Chapter 19: A Father's Tragic Fate

A/N: Hey everyone! We're reaching the end of this tragic story. I know; sad, isn't it? As the title implies I'm sure you know what's going to happen to poor Master Eraqus. Poor Lumen, she's going to suffer so greatly. It makes me feel bad that I have to do this to her, but hey, that's what makes a good story!

And Kingdom Hearts 3D is out! Oh, I'm counting the months until it comes here!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts; I just own my oc's.

Enjoy!

/

Lumen tucked the Paopu fruit securely within her pocket before she left the islands. She had a lot of fun playing with Sora and Riku, but she had to continue with her travels.

"Wait until Aqua sees this" she said to herself.

"She's going to flip! She's been wanting to find this fruit for so long. I'm such a good friend"

She carefully speed through the lanes in between as she tried searching for a new world to explore.

After half an hour of searching, she didn't come across anything, not even Unversed for that matter.

"I wonder what's going on?" she thought.

"It's never this peaceful"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something moving rather fast.

"Huh?"

She turned her head to get a better look, fearing that it might be an Unversed, but instead she saw Ven. The young boy saw gliding on his keyblade glider at an alarming rate that Lumen feared that he would fall off.

Fearing that he might be in trouble, she steered her glider towards him to rescue him. She thought he would be home by now, but it seemed not.

"Ven!" she cried.

Ven looked as she glided next to him then looked back in front of him.

"Hey Lumen" he said shortly.

Lumen was a little taken aback by the tone Ven was giving her. Why was he acting like this?

"Ven, what's going on? Why aren't you home?"

She could have sworn that she saw Ven's hand curled into a fist for a second.

"That's where I'm heading" he snapped.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to hurry back"

Now Lumen was really confused. Before, he didn't want to head back and had to have his arm bent backwards in order to cave in. Now he suddenly wanted to?

"What's going on, Ven?" she asked.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Did something happen?"

Ven growled and rounded off on her.

"Will you just shut up?"

Now that blew Lumen away. Never, in the history since they've been friends did Ven snap at her like that. He never had the need to and there was no need for it now.

Lumen growled in anger and snaked her hand out to latch onto Ven's arm.

"VENTUS! YOU STOP THAT GLIDER RIGHT NOW!" she screamed.

Ven jumped a little at the tone Lumen used but stopped his bike. When the two of them finally stopped, Lumen rounded on him. Ven couldn't see her face because of her helmet, but he knew that she was glaring daggers at him.

Lumen got right to the point and chewed Ven out big time.

"First of all, where do you get the nerve to suddenly talk to me like that?" she asked.

"Second off, what has you so worked up that you're speeding your way towards home? What happened?"

Ven looked at his feet before looking away.

"I learned something about myself" he mumbled.

"I'm not who I thought I was"

Lumen tilted her head. Now Ven really lost her. What did he mean he wasn't who he thought he was?

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

Ven shook his head sadly.

"I ran into that masked boy" he said.

Lumen's blood ran cold. She remembered the masked boy.

"Vanitas"

She hadn't seen him since Taiyouko rescued her on Radiant Garden. She didn't know what he was up to, and she didn't want to find out.

"He told me about my past…about the one I don't remember" Ven said sadly.

"He said your father knows all about it and I want to ask him why he's been keeping it from me. Why he's been keeping me his prisoner"

That really surprised Lumen. Her father knew stuff about Ven and kept it a secret?

"What does he mean by prisoner?" she thought.

"Surely father would never do that to anyone"

Ven clenched his fist tightly in frustration.

"I need to know what's going on" he said.

"I need to know who's telling the truth"

Lumen looked at him sadly. He looked so lost and afraid right now that it tore her up. He used to look the same way when he first came to the Land of Departure. He had no idea who he was or where he came from. If it wasn't for Terra, Aqua and herself, then he would still be lost.

She reached out and grabbed his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Why don't we find out together?" she asked.

"I'm sure with my help, my father will say something"

Ven looked up at her.

"You'd do that?"

Lumen nodded.

"Of course, silly" she said.

"We're friends, right?"

Ven slowly nodded.

"Yeah, we are" he said.

"Thanks, Lumen. Sorry for snapping at you like that; I didn't mean it"

Lumen shook her head.

"It's ok. Now let's go see what my father knows. It can't be that bad, right?"

Ven shrugged.

"Only one way to find out"

They started their gliders up again and headed for the one world that they knew best: Home.

/

Everything looked the same as it was when Lumen left. It was as if time stood still. Everything looked the same from the gardens to the castle itself. Everything was so peaceful that she could hardly feel the tension that was stirring.

"It's hard to believe we've been gone for a couple of weeks" she said.

"It feels like we've only been gone for hours here"

Ven nodded dully as they walked up the castle steps.

"Yeah…right" he said.

Lumen looked at him and stopped in front of him.

"Hey, relax" she said.

"We're only going to speak to my father. You look like you're about to face an Unversed or something"

Ven looked at the ground sadly.

"What if the Master doesn't want to listen to what I have to say?" he asked.

"What if he won't tell me anything?"

Lumen squeezed his shoulders and gave him a reassuring smile.

"It won't be bad, I promise" she said.

"And I'll be here to help you out"

Ven smiled weakly at her.

"Thanks"

Lumen just smiled and gave him a mock salute.

"Anytime"

They continue up the rest of the steps before they reached the center garden of the castle.

They didn't know how it was possible, or if he sense their arrival, but Master Eraqus came rushing down the castle steps and approached them.

The Keyblade master was surprise to find not only Ven returned but his daughter as well.

"Ven? Lumen?"

Lumen smiled and ran up to her father.

"Father!"

She embraced her father tightly and smiled when he hugged back.

"I missed you so much! You won't believe what I saw in the outside world"

Eraqus smiled, but it seemed forced. He knew something was up, but he didn't what it could be.

He looked at Ven when he let go of his daughter and gave him a quizzical look.

"Ventus, did Lumen bring you home?" he asked.

"I thought Aqua would-"

He shook the thought aside and gripped Ven's shoulders.

"Well, what matters is that you're home" he said.

"You don't belong in the outside world yet…you need to stay here where you can learn-"

"In your prison?" Ven snapped.

He glared up at his master and stepped away from his embrace.

"That's your excuse…for keeping me here, isn't it?" he said.

Lumen looked between Ven and her father nervously.

"Ven?"

Eraqus gave Ven a serious look.

"What did you hear?" he asked.

Ven just glared daggers.

"That I'm supposed to be some weapon…some kind of …'X-blade'!"

The color drained from Eraqus's face when he heard that. Lumen looked between her father and Ven in confusion.

What in the world was Ven talking about? What was an 'X-blade'?

"Ven, what are you talking about?" she asked.

"How could you be a weapon? You're just a little boy. And where did you come up with a name like the 'X-blade'? "

Ven turned his glare at Lumen.

"It's true! Just ask your father!" he cried.

Lumen looked at her father to see him torn up.

"Is this all true, father?" she asked.

"Or is Ven just making stuff up?"

Eraqus unconsciously touched the scars on his face.

"I knew it" he said quietly.

"Xehanort-he couldn't let go"

Lumen jumped a little.

Xehanort? As in Master Xehanort? What did the old, creepy keyblade master have to do with any of this?

"Father?"

Eraqus shook his head clear of the memories of the past.

"I failed" he muttered.

"I had the chance to stop him and couldn't do it. But I will not fail again"

He looked at Ven with such a serious look in his eyes that it made Lumen's skin crawl with fear. Why was her father suddenly looking like he wanted to hurt Ven?

"F-father?"

Eraqus didn't hear her as he summoned his keyblade. Ven panicked when he saw his master go into a fighting stance.

"Master! What are you…"

Eraqus looked torn over what he was going to do. He didn't want to do this, but it had to be done.

"The X-blade has no place in this or any world" he said.

"Xehanort has made his purpose clear…and I am left with no choice. Forgive me…but you must not exist no more"

He lunged at Ven, planning to end his life, only to be stopped by his daughter. Lumen was shaking with fear as she blocked her father's keyblade with her own. Never in her life had she ever fought with him like this; even when they were training.

This time it was serious. This time someone would get hurt.

Eraqus looks shocked that his own daughter would defend Ven, but he grew serious.

"Lumen, move aside" he ordered.

Lumen whimpered and shook her head frantically.

"No!" she cried.

"I won't move! I won't let you hurt Ven!"

Eraqus narrowed his eyes with anger.

"Do you not realize that the boy you're protecting is a grave threat to the worlds?" he question.

Lumen shook her head again as she her father's keyblade away from Ven. She couldn't let him hurt her friend.

"No, I don't" she said.

"But I do know that my friend is in danger and I swore that I would protect him no matter what"

Eraqus jumped back a little and aimed his keyblade at Ven. Lumen stood in front of the boy protectively and held her keyblade out in front of her as well.

"What's wrong with you father?" she asked.

"Why are you acting this way?"

Eraqus closed his eyes, knowing that he had kept too many things a secret from his beloved daughter. He would never pass on his burdens to her, but it seemed that he should have.

"Ven is a weapon that Xehanort plans to use" he said.

"If he lives, then worlds will be at stake. He must not exist"

Lumen shook her head frantically. Her father was talking nonsense. He had to.

"No! He's just a young boy and your student. Ven would never harm anyone!"

Eraqus sighed sadly.

"It seems it was foolish of me to keep so many things a secret from you" he said.

"But I never intended for you to shoulder my past burdens"

A tear ran down the side of his face. All of his past sins were piling up to this point. He had done so many wrong things in the past and now his daughter had to suffer.

"If you won't move away from Ven, then I have no other choice but to make you"

He charged at his daughter, hoping she would jump out of the way and leave Ven open. Sadly, she didn't and she fought back.

Lumen was screaming inside. She was fighting her father; the man who did everything for her and raised her on his own. The man who sheltered the outside world from her so she wouldn't have to learn the fears that the brought. The father who she loved unconditionally and never wanted anything to happen to him.

Ven watched with horror as Lumen fought with his master. He never wanted this to happen at all.

"Ven, run!" Lumen cried.

He would if he could, but his feet were planted firmly to the ground.

Lumen was no match for her father, that much she knew. But she couldn't just stand by and let him hurt Ven.

Eraqus fired off very powerful spells that would have lead to devastating results had she not blocked them. She never thought that she would be grateful for being an expert in defensive magic for something like this.

The two of them fought each other, but refusing to back down. Both were fighting for Ven, but with different purposes.

Lumen grew desperate and cast her chains of light spell at her father. The very spell that her father refused her to use.

Eraqus batted the chains away and looked at his daughter with horror.

"That spell" he choked.

"I told you to never use that spell!"

Lumen had a tears running down her face. She never wanted to use that spell on her own father, but he left her with no choice.

"How can I not use it when you're threatening to hurt Ven?" she choked.

"What's the point of having special powers if I can't even use them?"

Eraqus shook his head sadly. All of his fears were unraveling in this very moment.

"You can't use those powers" he said.

"If you do…then he'll come after you"

Lumen gulped slightly. She didn't like the sound of that.

"He?" she choked out.

Eraqus wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at his daughter sadly.

"Keeping you awake is causing nothing but trouble" he said.

He aimed his keyblade at his daughter; regretting it with each second.

"You leave me no choice but to put you to sleep"

Chains came out of his keyblade and flew towards her.

Lumen closed her eyes in fear; knowing that she wouldn't be able to run away from them.

However, running wouldn't be needed.

"Lumen!"

The sound of someone knocking the chains away caused her to open her eyes and gasp in horror.

There, standing in front of her protectively was none other than her fiancé, Terra.

"Terra" she choked.

Eraqus looked surprised as well. He never expected Terra to show up.

"What?"

Terra was horrified and angry at the same time. His master was about to harm his fiancée right in front of him, not caring that it was his daughter.

"Master! Have you gone mad?" he cried.

Eraqus gave him a serious look.

"Terra! I command you-step aside!"

Terra shook his head and stood closer to Ven and Lumen.

"No!" cried.

Eraqus growled.

"You will not heed your Master?"

Terra shook his head again.

"I won't!"

Eraqus looked torn.

"Why do all of my attempts to reach you fail?" he asked.

"If you do not have it in your heart to obey…then you will share Ventus and Lumen's fate"

He charged at his pupil and fought with him.

Ven and Lumen watched in horror as the two of them fought. Lumen was torn to pieces as she watched her father and her fiancée fight each other. They looked like they wanted to hurt each other seriously and that's what scared her. She didn't the men that she loved most to get hurt.

Ven didn't want that either (but for obvious reasons). He was the reason this all started and he had to be the one to end it.

"Enough, Terra!" he cried.

"He's right"

"Quiet!" Terra snapped.

Lumen silently cried as the fight went on. She couldn't bear to see another second of this.

"Father! Terra! Please stop!" she sobbed.

"Don't do this!"

When they didn't listen to her, she ran in the middle of them.

"Stop!" she cried.

Terra froze when his keyblade almost hit Lumen. His heart ached when he saw his fiancé crying for him to stop. He lowered his keyblade slightly and reached out for her.

"Lumen"

Eraqus couldn't stop his attack in time and blasted Lumen with one of his spells.

Lumen went flying and crashed into Ven, causing him to fall.

"Lumen!" Terra cried.

He ran over to her and helped her up while picking Ven up.

Eraqus was horror stricken at what he had done. He had let his anger get in the way and harmed his daughter as a result.

"Lumen" he breathed.

Lumen winched in pain as she leaned against Terra. She knew her father never meant to hurt her, but it still broke her heart that he even allowed it to happen. She looked at him sadly from where she stood.

"Father" she said.

Terra was livid at this point. He never thought his master would stoop so low as to attack his daughter. All the darkness that he had pent up within him came pouring out as he thought that his master harmed his fiancé.

This was the final straw.

"You may be my master" he said.

"But I will not let you harm my friend or my fiancée!"

Eraqus looked like he had been slapped when he heard that.

"Fiancée?" he repeated.

He finally noticed the engagement ring on Lumen's finger. His daughter was engaged to his student? And he never knew of this?

"You…you kept this a secret from me this whole time?" he cried.

Lumen looked away shamefully. She never wanted to keep her relationship with Terra a secret, but she didn't want her father to tear them apart.

"I'm sorry" she whispered.

Terra aimed his keyblade behind him and opened up two portals. He pushed Ven and Lumen into them so they wouldn't have to get hurt from the fight.

Lumen watched in horror as the portal started to close on her.

"Terra, no!" she cried.

She tried to get out, but Terra blocked her with his keyblade, signaling for her not to move.

Lumen looked at her father and saw that he was looking at her as well.

She reached out for him even though she knew she would never reach him.

"Father!" she cried.

Eraqus reached out for her but the portal suddenly closed.

Lumen felt her body being pushed out of the portal when it opened up again and falling to the ground when she was out.

She slowly sat up and tried to clear her head.

"Father…Terra" she breathed.

"Well now, this is an unexpected surprise"

Lumen turned towards the noise and gasped at who she saw.

"Master Yen Sid"

/

A/N: Dun, dun, dun! Poor Lumen that was not what she wanted to come home to. Looks like the cat's out of bag! Eraqus knows about their relationship and it looks like he wants to kill Terra for stealing his daughter away. While that would be funny in a different way, it's not for here. And we can all guess why.

And sadly, this would be the last time that Lumen every saw her beloved father.

It seems that Lumen has finally met Master Yen Sid. What will the former Keyblade Master have to say to our young hero?

Please review and tell me what you think!

Ja ne!