Chapter 4

~Regret~

I looked back at the girl as the last of the dark creatures disappeared into the abyss. She was shaking visibly and I walked over to her, "You're safe now," I whispered smiling, she looked up at, her eyes twinkled and then a childish smile broke over her face.

"Thank you!" she squealed hugging me around my middle, I smiled and chuckled softly, lightly patting her head.

"Be careful from now on," I instructed, she nodded once.

"I will!" she said smiling before releasing me and running towards and elderly woman, "Grandma!" she squealed.

I smiled and stood up, so much innocence, so much light. This place was so radiant, it seemed darkness wanted it though. As the clear sky gleamed in the rays of the sun which crashed to the earth in a smooth stream of brightness, I felt myself slowly easing into a calmness, but I knew damn well what I had to do, what had to happen.

I hurried my way through the town, my ears alert and ready as I kept my attention high for him. Terra…please come home… I felt pain stricken tears forming in my eyes, this pain was awful. I needed to find him and show he wasn't the cause of anything.

I began my walk through the large town, the citizens walked past in hurries, loud voices carrying over them all and I bit my lip. It was such a strange place, much more different from the home I'd recently left behind for the man who'd left me behind. I clenched my fists at my sides and I glared down at the ground, I refused to let that be the end. He wasn't the cause, he wasn't!

I heard a high pitched scream and I turned as Unverse began to develop out of nowhere. I glared as my keyblade appeared in my fingers. I ran forward and began to beat each creature. Their black blood splashing and disappearing within seconds of hitting the ground; I glared at them as they continued to reform. I couldn't beat them all. I looked around hurriedly, for a sign of help, but there were no other keyblade users around here…only me…

I sighed in disappointment and persevered, I would die fighting, I would go down saving the innocent people. When I fell backwards from the force of several Unversed charging me I let out a light cry but I wouldn't give in.

When I felt their sharp claws on my skin, tearing at it trying to get at the light in my heart I heard the familiar yell. I looked up as the Unverse were forced off of me, I saw…Terra! I gasped and forced myself to my feet and we defeated the creatures, slowly their numbers dwindled away and we found ourselves safe.

Terra turned away, ready to walk away and I shook my head, I wasn't ready to let him go. "Terra," I whispered, grabbing his wrist, he looked back at me with a sad look in his eyes, "Please…don't go."

"I have to, don't you see how dangerous it is to be around me? I'm bringing these creatures here with the darkness in my heart. I couldn't pass the Mark of Mastery test because of it and now I might as well be an outcast for it."

I shook my head, "Everyone has darkness in their hearts, myself, even Ven, but we can't run away from our problems, we have to stand and face them."

"I intend, just not around you…I don't want you hurt because of me."

If you leave it will hurt…

I shook my head again, even more defiantly, "I can handle myself."

"I could see that when those things almost killed you. If it weren't for me you'd be dead."

"Exactly." I said with a gentle smile and pulled him back towards me and looked up into his eyes, "Terra, you think the darkness controls you, it's not true, you saved me, that counts for something. Doesn't it?"

I felt my lower lip trembling as I fought to compose myself in front of him, I wanted him to stay, I needed him to stay. "Terra, I'll help you control this, I can keep my darkness under control, and so can Ven, we can help you, I know we can."

"I don't think so…"

"Terra…pleas-"

He kissed me fervently on the lips and pulled me closer to him as a few tears dripped down my face and I pulled him closer, my fingers desperately clinging to this man. I felt him smile as his lips slowly pulled away. I looked up at him, trying to quickly hide my tears as I shook my hair in my face to hide it.

He shook his head and brushed my hair side, "Don't hide," he whispered softly, "I know you want me to come home, I know you don't want me to leave because of my fears, but these are things I have to do."

I shook my head frantically, "No! We can help you! I know we can!"

Terra sighed and his head dropped as he stared at the ground, his fingers still settled on my hips comfortably "Aqua…I can't let you get physically hurt because of me, around me you will be in danger."

"I like the danger…" I whispered, and then began to blush when I realized I'd muttered it aloud. He looked down at me in surprise.

"Y-You…like the danger I present?" he asked in confusion.

I sighed and looked into his eyes, "Terra, I'm a big girl. I'll deal with the danger if you stay with me, I won't lose you, I won't." My eyes began to storm with determination as I kept a hold on him, "I love you Terra, I know you think you're dangerous, but I don't."

He shook his head, "I don't know Aqua…"

I took a couple steps back and hit the switch on my arm and my armor formed over my skin like a type of skin, sliding over my skin like water. Terra followed suit, I threw my keyblade up and it shifted into my ride. I looked at Terra, he couldn't see the cascading tears on my face, I voice wavered slightly as I spoke, "Come with me."

He nodded and we both flew into the rift that was formed. I kept an eye on him to make sure he didn't scamper off. He needed to see this, it was something I'd seen during a previous adventure.

We landed finally in a desert, he landed beside me as our armor faded away. He looked at me in confusion, "Where are we?" he asked softly.

"A graveyard," I murmured, he followed me out of the canyon and out to a plain. Across the plain looked like tall dark grass, but upon further inspection it could be seen that the grass was actually keyblades stuck in the ground, he looked at me.

"A graveyard?"

"For keyblades, I've visited this place once before, and when I did I found this horrible sight…" my voice began to shake, "Terra, this is where darkness will lead you. Do you really want your keyblade to be stuck in the ground here as well?"

"But…what caused this?"

"A war, I did some research when I got back to Master's. A war that was caused by darkness, that was when everything began to shift. Terra, I don't want to see you end up here. Please…let me help…I know something else is causing darkness around you. But it's not you, you're not evil, you're not bad! Please! Understand this!"

Terra looked away, shaking his head hard. "No!" he finally shouted, I took a step back, somewhat surprised at his sudden outburst. "Aqua, I'm not safe, so let me be dangerous away from other people. Even…even if this place is the only way I can do that."

"No." I retorted firmly, he turned on me, but his angry look turned to one of surprise when he saw my face, contorted with anger and sadness. "I'm not losing you to the darkness, and you're not staying here. I brought you here to show you what your path will lead you to. I don't want you to end up here. I want you to see what is actually happening. You're not the darkness! You've saved me on more than one occasion, not just today. Now, you're coming back with me, we can figure this out together. I want to take you back to Master, he knows how to help, even if he doesn't know what's causing this."

Terra stared at me for a few moments, as though thinking hard, I slapped the button on I shoulder, setting my armor off once more. I waited for him to do the same before they took off.

Within minutes we were back at Master's. I walked up the stairs, Terra sulking behind me, I knew he wasn't looking forward to scolding he would be getting from Master. But I was following orders, he wanted him back.

We went to Master's study where he was looking over papers and papers of things. I knocked on the door, Master turned and saw them, he stood up instantly and we bowed quickly.

"Rise," he said quickly. "Aqua, leave us, I wish to speak to Terra alone, I will come find you when we're done."

I nodded quickly, departing to my room. On my way there I decided I might as well stop by and see…I stopped dead, my heart began to race. I forgot to get Ven!

I took off at a dead run to my room, I had to collect a few things before departing again, I'd left so quickly before that I didn't have an opportunity to get anything.

Master had arrived at my room before I finished grabbing the few things I needed. When he walked in I turned and went into a deep bow, hoping to god that he wouldn't hate me for my negligence. "Master! I'm so sorry, in my rush to bring home Terra I forgot Ven. I'm leaving now to collect him."

There was silence for a while. "Very well," he finally said, "When you return I have several tasks for the three of you to complete, Terra is going to be working on his while you are gone then. You need to be careful, its becoming more dangerous out there than I feared."

"Yes Master," I said before straightening up, "I'll be off."

I left quickly and ran out, I needed to get Ven. As I hit my shoulder button, I jumped onto my bike, and I was gone. Ven was my top priority, and I'd messed up big time. I was very surprised as to why Master wasn't mad at me, he was so calm, was it because I was going to correct my mistake?

I couldn't think about that now. Ven needed my help, and I had to do that now.

"Ven, I'm coming."