrow's Dawn
Awaken
And Open the Door
Sora shook himself from the forgotten Memory.
He'd been so freaked out by the whole thing that when he'd woken up he'd tried to push it out of his mind to the point that he'd forgotten.
And then he'd begun to notice Vanitas in his reflection.
Vanitas's Station had been so very dim and polluted.
Sora sighed softly and dozed. The mask made things a little annoying, but oh well.
Time passed, and gentle hands were guiding the mask off of his head while trying not to disturb him. Slim feminine fingers ran through his hair and slowly Sora started to wake up. "Mmh?"
The apartment was quiet, and Sora wondered if Riku had fallen asleep.
"Riku left to take care of some things. He's been staying in various cafe's overnight with accommodations and taking on small busy-work jobs to earn money, since your currency doesn't work here. There aren't any Moogles to convert it."
That made sense.
"He left a note. Mentioned you'd holed yourself in here the moment he started watching TV. Is there a reason you don't watch anything?"
He grumbled. The way Ava kept running her fingers through his hair was making him wanna go back to sleep. It reminded him of his mother and Kairi's quiet affections. It was comforting.
"...Sora?"
He barely smiled before the question she'd asked sunk into his mind and he opened his eyes. Slowly he pushed himself up woozily and sat properly on the bed while Ava shifted from her knees on the floor to sit down next to him. He avoided looking at her, because he felt both scared and stupid for how he was going to describe his problem.
"...I think I see dead people."
Ava stilled, and Sora felt his face warm.
"...Sora, do you mean the Evdam?"
Sora blinked and looked at her in confusion, "The what?"
Ava shrugged, "Piles of sentient darkness, lost and devoured souls who wail and eat the weary?"
Sora stared at her freaked out, "Is- is that what they're called?! Wait- can you see them?! No one's ever reacted to them!"
Ava blinked before giving him a small smile, "I can see them. I've fought them off plenty of times to try and help wandering souls… It's how I met Yozora, actually."
Sora's eyes widened, "Really? What happened?"
Ava hummed, "I guess I'll explain myself from the beginning. After the Keyblade War, when I disappeared from that horrible place, I ended up here. I don't know what happened in-between. I was simply in one place, and the other the next. But I was injured and exhausted. I was also very confused and scared, and then the owner of the café I work for, a woman, found me wandering lost late at night. She was concerned about me, and took me in for the night." She smiled, "That's how I got my job, and I borrowed a room for a little while until I was able to afford this place."
Oh. No wonder she made sure to go into work despite being so tired.
Sora nodded in contemplation, "I see."
Ava kicked her legs out absently for a moment in thought before continuing, "Well. I didn't notice them at first, but slowly I started seeing dark masses moving around people. No one reacted, so I tried to ignore it myself, until one latched onto me and I screamed in the middle of work. I dropped the drink I was making, called my Keyblade, and banished it with Light." She laughed mirthlessly, "My manager was amazed and concerned with my abilities, but once I explained the situation, she told me that it was probably an Evdam and that very few people could actually see them. In fact, it's primarily the Royal Family and some of their retainers who can see and fight against them." She shrugged.
Sora swallowed, "Oh."
Ava nodded and continued, "Then one day I got surrounded in the early evening on my way home during a Gigas attack, and I guess the Prince was following the traces of a large mass that had gathered around me, and I took care of them. It was a bit of a fight, but I won. He was impressed, took my information, and once the dust had settled, summoned me to the city hall to register me as an individual with unique privileges. Being a high level Magic user was impressive enough, but my ability to vanquish the Evdam was something of far greater interest. Being able to see them is one thing, being able to vanquish, or really, free the souls of the lost so that they can return to the cycle of life and death- that was a great deal more important."
Sora swallowed, "...I've fought them before, too. But… it's terrifying."
Ava silently sighed heavily, "...You definitely can't let them get to you. You aren't quite dead, but you aren't quite alive either, unfortunately. I noticed that you recognized Yozora, correct?"
Sora nodded, "Yeah, he approached me in the evening of The Final World and… I think he brought me here." Ava raised an eyebrow at that as Sora helplessly shrugged, "We fought. I barely won. Haven't noticed him since."
Ava hummed, "Well. One of his abilities that no one else is capable of, is to be able to seal away a wandering soul into crystalized slumber so that they can be saved." Sora blinked and looked at her as she continued, "I'm not sure what all goes into the process, but there's a special place where those soul crystals are stored. Eventually they'll be freed, but Yozora lost someone dear to him, and he's not what he used to be. So until he can return to the way he once was, all he can do is secure innocent souls to keep them safe while searching for that person."
Oh. Yozora had actually been worried for him when they fought? It was an odd concept that slowly made sense.
Sora nodded, "I see."
Ava tilted her head as she shifted the subject, "I think we talked about this before, but you've dealt with World Magic before, right?"
Sora nodded absently, "Donald could change our appearance for the sake of World Order." He looked at her, "Why?"
Ava pointed at him, "Why don't you try it out yourself?"
Sora's eyes widened, "Huh?!"
Ava grinned, "You have a huge well of Magic available to you, only comparable to myself, Invi, and possibly even The Master of Masters! I think, maybe, if you try to use it, you may find a way to bring yourself into 'reality' by using this World's Logic."
Sora gaped at her for a moment before crossing his arms and thinking. He was probably making a terrible face, but he really didn't know where to even begin with the suggestion she was making as he hummed and hawed over it. Ava watched him quietly for a moment before giggling lightly, "Sora, relax." He glanced at her as she continued, "Think of a common form you've taken between Worlds, and how that might apply here."
Sora stared at the floor and swung one of his feet idly. He wasn't really sure where to start, but… there had been one thing he'd sort of transformed into more than once that wasn't quite natural.
He had the feeling that if he simply went with his basic human self, it just wouldn't work here.
He closed his eyes with furrowed brows and a frown.
There'd been Monstropolis, where he'd become a feline-like monster, and then there'd been the Pride Lands-
Something popped inside of him, and it was actually kind of nauseating to hear and feel. He felt his body tip over, and he flailed as the world suddenly seemed too big!
He opened his eyes and noticed familiar white-tipped paws. Slimmer, and certainly more house cat than lion, but his basic form may as well have been the same. He rolled onto his paws and lifted one to shake it, testing the waters before he looked up at Ava's shocked reaction.
Ava had her hands over her mouth, and she was desperately trying to not instinctively pick him up and mush her face into his fur as she frantically thought, 'Sora turned into a kitty! A KITTY!'
He didn't look like a grown cat, which reflected the fact that he was still a growing teenager, but Ava was having a hard time keeping her hands to herself.
Sora blinked and laughed as he bounced a bit, "I did it Ava!"
Ava noticed his little crown necklace, and the tuft of his fur that looked like the crown shape of his hair. "Y-yes you did!"
Sora tilted his head, "...Is there something wrong?"
Ava covered her face, "No!"
Sora looked her over more before shoving his head into her arm and instinctively rubbing against her, "Awe, c'mon! You're acting weird!"
Ava tried to keep herself together, but couldn't help it anymore and scooped him up into her arms. He squeaked and went limp as he automatically wrapped his paws around her arm in a hug. She buried her face into his side and rubbed her face into his fur, "You're so adorable! You're like a little Minion Summon and you're so soft and cute!"
Sora felt his face warm in embarrassment. He liked cats himself, but clearly he'd underestimated Ava's affections for them.
Ava gasped and recollected herself, "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry! That was so rude of me!" She shifted to set him down, but his claws came out to lightly press against her skin in protest.
"N-no, it's okay! I'm… I'm sure this'll probably happen again. Might as well get used to it!"
Ava paused and after a moment resettled him in her arms and lap. "...Sorry."
Sora laughed weakly, "It's okay. Now we just have to find out if Riku can see me like this." He paused, "Oh no, Riku has to see me like this!"
Ava blinked before she startled into laughter. Sora grumbled before whining, "Ava, he's gonna make fun of me!"
Ava snickered and tried to control her laughter, "I-I'm sorry Sora, it's just! I'm sure he'll be happy to see you, one way or another!"
Sora sighed dramatically as he went limp in her arms, "Oh, whatever." He was just one big joke to everyone, wasn't he?
Ava finally settled and gently ran her hand over his fur, "You're an unusual color for a kitty."
Sora huffed and flicked his tail in annoyance, "Is it though?"
"This shade? Definitely."
He sort of shrugged in response.
"Your eyes are definitely a fetching blue while like this too. They're pretty."
Sora blushed, "Ooookay, stop that."
Ava giggled lightly before patting him gently on the head, "One step closer to home."
Sora stilled and fully settled into the embarrassing position he'd put himself in, "...Yeah."
He could deal with it, if it got him closer to that goal.
xXx-xXx-awaken-xXx-xXx
Even though it had been his suggestion, he immediately regretted it the moment he stepped outside for lunch. Kairi gave him a disgruntled face as he dragged his feet in uncertainty, "C'mon Ven! We should soak in a little sun!"
Ventus smiled weakly at her, "I know, I know. It's just that I don't-"
Kairi paused and got in his face, startling him with a yelp as she poked his chest, "You can't run from your problems just because you're fast!"
Ventus wanted to be offended, but he knew what she meant. He was like the wind, and if he could act like it, he could breeze through relationships if he allowed them to bow and crumble behind him. He winced, "Okay, okay Kairi, I get it!"
Kairi sniffed proudly, "You know, maybe Vanitas's personality isn't all this different from yours." Ventus gaped at her as she continued, "I mean. You definitely know how to keep yourself just out of reach."
Ventus pouted, "Kairi! It's just…" He trailed off, "...I love having friends, but people rarely liked me enough to stay. I know I forgot about it for a long time, but that uncertainty is kind of… creeping back in at full force." He was glad Kairi made him apologize to Aqua and Terra, or he would've felt worse.
Kairi sighed softly and grabbed his hand as she firmly held it and tugged him along again. He let her since it was simply easier to go along with her. She smiled at him, "You know, you are allowed to say if you don't like something I'm doing."
Ventus blinked, "I don't mind holding hands."
Kairi raised an eyebrow, "And hugging?"
Ventus felt his face warm slightly against his will, "It's… awkward? But it's still kinda nice."
Kairi nodded somewhat absently as she noticed a familiar group outside Le Grand Bistro. She smiled with a grimace, "Oh."
Ventus noticed everyone as well. Skuld turned and waved at them excitedly, "Kairi! Ven!"
Lea raised a hand in greeting, "Hey guys!" Isa, Lauriam, and Roxas nodded in greeting, while Elrena turned her head away with a huff and ignored them.
Xion waved happily, "Ven, Kairi! Have you seen any of the others today yet?"
Kairi shook her head in the negative as she released Ventus and cupped her hands behind her back when they reached them, "Nope!"
Xion's face fell slightly, "Oh. I would've thought Merlin and Naminé would've been back by now."
Ventus tilted his head, "Did they go somewhere?"
Xion pursed her lips, "Well, it seems Even messaged her to visit Radiant Garden. It seems they wanted to discuss some things to do with Vanitas, but they weren't able to reach him."
Roxas sniffed, "Vanitas has locked himself up in that little training World."
Kairi poked Roxas's shoulder, "I've trained there too, it's nice."
Roxas shrugged awkwardly, and Kairi latched onto him from behind. He startled with a yelp as she hugged him tight from behind with a big grin, "Don't be such a grouch, Roxy!"
Roxas sputtered, "I barely like Tsuyu calling me that, Kairi! I don't really-"
Xion pouted, "But Roxas, I think it's kind of cute."
Roxas flushed and shut down into pouting as he crossed his arms and looked away while grumbling, "It's not though…"
Kairi giggled while Xion smiled. Lea had a conspiratorial grin on his face until Isa did something under the table that made him cry out in pain. Kairi pulled away from Roxas to let him have his space back before planting her hands on her hips, "Did you guys eat yet?"
Xion shook her head, "No, but we did order recently."
Kairi nodded, "Would it be alright if we joined you?"
Xion glanced back at everyone, and all but Elrena nodded. Kairi was beginning to see a pattern with the older blonde, but decided she'd ignore it. She noticed an empty two seater and skipped over to pull the table towards the others. Ventus reluctantly brought over the chairs as he glumly stated, "I don't think they appreciate their furniture moving, Kairi…"
Kairi paused while seats were adjusted by the others before she shrugged, "It was my idea, so I'll apologize if it's a big enough problem."
Ventus sighed softly with a small smile as he sat down with her. "If you say so."
Skuld leaned towards Ventus with a smile, "Hey Ven, do you remember everything that happened in the past?"
Ventus paused before responding to her, "Well I only recently remembered, but a lot of things were still told to me… so it's a little of yes and no? I got information from Ephemer and Brain's Memories in Scala ad Caelum, but that's really the most of what I know."
Skuld's eyes widened, "Their Memories?"
Ventus nodded, "Mmhmm. Explained a few other things, but basically Ephemer established the World Keyblade Wielders lived in, and Brain ended up there a few generations ago. They're both gone now, sadly, but they left behind messages hidden within a Trial Labyrinth."
Skuld nodded in fascination, "And it's in this Scala ad Caelum place?"
"Yeah." Ventus rubbed the back of his neck, "I guess that's the World that was established after Daybreak Town was destroyed."
Skuld's mouth dropped open in surprise before she turned to Lauriam, "We should totally go, Lauriam!"
Lauriam gave her a strained smile, "I suppose it would be nice to have some clarification on a few things. My own Memory still has some inconsistencies…"
Kairi butted in, "Then you guys should go through the Trial together!"
Lauriam frowned at her, "But hasn't Ventus cleared it?"
Kairi pointed her thumb towards herself happily, "Ven and I got through it together, and it was super hard! It took us three days! But see, I don't think it allows others to pass through it with those who've cleared it. It's a proper test! No cheating!"
Lauriam blinked before he chuckled softly, "I see. Wouldn't want to have an unfair advantage, huh?"
Elrena scowled, "There's no point for me to go."
Skuld gave her a disappointed look, "But Elrena… don't you also have some questions you'd like answered? And besides, I'd like to get to know you better since I didn't get the chance to before."
Elrena became distinctly uncomfortable as she shrunk into her shoulders before scoffing, "Fine! I'll go!"
Skuld clapped happily, "Thank you Elrena!"
Lauriam smirked a little, knowing she would've come with if he'd asked, but it was best that someone else desired her presence.
They'd relied on one another for a rather long time, and he wasn't sure how healthy that dependency on both of their ends was.
Lauriam turned to Ventus, "So you've been well?"
Ventus clammed up for a second as his stomach tied in knots. He kind of hated this, and he felt incredibly tense, "Uh, yeah."
Lauriam nodded and Roxas raised an eyebrow at his twin.
Kairi hummed, "So Axel…."
Lea raised an eyebrow, "'Sup Princess?"
Kairi scowled at him before smiling slyly as she leaned on the table with interwoven hands under her chin, "You ever get in touch with your family?"
Lea began to sweat a little, "...You're not gonna let that go, are you?"
Kairi tilted her head and only seemed to be more mischievous as she prodded. "Well yeah, seeing as most of us are either orphans, or never had actual parents. You at least have the chance to at least say Hello."
Lea slumped before glaring at Isa, "What about him?!"
Kairi blinked innocently, "Axel, I'm not close enough to Isa to pry into his family life, are they even alive?"
Lea winced as Isa gave his friend a pointedly bored Look, "They are. However Lea and I both have… understandable reservations about reconnecting with our families. Spending ten years as part of an organized cult of sorts that helped bring an end to our World kind of makes it rather difficult. That, along with trying to bring an end to the Worlds after that… Axel being our assassin of the group with me as the one in charge of handing out such… unsavory orders…"
Elrena sprung up and pointed at him with a somewhat wild look in her eyes, "Unsavory my asckh!" Lauriam covered her mouth, somewhere between panic and boredom as he tilted his head towards Isa.
"You didn't seem to mind such tasks, sir."
Isa gave him a frigid smile, "Didn't have much of a Heart to mind."
Lea shoved out his hands, "Okay, okay guys. Got it. Saix gave me orders, both from above and personally, and I knocked off a few extras on the way." He waved a hand lazily, "Laurie's got guts to try and act innocent, as if he hadn't had his own little agenda."
Lauriam gave him an annoyed look as he pulled back his hand, "I am well aware my actions with Naminé in my attempts to overthrow the Organization weren't exactly acceptable, but you used her as well to an extent, Axel. Don't act like you were all that innocent in that matter."
Lea winced and cupped his cheek with one hand as he leaned on the table, "Look. You're not wrong, but I also found her abandoned in a closet once DiZ was done with her." Lauriam raised an eyebrow, both out of confusion as well as concern. "She helped me out a little, I got her into the Castle that Never Was to try and find Kairi. Saix stabbed me with his Claymore, and I managed one final blaze of glory to help out Sora before falling apart. What else do you want from me? We were being manipulated by an Old Man pulling strings from the shadows. I at least had the decency to not get pulled back in for round two."
Isa glared at him incensed and Lea twitched before rolling his eyes, "I know you were trying to find information, I get it! But it's still annoying that I had to fight you!"
Isa sighed tiredly, "They already had No.i recommissioned as a vessel. It… bothered me." Xion wilted and looked away.
Lea frowned, and his annoyance fell away into guilt, "...Oh. Sorry… and thanks?"
Isa shrugged tiredly, "We made our choices. I had my own way of atonement, just like Even. It worked in our favor to work together in secret."
Lauriam raised an eyebrow, "Wasn't he benched?"
Isa nodded, "Yes, but he was still capable of procuring another Replica." He tilted his head towards Roxas, "It was for the sake of Number Thirteen's revival that we worked tirelessly to have another shell completed in time."
Roxas shrunk a little, not really wanting to be brought into the conversation, "Oh."
Skuld slowly smiled, "You all have been through a rather interesting experience, huh?"
All of them made faces before Ventus laughed in surprise, "I guess that's one way of putting it!"
Skuld looked at him, "So you were Sleeping between when you first met Lea and Isa to just before the second Keyblade War?"
Ventus flushed, "Uh, yeah." He rubbed the back of his head.
Skuld gave him a look of sympathy while simultaneously holding back a small amount of laughter, "You have a habit of falling Asleep after huge emotional outbursts, huh?"
Ventus winced. She had no idea!
Lea groaned with a stretch, "Roxas and Xion aren't much better."
Xion pouted while Roxas cried out, "Hey! That's not fair Axel!" They paused before the three started chuckling.
Sure their past issues had hurt, but they'd had enough time to heal to laugh about some of it now.
Skuld smiled. She might be woefully out of the loop, but she knew everyone would fill her in, one moment at a time… and maybe one day she, Elrena, Lauriam, and Ventus would be able to have the same relatable moments of laughter about the past no one but them now knew.
She missed Ephemer and Brain so much already, and wiped away at her eye to hide her quiet distress.
Skuld was loved and embraced by this group already, she'd be alright.
She'd be fine.
xXx-xXx-awaken-xXx-xXx
A/N: I'm not sure what's going on, but more than one reviewer has mentioned Ava as Sora's mom… which is the case in my Vulpes to Dandelions series, but definitely -not- this story. I'm confused on if this is meant as a "acts/feels like she is" or "literally". I'm vaguely getting anxiety from it so if I could get some clarification that'd be great, lol.
I don't think of Ava as a mother figure to Wielders, maybe a "sister" type, but like… the whole point of Wielders feeling at ease with Ava is because she's the average age of Wielders in KHUX and "easy to talk to." Within the Foretellers, even Gula's a bit too stand-off-ish, so it's easy to see how Wielders got along with Ava pretty easily. Her gentler personality probably also helped in that regard.
Anyways, Please R&R!