Many years ago, before Aqua ever came to the Land of Departure, before Ven was even old enough to hold a keyblade and when Terra was only just beginning his training, a keyblade master of light watched as his beloved friend and partner walked away from him. He couldn't let this happen again, not when there was still a chance he could be brought back from this dark road. "Xehanort, wait…"

Xehanort did just as he asked as if knowing he'd say that. Of course, he knew. He knew his light like the back of his hand. Destiny couldn't be altered, Xehanort knew that, but it was always interesting to see Eraqus try.

"There is a reason the precepts bar us from such knowledge. Why do you seek the χ-Blade? Would you blanket all the worlds in darkness, reduce them to nothing?!"

Hearing the fear in his voice made him turn with a small smile. Despite his preachings of eliminating the dark, the light-hearted man didn't even see it in his own heart: the darkness that came from his fear, his anger, and even his desperate desire to keep Xehanort tied down to him. He walked to his partner slowly and noticed he seemed too tense at this. "But the darkness did cover the world once, in legend… We know so little about the Keyblade War-only that it was just the beginning. Amidst that crisis a precious light was found…"

Eraqus gritted his teeth and pulled his head away when Xehanort attempted to lovingly brush a strand of hair out of his face at the mention of precious light.

Xehanort only smiled wider. "It is a curious tale-and one worth exploring…"

He'd been like this even when they were children, rambling on about the darkness, the light, the terrible war that went on between the two… What he'd always been most interested in is why it all began.

"They say ruin brings about creation. So what, then, would another Keyblade War bring? When the darkness falls, will we be found worthy of the precious light the legend speaks of? I must have these answers."

"You're willing to start an apocalypse out of sheer curiosity?!"

Xehanort chuckled at that. "No, not just that. Doing it only for my curiosity would be selfish, don't you think? I'm doing it for everything that lives and breathes… The X-blade needs to be forged, and with it, Kingdom Hearts shall appear. When I gain its power… I can restart the world to be how it should: balanced… You and I together, Eraqus, a strong light and equal darkness, what better people to lead the new, wonderful world?! Light will never lose to the overwhelming darkness, darkness will never be, burned away by the light! All creatures will finally live in peace, we'll finally live in peace!" Xehanort panted for a few seconds before he had enough strength to offer his hand with a cold smirk, "Come, Eraqus, let's rule the worlds together."

Eraqus felt himself grow ill at the thought of them being rulers of a world where darkness equaled light. It went against all they'd learned from their studies. But still, after everything they'd gone through… He narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. This was madness, how could he have started considering it? He failed as a master in that regard."I can't… No, I won't!"

Xehanort's heart hardened at those words. Eraqus was all he had, leaving him behind wasn't an option. Before he knew what was happening, he grabbed Eraqus' arm, pulling him close. "I said, COME!"

Sensing the opposites so close, Xehanort's keyblade instinctively summoned itself in an attempt at forging, fighting the light. It charged with dark energy too quickly for them to stop it.

A scream in pain echoed through the halls as the smell of burning flesh filled the room. Eraqus fell to his knees, clutching his face in agony.

"Eraqus…!" Xehanort whispered after a few moments of silence, the frozen seconds where he had no idea what had happened.

"Such terrible darkness…!" Eraqus hissed suddenly before looking up, darkness now coming from two fresh cuts. "Do you think me foolish enough to believe you actually mean me, a master of light, no harm?!"

Xehanort's concern melted into confusion and then anger at the sudden change of tone. "Oh, is that how you'd like to see it now? But of course, anyone using the darkness is your sworn enemy… even if it's me."

Eraqus felt his heart sink at the disappointment in Xehanort's voice.

They both knew it was true though. Past friendship, past love, past anything would have to be ignored if darkness was now in his heart.

"Even if it's you."

Xehanort accepted this answer far too quickly, maybe because he knew it was coming. "Well then, I suppose I'll have to change my ways if I'm ever to get into your good graces again, dear prince."

Eraqus used to adore the nickname, a comparison to those blessed with pure hearts. It felt more like a mockery now as Xehanort walked away.

He'll return to the light eventually. When he does… I'll let him back in my life once more Eraqus thought, not realizing just how easy it was to fake such a drastic change of heart.

Xehanort clenched his hand into a fist at the dark memory. It was easy fooling Eraqus when he'd been longing for Xehanort's return, he was so desperate to be with him again. That had honestly warmed Xehanort's cold heart a bit too much for his liking.

But today, his heart would have to be numb from the cold so he couldn't feel anything at all. Today would be the hardest step in his plan, one he'd been dreading since it was set in motion. This is destiny. He assured himself for what felt like the millionth time. There's no stopping it, this must be done…

"Master, I'm here!"

Xehanort shook himself out of the thoughts and looked up to see young Ventus, a boy he found to be just as gullible as Eraqus when he was that age. It was time to put the hardest part in motion.

"Is… there a reason you called me here?" Ven asked softly.

Xehanort nodded gravely before putting on a face of worry. "It's Aqua, she learned the truth about herself!"

"Aqua?!" Ven gasped. He'd seen her a few moments ago, like she'd recently left the badlands. "I just saw her! Is she in some kind of trouble?!"

"I worry she may be, dear boy. She looked so betrayed, she said she was going home to force the answers out of Eraqus! He may have no choice but to go against her! You must hurry back and see to your friend's safety…!"

Ven found himself nodding and gliding away, only until he reached the Lanes Between did he realize Aqua physically forcing something out of the master didn't seem like her, and Eraqus attacking her wasn't believable either. Still, he didn't want to risk it.

He was returning to the Land of Departure, something he thought he'd never do again. He was going home.

Ven arrived in the Land of Departure just in time.

Aqua placed a hand to her heart and was fighting back tears before clenching her eyes shut.

The boy gasped in shock and quickened his pace. What was happening?!

"I must put an end to you here and now!" Eraqus yelled. He summoned his keyblade and the same chains that surrounded their home shot out at the woman, prepared to seal her away forever-

"AQUA!"

The chains flung away when they hit Ven's keyblade, the boy now stood protectively in front of his friend. How could he have raised his keyblade against her?! "Master, what are you doing?! Have you lost your mind?!"

It didn't matter that he was Xehanort's apprentice now, he'd always first be Eraqus'.

"Ventus!" Eraqus gasped in surprise. His eyes then narrowed, looking to the equally-shocked Aqua behind him. "You will understand when you are grown, now step aside!"

"No!" Ven growled back. There he was, treating him like a kid again! But it didn't matter how old he was, he'd never understand how Eraqus could try and destroy Aqua! He had to protect her like she'd always protected him! "You're not gonna hurt Aqua!"

"Why do all my attempts to reach you fail?! If you don't have it in your heart to obey…then you will have to share Aqua's fate…!"

Ventus was too blinded by confusion and rage to see a single tear run down his old master's face.

The boy was only just able to block his Master's lunge.

Ventus was shocked he was able to hold his ground so well against his own master. He couldn't tell where he got his power from this time, the darkness or his friend. It didn't matter anymore.

"Ven, stop!" Aqua cried behind them, pushing herself off the ground. "The master has always known what's best for the worlds, that hasn't changed-!"

"Shut up!" Ven found himself screaming back to her. He hadn't meant to be so harsh but she was distracting him. Was Aqua so brainwashed by the master that she thought everything he did was right?! Even his attempts to destroy her?!

"Ven…"

The two were flung across the courtyard in a blast of light.

Aqua struggled while hoisting Ven back on his feet but he quickly shoved her hand away from him. He couldn't rely on her for strength anymore! He alone had to face the master while she got to somewhere safe!

"I don't care if you're my master, I will never let you hurt my friend!" Ventus was angry at his master's attempts to kill them, he was sad it had come to fighting him, he was scared to lose his best friend!

Darkness radiated off the boy as he summoned his keyblade once again.

Eraqus' eyes widened. He'd seen this before, he'd been too weak to stop it then… He would not now! "Such terrible darkness..!"

The boy summoned a portal behind them and pushed Aqua in without a second thought.

"Ven, NO!" Her scream of worry faded away when the Lanes shut.

The master and student stared at each other for a few frozen moments. It'd really come to this.

Ven would never let Eraqus hurt Aqua, no matter what power he needed to exploit.

Eraqus had every intention to put an end to them both, no matter how badly it hurt.

They lunged at each other, the clash made sparks so large that the two felt heat come off them.

Ven spun out of the guard with a yell, cycloning until he was at a good distance.

Master, I'm sorry, but you won't destroy us!

Eraqus gave a grunt in pain when he was hit with the last round of fire after blocking for so long. He gazed at his pupil, his face still full of love, that feeling was being ignored.

The old man shot at the boy, they were both getting tired of this physical and emotional warfare.

Ven fired off all his blades of wind in an attempt to slow his master, giving him just enough time to charge his final attack. Darkness surrounded his blade. "This'll end it!"

It hit him straight in the heart.

Eraqus gave a gasp in pain, stumbling backward.

Terror took over Ven's heart once he saw his Master now on struggling to keep standing. He thought he'd never see the sight and worse of all, he was the one who invoked it. He had done this.

"M-Master, I didn't mean to… It was an accident…!" Ven stuttered out, still the little boy who panicked at the sight of his own misdeeds. He'd never meant to harm him this badly, he'd just wanted to protect himself and Aqua, knock some sense into him!

"No, you did… well." Eraqus heaved, clutching his chest. He staggered to his youngest apprentice. As the adrenaline left his body, shame and guilt choked it in the quick realization. He'd just tried to destroy Aqua and Ventus, his students, his beloved children… How could he ever have been called a master of the light when he'd tried to extinguish the lights he held most dear? "I was the one… who passed on that you had to push aside all your feelings to combat even the smallest shadows in yourself and those you loved… and so… I was the one that urged on your darkness…"

Ven felt himself frozen in shock as he watched his master reach for him, attempting to hold him. He began to tremble, tears running down his face. He, Terra, and Aqua, they'd now be allowed to feel and express themselves to their hearts' content, they'd finally see their master's affection in more than just a small smile or nod of affirmation… And yet, he was still sad seeing his master in such a state.

"My own heart is filled with darkness!"

As if that was all it had been waiting for, the killing blow struck true.

Eraqus' eyes shot open as he let out a scream, his keyblade clattering to the ground. The man fell to his knees.

Wait, no, this wasn't… this couldn't be happening!

The boy let out a gasp of horror, awakening him from his thoughts. The boy ran without thinking, grasping wildly, trying to reach his master in time.

He collapsed into a hug but was met with the harsh ground.

Ven's eyes slowly opened as he righted himself. He stared at his shaking hands and turned to see his master was truly gone. "Master…?"

No one answered him, the quiet was suffocating.

"Master…! Master! MASTER ERAQUS!" He screamed for his master again and again until he collapsed into heavy sobs.

His master, his father, would not be coming back.

When his sniffling finally seized, a voice reached his ears. "How pitiful, crying over the man who'd kill you for embracing your darkness…"

Ven slowly lifted his head to see a man that had wasted no tears on Eraqus' betrayal of him all those years ago… "Master Xehanort…?"

Master Xehanort loved Master Eraqus, they were friends, the master trusted him to watch over the exam… He'd been the only one who believed in Ventus…

The truth hit Ventus so hard he felt he might collapse, covering his mouth in horror. The darkness chasing him, the reason he broke off with his friends, the one who destroyed Master Eraqus… "It was you?!"

"Indeed it was… Let those dark feelings at this betrayal, at this loss, take you over, consume your heart!"

"W-Why did you… How could you…?!" Ven couldn't find the words as Xehanort urged the emotions already in his heart.

"Oh, Ventus, still so naïve… You want answers?! Then come to the place where all Keyblade wielders leave their mark on fate—the Keyblade Graveyard!" Xehanort raised his darkness-encrusted keyblade to the sky. "There, your precious power, Terra and Aqua, shall be extinguished, and the last light within you will die!"

At his proclamation, a shot hit the heavens. A giant black orb of darkness formed in the clouds, the sky turned dark.

"You won't need a home where you're going…" Xehanort called to him tauntingly.

First their master, now their beloved home… Ven gave a clenched cry in agony as the master left him to witness the destruction. "XEHANORT!"

Chains shattered and the ground cracked apart. His world was being sucked away into darkness. The castle that had once been their only home broke apart, only the structures with the strongest chains managed to hold on.

Ven focused solely on his wayfinder, on thoughts of his friends.

"Terra…! Aqua….! I will not lose you to him!"