~Whispers In The Dark~

Staring at the ceiling, Terra felt like a cornered animal.

Now, he didn't do anything. It was more about what he hasn't done. This trip he took was to train; and he hasn't been doing that, has he? His Masters were here to see his progress. There's no doubt about that. But has he improved since he came here...?

He was scared the answer was no.

Terra didn't feel different. He felt the same as when he first arrived here, at least in terms of strength. If they found out that he's been slacking off all this time, they'll take him back to Land Of Departure.

He really didn't want that. He wanted to stay here with everyone until the tournament.

What could he do? There's not much time, and no ideas are popping up.

You could always do that...

Terra ignored the thought that formed in his mind. To do that would be to disgrace his name, his Masters, and anyone that has ever put his faith in him.

Like his sister.

And what if you lose? Do you think that they will welcome you with open arms if you lose? Will your sister be proud of you? Will you have made your masters' proud? Will miss Aqua be happy to see you?

Do you think that by losing, will you bring honor to your family?

Terra grit his teeth. This was getting to him. He forced his eyes closed, trying to fall asleep. Yet, he could still hear those words spinning around in his head.

He couldn't deny their authenticity.

Last night was terrible, Terra thought. He didn't get a wink of sleep. Do you know that feeling when you feel that it's only been a couple of hours and you look out your window and you can see the sunrise? Well, Terra felt like that. He hoped that he didn't look too bad, and that the dark circles under his eyes weren't noticed because of his dark skin.

"Yikes! Terra, you look horrible!" Olette exclaimed as soon as he entered the dining area.

So much for that idea.

"Did you stay up all night thinking about Aqua?" Namine asked him.

"Oh, I know! You must've sneaked out! And you got into a fight!"

"Actually, I-"

"No, he was thinking about Aqua all night!"

"No! He got into a fight and kicked some butt!"

"Girls! For the love of God, would you leave the man alone?" Aqua said as she came from the kitchen, carrying a tray with breakfast. Terra had never been so happy to see her. Please, save me from his situation! He mentally pleaded.

Don't worry. I got this, she seemed to respond.

"Here's breakfast," she handed a bowl to the girls' and one to Terra. The creamy substance smelled like warm milk and cinnamon, and was hot to the touch. "Oatmeal," he identified.

"I'm sorry, you don't like it? I'll make you something else," The bluenette reached for his bowl.

"No, no, it's alright. It's just... I don't recall a bowl of oatmeal smelling so good."

This made her smile. "It's Aerith's recipe. I doubt it's as good as hers, but it's good enough."

"What are you talking about? Your cooking is fantastic!" Namine complained. Olette nodded, since her mouth was full.

"Oh, come now. We all know Mother's cooking is best."

"It doesn't matter," Terra interrupted. "We should be grateful, whether it's a feast or a measly serving, that we have food to eat. So let's enjoy it, okay?"

Aqua's eyes grew bright, a smile dancing on her lips, "You're absolutely right."

Woop, A voice in Terra's voice cheered. Scored some points there, buddy.

But Terra ignored it and continued to eat.

Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort had gone out, it seems. They left a note for Terra saying that they would arrive late, so training would be postponed until tomorrow.

He sighed, relieved. He could train some more before they arrived.

In his room, he changed into his training attire and slipped on his gloves. Tightening them was always a bother, but he managed to pull it off using his teeth.

He practiced straight punches, hooks, and dodging. He had always been bad at dodging, since he wasn't as fast as he could be. But he made up for that in power. His punches were enough to knock people out, even if the gloves numbed the impact a bit.

Soon enough, he was covered in a light layer of sweat, breathing heavily. He was exhausted, but he couldn't quit. He felt himself improving, and that was enough fuel to keep him raging.

He didn't notice the figure at the door, until it spoke.

"You're amazing," a voice said.

Terra ceased his frenzy to look at the source of the flattering comment. To his surprise, it was Namine, standing there, staring at him wide-eyed.

"Oh, Namine," he spoke. "I didn't see you there."

"It's alright. But you..." She walked into the room. "You're going to be amazing, I can tell."

"That's sweet of you," Terra smiled. "I train my hardest."

"I just wanted you to know that we're rooting for you. Some more than others, though," she smiled a devious smile, and left. Terra wondered about it, but dismissed it. A deeper thought had formed in his mind.

You don't want to let them down, do you?

Leave a review, if you'd like, and thank you for sticking with me through my terrible updates! You guys are the best!

~OmegaStarShooter14~