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

Chapter 13

Imagine what the Master would say if he knew that Ven was walking next to the guy who had tried to kill him.

Ven shuddered. No, that wasn't true; it hadn't been Terra trying to kill him. Ven tightened his grip on his keyblade, and scanned the darkness around them. There were so many shadows, so many alcoves and ledges on which a monster could hide. If Ven hated anything, it was this place. He didn't know how the darkness had taken control of Terra's mind, but he was terrified it would happened again, even if Terra was holding his Wayfinder. He clutched his own, yearning to feel the light that had rescued Terra, but he felt nothing other than cool glass. He tried to hide his fear with his usual giddiness, but if Terra's sideways glances were anything to go by, it sounded forced.

He had no idea where they were going, but Terra seemed to know. The older apprentice stumbled about like a drunkard, occasionally lurching to the side before he continued the chase in new direction. He held Earthshaker out in front of him, and Ven could see the orange Wayfinder glowing in his pocket. Ven was supposed to be the fast one, but Terra's furious strides ate up ground like never before, and he had to jog to keep up.

"Are we there yet?" he asked.

Terra grunted. He hadn't said much of anything since that incident at the shack.

The fog drifted around them, following them. It blocked out the buildings, the sky, and even the ground just a few metres in front of them. The lines on the road came in and out of view, but it didn't feel like they were going anywhere.

Terra broke out into a run so abruptly that Ven just stood there. Before the fog could swallow up Terra's form, he jumped and ran after him. Another shadow joined the first, and colour returned just in time for Ven to see Earthshaker clatter to the ground and Terra launching himself at Aqua. Her head was nestled in Terra's chin, and looking thoroughly confused, she patted him awkwardly on the back.

"Aqua!"

"Ven!" She pulled away from Terra and Ven leapt at her, hugging her around the waist. Her hands rested on his shoulders and after a few lonely moments, Terra hugged the both of them. Ven could feel the ball of tension inside Terra unwinding as he slumped against them, and Ven had to readjust his stance to support the extra weight.

"You're okay!" he cried. It was as if none of the freaky things in this town had happened. For all the emotions he felt, they were only separated and after an untroubled journey, reunited once more. The Three Musketeers were back in business.

"I'm fine," Aqua said. "What about you two?"

Terra rubbed the back of his neck. "I've been better," he said, his face red.

"He fell off a building!" Ven added.

Terra hissed his name, but Aqua cut over him with a furious, "What!

"Terra, are you hurt?" That was the end of the hug. Aqua pried one of Terra's eyes open, moved her finger in front of it, and slowly moved the same finger back and forth. "What happened? How did you fall off a building?"

"A monster whacked him in the stomach with a knife, and he fell off," Ven told her helpfully.

Aqua backed away, her hands glowing with a Cura spell. "You were hit in the stomach with a knife?" she repeated, horrified.

"It was the blunt end," Terra hurried to explain. "I'm not hurt; I can show you."

Terra's fingers traced the bottom of his shirt and blushing, Aqua spluttered, "I believe you, Terra."

Terra nodded, a puff of hot air escaping him. Ven felt thoroughly putout as the other two apprentices had one of their moments. It was like watching a mind-numbing sitcom that you couldn't turn off.

Ven was ready to leap between them to shake things up, when Terra raised a hand to play with the loose strands of a scarf tied around Aqua's arm. "Aqua," he said, "what is this for?"

Aqua wrenched her arm away. "Nothing," she claimed. She smiled softly, staring at the scarf as she said, "I thought it looked pretty."

Terra accepted her answer, but Ven wasn't so naïve. "You're lying," he said bluntly. "It's covering something."

Terra gave him one of those Ven stop being ridiculous! looks, but Ven ignored him. Tapping his foot, he glared at Aqua. While even he could be a pretty good liar when he needed to, Aqua was a horrible one, and she broke down under his stare.

"I was bit by something, and it bruised pretty badly," she admitted.

Terra, being the genius he was, immediately tried to pry the scarf off. Aqua swatted him away with a squawk, exclaiming, "Terra, I said I was bruised, not that I wanted bruises!"

He backed off, but he and Ven bore into her with their eyes. She avoided their stares, but no doubt she could feel them burning a hole in her head.

"Guys, please."

Terra wouldn't budge. "Take off the scarf," he said. Ven stood next to him, arms crossed, and together they formed an unstoppable force of manliness.

Aqua caved under their combined manly strength. She unwrapped her arm, revealing it for all to see. She was right; it had bruised badly. The bruises were black in colour, and the area around them was red and inflamed.

"Spells don't seem to work on them," Aqua said, "but it's fine. It doesn't hurt that much."

Ven faintly heard Terra growl. Clearly, the oldest apprentice still thought it hurt too much. "What did it?" he asked.

Warning bells went off in Ven's mind. That tone Terra used was not a good tone. Usually, when he heard it at the Land of Departure, he would run away and hide under his bed (or Aqua's). Bad things happened when Terra spoke like that. Last time, it had been in Port Royal, where Ven and Terra had snuck onto a pirate ship and were caught. Terra ended up destroying the entire ship after one of the pirates had waved a knife at Ven.

That was one of those adventures they decided to keep secret from Aqua and the Master.

"I took care of it, Terra. You can stop worrying." A flicker of unease in her eyes betrayed Aqua's lie, but Ven kept silent because he, too, did not want to be responsible for a Terra-style rampage.

Terra's tone lightened a bit. "Okay, that's good. Shall we go home, then?"

Home. The relief that swept over him was so great, that Ven felt like he was floating. It seemed like he hadn't been there for such a long time, though in truth it was only a few days. He welcomed the Master's trials now; they sounded like a vacation after all of this. Terra had a similar dreamy look on his face, and Aqua just smiled normally. That was good; it meant that she hadn't faced the things he and Terra had.

They raised their hands to their shoulders, preparing to summon their armour.

"My, my, you have grown."

They turned. Two hooded figures stared back at them. Both of them were taller than the apprentices were, and their black cloaks outlined muscles. One of the pair pulled down his hood, and suddenly, Ven was facing a grizzled man with dreadlocks and thick sideburns framing his face.

"Ah, Terra," the black-haired man said, "it has been so long since we last met."

The man was expressionless, but his drawling voice was laced with scorn. A smirk would not be out of place on the man's face. He clasped his hands together behind his back, walking in a large circle around the three apprentices.

"Do you remember me, Terra? I certainly remember you." When Terra shook his head, the man chuckled darkly and said, "Lexaeus, perhaps your presence will help our friend."

The other man dropped his hood. Ven gasped; this red-haired man was bigger and more muscular than Terra – he didn't think that was possible. Lexaeus surveyed his surroundings with disinterest, though something dark flickered in those blue eyes when they landed on Terra.

"Raising any memories?" said the black-haired man from behind them. "I wouldn't think that you would forget us."

Indeed, Terra's mouth had dropped open, and Ven wasn't sure if he was breathing.

The man's bushy eyebrows rose. "Ah, I must apologize. I forgot about our guests. My name is Xaldin."

He extended a hand. Aqua, being her, hesitated only for a moment before shaking it. Ven was more wary. His hand was engulfed by the other's cold touch, and it sent a shiver up his spine.

"What do you want?" Terra asked hoarsely.

"Justice." They whipped around as Lexaeus spoke.

"Justice?" Aqua echoed. "For what?"

Terra choked. He was shaking his head frantically, not at Aqua, but at Xaldin. Xaldin did not change expression, even as he dropped the bomb.

"Your friend is a fugitive, didn't you know?" The smile that crossed Xaldin's face was terrible. "He killed someone."

What. Ven smacked his ear, certain he had misheard. The Terra he knew would never do that. A dark corner of his mind wandered back to the incident at the shack, and he wondered if Terra had ever been taken over by darkness before.

"You have the wrong person," Ven said confidently, as Aqua nodded beside him. "Terra wouldn't kill anyone. Right, Terra?"

He and Aqua turned to their friend, waiting for his vehement agreement. However, the colour had drained from Terra's face and he seemed incapable of speaking. As the seconds ticked by, Ven's confidence slipped away. In its place, doubt took root.

"Terra?" Aqua prompted.

Xaldin laughed again. "It's always the quiet ones."

Aqua spoke up in Terra's defense. "No, no! Terra would never hurt anyone unless he had no choice. I don't care for whatever sick game you're playing, leave him alone!"

Xaldin stepped closer. "Then why don't you explain to the lady who killed Officer Fair, Terra?"

"Stop!" Terra choked out. He backed away from Xaldin like a wounded animal, almost staggering straight into Lexaeus' chest.

"No," Xaldin said simply.

"Terra, who's Officer Fair?" Ven asked.

Panic was starting to show itself on Terra's face. His chin whipped from side to side as he kept track of the two cloaked men, and he backpedalled whenever one was too close. He wouldn't even let Ven or Aqua near him.

"Terra, just tell us you didn't do it," Aqua begged.

"I . . ." The tortured word said it all.

Ven's heart stopped. He was shaking, but he could barely feel it through the numbness that encased his body. Unconsciously, he mouthed the word no over and over again. He refused to believe it. Terra was kind, gentle, if not a little idiotic; a killer couldn't lurk beyond that. It made no logical sense that he would ever harm someone.

"You see, children, Terra isn't the person you think he is." Xaldin seemed to be taking great pleasure in watching their world crumble. "He was a brat, a petty criminal. One day, he was caught shoplifting by Lexaeus and Officer Fair."

"We were both officers in the same department," Lexaeus said.

"They confronted Terra with no expectations of violence. But," Xaldin's smile was razor-sharp, "your friend is full of surprises. One moment they were talking, and then Terra pulled out a weapon out of thin air and stabbed Officer Fair right through the chest."

"No," Aqua breathed.

"I happened to be wandering by at that point, and witnessed his last breath. We arrested Terra afterwards, naturally, and were ready to punish him from his crimes. Only what do I learn?" He threw his hands up, laughing merrily. "Some man claiming to be a keyblade master had taken him away! I will assume that the same man disciplined you properly, or did he just give you a stern lecture?"

"Shut up," Terra said. His shoulders were shaking.

Xaldin continued as if Terra had never spoken. "It appears the great keyblade warriors are nothing more than murderers and cowards."

Terra bowed his head, and Ven could hear him sucking in deep breaths to keep himself calm.

"Perhaps your master saw himself in you. How much blood do you think stains his hands?"

At the unprovoked inclusion of their Master, both Ven and Aqua had bristled. However, their reaction was nothing compared to Terra's. At first, it looked like Xaldin's words had torn out the eldest apprentice's soul, leaving nothing but an empty husk behind. Then his head had snapped up, and everyone could see the shadows swirling in his eyes. Earthshaker appeared in a burst of black flames and with a wild roar, he pushed Ven aside and swung at Xaldin's head.

A giant red and black weapon crashed down and stopped Terra in his tracks. Now, Ven saw just why Lexaeus had so much muscle. The axe-sword screeched as it shifted on the ground, and Ven was reminded of another giant blade.

As soon as Terra had made the first move, Aqua and Ven had automatically summoned their keyblades. Lexaeus had his out, and Xaldin now pulled out two lances and spun them in his hands. The air between Xaldin and Terra crackled like an electric storm, and Ven was sure they could all hear his heart pounding as the faceoff lengthened.

It was Aqua's whispered plead that convinced Terra to back down. She rubbed his shoulder, calmed him, and subtly guided him away from the two men. But Ven could see that she was fighting back tears, and with a dull horror, he realized that Aqua believed them.

And Xaldin couldn't keep his mouth shut. "It's a shame you weren't there, miss, the night Officer Fair died."

Terra snarled. Aqua tightened her grip on him, and Ven rushed forwards to help. Then something very strange happened. Aqua let Terra go and jumped away, tumbling into Ven, and the two of them fell to the ground as a ball of darkness shot from Terra's hand. Xaldin and Lexaeus dodged out of the way and exchanging grim looks, they suddenly turned tail and fled into the fog.

Terra did not follow them. Ven tried to stand, but Aqua was sprawled across his chest, and she didn't seem to be moving. In fact, her lip trembled as she brought her hands close to her chest. Her wrists twisted a little, and that was all Ven needed to see that the skin was black, burnt.

Aqua's face contorted in agony. Before she could hurt any more, Ven cast a Curaga spell. The green glow enveloped her, eating away at the burns. He looked up when he heard a sudden gasp; Terra had seen everything.

"Aqua, I'm so sorry."

She finally got off Ven, and he scrambled to his feet. Aqua remained on the ground, staring at it like it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen.

Terra tried again, "Aqua . . ."

"Is it true?" she asked harshly.

"Of course not!" Ven snapped.

Terra grabbed his shoulder. He gave Ven a meaningful look before turning to Aqua. "It is," he said quietly.

She buried her head in her hands, and they could barely hear her say, "How could you?"

"I was a kid, and I was scared! I didn't mean to do it!"

"You didn't mean to stab a man through the heart," Aqua said waspishly.

Terra pulled at his hair. "You don't have the whole story," he said, "it's not what you think."

"You killed someone."

"It was an accident!"

In the aftermath of Terra's explosion, Ven was left shaking and cold. Black flames had travelled up Terra's arms and like a fire, the sight had burned Ven's insides and left nothing but ashes. Aqua had summoned Rainfell and despite himself, Ven had instinctively cupped his throat. Upon seeing the panicked, defensive reaction of his best friends, Earthshaker slipped from Terra's fingers. Without a backwards glance, he fled and left them behind.

"Terra, wait!" Ven ran after him, and his voice startled Aqua into action. Terra was the slowest of them all, and he couldn't have gotten far with his headstart. However, no matter where they looked, they couldn't find him. Deep in his mind, Ven had known that they wouldn't from the second Terra disappeared into the fog.

"Why did you do that, Aqua?" Ven couldn't express the anguish he felt. They had been close, so close to getting out of here. Now he had Aqua back, but Terra was gone. At least Terra would have his Wayfinder to find them again.

Aqua shook her head, mortified. "I don't know."

She appeared remorseful enough, but that was no excuse. "You're awful, Aqua."

Aqua bowed her head, and he felt bad for upsetting her further.

"I want to go home," he whimpered.

Aqua closed the distance and hugged him. Her face was buried in his spikes as she whispered, "I know."

Ven sobbed and hugged back, and they held each other as the snow fell around them.

Murderer.

"Shut up!" Terra half-sobbed.

The voice did not. It continued to taunt him, replaying memories of his friends' horrified faces. Each time they flashed in front of his mind, a spasm of pain went through him. He had promised Master Eraqus and himself that he would protect them, even if it meant committing the greatest sacrifice. Now look at him: in his haste to attack Xaldin, he had hurt Aqua; and in his stupidity, he had almost killed Ven. He was a failure, a monster. Xaldin and Lexaeus were right to demand justice.

His legs burned, but he couldn't stop running. He had to get as far away as he could from his friends. He was too dangerous to be around.

Things moved in the fog. He relished the thought of monsters lurking there. It would be nice to charge at them and forget. For him, the whirlwind of a good battle was better at clearing his mind than getting drunk. In a fight, only he and his opponent mattered; the rest of the world didn't exist.

"Come on, come and get me!" he cried.

He turned in a circle, Earthshaker humming with power. The shadows fled when he stared at them, and he collapsed against a wall. Staring blankly ahead of him, he realized that one shadow had not fled. This one had a humanoid figure, about Ven's height. He would have thought it was Ven, if the shadow had spiky hair.

"Oh, Terra," said a silky, mocking voice, "what are you going to do now? Your so-called friends know the truth, and they hate you."

"They do not!" he snapped back, ignoring how that had been the very thought he had moments before.

The voice laughed wildly. "Don't be naïve – of course they do. You've committed a crime that goes against everything they stand for. In their minds, you're nothing but a traitor."

He tasted blood as he bit down on his lip. He wanted to be one hundred percent confident when he said that they didn't hate him. The problem was that he couldn't be. He had no idea what they thought of him, and if they did hate him, he wouldn't blame them.

"You have nothing left," the voice said, "just give up and rest for a bit. You'll feel better after."

Though the voice grated against his ears and the undertones of menace were clearly audible, Terra found it soothing. His Wayfinder started to glow, and he stared at it, puzzled.

"Ignore it," the voice said. "Light isn't the all-consuming force of good. You need darkness too."

Terra was hesitant to trust that advice. He remembered all too well what had happened the last time he threw it away.

The fog lifted a little, and the figure came into focus. The organic-looking bodysuit that covered the boy was no lighter than his shadow had been. His clasped hands were behind his back, eerily similar to how Xaldin had looked.

"You don't need to let it go," the boy said, "just ignore it for a bit. Rest. It will make you feel better, I promise."

Terra glanced between the masked boy and the Wayfinder. The idea of sleeping was so tempting, but he was afraid of what would happen if he did rest.

The boy walked closer and gently grabbed Terra's wrist. Slowly, he guided it back to Terra's chest, and dumped the Wayfinder in his pocket.

"Go on, sleep," the boy said. "I'll give you a shout if any monsters show up."

Terra was silent for almost a minute. Then, he cautiously nodded. He let his eyes drift shut and focused on his breathing. In no time, the nothingness of sleep claimed him.

Behind his mask, the boy grinned.