"Do you think she'll really be there?"
"What do you mean? Of course she will! It's her own ceremony!"
"Yeah, but you know how weird some of those high-and-mighty officers can be. Like, with the higher-ups having these kinds of events for no reason?"
"Maybe, but this is Aq-"
"Private Tidus !" My voice roared to the soldiers outside my room before that name could even be uttered. The footsteps outside my door came to an abrupt halt, and for a sec, I thought the soldiers would fall on their faces with how their boots skidded on the wood.
"Y...Yes sir? Captain?"His voice grew louder as I heard him take a couple of wary steps closer towards my door. That's the thing I loved about having authority-you could scare the shit out of subordinates.
"Save your enthusiasm for the ceremony tonight, private. Way too early for that." I grumbled, still trying to wake myself up. Thanks to Tidus' wake-up call, my day started off none too well.
"Yes sir."
"Oh, wait," My mind was struggling to wake up the rest of my body, so I called out from my bed. "Send a message for me: tell Lieutenant Riku from the 1st div to show up before the reception. His escort service is needed. Say it just like that, Private."
While the footsteps trodded away, I could hear some faint grumbling, probably Tidus griping again. I would have put him in his place then, but I didn't have the time nor energy for that now.
What time I did have to myself, I didn't use well. Dicking around in your own quarters was hardly productive (which I only did to avoid the mass mayhem (the people cheering and being fucking obnoxious with their hollering) outside my door). Hell, I even thought of cleaning my armor just to kill some time. I was that desperate. The whole idea of a ceremony was just a waste of everyone's time, money, and time. If I didn't have to attend this pointless function, then my sleep cycle would finally be back to normal (suffice to say, the voice in my head helped none whatsoever). However, during the time I was in my room, something important did happen.
In my bathroom, I locked the door behind me in case Zack or anyone else were to waltz in. Paranoia got to me, thanks to this ridiculous mark on my neck. I didn't want anyone seeing it, since it just looked gross. Something told me that that thing wasn't natural, and sure as hell didn't belong on my body.
Well, yesterday at least. "Gross" was an understatement for how it looked today.
While the color of the rash (could it even be called that?) lightened up a bit, the spread of the now violet patch worried me some. It wasn't all that noticeable-my hair from the back of my head covered most of my neck. Appearance-wise, it just looked like a little bruise. What really troubled me was when I touched it-it was as if I burned myself.
My mind flashed back to when I was in Ansem's tent, and went into that bizarre state of...paralysis, he called it? Anyways, I remembered this thing on my neck being completely numb. No matter how roughly I touched it, I couldn't sense my fingers on my neck. I didn't feel a thing.
That obviously wasn't the case then, but trying to conceal it now would do no good, as touching it felt like hell. The only thing I could do was try to avoid touching it.
My day wasn't all that eventful, really. Between observing the occasional confused private wander down the halls, to watching the groups of lower-tanked soldiers already heading out of the quarters for the ceremony, things were as lively as the very city I lived in. By lively, I mean less than 10 people lingered about, and half of them were cooped up in their rooms. Pretty soon, my own barracks were barren, aside from the ones who either overslept or refused to go. So I spent most of my time in my room, just lying on my bed and waited for the day to pass.
A knock on my door was my mental wake-up call to stop gaping at myself in the mirror. Swiftly, I messed with my hair in order to cover the blight on my neck. After what had happened the night prior, I didn't want to set off triggers with Riku. Last night, he had plenty of reason to suspect me for..well everything really. I pretty much lied 'bout near damn everything right to his face. I had a feeling that if we kept going at it, our relationship could crumble-so I had to stay on good terms with him.
"Terra! Open up! What are you doing, shaving your legs or something?"
"I'm so glad my knight in shining armor is actually early for once." Speaking loud enough for him to hear me, I heard something between a grunt and a chuckle outside my door. It was funny how last night's encounter could be washed away by a couple of words. People are very weird.
I unlocked the door, allowing Riku to barge on in, as he typically did. He freely made himself at home, and even laid in my bed to prove it. "You got one thing wrong-I'm actually on time. We have an hour to get ready."
"What?" I squinted at him, and then took a look at my clock. Shit. He was right,
"So, will you go or will you go?" He continued.
"Hah?" Riku didn't really make a lotta sense when he let his mouth run.
"Will I be forced to drag you to the damned ceremony-"
"Ha! Even you don't want to go!"
"Shut up, that's not the point. The point is that you will go. Even Leon's in on this."
I should have known Riku was his favorite.
"So?" Riku continued, this time, with a more serious look on his face. He was no fun to mess with when he got like this-what a downer.
I gave a wave of my hand before I went to use the restroom, wordlessly giving into Riku's endless tirade of questions. As I went on to do my business, I overheard Riku muttering a "finally".
"So, when d'ya wanna go?"
Riku, what the everliving fuck-I'm going to strangle the hell out of your pasty ass-
"Don't talk to me." I muttered in one breath.
"Why?"
"Uh, I'm shitting?" Wasn't that made clear when I closed the bathroom door?
A snort came through. "Whoa dude, too much info. Anyways, I don't wanna go to the rehearsal. It's too late for that anywho. If you're going in your armor, that'll take you at least an hour to clean. But you'll need to get dressed and have everything done in time. You know what, maybe you should-"
"RIKU!" I bellowed, and felt the awkward shift in my guts as I hit "pause" on my current activity. Too lazy to put back on my pants, I waddled to the door before creaking it slightly open to begin my threat. "Riku, you know we're cool. Like...ice cold. Like, I could have a wart on my dick, and you would be the only one to know about it."
"Terra, what the fuck?!"
Once his attention (and disgust) was gathered, I continued. "Point being, you clearly know that I trust you. However, no matter how close I am with a person, there isn't a chance in hell that I will consequently be conversing with someone while I'm urinating or defecating. That is a period of silence and solitude for me, and no one else. So for the love of all things sacred, let me shit in peace."
You think that as long as he had known me, that he would have heeded this very important fact. It was so quiet within my room that Riku's groans and muttered pouts were audible. Obviously, Riku had a lot on his mind, and a lot he wanted to say; I, on the other hand, had a lot to conceal. What a pair, huh?
My mind pondered these things, and its gears turned as it tried to come up with a way to guise my "blemish" from Riku. Its worry was taking up more space in my head, and another worry came up and asked about how much occupancy I had left in my brain to care about anything else. The thing was, I didn't like to think about things too much. The end result of thinking a lot was a guaranteed 99.9% that I would always have more questions than answers. More questions led to more thinking, and it was a vicious, never-ending cycle. So, that's why I often tune out and just do. It takes the hassle outta a lotta things.
When I got out, Riku gave me this kinda look whose exact words read: "About fucking time, your Highness." I gave a shrug in response. Like I couldn't help the habit of refusing to speak to people while I'm on the shitter. There's a time and place for everything, and that wasn't one of them. "Okay, now we can talk." My yawn was followed up by some stretches to get the blood going in my body. "Pertaining to your eager questions about Princess Aqua's ceremony-"
"She's not a princess."
"You all act like it." I didn't mind changing in front of Riku, and dug through what "formal wear" I did have in my wardrobe. "She must have bewitched you all or something…"
"You clearly don't know her then."
"I think I made that point crystal. Hey," I paused our conversation to ask for his advice. "What does one wear for a promotion ceremony?"
"You've been to these kind of events before, haven't you?" My friend looked up and blinked at me.
To his query, I shrugged. I honestly couldn't remember anything like that that had happened recently. Funnily enough, the images of Ansem and Riku both chiding me for skipping out on these kinda things popped up in my head. "Euh...not since Leon's promotion, nah."
"That was four years ago, Terra. Why don't you just stick to keeping it basic and wear your armor instead?"
"It would take at least two hours to clean it, and I don't have that kinda time on my hands."
"Your fault for oversleeping."
Goddamn, you're such a prick sometimes.
"Whatever-just help me find something to wear."
I made a mental note that I should really look into getting myself clothes that weren't years old. However, Riku had a semi-decent sense of fashion, and was able to pick out things from here and there to come up with my ensemble. Almost immediately, he made me try them on. "I don't trust you enough not to look like a fool, so you'll have to get cleared by me." What a smug little shit.
After trying on the clothes he picked (a burgundy vest with a black button-up and slacks), I wondered why I didn't pick out something so simple myself; but there was something that was missing still.
From my bureau, I grabbed my badge I obtained when I became lieutenant : this was for more formal occasions, so it was perfect. It was a pin of my division's symbol-the wyvern-adorned in gold and crimson with copper tassels beneath it. Pinning it on my left breast, I took a look at the mirror and was pleased with my ensemble. I didn't like to be over-the-top, so I tried to keep it subtle instead. However, it wasn't everyday that I was out of my armor, so it was slightly bizarre to see me in "normal" clothing. Hell, I could never be used to the feel of cotton and polyester.
Riku sure seemed satisfied with his work. "You look sharp."
"Yeah, thanks." My gratitude was expressed as a rough pat on his shoulder. "I appreciate it. What about you though?"
"Don't you worry about me, I already have that figured out, unlike certain people who procrastinate until the very last minute."
"Fuck you."
"I'm afraid you're not my type." The lieutenant paused to wink at me-it made me shudder. "I prefer the innocent type. Now, come on. We have to pay Aqua a visit."
"Shoot me."
As I said before, the barracks were nearly empty by the time Riku decided to show up. It was even more of a ghost town when we left. Normally, there would be a coupla men picking a fight somewhere, or some scandal in the works. We may have not been the most mannered division, but we sure as hell kept things lively.
Riku made sure that there wasn't a moment of quietude between us. On and on, he drilled me about the almighty Aqua. Everything from her duties, to her favorite type of meal, even to the amount of time she spends on her hair in the morning. It was both creepy and outright ridiculous. How did he know so much about her despite never meeting her? Was there a secret fan club for Aqua? Even worse, was he the president of it? It was really strange to see him talk so much about someone with such enthusiasm. Was it adoration? A crush? I stopped my thoughts then and there, because I knew I really didn't want to venture down that road.
The ceremony was held in the fourth division's quarters, which were stationed near the outskirts of the city. Clad in the uniform, black coats the city's denizens wore, we blended in with the citizens. Following Riku's lead (as I didn't care to acquaint myself with ever going to the fourth div), he showed me the way. Taking an alleyway that eventually led us to the outskirts, I couldn't help but have mental goosebumps at the sight once we arrived.
Once you got past the city and its vibrant, neon lights, there was literally nothing surrounding it. All the life was hoarded in the looming skyscrapers and buildings that were only a coupla feet away from each other; but once you got past all of that, the only thing that was waiting for you was a blank slate. Pretty good incentive to keep its citizens within those towers. My eyes felt like they were in monochrome then-only blacks, whites, and greys were allowed to paint the desolate scape in front of me. The only thing I couldn't complain about was the fact that he sky wasn't that ominous shade of ebony that loomed over the city. It was just kinda like a murky grey, like dirty dishwater. Not a single living thing grew or wandered it (save me and Riku), and the land stretched on for eternity. However, I knew that was just a trick of the eye: the thick fog in the air masked the massive walls encircling this entire land. I'm not even sure if the Regime originally created them, or what their purpose was (to keep things out, or to keep them in?). The only thing I was certain of was that this place reminded me of death.
What made the whole thing even eerier was that I had this sense that I had been here before, which lacked any sense whatsoever. While the Resistance did leave the city to help out other organizations in other lands, we never took the direct route (the ones civilians would use) out. The only way I could have been to this place was if I took that route or if I had visited the fourth division before (which obviously, didn't happen). I was stuck on this sensation of nostalgia. My mind wandered to the now arid fields must have been like before the city was taken over by the current head. The first thing that came up was children playing at a park. It was a foreign thought, and an unfamiliar one, but this place looked like it could have been a park, yeah. For a sec, I thought I heard laughter; but Riku's mouth continued to run, so that noise kept me in touch with reality for the most part.
At this point, I had tuned him out, so whatever he said wasn't noted. It was only when he spoke my name that I listened in again.
When I saw him stop in front of me, it was too late. Instead, I was looking around to see if anyone was tailing us, but ran into Riku because of it. With a hiss, he punched my bicep before speaking again. "We're here."
I stepped to the left to see what was behind him: only a blackened stump and a pond no bigger than three feet in diameter. He had gone mad. "Euh…"
"The water," Riku stepped closer to its edge, and motioned for me to come over. "It's the way in."
"What, do you want me to fish up a door or…?"
"You jump in, dumbass. It's a portal."
I gave the water a hesitant glance before giving Riku that same look. "The grand fourth division's entryway is a pond in the middle of nowhere?"
"Clever, right?" He nodded with such fervor that I didn't bother restraining my eye rolls from then on.
And then, he jumped. As in, into the pond. I froze for half a minute before reality came knocking at my door, telling me my best friend just drowned himself. My gut dropped then, but my mind instantly thought back to the dream I had. The one about that boy-Ventus-falling off the edge. The only thing I knew I could do was hope that this was a dream too.
No, that wouldn't solve anything. I groaned aloud, freely cursing Riku for being such an asshole. Stepping near the edge of the pond, I stared at the water's surface-there was no telling how deep it was . I noted that there weren't any ripples on its glossy surface. I stomped my foot near it to create some, but not one tide showed on its surface. So then, it couldn't have been water. I knew that Riku told me it was a portal, but the whole thing just looked so real. Damn casters and their stupid illusions.
Curious, I dipped a foot in, but I didn't feel anything. However, that was before I felt a sharp tug grab a hold of my ankle and pull me down. I choked on air, in too much shock to think, let alone try to speak. Whatever had yanked me lost its grip, letting me fall and bust my ass on what I assumed was...a doormat?
"First time's always the best." His voice was practically grinning all by itself when it said those words. I looked up, and one white-haired bastard was staring me down with a shit-eating smirk. "Welcome to the fourth division, Terra."
Before I took in my surroundings, my eyes went upward to see where the hell I came from. Turns out Riku was right-the pond was a portal, and you were supposed to jump in. It was like a one-way mirror that only allowed this side of the portal to see anyone who was about to enter. Made sense, but it was so fucking sneaky of those casters.
Then looking around, the whole place looked a bit iffy. First of all, I don't even need to get started about that whole portal deal. Second, I felt like I would suffocate at the scent in this division. I didn't even know what the hell kinda scent was lingering in the air, but it was...fruity, but not sweet enough to make you gag.
"I cannot believe I'm actually doing this." I groaned under my breath, quiet enough so that Riku couldn't hear. Overall, I think the word "overwhelmed" would have described me well. I just wasn't used to everything the fourth division had, and yeah, I knew this was a special kinda occasion, but it left a strong impression on me (which confirmed my hunch that they were as loaded as they were pretentious).
There was evidence of this the second I dropped in. The portal didn't take me to some shabby underground maze of tunnels like I expected, but almost an entirely different world. Rows of tiles lined the walls and floors, and clad in the division's colors: cobalt, steel, and indigo. If that wasn't enough, the sound of classical music flooded the halls, and once I took a second to listen to it, it made the hairs on my arm rise. It's been a while since I heard music, so I wasn't sure what to make of it other than it was pretty rare.
Pairs and groups of people were all flowing towards one direction, which I was curious to find out what all the commotion was about. "Hey, should we get going?" Turning back, I asked Riku. In return, he gave me an appeased look before motioning me to the side.
"Just a heads-up before you get in there: you'll be expected to congratulate Aqua personally for her promotion to seeress. Don't screw it up. And use the things I told you about her to make a good impression."
"Yeah, yeah, I heard you." I waved my hand with a sigh. "But wait, I thought she was a Captain?"
"She's both. She's been in the Resistance since she was young, so she holds both ranks. Maybe if you would actually listen, you wouldn't have to ask."
"That's why you're here, aren't you?" I sent a wink his way, which surprisingly kept him quiet. But I didn't forget the real reason why he was here.
My hand intuitively went to touch my neck, which no longer burned. Huh. I guess that meant I was okay now. Hell, I didn't know what to think of it.
"You okay?" He was a sharp one. "You need a minute?"
"What for?" I patted the hand on my shoulder away. "I'll just be sitting on my ass the whole time. I can wait 'til tomorrow for my check-up. I'm fine."
"If you say so. Come on, the second division will hog all of the food if we don't get to our seats first."
I wasn't sure how many times Riku had been in here, but he was clearly familiar with the place well enough to not get lost. I followed his lead, and hall by hall we traversed, all while the music gradually grew louder, while the scent of food made my mouth water. Riku led me to the ballroom through many of its entrances, and all I could think was, "What the hell kinda division has a fucking ballroom?"
It was something else. The whole place was packed, on both floors. Everyone's eyes would go towards the amphitheatre, which was complete with its own orchestra pit. Behind them was where everyone was sitting. I hated that it was higher-ranked officers only. Up above was everyone else. The second floor was farther away from the stage, but it held more seats. Some were lucky enough to have personal booths on the side, but I guessed that those were for some big-wigs. The sight of it all overwhelmed me. It was really over-the-top and totally unnecessary.
"Sir?" One of the female servers came up to Riku and I with a smile that rivaled most girls. However, once I took a closer look at her, I could see her smile was strained and eyes weary. She look liked she needed a break. "May I help you two gentlemen?"
"Yeah, uh, where do we sit?" I asked plainly, but the girl tilted her head at me like a confused dog.
"It didn't say on your invitations?"
I coped her look this time. "What invita-"
Riku cut me off with a hand in my face. "Miss, what my friend here is trying to say is that he's hopelessly lost. You know how the third division is." Both of them laughed at that crack, while I mocked the joker's smug-ass face. "I'm a personal friend of the Lady . It's Riku."
"Just a moment." She held up a petite finger before pressing it to her headset. "Seating for a Riku plus guest?"
"Actually, it's Captain Terr-umph!" Riku had this habit of cutting me off frequently with his palm.
"Uh..huh, ok, thanks Lucille." She then turned to us. "Gentlemen, your seats are on the first floor, table 11."
As we made our way to our seats, I exchanged punches with Riku for making me an ass out of me (he argued that I did that all by myself, so that earned him another bruise). When we sat down, I eyed the tempting bottle of liquor across me with a deadly desire. It was a blessing if you could find alcohol anywhere on the third division, with as many pigs over there who gulp it down in a single swig. Of course, I couldn't have even that, thanks to the bastard who sat next to me and slapped my hand away. "Look," he said, getting my attention. "I think she's about to show."
I looked over to where everybody else was staring. The music ended by then, and the level of murmurs were starting to rise as the silence grew. There were some light footsteps on stage, and I swore everyone leaned just a little bit out of their seats all at the same time; but it was just a moogle (didn't they usually fly, though?) who hobbled up to the center stage. "If the following could please come up on stage to give their congratulations to our Lady, kupo." It then began to call out a list of names of high-ranked officers from each division. I noticed that from the people it had called up so far, it was Captain rank and up. So did that mean I had to get up on stage?
"Captain Terra of the third division."
"Don't screw things up." Riku whispered to me as I got up. I slipped a rough slap to the side of his face in my smooth transition.
I felt so out-of-place then.
Why am I even up on this stupid stage? Wait, what was I supposed to do? What do I say? Is there some official gesture thing I was supposed to give? Goddamn, why didn't I get some kind of memo about this?
"Looks like I lost 50. Goddamn, captain, why'd you have to show?"
I peered over the person to my right and saw Xigbar leering at me. Even he was here? Still, I couldn't look like a fool in front of my co-worker (could I even call him that?) "Live and in the flesh. You be good now," I chided to the other captain, who cackled to himself. What a loon.
There was fanfare then, which made me want to step to the side to see who came up on stage. I couldn't move though, since no one else did, so I didn't want to be that one idiot who fucked up . I told myself I wouldn't care about what people think, but I didn't know it would be in front of the entire Resistance watching my every move. The sea of whispers and giddy faces of people up in the front helped none. My eyes searched for Riku, who was busy making ridiculous faces at me so I could break character. I'll admit, I was tempted to snicker, but I held it in.
"You've grown up so much, Aqua. I'm proud of you. Eraqus would be too, without a doubt."
"That's...wow, that means a lot to me. Thank you so much."
I never pictured you to be the sentimental type, miss Aqua. What a prima donna, sucking up to people like that. I bet you're stuck-up. Maybe that's how her division is loaded. She already sounds like the type to kiss someone's ass. How pathetic.
"Oh, you're Captain Terra, right?"
"Yeah, whaddaya…"
"Hm?" Full lashes blinked up at me, and I thought I nearly squinted at the ridiculously bright shade of indigo. Goddamn, she was so...blue. I didn't even know it was possible for someone to have blue hair, let alone that bright shade of it. Same thing went for her eyes. I snapped out of it, and cleared my thought to bring myself back to reality.
She was nothing like the greedy, pompous, narcissistic hag in charge of the fourth division that I had pictured in my head. Light-she was full of it. What really caught me off-guard was how she carried herself : she seemed like a swan swimming with a pack of wolves watching and waiting from the lake's edge. She didn't seem real, and I was trying to register the fact that she was. The end result: my brain short-circuited.
"Uh…" I started out, then realizing everyone's eyes were on me. "What I mean to say was... congratulations on becoming Captain, your Elder...ness..e. ."
The entire amphitheatre was quieter than Death itself. However, breaking that silence was Riku and his cackles that bounced from wall to wall. I tried to keep my composure, as well as that frozen look on my face as I waited what felt like years for Aqua to respond. Her plump lips were tucked and rolled into a thin line that I couldn't decipher. Not to mention those eyes felt as if they had never left my body-wait, was she checking me out?
A sound (that strangely sounded like a mouse sneezing) slipped out of the woman when she stifled her laughter with a glove. "I'm sorry, I'm supposed to be serious." She held up her hand as she tried to regain her own composure. She was blushing a little. It was cute. "Anyways, the pleasure is all mine, Captain. Congratulations to you as well." I could see why so many people like her then-her light was contagious. Plus, she was pretty hot. Even with her division's armor on, you could still tell she had a nice body underneath.
"Don't even think about it, dude." The (other) voice in my head chimed, but I chose to ignore it.
"It's an honor." I nodded, giving her a smile in return. What happened next, I didn't see coming. Like, at all.
She stepped closer to me, and placed a hand on my cheek. Cupping it around my ear, she whispered: "Meet me in the foyer after this, okay?"
"Sure." I gave another nod, and watched her resume the ceremony as if nothing had happened. I caught faces of gossip in the tables below. Far off, I saw a thumbs-up from one white-haired bastard. I swore to myself I would give him the beatdown of a lifetime next time I saw him.
Several "Congratulations"'s and "Thank You"'s later, I headed to my table. With Riku grinning from ear to ear, he didn't say a single word, because the look on his face said it all. Which, if I had to translate it, roughly said: "You're the biggest, fucking idiot in the world but you managed to redeem yourself, and I'm feeling like a proud papa right now."
"'Fess up." Riku freely poured himself a shot, and one for me. "What sweet nothings did she whisper in your ear?"
"Shut the hell up." My eyes rolled at him while I downed my first taste of alcohol for the night. "I'll be back, I just have to talk to someone real quick." If I told him what had happened, I knew he wouldn't let me leave until I answered every question he could fire. "By the way, where's the foyer?"
"Down the hall, to your right. Why?"
"I'll tell you later." I shrugged, and saw him quickly relocating to some other tables.
Little did I know that I would never get to tell Riku what really happened that night.
Aqua was already at the foyer, but she seemed plenty occupied talking to some servers who were practically basking in her presence. I realized now that she was definitely one of those charismatic ones that people flock to. Once she saw me, the Captain gestured for us to head to a private booth on the side. I followed suit and sat down across from her, closing the door behind us.
Once we got in, I realized then how loud my breathing was. I tried to mute it (or at least not make it quite as obnoxious), but I couldn't help the fact I had deep lungs.
"So…" I began, then looking the captain in the eye. She seemed as curious about me as I was her (which was a lot). "You wanna tell me why you called me over?"
"Yes, um, I didn't want to bring up such a touchy subject in front of everyone. I hope you don't mind." She was well-mannered.
"Yeah, not a prob. But what specifically did you need to talk to me about?"
"If I may, can I take a look at it?"
"At what?"
She blinked. "Your infection. On your neck."
My hand lamped over that part of my skin, almost as if I was a girl trying to keep my dress down from the air vent under me. "How do you-"
"I can help." She cut me off, and there was this look in her eyes that pretty much said the same thing. "If you will let me."
I stared at her for a moment before taking my hand off of the blight. Turning my neck to the side, I leaned towards her some so she could get a better look. I couldn't see what she was doing, but I had a gut feeling that this wasn't the first time she had seen something like this. What else could explain her calm disposition?
"So, what's the diagnosis, doc?"I asked her once I saw Aqua sit back down in my peripheral vision.
"I'm…" She returned the look with a sense of bewilderment. "That thing on your neck-it's proof you're infected. It's one of the symptoms. It's where they bit you, right?"
Now, it was my turn to laugh. My scoffs came out dryly. "I'm sorry, what? Just what are you talking about? Symptoms of what, exactly? Am I sick?"
"Captain, that's much more than just some cold you have-"
"Then what is it, exactly?"
Aqua shut up then. The little gulp she took wasn't a good sign. Neither were those baby blues darting from one side of the booth to the other, and then to me. "Look, I don't know much about it, but I do know a man who does. Have you heard of a man by the name of Ansem?"
"Ansem? Yeah, a friend of mine took me to see him after I…" I wasn't entirely sure on what exactly happened before that, save for the mission Riku and I were working. It was all a giant blur, but the name "Ventus" was connected to it somehow.
"Captain," She began again, with sincerity in her eyes. "I know you're probably stressed with all of this sudden information, but," The female paused, then releasing air from her puffed cheeks. "Just hang in there." A petite hand lightly touched mine.
"I'm so sorry, Aqua."
What are you apologizing for?
No answer.
I really didn't know what to say, or how to respond. Her face was full of pity. She was just like Ansem. And I felt so alone.
A knock broke the quietude between us. "S'cuse me, Lady Aqua?"
"Yes?" She chirped as if nothing was wrong. "What is it?"
"You have a guest awaiting at the entrance. They have requested your immediate presence."
What she did then stuck with me for as long as I can remember. Completely breaking character, she rolled her eyes up to the high heavens and 'Fuck' was freely muttered as she scooted on out the booth. Turns out our Lady wasn't so lady-like after all. Kinda hot.
Before leaving, she turned to say one last bit to me. "Captain, please do not succumb. It'll be a hell of a road you'll have to walk now, but please persevere. If not for yourself, then for me."
What the fuck lady, I just met you. Guess it is true what they say about the hot ones.
"Euh...sure." I nodded, telling her what she wanted to hear. Even if it didn't make any sense, I didn't want to tell the pretty lady no.
She had left, and I was on my way to catch up with Riku. God, what a night this had been. I knew he wouldn't believe the things I would tell him. I couldn't wait to say that his sweet idol of the fourth div was actually...borderline bipolar. Part of me wished she could have stuck around longer so we could have talked more-she might have had a few screws loose, but she was still interesting (and hot). My mind started to work then, and I just realized that she noticed my wound, despite me covering it up with my hair. Was she really so sharp?
Riku's table was in view, and I called out to the guys over there. They crowded around the table gambling, and jeered at me to hurry up to be in the next game. Where Riku was, I hadn't a clue , but I had a feeling he would be back soon.
What Aqua said lingered in the back of my mind still, despite me trying to focus on the present to ignore it. I opened my mouth to place a bet, but yelped in pain at something biting my neck all of the sudden. I fell like a tree that had been cut down, and my entire body was stiff. Joy. I got to experience this all over again.
Before I could call for help, the "help" was taken out in one fell swoop: the wall west of them exploded, and the debris from it either squished them like bugs or flung them to the opposite wall. Everyone was frenzying now, and I felt pitiful not being able to even lift a finger. Looking around, I tried to see who the "bad guys" were, but the explosion had me shielding my eyes from flying pieces of wall. I struggled to do something-I persevered, but it was futile. My eyelids felt heavy then, and this throbbing pain at the back of my head started to arise. The sounds around me slowly started to all swirl together.
"This the one?"
"Indeed. Looks like she wasn't lying." A pair of boots walked closer to my face, and then down towards my body. They remained at my side before they rolled me over to, belly-up. I was able to see the face of the man who was smirking down at me, but my vision remained blurred and hazy. What the fuck?
Then crouching down, he gave me this...condescending look that maybe me want to spit in his eye. A gloved hand grabbed my throat, then forcefully turning my head to the side, where my blight was visible to him.
"He'll do nicely. That dosage should have him out for a couple of hours, so we'll have time to get him adjusted. If not...Aqua can…"
Aqua? Who's there? What...is this I'm...feeling?
By then, my eyelids were drooping, and I could barely strain to keep them open. The last thing I remember was the last words that man said.
"Captain Terra, was it? What an honor. My, I can't wait to get started on you. But we'll catch up soon. Good night."
A/N: Hello all! Sorry for the late update, but chapter three is finally here! Chapter four will be, euh...well, let's just say this whole chapter was the tip of the iceberg. Terra has no idea what's coming to him next. But I will say Aqua will be playing a huge role in it;D
As always, please favourite/review/follow (it really does motivate me to continue writing so please!) and share to your friends BECAUSE THERE IS REALLY NOT ENOUGH TERRA/AQUA FICS, YEAH?
And again, this fic is co-authored by the talented MajorieFranklin.