Ven landed onto soft grass near a dense forest. The boy unsummoned his armor and glider before looking around in wonder. It's been his first time on a new world and this one was quite enchanting. The trees were all different shapes with leaves of every shade of green, Ven's favorite color. He heard a stream babbling nearby and birds chirping, seeing some woodland critters scampering at the forest edge. He quietly walked up to get a better view but the animals suddenly looked beyond terrified and quickly fled into the safety of the forest.
"I didn't mean to scare you, I just…" Ven trailed off, sensing a presence behind him. He whipped around to find a strange little shadow creature with beady red eyes staring up at him. He gasped in shock before summoning his keyblade. What sort of enemy was this?!
More appeared and they all scampered into the woods, leading him deep into it.
Eventually, he caught up and made quick work of them, whirling his keyblade around to make a tornado that sucked the creatures up and away, vanquishing them as it did.
Once the fight was over, he realized he was now out of the woods and heading towards a grand-looking castle. "Whoa…"
The boy jogged across the bridge, eager to meet whoever lived in such a grand place when he came upon a tall figure wrapped in black with a long staff in her hand. She slowly turned her head to the boy, revealing horns and sharp features that observed him quickly. "What's this…? Shouldn't you be fast asleep, child? That fool Flora put everyone in the kingdom into a deep, deep slumber…"
Ven tilted his head in confusion before shaking it. "I just got here, actually. Who are you?"
"Maleficent. Everyone in this kingdom and all neighboring ones should know my name. Poor child, don't tell me you came all on your own from far away?"
Ven winced when she walked over and held his chin to get a good look of him. "I did, actually. I'm on a journey to find myself. My name's Ventus."
"Ventus," Maleficent gave a smile that sent shivers down his spine. "I saw an outsider just like you leave the castle mere minutes ago, an older gentleman with golden eyes. Could you two be related in some way?"
"That sounds like Master Xehanort but what's he doing out here…?" Ven asked mainly to himself. He thought the man would at least stay to catch up with Master Eraqus if not Aqua.
"If you're curious, the entrance to the castle is just ahead." The dark fairy gestured.
Ventus nodded at once. He certainly was interested in what Master Xehanort had been doing there. He gave a slight bow in respect for the elder before running off. "Thanks!"
"He did speak of 'imprisoning the light'…" Malficent suddenly called, making the boy stop in his tracks. "Perhaps he referred to the young Prince Phillip who'd strode in moments before him on some daring quest, one to save Princess Aurora…"
"Phillip and Aurora…" Ven mumbled to himself. Why would Master Xehanort want to imprison the light…? He nodded in thanks. "I'll check on them for you!"
This castle wasn't nearly as wonderful or awe-inspiring as the one in the Land of Departure but it was still rather grand and Ven had to sneak around many fancy nobles and servants just to get through the entrance alone.
Suddenly, he felt a tug at his heart and turned to see a young man dressed in a red cape and cap enter one of the castle's many bedrooms. This feeling… "Pure light…"
The boy ran up the steps, knowing this must be one of the fabled Princes of Heart, men who had not a touch of darkness in their heart, just pure light. Ven wondered if he'd be happier if he was one of them, then he wouldn't have to worry about the darkness.
He gently opened the door just in time to see the young man looking over a sleeping beautiful maiden, a princess if the crown and pretty dress were to be believed.
Seeing the woman sleeping so emotionlessly, barely breathing, Ven couldn't help but think of Aqua. She'd been like that her first week in the Land of Departure, Ven feared she'd never awaken.
The prince leaned down and kissed her, a gentle and soft kiss.
The princess' eyes slowly opened, looking cloudy for a moment before they focused on the prince.
Aurora accepted his help up before noticing Ven standing in the doorway. "Hello, who are you?"
Ven was flushed in embarrassment since he'd just seen what should've been a private and intimate moment but then straightened when the couple's eyes landed on him. "M-My name's Ventus but my friends call me Ven… Are you Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora?"
The two exchanged a look before laughing slightly at the inside joke they had: neither of them had confessed their true names when they'd met. They held hands before chorusing "Yes!"
"Have either of you seen an elderly gentlemen with golden eyes? I was told he might be here." Ven smiled hopefully.
"I'm afraid not." Phillip answered with sympathy.
"Oh…"
"So, the sleeping beauty awakens…"
A sudden green glow alit the room before the evil fairy from before appeared to them all. She smirked, glancing between the couple and Ventus.
"Maleficent!" The prince growled. He gently pushed Aurora behind him. "I will never allow you to harm the princess ever again!"
"Such a brave and noble heart, one without the slightest touch of darkness… Just the kind of heart I need along with the other six." Maleficent proclaimed. "Alas, I cannot fetch it myself… No, I need a special blade. The one you hold, dear Ventus."
"How do you know about the keyblade?!" Ven cried in shock. Not only that, how did she know about the princes of heart? He then narrowed his eyes before summoning his weapon, the very thing Maleficent wanted.
"There!" The dark fairy smiled. Her staff glowed green before she fired off a spell at the boy.
"Ven!" Phillip cried. The valiant prince, too selfless for his own good, leapt in front of him, taking the hit.
"Phillip!" Ven and Aurora chorused in shock, the man falling to the ground unconscious.
The maiden ran to her prince but was quickly shot down in the same manner, causing her to collapse onto him.
"No!" Ven yelled. He glared at the woman as she stalked closer, trying not to tremble in rage.
Maleficent suddenly vanished before appearing behind him, scooping up the princess. "I thought a thousand year slumber would be enough of a punishment for the precious Princess Aurora but then I realized: it's far more torturous if she was wide awake in a world where her true love no longer posseses his heart…"
Ven turned around in shock before seeing the girl disappear in a green glow. "Ghgh!"
"This man is one of the seven Princes of Hearts, a pure heart with not a trace of darkness. When joined with the rest, they grant the power to rule all worlds! Now, extract the heart of the prince!"
"No way! Why would I do that after he saved me from you?!" The boy growled, getting in his battle stance. "I'll never hurt the light!"
"Never say never, boy… " Maleficent laughed softly before waving her hand in front of the orb of her staff, making it glow a hazy shade of green. "For the sleeping darkness in your heart says otherwise…"
Ventus found he couldn't look away from the orb, entranced, and felt his body start to relax itself. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier by the minute as his dark thoughts and memories came rushing into his mind. The more tired he got, the more he let his guard down from their influence over his heart. "What… What are you… doing to me…?"
"I'm merely awakening the darkness in your heart with my powers, you will feel much better if you just release yourself to it…"
The orb glowed brighter at her suggestion and an even stronger wave of sleepiness washed over him. He had to shut his eyes, he had to sleep… He couldn't fight it any longer.
"Darkness lurks in every heart but you must not let it influence you…"
He dreamed of a memory from long ago, a lesson he'd gotten after being found balling in the staircase, the guilt of what he'd done to Aqua when she first came had consumed him shortly after they'd tucked her into bed where she may never awaken.
"You must be strong, Ventus, do not allow guilt, sadness, or any dark emotions to override your senses! It makes you weak to the darkness' call…"
Ven rubbed away his tears before nodding. "But what if it's about somebody?"
Eraqus grunted, seemingly lost in memory as he touched the scar over his eye. "Remorse, guilt… even desire for someone, especially if you can never get them back… they are harder to resist…They end up getting you hurt. It's unavoidable that these emotions occur, but you must never let them consume you entirely, do you understand?"
"Yes, master."
"Here it is… All that he said was and will be true."
Ven slowly awoke to find himself standing over the prince's body, keyblade in hand. A dreadful chill washed over him as he turned to see the heart vanishing into green flames, now entirely in Maleficent's possession. "D-Did I…? You, you controlled me!"
"I did nothing of the sort." Maleficent scoffed, walking up to the boy who went protectively in front of the prince. "You were in full control, or, the dark part of you was…"
"No…!" Ven whispered.
"You wish to know where Master Xehanort is, don't you?" The evil fairy watched in amusement as the boy used all his strength to pull the sleeping prince to the side of the bed. "Well, I cannot answer that, he vanished into the darkness before my very eyes…"
Ven paid her little mind as he heaved the prince up into the bed and gently tucked him in. This reminded him of the last time…
"I got her! Let me- Terra! Let me take her!" Ven had whined. He had tried to pick Aqua's slumbering body up off the ground to get her to a more comfortable place, this was his fault, after all.
"At least let me help you…" Terra insisted, placing Aqua's other arm around his own shoulder.
Eraqus watched with slight worry before Xehanort merely clicked his tongue to get his attention back. "Leave them be, Eraqus. No danger will come to them in the form of Aqua."
"…"
Ven felt tears roll down his cheeks as he turned to face Maleficent, the one who made him hurt another pure-hearted being just for her selfish desires.
"Now then, join me and collect six more hearts of light! Once we rule all worlds, only then will you truly be able to control your darkness!"
"I don't know how you know about that but there's no way I'll ever be helping you again!" Ven cried, summoning his keyblade.
Maleficent sighed in disappointment before taking out her staff but Ven quickly used a beam of light to hit it from her hand. She wouldn't be controlling him again.
Suddenly, the castle began to shake, no doubt due to the disappearance of the man's heart. Ven braced himself before seeing Maleficent surround by flames. "Wait!" He threw his keyblade at her but it was too late, he could only hear Maleficent's horrible cackle.
He watched his keyblade vanish before turning back to the sleeping prince. "I'm sorry, Phillip, I didn't mean to steal your heart… But I promise you, I'll bring your light back the moment I have my darkness under control!"
Philip said nothing, of course, trapped in the dreamless sleep.
Ven heaved a sigh before summoning his armor and glider, hopping on to get to the next world.
As he flew, many thoughts circled his mind but the most persistent one was of Master Xehanort. Why would he encourage this journey if he knew such evils as Maleficent could control him? More confusing still, why was the master trying to imprison the Prince's light? Surely there was a better way to protect him than locking him up… He shook the ideas out of his mind, there was no time to worry about such things, he had to hurry to the next world and get better control of his darkness!
Maleficent watched as the boy vanished before turning to the woman clothed in shadows. "It seems your master did indeed speak the truth."
"He is not my master." She hissed back in retaliation. "We're only working together because we want the same thing."
"And what would that be, child?"
"As if I'd ever reveal such sensitive information…" She muttered, crossing her arms. "Anyway, the only reason I'm here is to tell you you'd better keep that heart safe from Aqua and her friends if you want to be the one in charge of his little side project."
Maleficent whipped around to the woman, shocked at her disrespect. "You think I'm incapable, you little fool?!"
"Certainly not!" The woman laughed, placing a hand to her chest as if the idea left her breathless. "You're really so self-absorbed that you think a person like me would care a thing about a person like you? No, I just came to tell you Xehanort has other irons on the fire. If you can't do this, he'll find someone who can."
She disappeared into the darkness as quickly as she'd come, not giving Maleficent the chance to hit her with the fire she'd been charging the moment the daring woman insulted her.
