Chapter III

Side by side, Ventus and Aqua sped through the Lanes Between on their Keyblade Gliders. Ven took a deep breath and sighed.

"Destiny Islands," he began, and Aqua turned her head toward him. "I'm pretty sure that's where Xehanort left me to die when he fractured my heart." He paused. "Terra… I went home to confront the Master about the χ-Blade and my role in creating it… and he was ready to attack me. Terra showed up and sent me to Destiny Islands, where Vanitas explained everything." He shook his head at the echoing pain of his memories.

"Hopefully, this time will be a little better for you," Aqua replied. He smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. Can't really get much worse, huh?" She laughed a bit as their destination came into view. Aqua sped up with Ven following her example, and they soon landed on the shores of the island where the tree with star-shaped fruit grew. The sun was slowly beginning its descent to the sea, while the sky was still a deep, bright blue.

"The view of the sunset is breathtaking," Aqua recalled. "We may have to stay long enough to see it." Ven smiled and rested his arms behind his head.

"If that's what you want," he replied, his grin growing as he heard two small voices.

"You're getting slower!" the first taunted as two little boys came out from under the bridge connecting to the islet where the Paopu tree grew.

"Am not!" the second voice, belonging to a boy with messy brown hair and blue eyes. Ven's eyes widened a bit at the sight of him, confused.

"I've never met him…" he mumbled.

"Did you say something?" Aqua wondered, tilting her head to the side.

"Nah, it's not important," he answered. "So, are one of them this Riku?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Hey, look," the other boy, with silver hair and light blue-green eyes, slowed down with his friend following.

"Huh," the second boy stopped behind the first. "She's back." With that, he smiled and ran over to Aqua and Ven.

"Sora!" the first little boy, whom Ven now assumed was Riku, chased after the brown-haired boy and stopped a few feet from the visitors.

"Hi!" Sora waved, obviously ecstatic to see Aqua again.

"Hello Sora, Riku," she replied and knelt down to their level. "How are you two?"

"Good," Sora replied with a blinding smile. Ven chuckled a bit, unable to deny the resemblance he saw in the little boy to himself. Riku approached them with a bit more caution.

"Riku, I need to ask you something if you don't mind," Aqua continued. Riku nodded. "Did another stranger, someone kind of like us, come here recently? He's tall with brown hair." Riku nodded again, and Ven's interest in the little boy grew. "Have you seen him at all since then?"

"No," Riku replied, to Ven's dismay. "He left, like that other kid before him."

"What do you mean?" Aqua asked, trying to mask her confusion.

"There was another kid a while ago that left the islands," Riku explained. "I think the guy you're looking for left for another world, like that kid did. And I want to be like them both someday." Aqua looked up at Ven, who knelt down with her.

"I see," Aqua nodded. "Well, I don't know about other worlds or anything like that," she smiled. "But it sounds like you want to have some pretty big adventures someday." Riku smiled, though it was more reserved than his friend's.

"Uh-huh," he agreed.

"And I'll go with him!" Sora interjected. "We'll go everywhere together, 'cause we're best friends!" Unable to contain it, Ven started laughing. "What? What's so funny?"

"S-sorry," Ven replied, trying to regain his composure.

"Right," Aqua smiled. "I forgot- I never introduced myself last time I met you two, did I? I'm Aqua, and this is my friend Ventus."

"Call me Ven," he told them.

"I'm Sora!" Sora announced. "And that's Riku." Riku nodded.

"Nice to meet you," Ven laughed a bit, though his smile quickly faded as he studied Sora further. "Hey, will you two excuse us for a moment? I gotta talk to Aqua about something." He stood up and hurried away from the boys with Aqua following.

"What is it?" she wondered. He sighed.

"You didn't give Sora the Keyblade, did you?" She shook her head.

"No," she replied. "One Keyblade is enough for any friendship. I…" she paused, resting her hand over what was left of her heart. "I don't want to see them end up like the three of us…"

"Why not?" Ven asked a bit sharply. "Are you afraid it'll tear them apart? Aqua, I know we've had our rough patches lately. Our situation stinks, to say the least. But the Keyblade is what formed our friendship. It brought us closer, gave us a common goal and purpose, allowed us to share something so many other people lack." Aqua was stunned into silence for several moments.

"I…" she lowered her head. "I never thought of that… I was so wrapped up in what's been happening with Xehanort…"

"Who caused all this," Ven reminded her. "We'd all still be together if it wasn't for him." He looked back to the boys. "Sora said he wanted to follow Riku on all his adventures…"

"I made him promise that he would keep Riku from falling into the darkness," Aqua told him. "I… I see so much of Terra in him. He could be a great master… but he'll be tempted greatly."

"Alright," Ven sighed. "But how can Sora keep that promise if he's here and Riku is off on another world?" Aqua opened her mouth to argue, but sighed.

"You're right," she admitted. "I'm sorry, Ven… I've forgotten the greatest things of our friendship." He forced a smile.

"I don't blame you," he agreed. "It's been rough lately. But that's why we need to hold on to the good things, right?" she nodded. "And I think Riku will become a master that fights for light." His smile faded. "But… I think it'll be because Sora saves him from the darkness." Aqua nodded again.

"Alright…" she sighed. "I see where you're going with this." Those words brought Ven's grin back.

"If you don't want to, then I will," he vowed. She looked into his eyes and smiled a bit.

"You grew up when I wasn't looking," she realized. "You're not a child anymore."

"I haven't been for a while," he replied. "Come on, Aqua. You're my friend, not my mom. You're not that much older than me, anyway." She laughed.

"I understand. I'm sorry I've treated you like that for so long."

"Don't worry about it. Anyway," he turned back to the boys. "Shall we?" She followed him back over.

"Hi," Sora greeted. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Ven nodded. "But, Sora, I want to talk to you about something." The boy brightened even more.

"Okay!"

"You said you want to go with Riku on all his adventures." Sora nodded. "Well, Riku's adventures will probably take him into darkness. What will you do then?" Sora's smile faded.

"I'm afraid of the dark," he admitted, but put on a brave face. "But if it means going with Riku, I'll face it!" Ven chuckled a bit.

"Well, you may have to. But… there are places Riku will go that you won't be able to follow."

"What? No!" Sora protested. Riku rolled his eyes.

"Not without some help, anyway," Ven continued, calming him a bit. He summoned his Keyblade, getting an awed look from Sora. "If you have this, then you can go anywhere Riku does and you can fight the darkness. Is that what you want?" Sora nodded gleefully. "This isn't a toy, Sora. You'll need practice. Understand?"

"I understand," Sora replied with no trace of deceit or doubt in his eyes. Ven held the handle of his Keyblade toward Sora.

"'In your hand, take this Key,'" he began. "'So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend- no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love.'" With a moment's hesitation, Sora gently grabbed the hilt of the Wayward Wind, obviously in awe. Ven smiled and let go of the Keyblade, and Sora stared at it through wide eyes as it stayed in his hand. "Alright," Ven held his hand out and Sora returned the Keyblade to him. "You'll gain your own someday, just as Riku will." Riku's eyes widened to match his friend's expression. "What? That guy who came here did something similar with you, right?" he nodded. "Then you'll have a Keyblade of your own someday soon." He stood up.

"But make sure you two don't tell anyone," Aqua cautioned. "This will be a secret between the two of you and us, okay?" They both nodded. "All right." She smiled. "You two stay out of trouble, understand?"

"We will!" Sora told her. "Promise!" He turned to Riku. "Come on! Let's go find something we can practice with!" Ven laughed as they ran off.

"Just like you and Terra," Aqua reminisced. "Never satisfied. Always ready for a challenge."

"Come on," Ven started walking toward the shack leading to the bridge.

A few minutes later, the duo sat on the Paopu tree as the sun began to set over the water.

"I feel like I've met Sora before," Ven admitted. Aqua turned to him. "But I know I haven't. That's what's weird. Like… when I see him, I feel like I've known him for years." he shrugged. "He's got a strong heart. I know that…" Aqua nodded.

"He does," she agreed. "And I think it'll serve him well." Ven yawned and laid his head against the tree as it rose away from the islet.

"Well, we'll have to keep an eye on them. But I guess first thing's first: Find Terra. Any idea where he could be?"

"He could be at the Radiant Garden," Aqua replied. "Should we try there next?"

"Not like we have anything else to do," Ven joked. "Unless you want to pick out curtains for Castle Oblivion." She started laughing for several moments.

"Castle Oblivion?" she repeated once she calmed down.

"You said it was a castle of oblivion," he explained. "Ergo: Castle Oblivion. It'll keep visitors away."

"I suppose so," she agreed. "So… to the Radiant Garden?" Ven nodded.

"Yeah, but after the sunset."