A/N: Hey friends I'm back from the dead, I hope it's not too late to update this lol
"Terra, do you really think we should stay here?" Ven asked two mornings after Cinderella had officially said goodbye to her stepfamily. They had stayed the night in the inn, along with Cinderella - in separate rooms, of course. Terra had plenty of munny from his last battle with the Unversed to afford it.
"What, would you rather sleep out in the woods?" Terra replied while throwing on his shirt. Even Cinderella hadn't been able to get the stain out, but she had been able to sew up the cut in his pants, thankfully.
"That's not what I meant. Cinderella's safe now, isn't she? We didn't see that many Unversed around yesterday." He sat on the corner of the dresser, swinging his tiny legs off the side.
"But we still saw them," Terra argued. "Vanitas is probably just lying low, waiting for us to let our guard down."
"...Maybe," Ven said. "But there's Princesses of Heart in other worlds, too. Like Aurora and Snow White. What if he's going after them too?"
Terra splashed some water on his face from the room's washbasin, then shook his head. He'd thought about this. To be honest, part of him admitted Ven was probably right.
"Aqua's out there investigating the Unversed too. She can take care of the other Princesses. After all, she's a Master now."
Ven's head hung. "Right…"
"Come on, Ven." Terra dropped to one knee next to the dresser, so his eyes were at his level. "What's going on?"
Ven looked away. "Don't worry about it. You've gotta go walk Cinderella to the market again today, don't you?"
"Hey. That can wait." Normally this would be where Terra would lightly punch Ven's shoulder, but considering the size difference, he had to settle for a smile instead. "Come on, I know something's up."
After a long silence, Ven finally heaved a sigh. "It's… it's the size thing, alright? I mean, Jaq and the mice are great, but I'm sick of being so small."
"You've always been small, Ven," he joked. Ven crossed his arms and pouted.
"Yeah, and that's bad enough! I've always been smaller than you and Aqua. I've always - I've always been weaker than both of you," he finished quietly.
"Ven, we've had years more training than you," Terra started, then realized that was probably the wrong thing to say. Ven's slumped shoulders confirmed it.
"You guys aren't that much older than me. If I hadn't lost all my memories from before…"
Terra winced, remembering the first time he'd met Ven. Him falling into a coma over a few simple questions. They still didn't talk about that; Ven just thought he had been in a training accident that resulted in amnesia.
And now I know it was something much worse. As much as he wanted to comfort Ven and tell him he was strong enough to handle himself, Terra couldn't let him run off while Vanitas was still free.
"Hey. You might have lost your memories, but you still have us. Me and Aqua. We've got your back." He smiled.
"Yeah… I know." Ven sighed. "I just wish I could have your back, too."
"You do. I know I can always count on you, Ven." He ruffled his messy blond hair with one finger. "And right now, I'm counting on you to keep the mice out of trouble. They wouldn't stand a chance against the innkeeper's cat without you."
"...Right." Ven put on a smile. Terra knew it wasn't completely sincere, but it would be alright. He always bounced back from things like this.
Terra finished getting ready for the day, but something that Ven had said still haunted him. They would need to leave. Not today, but soon.
And then he would have to say goodbye again…
XXX
Aqua's light slipped away from Vanitas little by little as the pink tint of dawn filtered through the trees. He shivered, hugging himself tight. He almost wished he'd fallen asleep; then he wouldn't be conscious of how it left him feeling empty again, abandoned. Broken. It wasn't like this when he stole light - but then again, when he stole light, the good feeling only lasted for a brief moment, not for the entire duration of the cloaking spell. What Aqua had done had been different somehow.
She was still curled up next to her tree, sleeping soundly. But she would wake soon enough. He needed a new plan before that happened, but his mind was still foggy with exhaustion.
He stuck his hand in his pocket, brushing his fingers over the letter she'd given him, but resisted the urge to pull it out and read it again. That would only disrupt his focus more.
What was his main goal? He had to make sure Xehanort didn't find out that Aqua was still alive. And he had to make sure that Aqua didn't find out who he really was. And, ideally, he would also make sure that Terra had left this world.
He rubbed his temples. He was stretched too thin, backed into a corner. And he'd put himself there with this whole crazy plan. That was what he got for listening to his heart.
It's too late to change that now. All I can do is sweep up the pieces until the rest of Xehanort's plan falls into place.
Until the plan fell into place - yes. He could stall until then, couldn't he? He smirked; he was getting a few ideas of how he might do that already. Just as long as Xehanort didn't demand he show back up at the Keyblade Graveyard too soon. Which he shouldn't, as long as Terra did what he was supposed to.
After making sure Aqua was still asleep, Vanitas wandered off a ways through the trees and opened a dark corridor to Radiant Garden. He released as many Unversed as he felt safe creating and sent them through. That should be plenty to draw Terra away from this world.
He crept back to their makeshift camp and settled down next to a tree of his own, then allowed his eyes to close. After all, he at least knew that "Void" wouldn't be coming after them, and he would need as much strength as he could muster for the coming day.
XXX
"Come in, I have a surprise for you," Cinderella said with a smile when Terra knocked on her door. He had no idea what that surprise could be - he'd been with her all day yesterday; he doubted she could have bought him anything at the market - but he followed her in anyway. He swallowed a groan when he saw what it was.
Spread out on her bed was a navy blue tailcoat and straight-legged tan trousers.
"Cinderella, really, my clothes are fine," he insisted. "You did a great job patching them up."
She covered her mouth as she chuckled. "Terra, the seam on your pant leg is already coming undone. Please, this isn't any trouble; it was my father's suit. I asked the birds if they could fetch it from the manor last night."
He discreetly looked down at his pants, but he still didn't notice anything. Maybe girls had an eye for that sort of thing. He had thought he'd felt them catch on something as he was getting ready, though, probably a loose nail.
Regardless of whether or not his clothes were intact, and regardless of if she'd admit it, she'd obviously gone through a lot of trouble to get this outfit for him. At least it might keep him from sticking out like a sore thumb when he escorted her to the market today. Yesterday he'd felt the stares of the townspeople smothering him nearly as much as at the ball.
"Alright," he finally conceded. "Thanks."
Her smile was almost enough to make up for just how uncomfortable those pants were going to be. ...Maybe more than almost.
The clocktower chimed nine by the time they finally made it to the market, Terra in his new and all-too-stifling outfit, Cinderella in another simple brown dress and apron.
"I'm sorry to have you go through all this trouble again," she said as they strolled through the crowded streets. Had there been this many people out yesterday? Maybe it just felt that way because he blended in now; the bustling men and women no longer gave him dubious glances and a wide berth.
"Hey, I don't mind," he reassured Cinderella. "I can always ask more people about Vanitas and the Unversed." Especially if his appearance didn't scare them off like it had yesterday. Granted, that might have been the bloodstain more than the style of his clothes, which he missed already. He wasn't sure how well he could fight in these ridiculous tight pants.
"I would ask the city guard, if I were you," Cinderella said. "You can find them around the gates. I'll be fine on my own for a little while."
"You're sure?" He asked, but she just laughed.
"You're sweet, Terra, but I can't rely on you being here to protect me all the time. Besides, I'll just be talking with the tailors, now that I have all the proper papers." She smiled. Her efforts at finding a job yesterday had been pretty ineffective, but now that her mice and bird friends had stolen back her proof of identity from the Tremaines, she seemed more hopeful. Terra wasn't particularly sure what that had to do with becoming a tailor, but she would know more about the workings of her world than he did.
"Alright." He nodded, a little red-faced. He was being too protective, even if it was for a good reason. She and Ven were right; he couldn't always be here to protect her…
They parted ways at the doors of the tailors' guild. As Cinderella disappeared inside the wooden door, Terra sighed and ran a hand through his hair. What was wrong with him? Why was he so much more concerned with protecting Cinderella than the other princesses? All his instincts, including that strange vision he'd had, told him that she was in danger. But how much of that was him using his head, and how much was his heart?
The Master would tell me to use my heart, right? He wasn't quite sure anymore. Especially now that he knew there was darkness there…
Someone elbowing him in the side shocked him from his thoughts. His keyblade nearly sprung to his hand, but it wasn't a threat - just a woman a little too hasty on her way into the guild. The streets were getting more packed as the sun rose higher, and he was standing in the way.
He threw one last glance back at the guild before heading towards the city gates. He still had a job to do.
XXX
"Oh, Vanitas." Aqua's chuckle startled him, nearly prompting a few Floods to escape. "I suppose I can't blame you for falling asleep too."
"I'm awake," he insisted, though his slurred voice said otherwise. He hadn't slept that deeply since… ever? To his surprise and dismay, the sun was already casting slanted beams through the trees. He'd planned to awake before her and get the chance to track down Ventus and Terra. But it would still be fine. He had a backup plan this time.
"It's alright. Void didn't find us; that's all that matters," Aqua said, kneeling down beside him. The sun glinted in her blue eyes - or maybe her own light had finally returned to her. He certainly couldn't feel it within himself anymore. The hollowness inside him suddenly felt more painful than ever.
"How are you feeling?" She asked gently, eyebrows scrunched with concern. He didn't get the chance to lie before she continued, "My spell didn't stick, did it."
"...No." He dodged her gaze. There was no point lying about that, not when she could sense his darkness. He could only hope she still wouldn't make the connection.
"Do you want me to try again?"
He looked up sharply at that, eyes widening. "What?"
"I could try again," she repeated, but with less certainty this time. "Only if you'd like me to, though."
"If I'd like-?" He couldn't help it; he laughed incredulously. "Of course I'd like it. But Aqua - you can't do that again."
Those words surprised himself just as much as they seemed to surprise her.
"I can handle a little more pain, Vanitas," she said somberly. "After all, it was my fault-"
"No, it wasn't." He rose to his knees so he could better meet her eyes. "Shut up about that, okay?"
"...Alright." She sighed, dodging his gaze for once. In hindsight, he should have just let her think it was her fault. She'd be much easier to manipulate that way. But for some reason, the thought of that turned his stomach now. Maybe some of her light actually had stayed with him.
He wasn't sure if he found that idea comforting or terrifying.
"We'll need to find a more permanent solution, then," Aqua continued. "I'm not going to leave you like this."
"You - you'd do that?" It didn't make sense. She should want to leave this world, finish her mission of finding Terra or Xehanort or whatever she was supposed to be doing now. Protecting all the worlds, not just… him. She wanted to help him; there was no other explanation, but - "Why?"
She smiled and let out a small, sad laugh. "Is that so hard to believe? You haven't had many people try to help you before, have you."
Many? Try 'none.'
"...You could say that." He sat back, resting his weight on his hands. Aqua looked uncomfortable before asking another question.
"And… about your family…" She saw his frown, but still continued, "you don't have to tell me, but…"
She was searching for the right words, but Vanitas spared her the effort.
"I don't have one," he answered honestly. His fingers dug in the dirt, feeling its grit beneath his nails.
"You don't…?"
"Not anymore," he snapped. He didn't want her stupid questions dragging up his memories, like her song, the one his dad used to sing…
"I'm sorry," she whispered. Her hand reached out like she might have touched his shoulder, but she held back. Somehow he regretted that.
"Whatever. It's fine. You ready to get out of these woods or not?"
"Yes, but where are we going to go?"
We. He almost laughed. She was making his plan so much easier, and she didn't even know it. It didn't matter where they went - as long as she stayed with him, Xehanort wouldn't find her.
Assuming he could get Terra out of the picture, that was.
XXX
No matter how much Vanitas told her it wasn't her fault, guilt still stabbed at Aqua's chest every time she felt the now-familiar nausea from his darkness. Even worse was the guilt from knowing she still needed to find Terra and Ven; she'd let them both down by being captured. At least she knew now that Master Xehanort was behind this, but that knowledge wouldn't help unless she could share it with Terra or the Master. She could only hope that helping Vanitas wouldn't take long… but with no parents to return him to, that didn't seem likely. And if her magic couldn't return him to normal…
She watched him out of the corner of her eye as they trudged through the undergrowth. He didn't look any different, for all that she could feel the waves of darkness rolling off of him. His clothes were a bit worse for wear, but that was all. Her Cure had healed everything else.
"What?" He asked, catching her eyes on him. She looked away quickly, then realized there wasn't any point in hiding her thoughts.
"Just thinking of how to help with that darkness."
His fist clenched like she'd hit a sore spot, though she wasn't sure why. The darkness wasn't his fault; he had to know that.
"You're smart," he eventually said, a little sharper than necessary. "You'll figure it out. Right?" His voice softened along with his eyes. He really trusted her to help him… she was the only one who could help him.
"I'll do my best," she assured him, though her confidence from before had faded. If only she could ask the Master… but she couldn't take Vanitas to him. Revealing the existence of other worlds was forbidden, much less bringing someone else across worlds. Besides, Vanitas didn't have any armor to protect him on such a journey.
Leaving him here alone was just as dangerous. Void had used him to get to her before; there was no guarantee the monster wouldn't return.
Being a Keyblade Master was more difficult than she'd ever imagined. What good was the magical weapon when she couldn't use it to defeat the darkness?
Those doubts weren't going to help her. She might as well focus on gathering what information she could.
"Do you live somewhere in the city?" She asked, keeping her voice as non-threatening as possible, particularly considering his reaction to her asking about his family. But he had to have been living somewhere; surely there was someone who could help him. He'd gotten that fancy suit from somewhere, at least.
Vanitas kept walking straight ahead as if he hadn't heard. Or didn't want to talk. Mysterious as he'd been at the ball, he hadn't seemed this closed-off.
Five days in captivity could change anyone, she guessed. It had changed her, hadn't it? She kept her eyes and ears open for any sign of Void as they hiked.
"No," Vanitas answered a few seconds after she'd given up expecting a reply. "I don't really live anywhere."
"What do you mean?"
He sighed huffily.
"I just go where… where I can find food," he finished, not meeting her eyes. "That's why I really went to the ball. Free food."
"So you weren't looking for anyone?" She couldn't pass up the opportunity to ask. She'd asked about that in her second letter, but that was still tucked away in her pocket. They'd escaped before she could have Void deliver it. Now it seemed silly to give it to him when they were together in person.
He shrugged. "Depends on how you look at it."
She frowned at the not-answer, but didn't push it. There were still other pieces that didn't line up.
"Where did you get the clothes?" She asked. A smirk danced on his lips at the question.
"You won't like it."
"Vanitas," she sighed, "I'm trying to help you. I need to know what's going on if I'm to do that."
"Because where I got my clothes is really that important to getting my light back." He rolled his eyes.
"Well - maybe not," she admitted. "I just want you to trust me. I don't really know that much about you, if I'm being honest."
"Trust me, you're better off that way." He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "But if you really want to know, I stole them."
"You - you what?" She shouted, but for some reason he just laughed.
"What, you want me to run around naked? No parents, no munny, I gotta get clothes somewhere."
He was right; she didn't like that. Was he more comfortable with stealing now that he had darkness? But he'd done it before they'd even met… but only because he didn't have any other option, it seemed. Or else because no one had been there to teach him right from wrong. Or any number of reasons she had no way of knowing.
"We'll get you some new clothes in town," she said. Not that one new pair of clothes would be enough to really help him. He'd need a place to live, a job to earn munny… and he was younger than she was. With no Master. No family. No one… except her.
I can't do this, she suddenly realized. She already had to worry about Terra and Ven; how was she going to help Vanitas too? Not to mention… the rest of the worlds that were still in danger, and here she was, unable to help just one boy…
Her sight went dark. The ground suddenly slid out from under her feet. Pain scratched across her face before her head hit something solid.
"Aqua!" Vanitas crouched down beside her. Wait - crouched? "Aqua, are you alright?"
She was… on the ground. The thought barely registered above just how hollow her chest suddenly felt. Just like when… when…
"Is Void nearby?" She gasped out, wiping blood off her face with her thumb. Blood. A scratch - just a scratch. The brambles must have scraped her on the way down.
"Wha - no, he's not. It's just me," Vanitas said quickly. His gold eyes looked panicked. "What happened?"
"Felt… like my light was gone again. Just… for a second." The feeling was gone now. Whatever it was had passed as quickly as it came. "I'm fine, really… you're the one I'm worried about."
He snorted. "Of course you are. Forget about me. I've been taking care of myself a long time."
Without asking permission, he suddenly scooped her off of the ground. She was too surprised to protest - he was shorter than her, yet he managed to hold her across his arms with barely a grunt.
"Vanitas, you don't have to-"
"I'm not about to have you pass out on me again. The city's not far now." Though he tried to sound detached, she didn't miss the wideness of his eyes.
"You're stronger than you look," she said, hoping the compliment would be enough to distract him from worrying about her. He raised an eyebrow.
"You might not be able to tell under this stupid outfit, but I look very strong," he said, and she laughed.
"I'm sure you do. Thank you, Vanitas." She was still a bit embarrassed at being carried by the person she was supposed to be protecting, but… light, she was still scared of that happening again. Blood still trickled down her forehead.
What had happened? Why had she passed out? Had her spell yesterday drained her more than she'd realized? It had felt like death, but she'd thought she'd recover the way she had when Void stole her light. Then again, she hadn't tried doing anything strenuous shortly after that. Maybe she just should've slept longer. Or maybe it was because she'd done it a second time.
It had been risky. Too risky, probably. Still, she couldn't blame herself for trying.
"Have you eaten anything?" Vanitas asked her as he walked.
"Oh. Um…"
"I'll take that as a no." He sighed. "You're out of food by now, aren't you?"
Not technically. She had half a piece of beef jerky in her pocket, which she had to squirm to reach. Vanitas shifted his grip to accommodate her.
"Why, you want some?" She grinned and waved it close to his face before taking a bite. He snorted.
"I just thought it might keep you from passing out again."
It was a fair point. Even if it didn't completely explain the emptiness she'd felt, the thought that her sudden dizziness could be from normal hunger rather than darkness calmed her thoughts somewhat.
"Thanks, Vanitas. Really, I… don't let people help me very often." She blushed a little, suddenly realizing how this would look to anyone else. Particularly Terra or Ven. Strong, solid Aqua, being carried by a regular boy? Embarrassing as it was, it felt… nice. Vanitas didn't laugh at her weakness; he simply acted, leaving no room for argument.
"Don't thank me," he mumbled. "Just get better, okay?"
She nodded. Actually, she was feeling better already, but Vanitas's purposeful stride didn't slow. Maybe she could rest for just a few more minutes… feeling his heartbeat close to hers…
She turned her head so he wouldn't see her blush.
"Looks like this is it," Vanitas said more than a few minutes later, when the dirt road leading to the city gates came into view. "Do you think you can walk now?"
She nodded, and he set her down gently. His hand rested a second too long on her back before quickly drawing back, as if he'd touched a hot stove.
"Great. Let's get going, I think I smell some hot food with our names on it."
She didn't smell anything, but as they approached the gates, she did see something. A figure who stood atop the wall, surrounded by guards.
"Is that - Terra!" She called, not that he would be able to hear from this distance. If it even was him - she could just see the silhouette of his hair against the sky. Then he was running the opposite way, disappearing on the other side of the wall. Strangely, a good chunk of the wall's guards followed him.
"Come on," she said, grabbing Vanitas's hand. His golden eyes were wide, for some reason, as she dragged him along.
"Uh, can you slow down? In case you forgot, I was carrying you for a while there, I'm a little bit tired." His pace slowed, forcing her to little more than a brisk walk. "What's the rush, anyway? You know that - that guy, or something?"
"He's my… He looked like one of my friends, anyway. But I'm not sure," she replied, looking up at the wall again. His appearance had been to brief to say for certain. And she was pretty sure the figure hadn't been wearing Terra's usual shoulder plate, shirt, and suspenders, so unless he'd been smart enough to blend in with the locals, it couldn't be him.
"No, probably not," she decided. "I guess I was just hoping."
Vanitas frowned at that. "Well. Sorry, I guess. C'mon, let's just get some food."
XXX
"Monsters?" The guard lowered his pike and scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry sir, I haven't seen any in a few days at least."
"You're sure?" Terra prodded, leaning against the wall's high battlement and discreetly peering out over the woods, as if Unversed would appear there any moment. True to the guard's word, the only motion was the faint breeze rustling the distant leaves.
"Quite sure, sir. Last night was the most quiet it's been in a while, frankly."
"Except for that message from the Grand Duke," his fellow guard, a taller but lankier man, corrected. "Something about keeping an eye out for a woman with blue hair." His tone was skeptical, but Terra started with a gasp.
"Aqua! She's here?" It had to be her - blue hair obviously wasn't normal on this world. Was she looking for Vanitas too? Even though it had only been a little over a week, it felt like it had been forever since he'd seen her. It would be good to meet up and exchange notes on Vanitas and the Unversed - assuming she was still around.
The guards shared a look, then the lanky one sighed.
"If you know who she is, you should go speak to the Grand Duke at the castle. It seemed urgent that they find her."
"I still don't understand why it's that important, to be frank," the first guard said gruffly. "We're here to protect the city, not run errands for the Duke. It was enough of a mess escorting women to the ball last week with all those monsters about."
"I don't want to get into a predicament like that again either." The second rubbed his face. "But, orders areorders. Especially if she really did manage to escape the entire Castle Guard."
"Escape?" Terra asked. Why would Aqua be on the run from the Castle Guard? Why would she be at the castle at all? Unless… maybe Cinderella had been right about the Unversed appearing there?
The guards nodded.
"We've been told to put her under arrest immediately, along with her spiky-haired accomplice." The lanky guard raised an eyebrow, as if just now taking in Terra's hairstyle. He hadn't had much time to take care of it lately, but it was still definitely spikier than anyone's around here. He took a step back and raised his hands.
"Uh - you don't think I…?"
The guards exchanged another loaded glance. Their shoulders slumped in resignation, but their grips on their pikes tightened.
"Orders are orders, sir."
Terra said a curse that the Master definitely wouldn't have approved of. Then he took the only course of action that came to mind: bolting away.
The guards shouted behind him, calling out to more of the soldiers along the wall. Terra ran to the inner battlement, ready to leap off - only to remember that he'd left his armored boots at the inn. These ridiculous fancy shoes wouldn't protect him from a jump this high. Cursing again, he darted towards the stairs, barely dodging a burly guard who lunged for him.
Stupid… tight… pants! They constricted his stride, which wasn't as much a problem on the narrow stairs as it was when he leapt the rest of the way to the ground and kept running. He stumbled on the uneven cobblestone. These shoes weren't made for running any more than the pants were; he could feel every crack in the stones underfoot.
He didn't dare look back, but he could hear the thundering footfalls of probably a dozen guards behind him. Could he outrun that many? Normally it wouldn't be a question, but with these stupid clothes -
He darted to the side and into a narrow alley, hoping the quick motion would lose them - or at least the tight space would keep them from following as quickly. Strange outworlder curses echoed behind him. That was a hopeful sign, but he didn't stop running, even when he was afraid he'd split a seam in the brown trousers.
"Maurice, double back! Cut him off at the market!"
Or maybe not so hopeful. He shoved over a pile of rotting crates, buying a few seconds when the guards behind him stopped short of the shattering wood. That was good, but not good enough. He couldn't outrun them, and couldn't let them pin him in the market - he needed another way out. A distraction, like the crates, but better.
He winced even as he thought of it. The Master wouldn't like this. Then again, the Master wouldn't like him to be captured by the Castle of Dreams' law enforcement, either.
Still sprinting for all he was worth, he summoned Earthshaker in a flash of blue lightning and translucent shapes. The guards shouted, but he ignored them - his keyblade wasn't the distraction he had in mind. Suddenly he spun to face his pursuers, aiming the blade at the cobblestone beneath their feet.
"Freeze!"
The bold command was enough to make them pause, even before the Blizzard spell shot from his blade. The ice crashed to the ground, exploding into a spray of frozen shards. The guards hands flew up to shield their faces. Terra didn't waste time worrying about them; he threw himself into a weak-looking wood door in the alley wall. It slammed inward under the impact, the noise lost amid the remaining ice shards clinking as they hit the ground. Quickly he shoved the door shut again and prayed to the light that no one had heard.
Even if they had, the building he'd broken into was pitch black. There was no way they'd find him in here without torches. He blinked rapidly, hoping his own eyes would adjust. If the guards did burst in - he could hear the guards scrambling to their feet out in the alley - he needed more than just darkness to hide him.
He felt his way through the stifling dust as quickly as he dared. Making noise would be as dangerous as being seen. The boards creaking underfoot didn't care for stealth, though. He needed to find a place to hide…
His hand brushed something that felt like smooth wood; after groping for half a second he decided it was probably a table.
Good as I'm getting. He threw himself under the table just as a guard opened the door, letting in a square of blinding light.
"You think he went in here?"
"For his sake, I hope not." From his hiding spot, Terra could only see the bottom half of the man's face, but it was marked with a frown. "This old place hasn't been cleaned out in ages. There's no telling what those blasted Moogles left in here. Come on, Cedric, let's go check the square."
With that, they went jogging off, armor clinking all the way.
Terra remained still, hardly daring to breathe. There could always still be other guards who had hung back, trying to trick him out of hiding. Besides, if this was a moogle warehouse, he didn't have anything to fear. Except maybe the moogles themselves accusing him of stealing. He'd deal with that if it came to it.
As the adrenaline slowly drained from his veins, the ridiculousness of the whole situation set in. A blush crept up his face. Why had he ran? He hadn't done anything wrong. He doubted Aqua had done anything wrong either; surely they could have explained themselves to the guards.
Then again, what if Aqua had done something wrong? She wouldn't have believed what he'd done in the last two worlds he visited, either.
But Aqua was a Keyblade Master. She didn't have darkness in her heart like he did. And he was the one who'd ran into trouble with authority in those other worlds… maybe that was why he'd ran. Sure, he might have finally done something right with Cinderella, but he was a long way from completely trusting himself.
He leaned back on his palms, feeling the thick dust under his fingers. The guards were right; the moogles must rarely use this place. Strange, since they were usually so particular about their wares. They'd had a few that visited the Land of Departure sometimes, selling commands or restocking their supply of potions. Maybe in mostly non-magical worlds, there wasn't enough business to bother with keeping the place clean.
The moogles were the least of his concern, though. Aqua. Aqua was here, and possibly in trouble. Keyblade Master or not, she might need his help.
Yeah, like you can help her when you're hiding like some kind of loser. Face still hot with embarrassment, he summoned his keyblade and channeled light to its tip. If he was going to wait it out here, he might as well take a look around. Maybe there was still at least a holo-moogle here who could sell him some new panels before he went in search of Aqua.
He crawled out from under the table and held his blade out like a torch. Dust obscured his vision nearly as much as the darkness did; he coughed and waved it away with his free hand.
Boxes. Boxes, boxes, and more boxes. Made out of cardboard rather than wood, for once; this really must be the work of moogles. This world hadn't invented cardboard yet. Other than that, there was nothing too exciting, except… something in an open box glinted in the light. No, not glinted; it almost seemed to absorb his keyblade's light.
He crept closer, wood floor creaking underfoot. Regardless of what the guards said, he was pretty sure moogles didn't sell anything really dangerous.
As he approached, he could make out what the object was - but what was it doing here?
With his empty hand, he carefully picked up the trinket, which felt warm to the touch. Its thin chain dangled through his fingers. Earthshaker hummed in his hand, feeling the proximity of the magical item.
Stroke of Midnight, the name of the keychain whispered in his mind. He turned the charm over in his hand, feeling the smooth glass of the shoe-shaped item. But that didn't make sense. Glass shoes… and a name like that… it mirrored his experiences with Cinderella, almost as if it had been made with her in mind. Where had the moogles gotten it? Or had it just appeared there for him, the way Treasure Trove and Fairy Stars had in his last two worlds? Even Master Eraqus had never quite been able to explain the origins of keychains, and he'd never found the texts he was forced to read on them particularly exciting. Maybe Aqua had paid better attention.
The sound of something shifting startled him from his thoughts. Quickly he pocketed the keychain and extinguished his light.
The sound drew closer - and he recognized it. One of those small blue Unversed was sliding through the floor, barely noticeable by its faint glow.
Vanitas! He summoned his keyblade in a flash, taking up a battle stance. Even just one of the creatures meant he could be here. Just as he was about to creep towards the monster, the door flew open.
"Quick, Aqua, in here!" A voice hissed. Terra held his breath. In the brief moment before the door slammed shut again, he caught a sight of two silhouettes.
One of them must be the 'spiky-haired accomplice.' The other, he thought with a flash of both anxiety and relief, was Aqua.
A/N: We're finally getting somewhere! I'd wanted this chapter to include Terra and Aqua's meeting, but it ended up a bit too long to fit in. Hopefully it won't take as long for me to get to the next chapter this time, but no promises, especially with KH3 coming out next month. Speaking of which, is anyone else still emotionally destroyed after that last trailer?
You'll find out what Vanitas and Aqua are doing there in the next chapter, if you haven't already guessed.
Not a super important detail, but as far as the Unversed in Radiant Garden go, Mickey's been taking care of them the best he can.