Okay so I'm hoping this chapter is a lot better and longer since I worked on it for a little bit at a time over a few days instead of forcing myself to write a chapter for an hour one day and post it. Ooh and I also have some of my favorite music playing in the background (very loudly). Remember I'm doing my best since this is my first fanfic and I'm still learning the ways of a good writer.
*Flashback chapter (The really dark, what happened to Aqua that one night she can't remember and the root of all Terra's mood swings chapter).*
"Terra do we have a deal?" Master Xehanort's gravely voice broke the silence.
Xehanort had explained his plan but Terra didn't seem very interested. He gave a small hand signal to Vanitas who was standing a little ways behind Xehanort waiting for one of two things to happen. The signal to grab his hostage, which had just happened, or for Terra to try and attack Xehanort, which then he would step in and play his part as the muscle.
Vanitas's eyelids opened suddenly reveling his glowing yellow eyes that seemed to light up when he smirked at Terra. His eye's met with Terra's making him shiver. Vanitas took a step back to turn and carry out the plan-
"Where's he going? What's he doing?" Terra's panicked voice rung out through the clearing. He was scared of what he was doing, no good could come to one with such evil eyes.
Vanitas was amused he actually had said anything. He looked like a little kitten that had just flinched because it was scolded. Vanitas turned back around to stare at Terra with his golden eyes, trying to hold back the laughter that threatened to leave his mouth if he even parted it to take a small breath.
"Relax my boy. Our friend Vanitas is just checking the surroundings, making sure no one stumbles upon our conversation so we don't have to kill them." Xehanort lied smoothly. His words seemed to relax Terra, he still had the fear of the earlier conversation in his eyes but, it was a start. "Go on Vanitas I think Terra will be a lot more relaxed when you find out the area is safe." He put stressed the word safe and Vanitas smiled, bowed, and left without another glance at Terra.
I hope you're ready to side with us Terra. Vanitas thought.
Terra was left with Xehanort in a forest quite a few miles away from the castle. At the end of the forest was a small half circle of a clearing overlooking the ocean. Jagged rocks greeted any who tried to jump off the cliff. The waves lapped up against the cliff making it one of the only noises around them. Crows that seemed to gather on the tree limbs behind Terra stared at him with their black beady eyes that reflected the full moon. They crowed at Terra, egging him on.
"So what do you say Terra? Wouldn't you just love to work with me? It'll be fun?" Xehanort tried to sugarcoat his words, hoping his offer would sound so much more appealing.
"Join you?" Terra's words came out in a gasp. "You want to create an unversed army, take the civilians from the other words hostage, and ultimately take over this planet? I-"
"Terra did I mention I could make you strong? Stronger than her. You lost to her. She is the new key blade master. That title should have belonged to you. I can give you the power you want to defeat her. You-"
"SHUT UP!" Terra was enraged by his words, just as Xehanort had wanted. Terra didn't want to hear anymore of it. He was pretty pissed already that he had lost to Aqua, who was a girl. But under all the temporary anger he felt, there was more, he cared for her, a lot. He didn't want to be stronger than her, because she was happy, and she would never rub her new found title in his face. He was happy for her.
"I'm fine with the strength I have. I don't want your steroids." Terra stated frankly. He shivered against the nighttime wind. It was very dark and hard to make out Xehanort's twisted smile.
"Steroids?" Xehanort questioned innocently. "What a dirty drug! I would be very disappointed in you if you tried them. No, I would give you a body so strong and so natural that you'd be crowned king of my new world. What do you say?"
"How would that be possible? There is nothing that is that strong... nothing!" Terra was feeling his anger boil up inside of him. Why was this guy so cryptic? And wasn't he a key blade master? A good guy?
"An unversed would suit you Terra. I'd take a beastly unversed just right for you, gut it and put your organs right inside of the unversed right where its old ones used to be. There the new you!" Xehanort flashed his yellowed teeth.
Terra shivered at his plans. He's definitely not one of the good guys. How could Master Eraqus have been fooled by his charade.
"But you could always refuse Terra. I would never force you to do something against your will. That just wouldn't be right now would it?" Xehanort started walking small circles around Terra. "But of course I would need a test subject for this transformation if you didn't want to partake. Know where I could happen to find one?" Xehanort stopped in front of Terra with a smile on his face. He sighed loudly when Terra looked at him with his defiant glare and continued to walk around him. "I'm pretty sure it's not a dangerous operation, we'll just need to keep your heart and brain from shutting down..." Xehanort rambled on but Terra wasn't listening to him anymore.
Xehanort is crazy. I have to stop him. If this plan is put into action there's no telling what could happen to the worlds. Millions of lives would be lost and even more unversed would be created than there are people. He's a key blade master and I'm not. I can't stop him. And where's that one kid Vanitas? Shouldn't he be back right now? Terra felt defeated, he couldn't beat him and he couldn't join him. What else could he do?
"...and I guess if I get bored I could just start turning people into unversed and start having gladiator type battles." Terra tuned back in to hear more of Xehanort's crazy rant.
That had been the last straw. Terra called forth his key blade and brought it in front of Xehanort's face.
"I think you shouldn't do that Terra. You don't want me to kill your little girlfriend do you?" Vanitas's voice stopped Terra from trying to do any harm to Xehanort.
Terra recalled his key blade. He saw Aqua's terrified face as Vanitas held a key blade to her face.
"Say hello to your boyfriend honey. Men don't like a completely silent woman, that's just creepy." Vanitas smiled as he took small steps forward, making sure Aqua wouldn't try to escape his grasp.
"Terra...! What-what's going on?" Aqua's voice trembled.
Xehanort walked over to stand in front of Vanitas, a smile plastered on his face.
"I'd never do anything against your will." Xehanort's words echoed in Terra's head.
"Master Xehanort! Stop him! He has me hostage!" Aqua demanded.
Xehanort stood in front of Aqua and laughed manically. "Haven't you figured it out yet? I toldhim to take you hostage. You're here because of me." Xehanort smiled for Aqua before turning back to Terra. "I now have what you want, the girl. If you want her to live you'll join me."
"Terra don't do it! What ever it is don't-" Aqua gasped as Vanitas pressed his key blade to Aqua's throat, crushing her wind pipes, forcing her to cut her sentence short.
"Shut up. Didn't your mother ever tell you it's impolite to interrupt when people are talking?" Vanitas talked to Aqua as if he was talking to a child, a sweet voice and a big smile on his face.
Terra hesitated, Aqua would kill him if he said yes but she would be killed if he said no.
"No." Terra's voice rung out through the clearing. The crows went silent.
"That your final answer?" Vanitas's voice was suddenly behind Terra. Terra turned slowly and as calm as he could before freaking out when he saw Vanitas levitate off the edge of the cliff holding Aqua above the rocks below. He no longer had his key blade held to Aqua's throat he just had his arms wrapped around Aqua's waist. "That look on your face tells me yes." Vanitas placed a gentle kiss on Aqua's head before letting her plummet to the rocks below.
"NOOOOOOO" Terra charged off the edge of the cliff recklessly. Vanitas's golden eyes met Terra's for a split second before he was far below him, his arms wrapped around Aqua.
Not even Terra's attempt could save her. A certain point in her neck smacked against the jagged rocks leaving her unconscious. I'll have to remember that for later. Terra felt the water encasing him in coldness. He fought to bring Aqua and himself above the water. The tide kept trying to push him down and into the rocks. He fought the tides and broke the surface of the water. Geez Aqua your heavy! Terra swam as best he could to a nearby beach and set Aqua down. She was breathing, but still unconscious.
He carried her back through the forest, checking her multiple times for breathing along the way. She was soaking wet and shivering. Terra was going to have to change her clothes for her when they got back. At that thought Terra's face got hot. He tried to shake off his thoughts, this was a matter of life and death.
"You see what we can do know can't you?" Vanitas appeared next to Terra. He was staring at Aqua with a foreign gentleness in his eyes. Terra's back stiffened, he didn't like the look he was giving Aqua.
"You can throw a person off a cliff, big deal," Terra tried not to sound weak. He couldn't look like he couldn't protect Aqua. And most all girls loved the tough guy, right?
"Well... I can do that again and make sure she doesn't wake up. I could take her from you this very second and have her be the first of Xehanort's unversed creation, you could be the first to fight her!" Vanitas's smile was now focused at Terra.
Terra let out a sigh of defeat. His back relaxed. This day couldn't be dull could it? "Alright," He said barely above a whisper.
"Good. We'll be leaving tomorrow, expect us." Vanitas kissed Aqua's head gently before disappearing before Terra's eyes.
Terra shivered, he and Aqua were still wet and freezing, but the castles warm lights were seen beyond the trees. Terra yawned, he wanted this day to be over already. He just wanted to sleep.
"Don't leave me!" Aqua shouted jolted awake.
"Who's leaving you Aqua?" Terra's soothing voice cut through the air like a razor. He was sitting on the edge of her bed. She was covered with her blankets.
"I just- bad dream," Aqua forced herself to laugh.
"Forgive me for earlier, I was stupid, I won't let it happen again. Master Aqua."
He reached down to cup her head pulling her up slightly using his other hand to support her back. His lips pressed against hers gently, allowing her to pull back if she was still mad, but she had no protests. Instead she reached up to take his face in her hands. She pulled him in for a deeper kiss. He pulled back slowly, his eyes locked on her.
"I will never leave you," Terra whispered, leaning down for another kiss. He smiled at Aqua warmly before leaving.
Aqua's head hurt really bad as if she was hit by a train. Her throat felt like it had been cleaned out with steel wool. Was she wearing something different than what she went to sleep with? Huh. She shook those thoughts out of her mind and tried to get some sleep. I must be imagining it.
Yay longer chapter! :D Well I hope that clears up most questions you have about what's going on, and I hope this was 10x better than all of my other chapters combined! I'm super happy about how this chapter came out if you still can't tell. Thanks for reading and reviewing! :)
~Ashley.