~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~
Title: Listening
Rating: T to be safe
Warnings: Violence in subsequent chapters
Characters: Aqua, Terra, Ventus, Master Eraqus, Pocahontas, Chief Powhatan, John Smith, Ratcliffe, various others
Summary: Aqua, Terra, and Ven mistakenly arrive in "The New World", and they're faced with principles they've never heard of before.
Special Notes: There's no excuse for this late update save for the additive qualities of Pokémon, Psychonauts, and life. This took a lot of thinking since the whole "skin issue" thing is important in this storyline, but this is one of my favorite Disney movies. This idea is courtesy of surxi25, and I hope you enjoy it!
For Dani-Chan, as always!
It had hit them. Hard. And Aqua hadn't been able to do anything. They had been harmlessly cruising the pathways between worlds, intending to return home after completing a mission at some kind of circus world, and then…
They had been knocked out of the "sky", plummeting into the shadows and disappearing. She had no idea what had done it, she didn't even get a glimpse.
All she knew was that when she hit the ground, the world collapsed in on itself with a bitter sigh.
~*X*~
Aqua groaned, reaching up to remove her silver-blue helmet from her face. Shaking her hair loose, she endeavored to sit up. It was a struggle, one that left her breathless, but soon she was propped up on her elbows and could take a look at her surroundings.
Forest. Tall trees waved their branches all around her, still clad in green so it must be either summer or spring, she reasoned. Warm sunlight speckled her face through the foliage and she was waist-deep in wildflowers the color of ivory.
Her entire body pulsed with pain, and she grimaced, wondering if she had broken anything. Broken bones were hard to fix, magic or no. Dismissing her armor, she took in a raggedy gulp of air and tried to remember what had happened.
Terra…Ven…where are they? Are they here?
She got to her feet, feeling a bit better now that her dented armor was gone, wiping grass off of her clothes. Aqua didn't detect anything particularly dangerous about this world…not like the volcanic nightmare zone of Chernabog and his cronies. Just nature, and running water, and rays of sun.
I need to find my friends, she decided. Of course, there was no evidence that they had even crash landed in the same world as she did, but they had fallen close together…She couldn't leave without taking the time to perform a thorough search.
Aqua waded through the flowers, wondering how in the world she had plummeted onto a planet and survived, checking her mental bond with her Keyblade to make sure it was still accessible. Hadn't she been on her Rider?
What on earth had attacked her?
She entered the woods, which became steadily darker the further she went in, and her skin crawled as indistinct shapes moved around her. She resisted the urge to light a fire to illuminate her path, instead opting to leave the shadows and start down a rugged slope that led towards a cliff overlooking the sea.
There was a quiet tranquility in the air that wasn't unlike the Land of Departure's, and she took comfort in that, calling out occasionally for her missing companions. The female Keyblader reached her destination and peered down the steep drop, watching the ocean shatter and explode against the rocks below.
Is there anyone here? Aqua mused. I haven't seen anyone at all since woke up. Maybe I'm not near a town?
A snuffling behind her earned her attention, and she whipped around to see—
…A brown bear cub. It was positively adorable, with its black button eyes and little nose. She smiled, hesitantly kneeling and touching its ears. "Hello there," she crooned in a soft voice. "Are you lost?"
The cub didn't seem to mind her petting it, but someone else sure did.
With a roaring bellow, a much larger bear burst from the forest and charged straight at her.
Aqua's heart thudded against her ribcage as she hurriedly backed away from the mother's child. Unfortunately, the little tyke decided to follow her, and she blinked at it in mortification.
Oh no.
The bear reared up on her hind legs and snarled, easily towering over the Keybearer. Those teeth and claws didn't look friendly…
She didn't want to hurt her, though. After all, the beast was just protecting her kid. How could she explain that the cub wasn't in any danger?
Then, Aqua remembered that she had been an animal before. Maybe she could reassure the bear so she wouldn't kill her? It was worth a shot. If all else failed, she'd chase her off with magic. Maybe her experience as a fauna could be of some assistance.
Before she could do anything however, she heard something.
"Listen with your heart, and you will understand."
It was so indistinct that she thought she had imagined it, but Aqua was never one to dismiss things so easily. Still, how in the world was she supposed to listen with her heart? And what was she listening to? The creature's fear?
Her mind raced as the bear drew a paw back, still focused on the innocently happy cub at the apprentice's feet.
Aqua knew she had to do something, and quickly. So she raised a hand and said clearly, "I mean your child no harm."
To her astonishment, the mother bear froze. She stared at the Keybearer with obvious surprise in her small eyes, a rather hilarious expression to see on animals in particular.
"Please, take your cub and leave in peace." Aqua felt as if someone had just opened a channel to a new line of magic power she had never experienced before. Somehow, she knew that this was something she could only pull off in this specific world—probably thanks to the mysterious voice in the wind. Red and gold leaves swirled around the Keyblader as the mother bear fell back onto all fours and tucked her child safely underneath her belly.
Without another sound, the pair of animals left, shambling off into the forest until their amber pelts were hidden from sight.
The breeze died down, but a single scarlet leaf settled on Aqua's shoulder. Stunned, she brushed it absently off.
Did I just talk to the animal? But what was I listening to? I didn't hear anything from the bear…but she heard me, she understood me.
The poor Keybearer didn't even get any more time to mull over what had just happened, because then two tall figures stepped out of the trees.
Aqua studied them a bit warily.
They had copper colored skin, wearing animal leather with their long, dark hair drawn back. Paint was daubed across both of their faces, and they had a wiry, strong look to them. The duo seemed to blend into the world itself, as if they were just extensions of nature. A quiver full of arrows was bound to both of their backs, and stone tomahawks rested on their waists.
Exchanging a glance with one another, the male on the left spoke first. "Are you with the white men?"
White men? She thought it was a pretty vague term. We're all pale, sure, but…
Noticing her confused expression, the same man continued. "The men who arrived down by the shore, in strange crafts." He pointed towards the west. "They dig into the soil, and cut down the trees."
Aqua shook her head. "No, I'm not. I'm here with my two friends, Terra and Ven. Have you seen them?"
The second warrior—they quite clearly were fighters—decided to say something. "You and your friends aren't with them?"
Judging by the way he said it, she didn't want to be with "them". "No, we got here by…mistake. They're dressed like me…are they not around here?"
The first man looked at his ally again. "We have seen none like you," he informed her. "But, are you a shaman? You just spoke with the bears." His tone was both impressed and suspicious.
Shaman? Did they think she was some kind of medicine man or something? Aqua wasn't sure how to address that, since in truth she was capable of healing, but did that mean much of anything? Or was their term of "shaman" completely different?
"I'm a Keyblade Apprentice skilled in magic," she started carefully. "But I'm not a shaman."
"What's your name?" The same warrior asked after a lengthy silence.
"Aqua."
"Are your friends apprentices also?"
"Yes." His intense, almost wolf-like stare was kind of uncomfortable, and his face was so…serious.
"Come back to camp with us," he more or less ordered. "If you are not allied with the white men, we may be able to assist you in locating your friend."
"Wait a minute," she objected. "What're your names?"
The man she had been conversing with replied after a brief pause, "Kocoum."
"Naantam," the other answered shortly, though there was no hostility coming from him that Aqua could detect.
She was still indecisive. Master Eraqus always taught me to trust my heart. What does my heart say about these people? Can I trust them?
Ignoring their impatience, she assessed them both up and down. After a long period of studying, Aqua decided to go ahead and follow them. It might be her only chance at finding Terra and Ven, after all.
"Lead the way," she announced at last, and the pair turned and stalked lithely into the trees. She hurried to catch up, walking just behind them, busying herself with collecting information.
Judging by their apparel, she was not in a technologically advanced world. That was fine in itself, but that meant she would most likely run into the same problem she always ran into.
Sexist discrimination.
Only because she was a girl and not a boy, and thus she would be considered inferior to any male in combat and would most likely be treated more than a little condescendingly.
Aqua sighed. It wasn't always the case, but…maybe she'd get lucky here.
To distract herself from frightening thoughts of Ven and Terra running into killer wildlife without the whispering wind to guide them, she cleared her throat and remarked in a friendly enough manner, "I've never been here before. Where are we?"
Naantam alone glanced back at her. "This is the forest of the mother land."
Mother land? I see. Told her a bit about their culture. Most likely, they were close to the earth if they used words like that.
(Which was good. She had no quarrel with anyone that showed respect to the world.)
"Tell me about your people," she insisted. "What are you called?"
The shadows gradually began to thin as they re-angled themselves onto a new path, and Aqua heard water bubbling nearby.
It seemed it was Naantam's turn to talk to her, instead of Kocoum's, and their seriousness was a little unnerving. "We are the Powhatans, and have been on this land for countless generations. But, never before have we seen people of your kind. If you are not with the white men, but have their coloring, who are you and your friends allied with?"
"We don't belong here; we…got here by accident," Aqua stated awkwardly.
Kocoum spoke abruptly. "How?"
"Our…ships crashed, after we were caught in an unexpected…storm." She wasn't sure how they'd react to straight up Keyblade Rider magic, so she sought to be as vague about it as possible. The Keybearer trio, after all, had run into some negative response over the arcane arts before. One town even burned "witches" for using magic.
The natives didn't appear to believe her, but neither of them pursued the topic, something she was grateful for.
Aqua cleared a hill and gasped, pausing to gaze at what was laid out neatly before her. Corn fields stretched a good distance in every direction, and there were dirt roads between rows of the stalks. Women with baskets on their heads were collecting the yellow vegetables, and canoes were docked on the banks of a close by river. A few men were fishing, and a small village with somewhat more primitive houses than the Keybearer was used to composed the settlement entirely.
But still, it held a certain charm to it of a peaceful community at work. It was the kind of place where everyone knew each other's names and she bet they met at the big lodge with the hole in its roof pretty often. Smoke poured out of gaps in the huts, and the smell of roasting meat and charred wood was carried to her by the wind.
"First you must speak with Chief Powhatan," Kocoum declared at her side. Naantam looked a little amused at the girl's reaction to the rural community. "Then we might help you find your friends."
"Okay." She nodded resolutely, taking a deep breath and hoping that the leaders would take a little pity on her. She'd put up with sexist comments, if only the natives would assist her in locating Terra and Ventus.
I hope you're both doing okay…
Aqua trailed after the males, feeling more and more sheepish as she felt the curious eyes of dozens touching her skin. She brushed at her azure hair self-consciously, metal shoes scuffing the dirt just a bit.
They scaled a small slope and Naantam stood to the side, holding an animal skin back—a deer's—so Aqua could enter the dwelling. She followed Kocoum inside, but Naantam stayed where he was, letting the hide drop back into place.
The hut was much larger than she had imagined, with decorations on makeshift shelves that were mostly comprised of things that could be carved or crafted from the wild fauna. There was a fire in a pit towards the center, and the floor was dirt, flattened so smoothly that she almost didn't notice.
Nervously, she tugged at her sleeves and stood beside Kocoum as he gestured at her. "Chief Powhatan," he said respectfully. "This woman is named Aqua, and she requests our assistance. Naantam and I saw her speaking with a mother bear, stopping her attack and peacefully sending her away with her child. She claims to be unaligned with the white men, and she wants to locate her missing companions."
Aqua forced her gaze upwards and almost instantly landed on the lined face of the Chief. His red paint was more noticeable than his warriors, and he bore a feathered headdress and a decorated robe embellished with intricate designs. She was almost intimidated by his dark eyes and imposing presence, but there was something about him that reminded her heavily of Master Eraqus.
She decided to speak, since that seemed to be what he was waiting for. "That's right." She used the same courteous bow she reserved for her mentor. "I humbly ask if you would help me find my friends, Terra and Ven."
He didn't say a word at first, just stared at her, and Aqua had the feeling that he was very adept when it came to reading a person. She prayed that he could see past the evident problem of her skin color, otherwise she might end up fleeing from the camp if things took a turn for the worse.
Chief Powhatan stroked his chin once, and then he spoke in a deep, powerful voice that reverberated with years of wisdom. "Kocoum says that you spoke to a mother bear, convinced her to turn away without conflict. How did you do this?"
"I-I heard someone talking to me when the wind blew. A female voice. She said 'listen with your heart, and you will understand'. I did as she directed, sir." Aqua hoped that the word "sir" wasn't unfamiliar to these people, in case she ended up offending someone accidentally.
"A female voice on the wind?" The Chief echoed, his tone neutral. Again he gazed to the side, thoughtful, standing before the female Keybearer with his staff in hand and tapping its worn handle. "Kocoum. Find Kekata, and bring him here."
The native warrior saluted smartly and left without even so much as looking at Aqua. She stood stiffly at attention, like she did when Eraqus was teaching or telling her something important.
The Chief smiled then, and laugh lines spread out across his face. "Relax," he encouraged. "You are in no danger here, so long as you keep the peace."
Gratefully, she slackened her posture to a more natural one. "Sir, if I may, what do you mean by 'the white men'?"
"When we say that, we are referring to the pale ones that have settled on the shore not far from here. They are slicing down trees and tearing into the earth, with little regard for the things that live there. These men are dangerous, Aqua, and if you are truly not one of them…then you would do well to avoid them."
"Thank you for the warning, sir." Aqua knew that she would find Terra there, she just knew it. His luck, after all, was just that bad.
"Where are you from, Aqua?" Chief Powhatan inquired, head tilted slightly. "You are dressed differently, than the men that arrived in the strange crafts."
"My friends and I are from far away. Once we find each other I promise we'll leave you and your people alone," she assured him.
"We shall keep an eye out for any that are similar to you." When Aqua thanked him, he went on. "When Kekata arrives, don't fear him. I sense something in you that he will probably find interesting."
Interesting in a good way, or bad?
The flap opened again, and instead of Kocoum prowling in, Kekata stepped inside. He was a stooped, very old man with long gray hair and a wrinkled face. The only thing that stood out clearly was his eyes, black against his brown skin, bright like feral fire.
"Kekata." the Chief nodded. "This young woman here, is Aqua. There is something about her that is familiar to me."
The shaman turned to the girl and she bowed again, low and formal. He observed her for a few heartbeats, and then he wheezed, "Your hand."
Puzzled, she offered him her hand and he took it, running his warm fingers across her palm. He seemed pretty intrigued by what he found.
"What is it, Kekata?" Chief Powhatan queried, looking just as fascinated as Aqua was flummoxed.
"This girl," he responded. "She has the hands of a warrior, but the fingers of a mother, with a long life line, amongst other things." He released her from his grip, and then he straightened himself and said, "Look me in the eyes."
Aqua did so, and she couldn't help but ponder over his words as she met his dark gaze. She knew without even waiting too long—Kekata was very wise, very old, and very experienced in the ways of the world.
Well, those were the requirements of an elder after all.
Kekata unexpectedly grinned, and it was so sudden that the Keybearer was a bit startled. "She has good eyes. You can trust this one." With that he turned and limped away.
"I have good eyes…?" She repeated, blinking at the Chief questioningly. "What does that mean, exactly?"
He chuckled deep in his throat. "It means you will unite with your friends soon."
~*X*~
Author's Note: Before anyone asks, Aqua gets special treatment from the skeptic natives because she displayed a trait that usually shamans only have—the "communicating with animals" bit she exhibited earned her some interest and even a bit of respect from them. Who we see next depends on you guys! Terra's Point of View, or Ven's for the upcoming chapter?
Expect the next update far sooner now that I've got my act back together. So please, drop a review and tell me who's next. This might end up being three chapters long due to the plot's length, but maybe not.
By the way, "Naantam" means "wolf" I believe in the Powhatan language.