Terra set down his copy of The Art of War in his hands. He stared at the gray clouds outside among the Land of Departure, wondering absently why there was bad weather here. There was almost never bad weather here wasn't there-
"Hey! Terra!" He turned to see Ventus running over. He was glomped soon after "Come on we've had rainy days here before! Lighten up!"
Terra smirked at Ven's perfect puppy dog eyed smile "Okay, okay who said I was grumpy?"
Ventus smirked back, puppy dog grin turning into a much more mischievous smile "You just did."
Terra snorted, then peeled Ven off of him "Can you quit clinging to me like that?" Ventus giggled. Terra then gazed outside again. Master Eraqus had always said he enjoyed rainy days, and the color gray, and quiet, balanced atmospheres like this. Terra blinked away a few tears and wiped them up, then gently pushed Ven aside and began walking away.
"Terra?" Ventus asked softly. Terra paused in the doorway, feeling guilt rise up. Hadn't Ventus used that same tone before he left last time? His hand was suddenly shaking, and he very quietly raised it and grabbed the frame of the door so tight he could feel his fingernails digging into the wood. He wasn't sure what he was staring at in reality, but very aware of the nightmares of the past dancing across his vision-
"TERRA!" Terra shook his head, then saw that Ventus was now in front of him. Ven's eyes were wide with worry "Terra you... You were..." He suddenly looked away "Um... You were... Reacting, again." Terra shifted uncomfortably. He knew what Ven meant. A zone out, a nightmare in a day dream, a resurgence of the last tainted bits of Xehanort within him. "Your eyes stayed blue, but I heard you saying things under your breath..." Ven continued, looking at his feet "...you were arguing with yourself."
Terra grabbed his shoulders and smiled "Come on, I'm okay, Ven."
Ventus raised his head and smiled a little reluctantly "Yeah."
Terra was just as reluctant to let go of Ven. Sure, he'd been handling therapy with King Mickey (at the mouse's suggestion and Riku's very, very encouraging insistence) fantastically, but occasionally Terra would look at him and still remember that he had been hurt beyond belief and he'd acted like this. Sometimes he wondered if that smile was fake. Terra hugged Ven. No, no he would not let anything happen to him. Nothing at all. If his problems were his own he would sit there with him and help him sort it all out.
"Terra!" Ventus whined a little with a small laugh "Kinda crushing me here!"
Terra pulled off "Sorry." He then began walking to his room "I'll... I'll spend some time alone."
"But Terra!" Ventus called to him. He slouched back when he realized that Terra probably did need time alone. But time alone was what caused the whole mess before- Ventus quickly corrected himself; no, his insistence on Terra not needing alone time was what caused it.
Aqua approached him "Ven, is everything okay?"
Ventus folded his arms behind his head "I dunno, Terra's being moody..."
Terra took a slight detour from his room, and very quietly paused in front of Eraqus's. He bent down, took off his shoes, lined them up against the wall, knocked softly, then entered. It was still in the perfect condition he had rendered it in. Armor resting on their stands like silent sentinels, the whole space clear and full of light, the bed carefully made for a person who would never sleep in it again. Terra looked it all over a moment, then went out, grabbed his shoes, and went into his room and began packing a rucksack. He pulled up a bedroll, some blankets, kindling for a fire, a flask of tea, ink and brushes and other things for writing-
Aqua knocked on the door, then peeked in "Terra, Ven's worried-"
"I'm gonna go on a small trip." He cut her off with an even tone.
Aqua walked in "Terra, the last time you-"
"I won't leave The Land of Departure." Terra said as he finished up packing. He then hugged Aqua with one arm "Promise. This is just a trip into the mountains."
Aqua blinked, a early memory of their training cropping up "Oh, t-to-"
Terra patted her shoulder as he walked past "Yeah." He then waved goodbye over his shoulder "Take care of Ven, I'll be back in a few days."
After a time of thinking to herself, Ventus ran up to Aqua "Aqua! Aqua, Terra-"
"I know." She said softly "Don't worry he'll be back in a few days-"
Ventus shook his head "But Aqua what if he's leaving-"
"Don't worry Ven, he's just visiting a place the master showed us a long time ago..."
...
Terra pulled himself up onto a small ledge, and sat down for a small break. He'd been climbing this old and unkempt mountain trail for a good hour or so, and while he wasn't tired he didn't want himself to be too strained.
He very quietly pulled out a small teacup and filled it with some cold tea and heated it with a small fire spell. He pulled out a blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders as he sipped his tea in silence. The castle seemed about as big as his hand now, and the sky still threatened-
Terra blinked as a rain drop fell on him, then scowled lightly as it continued and dragged his blanket over his head. Scratch that, it was raining. He finished his drink and gathered his things, then spent the rest of the afternoon finishing the trek at sometime after dark in front of the mouth of a cave. Fortunately the rain never got any worse than a light drizzle.
Terra set up a small camp in the mouth of the cave and fell asleep. The following morning he woke just before dawn. He cleaned himself up as best he could and once again removed his shoes, this time before delving deeper into the cavern.
It was pitch black, but soon Terra recognized the ground beneath his feet, and very quietly reached his hand out to the darkness. He felt a wick, then pinched his hand around it as a fire spell lit it. He proceeded to do this with every other candle that became illuminated, until the cavern as exposed as a warmly glowing ancestral shrine. It was a deep red wooden structure, with a pyramidal base covered in candles and bits of prayer papers ("Wishes to the ancestors" Terra recalled) and a small gateway on top.
Terra bowed, recalling the words of Master Eraqus from his first visit from so long ago "This is a sacred place. A home of the spirits of the legacy of Keyblade Master after Keyblade Master. Treat it with the utmost respect."
As he stood tall again, he wondered absently how old he was: ten? Eleven? Somewhere in there... And then Aqua- with Terra tagging along -came here around the same age, when she'd had enough knowledge passed onto her. Terra frowned lightly at how Ven would need a few more lessons before it'd be his turn, but then reminded himself it wouldn't be that long.
Besides, he had other things he needed to do. He sat down, quietly pushed aside a few candles and papers, pulled out a drawer, then pulled put and undid the scroll inside as much as he could. He looked over all the names of deceased masters that had called this place home, until he found the very end of the scroll. He then smoothed out the paper and mixed up some ink. It took him a few moments to steady his hand, but when it was steady enough he reluctantly wrote Eraqus's name in the paper.
He set the brush aside, off the scroll, and very carefully curled up. He was admitting his adoptive father was gone, and nothing was worse. His tears began rolling over even when it was the last thing he wanted. He killed him. He helped Xehanort kill his master. He was such a criminal- no, a full out monster, a traitor, a fiend. He killed him, he had his father's blood on his hands.
He went from sitting down to a full kowtow, his grief that had built up over ten years finally exploding out "Please, I'm so sorry, I just wanted to keep Ventus safe, master! I didn't mean for any of this to happen!" He took a small breath, hating (and yet oddly desiring) the feeling that someone was strangling him "Please understand... All I wanted was for you to be as proud of me as I was of you..." He let out a choked laugh "And now I'm defiling this place with my groveling... Forgive me, master, I should have never come here..."
The cavern descended into a mournful silence only penetrated by Terra's sobs. Terra suddenly stiffened. Was he hearing his name? He slowly looked up, then blinked in awe at the vision in the candle light.
Master Eraqus was standing over him, prompting Terra to bow back down, but then he felt the warmth of Eraqus's luminous hand gently and quietly directing him to rise. He did so with hesitation, keeping his gaze downward in shame. Eraqus shook his head, then a glowing hand gently raised Terra's head. Terra drank in the fact that Eraqus was smiling, and only became confused.
"I could never be prouder of anyone else, my son." Eraqus said softly.
...
After another day or two, Ventus saw Terra returning. He dashed out to greet him. "TERRA!" He tackled the man.
Terra staggered, and laughed "Hey, nice to see you, Ven."
Aqua sauntered over and pecked his cheek "Hello, dear. How was the trip?"
Terra hugged her "It was definitely what I needed." He smiled and got down on one knee "Hey Ven, got something for you." Ventus then blinked at the sight of Terra pulling out a small statuette of him "I made this myself for you," He then stood and handed Aqua a similar one depicting her "and one for you."
Ventus admired the miniature him with delight "Sweet!"
Aqua, meanwhile, shook it and looked suspicious "Terra, there's something in here-"
"I know, a surprise." He then asked her "How's Ven holding up?"
Aqua smiled "He's doing great. Missed you a whole lot and got a few nightmares while you were gone, but we managed to settle in better than I thought." She shrugged a little "Maybe letting him talk things out with Mickey was a great choice."
Ventus fiddled with his statue "Do I have a surprise, too?" He then beamed proudly when the base undid itself and let a small note pop out "Aha!"
Terra laughed as he saw Ven read out his little note with a large grin, then leaned over to Aqua "Well, you do remember Riku practically bashing an anvil over our heads in promotion of that choice, right? Or did that anvil managed to wipe that memory up?" He then grabbed her hand with the statuette and brought it up "You got a letter, too."
Aqua opened her statue up and read over the note. She then glared at Terra "If this is a joke I'm very unamused."
Ventus's smile faded out in realization as he read his letter over again, and he shook his head "But Terra, you know the master is-" Ventus paused at Terra's knowing smile. He leaned in a little, his voice hushed "You met with him?! You found a way to... You found a way to talk with Master Eraqus?!"
Aqua's tone was contrastingly pessimistic "Ven, that's preposterous-"
Terra spoke up "He knew you two would say that."
Aqua started turning a vibrant shade of red while Ventus grinned wider. Aqua read her note over again. Ventus leaned over "What's yours say, Aqua?"
"Nothing important." She grumbled.
Ventus playfully elbowed her "Well mine says congrats on being a master! Come on yours is bound to say-"
"I always knew of the feelings between you and your husband, thank you for finally expressing it." Aqua mumbled. She wanted to rip up the small piece of paper but she couldn't bring herself to.
Terra kissed her cheek "Master Eraqus says hello and sends hugs and kisses." Of course, he neglected to tell them that he had made himself a little statue as well. One with a note that read
"I could never be prouder of anyone else, my son."
Note: Terra and Eraqus referring to themselves as father and son is purely a "hey we aren't related but might as well be" way. Have whatever fancy headcanons you want to connect the two as actual blood father and son, but for now I think it's safer to assume otherwise.
But ignoring the note just ugh poor Terra walked up to me in the middle of the night going "God I freaking killed my own dad do you understand the closure I need for that."
Also I have discovered a indie game called Ib you should seriously check it out.