The Second Day: Happy Endings

Eraqus's plans for the day were, quite frankly, ruined. On cue, there was an illuminating streak of lightning outside as if to remind him of it. A roar of thunder followed. He'd have to reschedule the day's outdoor lesson plan until the following day.

"Good morning, Master Eraqus."

Eraqus turned to the approaching boy who he hadn't anticipated waking up so early. "Good morning, Sora."

"A storm…" Sora mumbled to himself as he faced the stained glass window depicting two Keyblade wielders in battle.

"Yes, and because of it, I have no other choice but to postpone the lesson until tomorrow," Eraqus explained as he closed his eyes in a pensive state.

"I'm sorry, Master," Sora said as he briefly looked over his shoulder to face him. Then he turned back to watch the raindrops race each other down the windowpane. "I think the storm came because of me."

Eraqus opened his eyes, slightly concerned and overly curious. "Why do you say that?" he asked.

The sound of the rain intensified. Sora had to raise his voice just to be heard. "It's just that, when I woke up today, I remembered the time I lost my world to darkness. There was a storm, kind of like this one, and…" He lowered his gaze once trailing away.

Eraqus's eyes softened. He wanted to say something, to find a way to console his student, but what was there to say? He too was trying to overcome the distant, yet vivid memories of losing his own home to the darkness.

"But the islands were restored," Sora explained, brightening. "Kairi's back there now, waiting for me and for Riku to come home." He smiled and looked to Eraqus. "I can't wait for us to be together again."

"You'll be with them soon," Eraqus gently reminded him.

"Yeah," Sora said, looking hopeful at just the thought of it.

"Now then," Eraqus announced as he turned back his attention to the violent storm outside. "Whatever shall we do today?"

"I guess making fireworks is out of the question," Sora joked. He brought his hands behind his head and lightly swayed from side to side in thought.

The old Master thought for some time. "A long time ago, when the weather conditions were unfavorable, my students and I would sit around the fireplace and tell each other stories . Would you like to do that?" There was a certain, almost childlike twinkle in Eraqus's eyes when he mentioned it. It caught Sora off guard, but he didn't make much of it.

"That sounds like fun," Sora agreed as he brought his hands down from his head to his side.

Eraqus gestured for Sora to follow. "Come," he said as the two walked into the hallway.

As they walked down a narrow corridor, there was a sort of silence between them, save for their footsteps, and the patter of rain outside.

When the pair eventually passed by Sora's room, Eraqus was quick to see, through the crack of the ajar door, the shine of a single shard of glass lying on the ground.

Eraqus looked to Sora briefly upon noticing it. "You broke something yesterday?" he asked calmly as he walked on. He took notice of the way Sora stiffened upon being reminded of it, of the lost memory he hadn't thoroughly cleaned up.

"Yeah," Sora said, saying no more.

It was unclear whether or not Eraqus was satisfied with the response. "Be sure to pick up all the glass then."

And the two walked on.


It was the first time Sora noticed how large the castle really was. There seemed to be even more rooms than the castle at Hollow Bastion. And mainly, he noticed, the rooms they passed were locked. Why? He thought of asking, but at the last second his voice failed him as if telling him it was simply better not to.

Eventually, Eraqus led him to a medium sized, ancient looking wooden door with intricate swirl carvings on its sides. This room was, as the others, locked. It felt surreal, almost, as if the door just appeared out of thin air.

Eraqus opened the door once unlocking it and stepped inside, prompting Sora to do the same.

Inside, the walls were covered with murals that, judging by the simplistic nature and small hand prints scattered here and there, appeared to be painted by children. The murals seemed to be depicting, as far as Sora could tell, the different worlds. On the ceiling was a painting of a bright afternoon sky with a heart shaped moon hidden behind puffy, cumulous clouds.

Lining the walls were several bookcases holding various volumes of both storybooks and encyclopedias. Then Sora took note of the large, regal fireplace in front of three crimson seats. The brick fireplace, to his surprise, was already lit; fire crackled gently.

"I cannot recall the last time I entered this room," Eraqus mused aloud as he took a seat and rested an elbow on the armrest and his hand below his chin.

Sora gazed at the murals. "Did your students paint these?"

Eraqus nodded. "Terra and Aqua, when they were younger. You see, the walls used to be white and bland," and as he explained, Sora slowly touched the wall in a state of deep observance, "They decided that it would be appropriate to paint the worlds I told them so many stories about with the anticipation that they too would one day explore them as Keyblade Masters."

Sora sat across from Eraqus after closely examining the careful, yet careless paint strokes on the walls. "Why did you stop coming here?"

Eraqus stared into the fire solemnly. "When Ventus first came to us, I thought it unwise to encourage him in any way to leave this world."

Sora saddened. Was that why other doors were locked? To keep Ventus out of certain rooms? Rooms that would otherwise encourage him to leave the world? "Why?"

"It was for his own well being. You know," Eraqus began, slyly changing the topic. "That fire," and he gestured to it, "has been burning for as long as I can remember. When I was first appointed guardian of this world, it was already lit. And to this day, even in your dream, it still is. My theory is that an ancient, powerful Keyblade wielder lit it with a special type of magic."

Sora looked into the bright, dancing flames. "You're the guardian of this world?"

"Yes. This world is what you can consider a world in between. That is, it is in between the Realm of Light and the Realm of Darkness. It is my job to protect this neutral ground that others would otherwise abuse." Eraqus paused to reflect. "It was my job," he corrected.

Sora turned from the fire back to the Master.

"There are many worlds, Sora," Eraqus said softly, and the sizzle of fire and rhythm of rain seemed to quiet as if giving him the opportunity to tell his story. "And all those worlds are born in darkness. This world is no exception. It was a world born from darkness. Over time, however, the darkness shifted away, and the light inched closer until the world was in between both.

"As the name implies, it became known as The Land of Departure due to the fact that it became a temporary refuge for weary travelers that left as abruptly as they arrived. Everyone came only to depart. The first guardian of this world was very lonely because of this. All she knew was solitude.

"The world was not always as beautiful as it is today. Did you know that before, all of the walls were white? That outside, it was a barren wasteland? The solitude was too much, and the world was so vast and empty. The Ancient Master knew that it was her duty to stay, but her heart ached to leave. So it did."

Sora gasped a bit. "Her heart...left?"

"That is correct," Eraqus explained. "She, while heartless, eventually took in a student and began the cycle I am a part of."

"But what happened to her heart?" Sora asked.

"Nobody knows," Eraqus said. "It is hard to tell whether or not the story is even true. It's a story that's been passed down from Master to Master, so perhaps it's been skewed in one way or another since then."

Sora crossed his arms in thought. "I hope that she was able to find her heart in the end."

"Or perhaps she never lost it to begin with," Eraqus offered.

"I lost my heart once," Sora mentioned, almost casually.

Had Eraqus been drinking something, he would have spit it out in surprise. "I beg your pardon?"

Sora nodded. "It was the only way to save Kairi."

Eraqus just looked to him with a puzzled expression. "I'm afraid I don't understand." He felt as though he was missing something.

Sora stared up at the painted ceiling as if reminiscing. "I had Kairi's heart inside me all along," he further explained. "It happened during the storm, I think. The only way for it to return to her was for me to release it. And when I did, I lost my own. All that was left of me was a Heartless." He rested a hand on his chest. "When I was lost in the darkness, Kairi's light brought me back. That's all I could really remember. That, and Donald mistaking me for any other Heartless." He laughed softly after being reminded of the duck's feeble attempts to get him to "get lost."

Eraqus stroked his chin. "Fascinating. Her light alone revived you…"

Sora nodded and grinned. "I've probably forgotten a lot of things by now, but I'll never forget that." He closed his eyes and imagined her. She really was always there for him, even when they were worlds apart.

"It is strange, the way the heart works. I once met a wise man studying the ways of the heart," Eraqus said. "I only had a brief encounter with him, but he was an intriguing character with an abundance of interesting data and theories. He was studying the effects of darkness in the heart. I do wish I hadn't lost contact with him. I believe he was onto something."

At the mention of this wise man, Sora momentarily thought of the man in red he spoke with before, but he gave no indication that he recognized him. He looked back into the fire and thought back to what the man said about finding a vessel to hold Eraqus's soul. He closed his eyes as if coming to terms with what would have to happen.

Eraqus, taking notice of Sora's newfound reflective state, looked into the fire. "Terra and Aqua used to criticize my fire theory for not being creative enough," he said in a tone that lightly mocked himself. "So they came up with alternative origins. Terra insisted that a dragon lit the fire in the beginning of time while Aqua said that perhaps it was the Ancient Master's heart all along."

Sora's serious gaze relaxed. "I would like to meet Terra and Aqua one day," he voiced aloud for the first time. "And Ven too. The four of you."

The old Master nodded. "If possible, I would like to meet you again too," he said.

"We'll meet again," Sora said in an assuring voice. "We won't remember each other, but some part of you might remember me." He smiled. "But once I do forget you entirely, you can tell me the story of this world for a second time."

Eraqus was quick to catch the strange, precise wording Sora used. And why did it sound like Sora was saying goodbye, all of sudden? So prematurely?

Eraqus shifted slightly in his seat. "Is this your farewell?" he dared to ask. He was never any good at saying goodbye. He needed time to prepare himself for it.

Sora averted his eyes. "No," he said, but he sounded uncertain himself. "I'm just thinking out loud, I guess."

The rain was heavy.

"When the day does come," Sora began, and he quietly counted the remaining days with his fingers, "Let's not say goodbye. Let's just...not mention it at all."

The Master appeared confused. "You do not wish to acknowledge it?"

Sora simply shook his head, offering no particular explanation.

Eraqus eventually nodded in agreement. Perhaps no explanation was needed.


"-And then I finally collected my share of mushrooms. When I got to Kairi to give them to her, we already had more than enough because Riku decided to pick up the slack - just to mess with me and impress Kairi! I would have gotten them to her sooner, but I fell asleep by the beach earlier that day. So when Kairi told me we had enough mushrooms, I just tossed mine into the ocean. She looked at me like I was crazy! And Riku was just in the distance laughing at me."

"Sora…" Eraqus was in disbelief.

"Hm?" Sora asked, unaware of the Master's state of disapproval.

"You three...did you three have any clue as to what you were doing?" Eraqus gasped. "Did you truly believe you could get to another world on a tiny raft surviving off...mushrooms?"

Sora blinked. When he said it like that

"Did you…" Eraqus was in shock. "Did you three even bother to cook the eggs and fish, or did you anticipate eating them raw?"

Sora scratched his cheek. "Well…"

Eraqus shook his head. "You didn't test the raft out the day before, did you? You just built it and expected it to float."

"There wasn't time for that. Riku wanted to leave immediately," Sora insisted, somewhat defensively.

Eraqus raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You had time to fight over what to name it, but no time to ensure it would work?"

Sora erupted in laughter. Eraqus had a point. "We would have thought of something else if it didn't work."

Eraqus just smiled. The sheer impulsivity of it all perplexed him, but they were, after all, just children at the time. "But why were you so eager to leave?" he asked.

"Kairi came from another world," Sora explained. "We wanted to see her homeworld. Hers, and any others out there." He looked up. "But I think there was always something Riku was keeping from us. I don't know what, but there was something. There had to be."

"Some people just can't help but feel trapped confined to a single world upon discovering the existence of others," Eraqus said. "Perhaps Riku felt trapped."

"Yeah," Sora eventually said, with an unreadable expression. "Maybe."


"You know," Sora spoke suddenly. "For a second, I forgot that this was a dream. I don't even think that I remember falling asleep to begin with."

"Good," Eraqus said as he flipped a page of the book in his lap. He didn't look up from the pages when he said it. "That's progress."


The storm had yet to subside.

Sora, who'd been silent for some time as Eraqus read independently, finally spoke when the Master finished reading. It seemed as if he had been waiting for him to finish his book just to ask. "Why didn't you want Ventus leaving this world?" he asked.

Eraqus was surprised that such a topic hadn't left Sora's mind, even after so much time. "Sora," he said patiently. "I already told you. It was for his own well being."

Sora, dissatisfied, crossed his arms. "You were the one to tell me that some people feel trapped when they're confined to one world. You don't think Ventus felt that way at all?" His voice was calm, but there was a certain fire in his eyes.

Eraqus averted his gaze. "Sora...I needed to protect him, and I needed to protect the worlds. The only way to do both was to keep Ventus where I could keep an eye on him."

Sora looked confused. "What did he have to do with the worlds?"

"It is a long story, Sora," the Master explained.

"Isn't this the room to tell stories in?" Sora asked, smiling encouragingly.

Eraqus hadn't expected that. He paused. "I suppose it is."

"Well, if you want to tell it, I'm here to listen," Sora said, getting comfortable in his seat.

Thunder roared.

Eraqus considered it. Perhaps it would be better to finally let it out rather than bottle it inside his heart. And who better to tell it to than Sora, the boy who would only wake up forgetting it anyway?

"Be aware, Sora," Eraqus said quietly. "That this story does not result in a happy ending."

Sora nodded hesitantly.

Eraqus stroked his chin. "I had given Terra and Aqua the day off because I was expecting a visitor, an old friend of mine. When he came, I was surprised to see that he'd come with a boy. He told me that this boy was special. The boy's name was Ventus. He was able to wield the Keyblade.

"But as soon as I saw Ventus, I knew that something was wrong. He had a blank expression. He did not speak. I don't think he could. And his heart. I sensed nothing...but pure light."

"Pure light?"

"Yes. There should be only seven hearts of pure light - the seven princesses. Why then, was Ventus's heart pure light? Where was his darkness?

"The man that brought Ventus to me, a fellow Keyblade Master, insisted that I take the 'broken boy' as my student. If not, he said, he'd find other means of disposing of him. How could I deny Ventus then?

"Still, I knew to be incredibly cautious. Not necessarily of Ventus, but of the man. You see, this man has always been obsessed with an ancient legend - the legend of The Keyblade Wars. During this time, an ultimate weapon, the X-blade, was forged. This man wished to reforge this terrible weapon to use it to plunge the worlds into endless darkness.

"To forge the X-blade, pure light and pure darkness must clash. I came to the conclusion that the man had somehow stripped Ventus of his darkness. That Ventus's pure darkness became its own person. That the man planned for them both to fight and forge the X-blade. I think that the man was waiting for Ventus to grow stronger before having them fight.

"But I refused to let it happen, if that were the case. I took in Ventus as my own with the intention of keeping him away from the man. I did not anticipate Ventus becoming someone so dear to my heart in the process."

"So you wanted to keep Ventus in this world so that he wouldn't forge the X-blade," Sora said thoughtfully.

Eraqus nodded. "Precisely. It worked well for a long time, until… One thing led to another, and Ventus left the world. I suppose it is as the name of the world implies. All who come to this world inevitably depart.

"I sent Master Aqua after him, but even she could not persuade him to return. I would have gone after him myself, but I could not abandon my duty as the world's guardian, especially in a potential crisis.

"When Ventus eventually returned alone, I was surprised. I thought I'd never see him again. But he was angry. He referred to himself as a prisoner, of all things. And he revealed to me that he knew of his purpose in forging the X-blade. That was when my suspicions were ultimately confirmed. My old friend was, in fact, trying to upset the balance of all the worlds.

"I had grown to love Ventus, but I made the choice to be a Keyblade Master above all else. I had to protect the worlds. I had to stop my old friend. It was my duty. To fulfill that duty, Ventus simply could not exist."

Sora's eyes gradually widened with fear.

"...I fought Ventus with the intention to destroy him," Eraqus finished. He looked utterly ashamed. "It was the only way."

"Did you…?"

Eraqus only shook his head. "I was stopped."

Sora didn't know what to say. Eventually, he asked, "Would you?"

Eraqus said nothing.

The wind howled.

Sora shook faintly. "What happened next?" he asked bravely.

"I cannot recall," Eraqus said, burying his face in his hands in agony.

Sora thought for a long moment. "Master Eraqus," he said seriously. "You were wrong."

The fire momentarily intensified.

Eraqus agreed. "You are right. I was mad to raise my weapon at my student. What kind of teacher...raises their weapon at their student? Ventus did no wrong. He did not deserve it. I don't know what I was thinking. I just wish that there was some way to explain to him why. And to apologize. Understandably, he wouldn't forgive me, but I still wish to say it…" He just shook his head. "I was wrong."

"You were," Sora said. "But I wasn't talking about that."

Eraqus looked to him. "What then, was I wrong about?"

Sora managed a smile. "The ending wasn't a happy one because it wasn't an ending at all."

A pause.

"What...whatever do you mean?"

"The story isn't over yet," Sora explained. "But when it is, it'll be a happy ending. I know it will. You'll see."

Eraqus could not understand. "How can you know that for sure, Sora?"

The storm abruptly stopped.

"How can you not?"


A/N

Ideas for this chapter came from:

Guest: Raft flashbacks, Sora finding the mushrooms

Guest: Origin of the Land of Departure and how it got its name

Please leave any ideas you may have for the next chapter in the reviews or send me a PM. I AM IN DIRE NEED OF IDEAAAS! My apologies for my late update, but now that I'm on summer vacation I should be updating more frequently! But no promises :)

P.s. did you catch that ATLA and Howl's Moving Castle reference...in the same sentence!? Kudos if you did.