I don't own anything associated with Kingdom Hearts or Silent Hill. They belong to Disney/Square Enix and Konami respectively.

So, someone commented on my other story that the proper name for Aqua's keyblade is Rainfell instead of Rainfall. I went through this story and fixed that, but if I missed one or two instances, tell me please.

Anyways, a lighter chapter before things start getting dark again.

Chapter 5

The world was spinning.

There were two buildings Ven observed as he lay on the grass. They swayed back and forth, circling each other, blurring like a photo that wasn't quite in focus. The image blacked out, then returned in bits and pieces as he rubbed his eyes open with the back of his hand. His hand stretched out in front of him, multiplied and soon, copies were dancing everywhere. Awesome.

The buildings collided, fusing as feeling returned to his arms and legs. Ven sat up, rubbing his stiff neck as he took in his surroundings. The kaleidoscope-effect slowly faded away, so that all the copies became one again, and he was able to see that he was in a yard of some sorts. Yeah, that was about all he had.

Funny, he was pretty sure he hadn't gone to sleep here. First things first, Ven ran his fingers through his hair, examined his clothes and checked out his reflection in a nearby puddle. Okay, no signs of Terra pulling a prank on him, but you could never be sure. Schooling his face into one of nervousness, Ven stood and wobbled around with all the grace of a baby penguin. He cried out Aqua's name, letting his voice quiver.

When she didn't rush out to meet him, Ven decided that this wasn't one of Terra's tricks. Terra wouldn't have been able to do this without Aqua knowing and if she was anywhere nearby, she would have revealed herself by now. Aqua couldn't resist him when he was scared; or when he was happy; or when he was pouting; or anytime, really.

Well, on to Plan B. Ven pulled a scroll out of his pocket, and rolled it open on the ground. After a few incidents where Ven had wandered off in the middle of the night, Terra and Aqua had made him write Ven's Handy Guide to Dealing with Sleepwalking! That name was all his; Aqua had just wanted a general list of what Ven should do if he found himself alone, and Terra had wanted a list entitled Ven's Guide of What to Do When He's Done Something Stupid (to which Aqua had reminded Terra that Ven hadn't been the one to set the Master's clothes on fire).

"Step one," Ven read aloud, "see if you know where you are."

Well, last night he was sure he had gone to bed on a mountain. Plus, he was certain that there hadn't been a building around. It was pretty flat here. He studied the grass at his feet, reasoned that it was probably a comfier bed than the rocky ground that Terra had slept on, and smirked.

He wasn't injured, that was the second item on the list. The third was to figure out what sort of supplies he had. Well, he had his keyblade, and the list. He didn't expect anything else, but then his eyes panned over to a torn-apart, empty, very familiar backpack.

"Aw, crud!" The backpack had held the trio's supplies and Terra's snacks.

Terra was going to kill him.

According to the list, he was supposed to sit still until Terra and Aqua found him. So he crossed his arms behind his head, settled down, and watched the clouds. Or the fog, he guessed.

The cold air licked his skin. Ven shivered, dislodging some snow from where it had fallen on his shirt. Man, it was cold. He hugged his knees to his chest, tucking his head in. Yes, Terra or Aqua could show up now, that would be great, thanks.

Ugh. If he knew it would be so cold, he would have brought a sweater. As it was, Ven ran around the yard a few times until steam was practically rising from him. He wasn't leaving the yard, so technically he was staying . . .

Hey, was that a dog?

He could only see the dog's shadow through the fog. The head perked up when Ven whistled, however, it made no move to come closer. So Ven took it upon himself to make the first move. The dog ran, but Ven was faster.

He chased it around the building, and up a set of stairs. "Got you . . . huh?"

This dog was weird; it was green. Try as he might, Ven couldn't find its eyes. Oh, well. It wasn't that important, right?

"Here, doggie."

Ven softly clicked his tongue, and the dog twitched as if it had been electrocuted. He stared in confusion as the dog bared its teeth, and only backed up himself when it stepped forwards. Okay, it was a little too close now. Ven smiled, laughing nervously.

He found his back against a wall. He could see the pink of the gums above a set of very big teeth. Ven scanned the area beyond the stairs, searching for an escape, but only managed to freak himself out. Below, where stone met dirt, was a field of battered graves. They jutted out of the ground at odd angles, as if they had been hurriedly placed and no one had bothered to fix them.

A slit of light appeared to his left. With the great sound of rock scraping on rock, a door slowly opened outwards. Ven glanced at it, then the snarling dog, and then made a run for it. The dog barked, chasing after him.

By the time he reached the door, he was close enough to catch a glimpse of a pale face framed by blonde hair. Green eyes widened as the man raised his hand in an order to stop. Ven skidded to a halt, arms wheeling. Unfortunately, his balance wasn't so quick to adapt.

"Wah!"

Without any arm to prop it open, the door slammed shut. Faint barks came from the other side and Ven, on his stomach, pumped his fist in victory. His victorious grin faltered though when his hands met fabric.

Blue eyes looked down and met green. Oh. This was awkward.

"Get off of me!"

Ven blushed, scrambling to his feet. The man he had landed upon rose too, smoothing his black coat with furious swipes.

"You dare to assault my person! I won't have it; someone of my position doesn't have to put up with this . . ."

Ven watched in fascination as the man's face grew red. He was practically frothing at the mouth. Ven considered that, wondering if he should back up. If the man did begin to froth, then Ven had no wish to be in the direct path of any spit. But how to do it sneakily? He crossed his arms, deep in thought.

" . . . have your head, I will. You're just an insect compared to . . ."

Maybe he should try a Reflect spell? Nah, the man would definitely see it. Let's see: if he was Terra, he would just stand around looking really uncomfortable and it probably wouldn't even occur to him to get out of the way. That was no help. Aqua probably would have talked her way out of the situation by now. He sighed; he wasn't so sure he could pull that off.

". . . are you even listening to me, boy?" Ven jumped as the man shrieked. "I will not tolerate such disrespect!"

Just then, another deeper voice cut through the ruckus. "Vexen, what is the meaning of this?"

"S-Superior!" So much for the red. Instead, Vexen's face lost all colour. "This boy attacked me. I demand that he receive a due punishment!"

The Superior was quiet for a long time. His orange eyes looked over every inch of Vexen, and then latched on to Ven. Ven gasped; except for the silver hair and black coat, this man looked so much like an older Terra. So entranced was he by this discovery, that Ven kept staring blankly at the Superior's face. The Superior stared at him in turn.

"You appear unharmed to me, Vexen." The Superior spoke softly, but Vexen still flinched as though he had taken a whip to his back. "Our friend here does not seem to be of the wicked sort; it was an accident, I presume?"

Ven nodded vigorously.

"You see: there was no harm meant." Vexen spluttered, but fell silent when the Superior turned to him. "Return to your duties. I shall see to our guest."

Vexen scurried off.

With a grand sweep of his arm, the Superior officially invited Ven in. Now that he wasn't being yelled at or chased by rabid dogs, Ven was finally able to see just what the building was: a church. The rows upon rows of pews declared that it had to be.

"Wow," he breathed. At other end of the church, beams of lights filtered through three stained glass windows. They were huge, almost half the size of the wall – and the church wasn't too small to begin with. Each window featured a gowned person, one with a green colour scheme, one red, and one blue.

"Magnificent, is it not?"

"It sure is, uh . . ."

"You may call me Xemnas. What is your name?"

"Ventus, but my friends call me Ven."

Xemnas' gaze drifted upwards. "And am I your friend, Ventus?" Before Ven could answer, Xemnas chuckled. "Yes, yes it would appear I am."

"Err, okay." Ven scratched the back of his neck. "This may be a dumb question, but where am I?"

"In Silent Hill, the home to the power of darkness itself. Through those windows you cannot tell, but this place is wreathed in perpetual twilight. Here, morning is night. And night?" Ven thought he saw the barest hint of a smirk on Xemnas' face. "The nights here are but the deepest depths of darkness, Ventus. You would do well to stay in this church. Only here may you find safety."

"I'd like to, really, but I'm sure my friends are looking for me."

"You need not worry about them. Whether it is the darkness or their hearts that compel them, they, too, will stand in this chapel. The path they walk now does not matter, for from the very moment they touched your heart, it became their destiny."

" . . . I don't understand," Ven said.

"In time, all will become clear. Come." A firm hand placed itself on Ven's back, guiding him forwards. "I will show you where you may spend the night."

Ven tore himself away from the man. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'm going to look for my friends."

Xemnas' was still, his fingers spread as if they were still pushing on Ven's back. He closed his eyes. "Such foolishness. For the sake of your friends, you deny the wisdom of one with experience. It is almost . . . pitiful what sway the light has over you. An insult, though one that should have been expected."

Ven bristled. "Take that back!"

Xemnas ignored him. Like a spirit, he seemed to glide along the floor past him. The church doors flew open at his touch. He smiled serenely, arms rising so that he looked like someone basking in the sun. "Tell me, what do you see, Ventus?"

Ven shrugged. "Fog?"

"Yes, for now. From the very beginning of time, the fog has shrouded Silent Hill: a town of shadows, a nest for a sleeping God. Now he has woken, and his ascension is almost complete. Your heart may be strong, Ventus, but you cannot survive, for if our God wills it, the darkness will transform this town into a horror even your greatest nightmares fail to envision. Stay here, Ventus."

Ven shook his head, fighting back the creeping feeling of dread. "I can't."

There was a minute shift. Ven wasn't sure what happened, but suddenly Xemnas seemed to be radiating energy. "I insist that you do."

"No!" Ven didn't mean to shout, but the hairs were rising on the back of his neck. He threw his hand out behind him, ready to summon his keyblade.

And the wave of energy dissipated. There was one last pulse, like electricity was dancing on his skin. Then that faded too. "I suppose it makes no difference," Xemnas said. "Either way, in time, your heart will return to the darkness from whence it came. Take this, Ventus." From underneath his cloak, Xemnas pulled out a flashlight which he pressed into Ven's chest. "Sometimes," he said, "it becomes . . . difficult to see outside. Mind you don't lose your way."

Ven said nothing as he stepped outside. The dog was gone, but Ven couldn't help but feel tense; Xemnas' ominous words hung over him. Behind him, the doors slammed shut, cutting him off from the light of the church. Now, the only thing to light his way was the bit of the sun that navigated its way through the fog. He experimentally turned the flashlight on, but it did little to help him.

"I did exactly what you told me to; isn't that enough?"

That was a girl's voice. Ven looked around curiously; there was nothing in front of him, save the stairs and graves. However, in a spot to the far right, he could barely make out the outline of a person. Ven shouted a greeting, waving his hands wildly, and ran down the stairs. Not one person there was, but two. From this distance, the difference in the forms' sizes was similar to Terra and him.

The taller figure was a man with a ponytail. The man's single amber eye gleamed as he grinned. The other eye was covered with a pirate's eye patch, positioned on the opposite side of a massive scar upon his left cheek.

"So, you did, but I hear there was a little bit of, ah, hesitation." The man looked up suddenly, straight at Ven. "Well, what do we have here?" he asked. "This your doing, Xion?"

The other person, a girl, shook her head. She kept her distance from Ven, even as Ven bounded up to them.

"Actually, I woke up here. I think I was sleepwalking," Ven explained.

"Sleepwalking?" The man laughed and ruffled Ven's hair. "That's cute, kid. Name's Xigbar. This here," he jerked a thumb at the small girl standing at his shoulder, "is Poppet."

Poppet? That was a funny name. The girl seemed to share that thought, for she murmured, "It's Xion" under her breath.

"I'm Ventus."

"Ventus, huh?" Xigbar clicked his tongue. "Been hearing your name a lot lately." Before he could elaborate, Xigbar stiffened as if receiving some unknown signal. "Sorry, dudes, but it looks like the Boss wants me." Xigbar placed one hand on Ven's shoulder, one on Xion's, and shoved them together so that their heads almost collided. "Play nicely."

"He's heard my name before?" Ven repeated, confused. He turned to Xion who had been doing her best to sneak away.

"He hasn't seen you before if that's what you're worried about."

"But how did he hear it?"

Xion went still, looking both scared and annoyed. "Some outsiders were asking about you."

"Outsiders?" It hit him. "You mean Aqua and Terra! Have you seen them?"

"I . . ."

"That's amazing!" Ven bounced up and down on his heels. He ran down the cobblestone path, racing back when Xion failed to follow and asked, "Where are they? They're not too mad at me, are they? I mean, Terra can't be that angry that I took his snacks." He paused for a second to deliberate. "Well, he can be pretty cranky in the morning, but he was alone with Aqua, so he's probably in a good mood."

Xion glanced around, and then raised her hood so that it hid her face completely. "I haven't met Terra."

"Really, he wasn't with Aqua? Weird," he added upon further thought. "Do you know where she is?"

"Not right now."

"Somebody's got to know where they are," Ven muttered, eyeing the fog around him suspiciously. He brightened up. "Hey, want to help me look for them. I mean I've never been here before, so you can be like a map – one that I can talk to."

"I guess," she shuffled her feet, "but. . ."

Xion yelped as he grabbed her arm. "Great, let's go!" The two of them flew down the path. Well, Ven did and he dragged Xion along.

"Slow down!" Xion demanded. She dug her heels in, resisting, and Ven struggled to move forwards like a dog straining at his collar. "We don't even know where we're going."

"Oh, okay. So, where do you want to go?"

Upon the point of a rusted, metal fence, a raven cawed. It cocked its head to one side, then another, studying the two with its amber eyes. The darkness of the bird's feathers was oddly striking in the swirls of snow that coiled around it. A hoarse gurgle escaped from it, almost like it was laughing, before it took off and darted down the road.

"We'll go that way," Xion declared.

"We're following the bird?"

Xion didn't answer, and Ven wasn't sure if she bumped into his shoulder on purpose.

Ven did his best to start a conversation, but it had suddenly become difficult to get more than a one-word answer from her. Xion steadfastly avoided looking at him too, reaching the point where Ven wriggled his hands in front of his face just to prove he was there. She was a silent guide, a ghost who seemed to blink in and out of existence. Luckily, he had always thought ghosts were cool.

"Do you always wear those black coats?"

"Yes."

"Who are you guys anyways?"

"The Order."

Hooray! That was two words. Ven mentally whooped, sure that he was finally getting her to open up.

"And you worship this God?"

"Yes."

"Who is?"

Xion's pace sped up, so that she moved ahead of him. But he wasn't named after the wind for nothing. He barely skimmed the sidewalk as he matched her pace for pace. He flashed a brilliant, trade-marked smile at her, but when Xion shied away, the energy to maintain it simply disappeared.

"You don't have to come with me if you don't want to," he said.

"What?" Xion wrenched her gaze away from the ground. "Oh, no, it's not your fault, Ventus. I'm sorry; I haven't been very good company."

He didn't want to admit that was true, so he switched topics, mumbling, "You seem like you're sad."

"Well, yes, that's true, but you really don't have to worry about me."

"But I want to!" Ven puffed out his chest, delivering his best macho impression.

Xion sighed. "Ventus . . ."

"Call me Ven!" His chest still puffed out, he offered his hand.

His bold actions finally earned a smile. It was a delicate thing, frail, and completely worth it. Her hands felt small compared to his own, and the handshake was shy at best.

"Okay, Ven." She rolled the name around, testing it, and then glanced at him for his approval. So he did what he did best: smiled.

"It's almost disturbing how nice you are," she remarked. Some ice clung to her words, but unlike before, it carried a bit of expression.

"Why? Are people usually mean to you?"

"Sort of, but no one has very much kindness in their hearts here, so it's to be expected. The town doesn't usually call people unless their light is dim."

"Huh?"

"Forget I said that!" Xion rushed to say. Ven opened his mouth, but she cut across him, begging, "Please, Ven, drop it!"

He exhaled and did as she asked. It wasn't that he was frustrated, per say, but he was confused. What was up with girls and refusing to answer perfectly legitimate questions? Aqua always did that, too, when he made comments about how she and Terra should get together. One of these days, it was going to drive him insane.

"I'm sorry, Ven, but there's some stuff I shouldn't talk about."

"Who's going to hear you?"

"Anyone could be hiding in this," she beckoned to the fog, "I don't want to risk it."

Fair enough. It's not like it was going to kill him if he didn't know. He nodded his appreciation, settling into position beside Xion, walking easily now that she had slowed down.

They reached another fork in the road, where they hovered for a minute. Ven found the raven first, perched on a pole directly across from them. Xion turned reluctantly, her blue eyes darkening as she found the source of Ven's enthusiastic pointing. Her shoulders slumped, and without even looking at him, she led him down that road, past the pole and further on, until the bird was nothing more than a speck.