You feel exhausted.
The simple act of opening your eyes consumes all your energy, and you pause – letting your gaze stay with the white of the ceiling above. White and bright… it almost hurts to look at. It's a ceiling like any other and a ceiling you never saw before… though this makes you wonder if you ever saw a ceiling that wasn't this one. You can't really remember.
"… It's ready. I've crafted it. …"
There's a voice nearby and you also cannot remember who it belongs to, despite a sense of lingering familiarity. Slowly, you bring your gaze down from the ceiling, finding an equally white wall. And another, and an open door by the opposite end of this room. It's white. Is the entire world white…? You can't tell for sure, but you seem to remember other colors existing.
As your gaze keeps descending, you find a body. Is this your body? You try to move it, but nothing happens. The body is also dressed in white, but you see stains of a different color – red. This is red, isn't it? Dark red.
"… Never meant to let those ignorant fools send you to the frontline. My hands were tied. …"
The voice speaks and you listen, but the sentences are scattered and far apart. You feel too tired to continuously listen. You're staring at this body dressed in white with dark red stains, and you notice the body is seated down. The legs are folded, the arms are rested on a chair's sides. No, not a chair… it's a throne. And it's white.
"… Was lucky to get there just in time. …"
Your gaze moves up, not because you will it to but because your head moves – someone moves your head up. Long hair in a shade of silver is what you see first, and then a face… a face that you do not recognize, despite the little faint voice at the back of your mind telling you that you should. You see eyes made of bright gold, as well, and somehow you know that they are in the wrong color. They should be silver, just like the hair.
You see the hand that is holding your face up, but you do not feel it.
You can't feel this touch.
"… I had such high hopes for you. You were my favorite disciple. …"
You want to say something back, but you're so, so tired. You're not sure if you have a voice anymore. Maybe you never did. Your eyes flutter closed and, when you reopen them, the face you saw is gone. The white door is closing.
"… I'm counting on you. Only you can do this. …"
The door closes and, when you glance down again, the body is slowly turning to stone.
Ven's eyes snapped open and, for a moment, he couldn't breathe. A bead of cold sweat rolled down the side of his neck, merging with his night shirt. His arms and legs felt numb, like he'd been lying on an awkward position for hours… And what do you know, now that he was slowly calming down and taking in more of the real world, he realized he was actually tangled up in the covers.
Small wonder he'd had such a vague but distressing dream, about turning to stone.
Sighing, he began slowly undoing that mess and tried to not accidentally knock over anything as he freed himself – especially not the candles, that'd melted to a puddle overnight but still had a flickering flame about them. Also small wonder that he'd had nightmares, after the previous day. In fact, what was surprising was that he'd not dreamed of Sin decimating an entire army in one single strike. Not bothering to change clothes just yet, Ven crawled out of the tent and immediately started feeling a little better.
His friends were right there, and they were all safe and well. Terra was sleeping on his side, his sword just at arm's reach as usual. Aqua was by his other side, curled up and with only her blue hair showing from within the sleeping bag. And Vanitas was sprawled on his back as though he didn't have a care in the world, which Ven found all too endearing. He was actually sleeping over the bag, rather than in it, and the summoner had half a mind to go fetch him a blanket. He did look so comfortable, though, and the weather was amiable enough… so, in the end, Ven just knelt beside him for a short while – a hand gently running through the strands of black hair, fingertips brushing over the scalp.
After their chat last night, they'd agreed that it'd be unnecessarily awkward if they were found in the morning whilst sharing the tent… and so Van had returned outside. Watching him sleep, now, was such a new experience because he usually had that tough, confident attitude all over him – right now, he looked so innocent. Simply looking at him had Ven's heart fluttering all over again, and he sighed to himself. This wasn't right, he knew… growing attached, giving Van hope like this, as if they'd be able to have a future together. And yet, every time he tried to stop it, his heart would begin aching instead. Was it really so selfish of him, that he wanted to enjoy this for a little bit longer…?
Shaking his head, Ven eventually got back up.
"You can't be sulking like this, Ventus… Remember what Maester Xemnas said. You must be their hope."
With a nod, as if to acknowledge his own pep talk, Ven went back in to get himself ready for the day, and then got busy with dismantling the tent and tidying it all up. This done, he got a fire going and began preparing breakfast for everyone. By the time the others were stirring awake, he was looking as bright and hearty as usual and had a pile of freshly cooked food waiting – granted, two thirds of it would end up in his own belly.
"You're up early…" Aqua half-yawned and half-murmured at him, stretching in her sleeping bag.
"Of course! It's temple day, I have to be pumped and in high spirits."
Hopefully, it wouldn't be a temple where he'd somehow be turned to stone.
That had been one nasty dream.
This was already Flood's favorite temple, given the number of monkeys scurrying up and down the road for her to play with, and it was quickly becoming Van's favorite as well. If not his favorite, definitely it was the coolest looking so far. At first sight, it just looked like a big rock clump… but, as they drew near, the fayth's essence made itself apparent. The fayth of Djose Temple was Ixion, the guardian of lightning and thunder, and it really showed. The rock was, indeed, only the exterior layer that covered the temple itself, and it would detach and attach again to allow passage, whilst being held together by strong currents of electricity. Vanitas was impressed and wasn't bothering to hide it.
On the other hand… the temple's front yard had a completely different vibe to it. It'd been pretty much turned into an infirmary, with a few small tents and a lot of makeshift beds dotted along, to accommodate for the survivors of Operation Mi'ihen. Matters seemed reasonably under control, despite the less than ideal conditions, but despair and remorse filled the air. And it was taking all Ven had, to resist the urge to stay behind and get to helping as much as he could… but the difference he could make shouldn't be about this, right now. What the people of Spira longed for was that he completed his pilgrimage and, in order to do that, he must hurry and gain Ixion's blessing.
As they were about to enter the temple, the rock shifted once more and opened the way for someone else to leave, first – two young women. One had beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair, elegantly styled around her neck and over her shoulder. She was dressed in a white robe that didn't make it too difficult to guess that she was also either a summoner, a white mage, or both. Her companion had blue eyes as well, but her hair was short and so deeply black that it glimmered under the morning sun. Her own robe was also black. As they walked out of the temple, they were holding hands and approached the party with smiles and a respectful bow.
"Summoner Ventus, aren't you? My name is Naminé."
After the events in Luca, it was no surprise that Ven's reputation was preceding him. He bowed back, also returning the smile.
"It's nice to meet you. Are you here for the fayth?"
"I was. I succeeded and I was going to leave yesterday, but…"
"…Operation Mi'ihen."
"Yes. It was dreadful… The priests are overwhelmed with so many wounded persons to treat, so I decided to stay longer in order to help."
Vanitas, Aqua, and Terra all gave her a sympathetic look. Of course, it wasn't good that they could bond over such heartbreaking experiences… but it was a sort of consolation, nonetheless. The black-haired girl seemed to agree, though she remained silent and merely offered them another smile.
"I– I wish I could do the same… Maybe I should–"
"That is all right, Lord Ventus. You know… since I was a child, I've always looked up to your father – High Summoner Eraqus. He inspired me to become a summoner, myself. Meeting his son is an honor to me, so please… let me help you. You'll need all your strength for the Chamber of the Fayth. In the meantime, I will assist the priests."
Naminé's voice was so tender, so gentle – her whole self was. It was actually hard to believe that someone so delicate could withstand the hardships of a pilgrimage. Ven was able to immediately see past this superficial layer, however, maybe because he so well understood the power that existed in being kind. Giving her a very sincere smile, he bowed again.
"Thank you… I really appreciate it. And you can call me Ven!"
All the while, Vanitas had been paying attention to something else.
Naminé's antics were interesting and all that, but what really caught his eye was how she had yet to let go of the other girl's hand. Her guardian, probably… and maybe also her girlfriend? They were a cute couple, if it was the case. As the two of them walked away and Ven went inside the temple, Van was still staring. Sora and his to-be guardians had already surprised him when it came to this, but they'd been still so young and so full of dreams… To see an actual summoner like Naminé doing the same, seeming so intimate with her guardian, had a different impact.
"Is that a thing? Summoners dating their guardians?"
He'd spoken more to himself than anything else, but Aqua heard the question – though, if she understood what this truly was about and what was underlying Van's vague sense of hope, she chose not to comment on it. "Sometimes. The pilgrimage is long, after all, and a summoner must be surrounded by the people they trust the most. In all aspects. But it's not common… and it comes at a high price."
Van also wasn't about to read too much into this reply, by now already more interested in the temple's inside. Once again, dark and gloomy… but the fayth's power was literally plain to see. Electric orbs adorned the usual statues of the high summoners, and the air itself seemed to be brimming with it – like the calm right before a storm.
This feeling only grew stronger along the Cloister of Trials. The doors, the walls, the ceiling, the pillars, the switches, the glyphs and pedestals and spheres… all of it teemed with electricity, and even breathing was gradually becoming more of a struggle. The simple act of touching objects, in order to solve the puzzles, resulted in a mild jolt every other time. By the time they stood before the door to the Chamber of the Fayth, Vanitas wasn't so sure this was his favorite temple anymore.
"You gonna be okay in there?"
Of course, Ven had a reassuring smile to give him. "Leave it to me."
"I could go in, too… just to make sure you'll be fine."
Terra cut in really fast, hearing that. "You can't. Only summoners are allowed inside with the fayth."
"…What if he gets struck by a thunderbolt or something?" Considering the rest of the temple, Van didn't even think he was exaggerating.
"I'll be all right, Vani. Don't worry. And… I'll try to be fast, too. I feel bad that I always make you all wait so much."
And, of course, only Ven would put others first when he was probably about to be struck by a thunderbolt. Not thinking twice on what he was doing, Vanitas reached for his hand and gave it a firm squeeze.
"…Fine. But if you do need help, I'll go in. I'll kick the freaking door down if I have to."
People probably weren't supposed to swear in the antechamber, either, but not that he cared. Watching as Ventus walked inside and the heavy door fell shut on his wake, as if to mock him after what he'd just said, Van sat by the end of the steps and got ready to wait. It was all that the three of them could do, wasn't it? To wait, to hope, and to believe. Might be that Terra and Aqua had more experience in this whole being a guardian thing, but the shadow of concern was also clear on their expressions.
To pass the time, they got entertained with talking – sharing tales about Spira and tales about Radiant Garden. It was also nice that, by now, the other two wouldn't regard him as if he was either crazy or a liar, whenever Van spoke of his homeland. Maybe they still didn't completely believe him and were doing this for Ven's sake… but, more and more, this was feeling like real companionship and he was quite grateful for it. The three of them also took turns at napping, even if it was hard to find any decent positions for sleep in the antechamber. And it was pretty much impossible to keep track of time while being cooped up like this, so, once the chamber's door finally began lifting again, they wouldn't be able to tell if it'd been a day or a week.
Ven wasn't looking his greatest, as expected – other than looking completely and utterly drained, faint sparks were still shimmering all around him and even his hair seemed to be standing up more than usual. He managed to leave the chamber on his own, sluggish and one little step after the other, but had to stop at the top of the stairway to lean weakly on the doorframe.
"Ven! How are you feeling?" Aqua promptly darted to his side.
"We have some water here." Terra was right behind, already fumbling in his bag.
Ven put the hint of a smile on his face, as he shook his head. "No… it's better if you don't touch–"
And this was, precisely, why Vanitas ought to learn to let people finish what they were saying, rather than to act on instinct. He reached to help Ven as soon as he was atop the stairs but, as his hand touched the summoner's shoulder, he had to pull it back with a gasp – having just been jolted, and far more intensely than what the trials had provoked.
"…Shit! What the…?"
"Sorry, I… I was trying to say… It's probably better if you stay away from me, for a bit…"
So this was what Ixion was about? He turned those who received his blessing into a ball of not-so-static electricity? Aqua and Terra exchanged a look between them but, before they could add anything, Van was already doing again what he did best – to be reckless and act without minding the consequences. He turned around and squatted down, glancing at Ven over his shoulder.
"Fuck that. Climb on, I'm taking you out of here."
"Vani–"
"Hurry up, we don't have all day!"
Yeah, it sucked that his back was about to get fried, but… if it'd hurt him like that, and he only touched the summoner, how much worse must it be for Ven right now? No way he was going to wuss his way out of it, just because it'd sting a little. And Aqua didn't need anything else to agree with the idea.
"We take turns. You take him along the lift ride, Terra takes him out of the cloister, then it's my turn."
It was three against one, so the argument really didn't last much longer. Once they were out, they noticed it must be the middle of the night, with how dark it was, but the priests were still fast to prepare a room for the lord summoner. Naminé also promptly rose from her rest to help, having gone through the same experience very recently and knowing all too well what it was like, to temporarily become a human live wire. She knew better than to use healing magic, though, because that would only have made it worse by clashing with Ixion's own energy.
Once more, it was time to wait.
It was already the afternoon of the next day, when the fayth's presence started feeling bearable enough to allow Ventus out of bed. As he sat up, he had to smile at Flood napping beside him – all curled up in a little ball, her pointy ears occasionally twitching. Ven could still feel himself twitching, too… literally so. Between this and Ifrit making him feel like he'd been about to burst into flames from the inside out, he couldn't tell what had been harder to endure.
"You're awake. Praise be to Yevon."
The soft voice made him glance aside to find Naminé's guardian smiling at him, as she entered the room.
"Your friends have been helping with the wounded while you rested… they said you'd be happy to know this."
Indeed, he was. It was one of those moments of Ventus inquiring what he'd done so right, to have such wonderful people in his life.
"Thanks… huh–"
"Xion. My name's Xion."
"Thanks, Xion. I really appreciate everything you and Naminé are doing for me."
As she walked closer and took a seat on the chair nearby, Xion laughed quietly – which did surprise Ven, because she seemed to be so shy. This was actually the first time he was hearing her voice.
"Did I say anything funny…?"
"No! Sorry… it's just, the two of you look exactly the same – but are so different."
Ven didn't need more than this to know who she was talking about.
"You've met my brother?"
"We did. We spent some days with Roxas a few months ago, in Luca. Naminé talked of how she was training to become a summoner, and he… was so upset. He cussed so much. He actually tried to make her promise she'd change her mind and not do it – of course, she wouldn't make a promise she couldn't keep, and that upset him even more. …I think he might have had a bit too much to drink, that time."
Yeah, she was describing his twin to a T. Or to an R. Still, despite shaking his head, Ven now had a fond smile on his face. He really missed Roxas, and he hoped they would have a chance to talk again and make peace… before the end of the pilgrimage.
"Sorry about that… it must have been embarrassing."
"It's all right, it was quite entertaining – I think it was Lea who was embarrassed most of all, because Roxas also overshared a lot about their relationship. All four of us became good friends, despite all else. We even went to try the new sea-salt ice cream together!"
Ven's smile stretched a tad wider. "I'm glad to hear that, Xion. Roxas can be a handful, but… he makes friends really easily. Sometimes, I'm even jealous."
"Maybe you two have opposite personalities, but… you both have a good heart. And you both draw people in with your kindness, as well. You just show it in different ways."
"Don't you tell him that, though. You'll ruin his reputation."
The two of them laughed loud enough to wake up Flood – who shot them with a glare before running out of the room, likely to go find Vanitas. Ven was also about to go for a quick shower and get ready to leave, but Xion asked him to wait a moment longer. Leaving the room as well, she returned a minute later with a sheet of paper.
"Naminé is very talented at drawing… She made this for you and for your guardians."
Ven grabbed the paper all too carefully, almost afraid of accidentally ruining something that his new friend had put so much care into. It was a sketch of the four of them, himself and Van and Terra and Aqua, laughing together and eating ice cream on top of what seemed to be a clocktower. It was the most thoughtful gift the summoner had ever been offered, and he could feel his eyes growing slightly watery.
"Oh… I love it. And I'm gonna treasure it! I'll take it with me… until the end."
Xion smiled kindly in sympathy, leaving a gentle squeeze on his shoulder and then giving him privacy to go get ready. She left the room and went to tell his friends that Ven was awake and feeling much better, and also helped them stocking up on supplies and preparing everything in order to depart for the Moonflow. As they were just about to leave, though, Xion called over Vanitas for a final topic she knew she must share.
"Please, be careful. There's a rumor going around that summoners are… disappearing during their pilgrimage."
Van frowned, half-distracted with slipping the rest of the Hi-Potions into his inventory. "What's that mean?"
"It could be that the fiends are getting to them, but… not so many, so fast. I'm sorry that I don't know more about it, but I thought I should warn Ven's guardians anyway."
"Well… don't worry 'bout it. We're keeping him safe and sound. Promise."
Xion was pleased with that, and smiled as she bowed and bid farewell.
"Wouldn't it have been better to stay at the temple until tomorrow?" Aqua's motherly tone couldn't be helped.
And Ven didn't mind it at all. "They're already struggling to find room for everyone who needs healing… Besides, if we hurry up, maybe we can still cross the Moonflow today."
This Moonflow, Vanitas was now seeing, was the river that crossed Spira from one end to the other and separated it into north and south, with only one suitable spot for crossing. The weather was growing overcast as they approached the bank, as if it might rain sooner than later… but what really caught his attention was the river itself. It was so serene and so clear, with a long streak of flowers fluttering along the water. Even if he wasn't one for this kind of scenery, he must admit how gorgeous it was to look at.
Ven very clearly agreed, walking closer to the water and crouching down by the flowers.
"These are the moonlilies. It's been a while since last I was here, and I've seen them in so many books… but it's nothing compared to the real thing."
"Yeah… they're really neat."
"Pyreflies gather on the river's surface at night, and make the water sparkle. And… the entire river glows, like a sea of stars. It's so pretty!"
Who would have thought that Spira wasn't only sorrow and destruction? Then again… if there weren't such beautiful sights to protect, summoners might not be needed to start with. Vanitas was tempted to suggest they waited for nightfall, to watch this phenomenon that Ven seemed so excited about… but ended up not saying anything. If he'd not wanted to stay at the temple, for the sake of getting some more rest, he likely wouldn't want to spend time looking at flowers either. Even though Van really thought he should.
Regardless, surprises were still not over for the day.
As they approached the crossing spot, a series of soft tremors along the ground made Van look around for what might be causing it – because you never know when Sin's gonna show up and decide that Spira doesn't deserve moonlilies, after all. The reason turned out to be quite different, though, even if the creature stomping around was big enough by its own right.
"Whoa… what is that?"
Terra chuckled at his astonishment. "The shoopuf."
This shoopuf looked kinda like an elephant… though it was at least twice as large, and its trunk was all curled up in a spiral. They seemed pretty docile as well, and apparently they were used as the mean of transportation across the river – having a sort of wooden, open cage mounted on their back for people to sit in while riding, accessible by means of a platform lift that resembled those in the temples but much less intricate. Their large stature made it so that, as they went back and forth the river, the water barely reached their belly.
The Hypello were also a novelty around the banks of the Moonflow, and Van quickly came to find them rather amusing. They were human-shaped, but with blue skin and amphibian-like features and limbs. In a way, they looked like the hybrids of humans and toads. They also spoke in a peculiar way, lisping half of the words and butchering the other half into things like "ebullibody" instead of "everybody", or "imposhibibble" instead of "impossible". Overall, the area surrounding the Moonflow really didn't look like it belonged in Spira – it was so nice, so carefree.
On the other hand, riding the shoopuf turned out to be, at the same time, far more adventurous and far more tranquil than going on the back of a chocobo. Their lumbering pace was nothing to be compared to the speedy yellow birds, but they were tall enough that, if you weren't careful, you could easily slip right off their back and straight into the Moonflow. Much to Van's surprise, it wasn't even a rare occurrence, and the tale was about to come from the most unlikely of persons.
"Remember last time we were here?" Ven's grin was uncommonly teasing.
Aqua laughed, then putting on a fake glare. "How could I not? I almost died of heart failure, that day!"
Vanitas gave them a curious look, as Ven went on.
"When my father died… Terra and Aqua wanted to move with me from Bevelle to somewhere more peaceful – considering I was the son of the high summoner who'd just defeated Sin. It was a long way to Besaid, and we had to cross the Moonflow–"
Terra had an amused smirk on his face, and continued the tale. "And this innocent-looking boy you see here thought it'd be smart to lean over the side of the cage, so that he could look better at the underwater ruins."
Van didn't need to hear the rest to guess the ending of the story, and he also wasn't even interested in those ruins – already laughing as well. "And you fell off the shoopuf!"
"I did! And… I thought it was so much fun, I did it again after that – on purpose."
"What do you know… His Holiness, turning out to be such a troublemaker. I guess the sweet, quiet ones are really always the worst."
The four of them laughed louder, but it was abruptly interrupted – the moment an explosion went off underwater. Before anyone had a chance to react, a figure clad in a black stealth suit, their face hidden by a full mask, landed on top of the cage. In the blink of an eye, this person's arm wrapped around Ven and all but yanked him away and out of the cage, before jumping off the shoopuf. They landed on a large machina that had surfaced by now, and went inside it. Aqua was still in time to hit it with a Thundaga spell, but it quickly submerged again.
Terra and Vanitas finally managed to react as well, and they both had the same idea – promptly diving into the water as they already materialized the respective sword. Fighting underwater really wasn't too big of a deal for professional blitz players, and the biggest challenge would be to not let the damn thing get away. Thankfully, Aqua's hit seemed to have damaged it somewhat, and they were able to catch up – and it was only in being this close to it that they realized how uncommon of a contraption this was.
Ven wasn't being kept within the main machina body, rather in a sort of magical, spherical barrier cast atop the machina and held together by its flailing, luminous tentacles. There wasn't much he could do about it, because aeons couldn't exactly be summoned underwater… but he used his white magic nonetheless, casting Shell and Protect around Van and Terra. Which was already a big help, actually, because the machina could hit quite hard. The portion below the tentacles contained a set of small canons that could shoot all sorts of ammo, and the bottom of the machina could inclusively be used to drop mines and other explosives. Dodging all this while finding open spots to strike back was an adventure and a half but, in the end, the two guardians came out victorious.
With a final explosion, the machina began sinking to the bottom of the Moonflow – finally having taken damage enough to short-circuit all over and stop functioning. The barrier was undone as well, though luckily Terra was close enough to get a hold of Ven before the rising current could sweep him away. As the machina began breaking into junk and scrap metal, however, a particular form stood out among that mess – because it looked very much human. It was probably the pilot, wasn't it? It was hard to tell if they'd survived the blast, but… there was a chance they did and, even if it might be a bandit or worse, no one deserved to be left to drown like this.
Vanitas exchanged a glance with Terra and they understood each other without the need for words. Terra kept Ventus securely with him and started swimming to the surface, and Van headed over to the pilot, holding firmly around their waist to do the same. The currents tugged the guardians in different directions, however, and Van didn't bother to fight it – not when he was carrying basically dead weight like this – so, instead, he went along and let himself be brought back to the same side of the river the shoopuf had departed from. He quietly apologized to the moonlilies, as he opened way among the poor flowers a bit too harshly, but eventually made it to the shore – carrying the unconscious pilot in his arms, as he waddled out of the water.
Before Van could even brush the wet hair off his face, though, a somewhat familiar voice stopped him on his tracks.
"Hey! You gotta go for both of them? That one's mine, get it memorized!"
Suddenly, Vanitas wasn't sure what had his jaw dropping more – the fact that he glanced aside to find Lea glaring at him, also soaked to his bones, dressed in a similar stealth suit though having removed his mask, or what Lea had just said.
"The hell…?"
Just like that, the Al Bhed was heading for him rather hastily, and Van also wasn't sure how he would manage to summon his sword and defend himself when he had someone in arms – but it turned out Lea wasn't looking for a fight. What he did was to snatch the pilot right away from Vanitas, cradling them against his chest very protectively, and then head off a few steps farther. He knelt down by the grass, still holding his companion close, and carefully removed their mask before tossing it aside.
"Fyga ib... tuh'd tu drec du sa!"
[Wake up… don't do this to me!]
Van hadn't even pulled his jaw back from the ground, and it was already dropping all over again. First, he had no clue what that strange language was about… but, far more than this, his eyes were widening at the sight of the face underneath the mask.
Ven…?
No, how could it be Ven! Ven was with Terra, hopefully also safe on dry land somewhere. But then…
"Roxas! Lusa uh!"
[Roxas! Come on!]
…Of course. They were identical twins, weren't they? It probably wasn't the smartest idea, to get close to the other two given the current circumstances, but Van couldn't help it. He had to take a better look at this.
Though… for a moment, he squirmed inside at the thought that he and Terra might have drowned Ven's brother without being aware of it. Fortunately, Roxas was starting to react to Lea's half-panicked prodding. His hand twitched and then he winced, and soon he was coughing and sputtering till his eyes snapped open – and what eyes those were. Colored in a tone of deep blue, and indeed the pupils were shaped into the typical Al Bhed swirls, as Ventus had mentioned that one time… but it was one thing to hear about it, and another much different thing to actually stare at it. At this point, Van was practically gawking right over Lea's shoulder.
"Vilg, tuh'd clyna sa mega drec... Yna oui ugyo?"
[Fuck, don't scare me like this… Are you okay?]
The mask must have kept the bulk of the water out, though Roxas was still unceremoniously spitting out bits of dirt and sand. Oddly enough, despite the near-death experience, he was also the first one to notice Van being that close. Furrowing his brows, he pointed a rather accusing finger at the guardian.
"You! Fuck you, did you really have to do that?"
Watching someone with Ven's sweet angel face cussing was probably the most bizarre thing in Van's life so far. It was like suddenly stepping into a parallel dimension.
"What did I do…?"
"What did I do," Watching someone with Ven's sweet angel face mocking him like that was the second most bizarre thing, too. "You know damn well what you did! You wrecked my Extractor! It's the second one you blast, you prick!"
Angel face or not, though, Vanitas wasn't one to take lightly to being snapped at – especially when he was in the right. "…Are you fucking serious right now? You kidnapped Ven!"
Lea was about to chime in, probably not too happy with having someone talk to his lover like that, but clearly Roxas didn't need anyone to handle conflict for him. Standing up far too effortlessly for someone who'd just almost drowned, he left his hands on his hips and leaned closer to Van in the same menacing way.
"First of all, I'm saving him! Second of all, you don't get to fucking lecture me about my own brother! Don't think you get away with shit just 'cause you're getting in his pants!"
It was fastly going from bizarre to downright surreal.
Roxas was just as short and small as Ventus, in the sense that they were naturally slender and didn't have that much muscle anywhere, despite being fit. Still, this one twin was a spitfire, to say the very least. And the things he said, and so casually to boot, were about to make Vanitas' brain short-circuit as much as the machina.
"…I'm not getting in his pants, what the hell are you on about!"
That changed Roxas' whole disposition, in the blink of an eye. Rather than angry, he suddenly looked surprised. Perhaps even borderline disappointed.
"Really? Man, you're slow. How much longer do you plan on taking with that?"
Lea laughed this time, now standing besides Roxas. "C'mon Rox, don't be mean to him. Not everyone can hit it like us."
From surprised to smiling, Roxas relaxed his stance and leaned up, leaving a hand on the back of Lea's head to tug him down into a kiss. "Guess you're right, pypa. Their loss."
[babe]
Yeah, surreal was the only good word at this point. Still, after this last one, Vanitas felt a burst of laughter rising in his chest and didn't bother to hold it back.
"Are you actually encouraging me to bone your brother…?"
"What, you dunno how to do it?"
Roxas' grin had widened considerably, and it was contagious. Just this easily, it was like the three of them were old friends, rather than adversaries who'd been throwing slashes and explosions at each other, minutes ago.
"Shut it! If you knew how long it took, just to kiss him! And he's… kinda worried about Terra and Aqua finding out, I guess."
"Or maybe he's just not really into you, have you thought of that?" Lea's tone was obviously playful – and Roxas did laugh, but he nudged the older one with an elbow.
"Are you kidding me? No way this guy would be fighting with Wayward Wind if my brother wasn't head over heels for him."
Van's eyes widened a bit, hearing that. Glancing down at his hand, he materialized the sword just to take a good look at it. Sure, he knew how special of a meaning it had, but… did that mean Ven was really that smitten? Already, back then? Before even they left Besaid?
"Huh–"
As confidently as he seemed to do everything else, Roxas snatched the sword for himself and tried a few slashes at the air. Unlike Ven, he didn't have the little backhand quirk, but he looked graceful just the same – especially for someone with such a temper.
"You really think he'd throw our father's sword at just anyone? You got him wrapped around your finger."
Roxas also had the same talent to leave Vanitas speechless, though in a completely different manner. Catching the sword back, Van stared at the beautiful blade some more, before dismissing it.
"…Why are you even that invested in us being together? You're meeting me for the first time, right now. And you were actually about to jump me again, like three seconds ago, for what I did to your machina."
Lea sighed, slumping his shoulders as he recalled that meeting back in Luca – and his actual epic fail. "To be fair… the first one wasn't really your doing."
A well-intentioned comment, but Roxas shot him with a sudden glare. "Yeah, because someone couldn't get an easy mission done."
"…Easy mission? Pypo, you never fought an aeon! You don't know what those things can do!"
[baby]
"Lea, Ifrit is the guardian of freaking FIRE! If you can't fight fire, then who the hell can?"
Just like that, the two of them seemed to have completely forgotten that Van was still there and listening to their escalating argument – by now, far more interested in half-yelling at each other.
"I was caught off guard! I didn't expect your sweet little brother to attack me like that because, as far as I'm concerned, YOU are the scary one!"
"Damn right, I am! And you'd do well to remember how scary I can be!"
"Oh really? Well, you lost to them as well! You got the Extractor wrecked!"
"Because my co-pilot is a dumbass who got more interested in preparing the escape pod rather than keep attacking with me!"
"Are you even serious? Of course I needed to get the escape pod ready, especially because you can't swim!"
Quite frankly, Van hadn't been this amused in a long time. What an odd couple! Much as he'd been just watching, though, now he couldn't hold back any longer.
"You went on an underwater kidnapping mission and you can't even swim…?"
Bad idea, because Roxas' next yell was entirely directed at him.
"YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT? I was raised in the middle of the fucking desert, what do I need swimming for?"
Good thing that Lea was all too used to this sort of situations, because he knew exactly what to do in order to start calming down the mood. Taking the chance that Vanitas had drawn all attention to himself, he stepped behind Roxas and wrapped his arms around his waist, leaning down to plant a kiss on the back of his neck.
"Ed'c veha, yhofyo. Ed'c yh aqlica vun suidr-du-suidr."
[It's fine, anyway. It's an excuse for mouth-to-mouth.]
Van didn't know what that was supposed to mean, but it worked all too well. Roxas' expression promptly changed into a smirk as he glanced back at Lea, leaning into his hold as they shared another kiss.
What an odd couple, but they did fit together just right.
"Anyway, as I was saying…" Licking at his lips as though this was the most natural chat in the world, Roxas continued. "I've heard a lot about you, from different people. You seem like a decent guy, especially 'cause you're one of the few who don't kiss Yevon's holy ass."
A compliment that Vanitas gladly accepted, though he was not done making his point.
"Did they also tell you where I'm from?"
"I'm an Al Bhed whose father was a high summoner. Do I look like someone who gives a crap where you're from? Ven's happy with you, that's all I care for. I'd like you more if you talked him out of that pilgrimage bullshit… but I can take care of that, myself."
By now, Vanitas had decided that meeting Roxas was like getting smacked by a comet right on the nose. Ven was so serene, so tender… yet his twin's moods shifted far too easily and far too quickly, for the good and for the bad, and most of his words and actions were so unpredictable. For example, the sheer fact that Roxas apparently shipped Vanitas and Ventus so hard. It was as amusing as it was gobsmacking, really.
"…Yeah, about that. Why are you so against it?"
"Are you dense or what…? You know what's at the end of the pilgrimage, now ask yourself why am I against it!"
"At the end– you mean the final aeon?"
"Yeah, I mean the final fucking aeon! If he calls upon it, Ven will–"
"Roxas…?"
The same Ven who'd just interrupted them, followed right behind by Terra and Aqua. Roxas stole a quick glance at his twin and his brow creased in anticipation – before he turned to his lover instead.
"Lea… Desa du ku."
[Lea… Time to go.]
"Uh ed!"
[On it!]
Before Ventus had a chance to come any closer, Lea fumbled in one of his suit's many pockets and pulled out what seemed to be a small capsule. He clicked it at the top and tossed it away and, just like that, it literally poofed into another machina – this one shaped very similarly to a motorbike. Roxas hopped on it and Lea climbed right behind him, and they only needed another extra second to get the engine started.
"Think on what I told you, Vanitas. Oh, by the way – thanks for saving me, owe ya one!"
Van could only watch as that mischievous grin took over Roxas' expression, right before the bike sped off towards the Djose road – passing right in front of the other three.
"Catch ya later, baby brother!"
It took Ven yet another second to react. Stomping his foot as he turned, he put his hands around his mouth and yelled back, though Lea and Roxas were already disappearing down the curve of the road. "YOU ARE THE BABY! I'm older than you by ten whole minutes!"
Silence fell back on the bank of the Moonflow and, for the longest time, no one really knew what to say or what to do about any of what had just happened.
After the very much unexpected ending to the shoopuf ride, they found themselves stuck at the south wharf of the Moonflow. The crossing service halted at evening, so there was nothing to do besides waiting for the morning and then finally reach the other side. Not that the delay hindered their plans too terribly, and they had very recently restocked their inventories at the travel agency right outside Djose Temple, so setting up tents nearby really wasn't much of a hassle.
Still, that run-in with Roxas had left Ven in a bit of a mood, and he'd excused himself for a walk alone after dinner. An hour later, he still wasn't back… and, while the three guardians knew he could take care of himself, they could never be too careful – especially with the rumors of summoners disappearing that Xion had shared – so Vanitas eventually decided to go look for him. Thankfully, after a few minutes, he was able to find Ven sitting by the edge of the water, watching the pyreflies that were gathering.
"Looks like we get to watch it, after all."
Ven glanced over his shoulder and offered a small smile, but kept his arms wrapped around his legs and his knees tucked under his chin.
"Yeah."
Vanitas paced quietly along the shore for a brief moment, wondering if it might be better to just leave him be and give him time for himself… but soon enough was sitting cross-legged beside the summoner. From what he knew of Ven already, he might actually feel better if he could talk about it with someone.
"So… Meeting your brother was an experience."
As expected, Ven let out a groan of frustration, but immediately perked up. "I can't believe him, sometimes…"
"He cares a lot about you, you know."
"I know he does. And I love him to bits, I just… wish he wouldn't be so reckless. You and Terra could have been hurt today, even Aqua. He could have been hurt."
It was probably for the best to not talk of how, indeed, Roxas had been that close to drowning. Taking one of the pebbles nearby, Van tossed it across the edge of the water and smiled as the pyreflies swirled, before quietening down again.
"You were right, though – we already became best friends."
"Of course you did."
"Hey…" Shifting, Van dusted the wet sand off his palms before gently slipping his fingers under Ven's chin, making him look at him. "I get that he unnerves you, but much as I love your cute pouty lips… aren't you letting it get to you too much?"
Said pout deepened for an instant, before breaking into a smile. Still a strained one, but it was progress. "I just wish he'd understand, Vani. And… let me make my choice."
There was that, too. In the end, Roxas didn't have the chance to explain why he was so against the pilgrimage. Van stared for a little longer, his thumb brushing over the summoner's cheek and the corner of his lips. As he was just about to ask about it, though, instead it was something else entirely that came out.
"You really are the most beautiful person I've ever met."
"…What was that, now?"
Maybe it was the whole atmosphere getting to him. The sun still wasn't done setting, but the sky was already mostly dark above them and the stars were coming out. Their light, along with the moon, reflected off the surface of the water and, together with the pyreflies, it truly did make for a breathtaking display. And, as Vanitas stared at Ven's features bathed in this kind of light… yeah, it wasn't hard for this sort of cheesy things to come out. With a smile, Van leaned closer and pressed their foreheads together.
"Just saying that you're beautiful. Inside and out."
The compliment, spoken in Vanitas' usual bold tone that would admit no talking back, had Ven bashfully averting his gaze at first, but his own smile was now much more heartfelt. "You give me too much credit."
"And you need to learn to see how fucking amazing you are. You're amazing and beautiful… sweet and kind and you're also probably the bravest person I know. Do you even realize what you do for everyone else, all the damn time? Anyone would be so fucking lucky to have you."
"So…" Looking up again, with his voice now barely above a whisper, Ventus nibbled on the inside of his bottom lip. "Does that mean you are lucky?"
Van didn't need any words bolder than those to bridge the distance left between them. Given the plunge into the river, and it wasn't like they carried that many spares clothes, both were currently dressed in shirt and pants only. He grasped the front of Ven's black top and pulled him into a hungry kiss, that was promptly returned. Their tongues were soon taking turns at going in each other's mouth, and his hands ran down the summoner's sides. This made Ven shiver and pried the sweetest little noise out of him, which only encouraged Van to tug him even closer till Ventus was sat in between his legs. More kisses followed, on the lips and the jawline and the neck and the collarbones, and, by the time they made a quick pause to breathe, Ven's own hands were grasping Van's shirt rather needily.
And Van's smirk was wide, as he half-murmured. "You can take it off, you know."
Ven answered with a shaky breath, but hesitated – and so Vanitas solved the problem himself, easily pulling the shirt over his head and discarding it to the side. Ven's gaze was now eagerly running up and down his torso, in a way a bit similar to what he'd done that day at the Aurochs' locker room.
"Whoa… You're… really fit."
"You can also touch."
Clearly, the strict blitz training was paying off. Vanitas' usual attire was quite generous, as far as revealing his chest was concerned, and it wasn't like Ven hadn't already seen him half-naked, that one time… Still, right now, he really was taking in what his guardian's body looked like – and, boy, was he not disappointed in the slightest. Van wasn't as broad as Terra, but his chest was perfectly sculpted and his arms and abdomen were no less so. What really had Ventus feeling like he was standing by the edge of a precipice, though, right about to fall helplessly, was the V shape of Van's hips that remained half-hidden into his pants. Ven could feel his mouth practically running dry at the sight.
Meanwhile, Vanitas himself wasn't wasting any time, and one of his hands slipped under the black sleeveless top to find the small of Ven's back. If he had the chance for more sappy compliments later, he could talk of how he'd also never touched such smooth skin… though, at the moment, he was far too distracted by Ven's reactions. After another whimper that was just as enticing as the first one, he inched even closer to Van and draped his arms around his neck, making their lips clash again and into a succession of such heated kisses that, this time, it was the guardian who was left breathless at the end.
Much as Vanitas would have loved to get his sweet revenge, however, a voice suddenly filling the air nearly had them both toppling over.
"Ven? Are you there?"
Terra sounded far too close for any sort of comfort, and Ven looked about to choke at the prospect of being caught… so Van really had to suck it up and take one for the team. Without a second thought, he tossed himself into the water just as the older guardian was coming in sight.
"Ven?"
"…Terra!"
The light around the area was already too dim to let Terra properly notice the deep shade of red that'd taken over Ven's face. Or the fact that the summoner was sitting rather awkwardly, as if he was trying to hide something under himself.
"There you are. Everything okay?"
"Y-yeah! Everything is great!"
"Is it? You look startled."
"I do…? I mean– …Of course I look startled! I was distracted watching the pyreflies and you turned up like that, you didn't even make a noise!"
Terra furrowed his brows, not so sure why Ven seemed so jumpy… but, given the long day, he ended up assuming it must still be because of Roxas. "Sorry, didn't mean to. By the way, have you seen Vanitas? He's come over to look for you, as well, but I have no idea where he's gone."
"NO!" Ven's entire face fell, but he was quick to pull it back up – and to remind himself to not just scream like a lunatic. "…Yes. Yeah, I saw him, he's–" Making himself breathe, he pointed vaguely at the woods behind them, by the other side of the road. "Flood ran off… so he went after her."
Please, Yevon almighty, make it so that Flood wasn't with them at the camp, please please please…
"I see. Anyway, it's getting late… you should come to sleep."
…Praise be to Yevon!
"Mhm! I'll be there in a minute, thanks for coming to check on me!"
Once he was absolutely certain that Terra had returned to the camp and wouldn't turn back around for whatever reason, Ven flopped back on the wet sand with a …oh so heartfelt that it was more like his soul had left his body along with the word. Vanitas resurfaced soon after, thankfully getting the timing right as well, and sat beside him just as heavily.
"…Fuck my life."
"That was too close… I feel like my heart is gonna come out through my mouth…"
"I don't suppose you wanna continue from where we stopped at…?"
It was worth the try, but it only served to make Ven bounce to sit up again – Van's shirt now all crumpled under him, from how he'd tried so desperately to hide it from Terra's sight.
"Vani, are you crazy? I told him I'll be there right away, if the two of them come to get me again not even Yevon is gonna save me this time!"
"…Right. Yevon. Because I didn't do anything."
Ven sighed so deeply that the warm breath even ruffled his bangs, but he smiled right after – cupping Van's face to place a last hearty kiss on his lips, before standing up. "Thank you, you really saved me! I'll see you tomorrow, sleep well!"
Honestly, after that literal bucket of cold water, Van felt out of energy to try and run after Ventus and change the course of the events. Instead, with a groan of utter frustration, he let himself flop over and basically faceplanted into the wet sand.
And he could almost swear he'd just heard a certain other twin laughing his ass off at him.
"I'm trying, Roxas… I'm really fucking trying."