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

Chapter 14

Neither of them spoke; there was nothing to say. Terra had left, and they had no way of finding him. Ven had assured her that Terra had a way of coming back to them, and that once he stopped –as stated by Ven - being silly, he would. Aqua cracked a smile, but really, she just wanted to break down. When Xaldin had first told her about Terra's past, she had been so shocked and hurt that Terra never trusted her enough to tell her, that she had spoken without thinking. She hadn't understand why, how Terra could commit such a crime, and she had grown more and more stressed when he refused to deny it. In retrospect, she should be proud that he didn't, but in those moments, it felt like he had spat on her mother's grave.

In the meantime, while they waited for Terra, she and Ven had decided to seek sanctuary in the shack in the apartment's courtyard. She hadn't been too keen on that idea, since she and Terra had somehow failed to meet each other there before, but Ven was correct in that it would shelter them from the snow, and it was closer than Brookhaven. Still, as Aqua remembered the warmth of the place, she couldn't help but think the trip would have been worth it.

Wind rattled the walls. Ven looked up, frightened, and inched closer to her. Since Terra had disappeared, Ven had taken the definition of clinginess to an entirely new level. At first, he had been fine, if not agitated. But then he had rounded a corner, moved out of her eyesight for an instant, and the next second he was back and burrowing into her side, mumbling about air sirens. Bemused, Aqua told him that she hadn't heard anything, and this just made him cling to her tighter. He hadn't strayed more than half a metre away after that, and he always made sure Aqua was within his sight.

He had relaxed a little since they entered the shack, but every sound still caused him to freeze up. Aqua had tried to wrestle out of him why he was so distressed, but Ven had shook his head and told her that she wouldn't understand.

"It's cold," Ven croaked. "I wish Terra hadn't taken my sweater."

She was just about to ask him what sweater when the back of her neck prickled. She stood, slowly as not to alarm Ven, and turned to face the shack's door. In the short time between now and when she had last been here, the handle had been broken and as a result, it wouldn't shut. As she watched it flap in the wind, all those childhood warnings about locking your door rang through her mind.

She eased forwards, gently opening it. The thick fog hid everything, and except for the prints she and Ven had left, the sheet of snow was untouched. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that something else was here with them.

"Aqua?" By now, Ven had picked up on her worry. He stood too, summoning Wayward Wind.

"Maybe we should go to Brookhaven," she said. She couldn't explain it, but it didn't feel safe here anymore.

"Go outside?" Ven choked out.

"Ven, is there something out there?"

Eyes closed, he shook his head. His jaw clenched.

"It's a lot warmer in Brookhaven, and it's safe," she said, echoing what Naminé had told her.

Ven didn't look at her. "I don't think . . ."

She heard his breath hitch. Distantly, so faint it may have been her imagination, there was the sound of metal scraping against rock.

"Or maybe we should go," Ven said quickly. He towed Aqua into the yard, spinning in a full circle as he took in their surroundings. She wasn't sure what he was looking for.

Ven took off, making for the gate to the courtyard. His tight grip on her wrist was cutting off her circulation, and any attempts she made to shake him off only made it tighter.

"Ven, what's going on?"

"Just trust me," he said breathlessly.

They found themselves in the street, Ven bouncing from foot to foot as Aqua studied the map. At all times, he had physical contact with her, and it was beginning to annoy – and frighten – her.

"Ven, tell me what's wrong."

He stared at her, torn. "Me and Terra met a monster," he said, biting his lip. "It wasn't a heartless, and it was really big and scary."

"Okay . . ." Terra wasn't the type to back down from a challenge, so she wasn't sure where Ven was going with this.

"It threw him off a building," Aqua gasped, remembering the tale the two boys had told her, "and then it chased me though a clinic. There was something wrong with it, Aqua. I couldn't hurt it!"

"There's something wrong with this town," she murmured.

"I heard it in the shack," Ven said. "I heard its knife."

So it wasn't just her imagination. "Do you think it's following us?"

"I don't know!" Ven grabbed his hair in his hands, seemingly unaware of the fact that he was rocking back and forth. "I thought it was stuck in that world."

That world. Was Ven saying that there were things other than them that could travel between worlds? She chided herself for the surprise that resounded through her thoughts. It was arrogant to believe that keybladers, that they, were the only ones capable of navigating the gummy-space. Yet she would have thought that the Master would have brought up that subject, if only so the boys wouldn't chase after any random stranger they saw touring the worlds.

"Come on, Ven. If it finds us, we'll take care of it."

Ven bit his lip nervously. His hand slid into hers and held it tight, something that hadn't happened since the early days where a mute Ven had first ventured outside the castle. Hiding a frown, she squeezed back comfortingly. Ven immediately coloured and looked down, but he didn't let go.

The fog seemed to close in around them. Ven was right next to her, she could feel his hand's warmth in hers, but he seemed distant, like there was a glass barrier between them. However, this barrier was more in a mental sense in that whenever Aqua concentrated too hard on Ven's wellbeing, something pushed back in the depths of her mind. It was almost like a message, a warning that Ven's troubles were the least of her worries. She shivered again as the wind crept over her neck. The feeling of being watched had returned.

"Ven, what did this monster look like?"

"It was big, bigger than Terra. I don't know if it had eyes – it had this giant helmet on – but I could feel it staring at me."

Her heart was in her throat. "Did the helmet look like a pyramid?"

Ven looked at her with horror, dread, and a flurry of other emotions that passed by too quickly for her to indentify. "You saw it, too?"

Snapshots of a childish drawing, of a gravestone bearing Ven's name, flashed through her mind. Her heart jumped and dove back down her throat into her stomach, shuddering. "Not in person," she said quietly.

Ven nodded with relief. "Good."

Aqua asked, "What is it?"

"I'm not sure," Ven said. "It –"

He was interrupted by another voice. "Aren't you sure?"

An eerie laugh echoed in the streets. Aqua pushed Ven behind her as she searched for the source of the sound. The hard bone of Ven's shoulders pressed against her, and they stood back to back, keyblades appearing in a flash of light. They could see the edge of a tall building, the outline of a streetlamp on one side and a bench on the other, but there was no telling where the stranger was.

"Who's there?" Aqua said.

Another chuckle. "I think you know."

Vanitas. The word caressed her mind, as sinister and deadly as a serpent's hiss. The syllables left a dull ache behind, and with a frown, she rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Not you again!" The venom in Ven's voice caught her off guard, and she glanced up to see the shadow of Vanitas' figure in front of her. The fog hid most of his form from scrutiny, but a glimmer of light bounced off his domed helmet.

"Oh, Ventus, still alive, I see." Vanitas raised a gloved hand and idly examined it. "I thought you would be missing an arm by now. Did you at least enjoy the ride?"

Ven strode past her, an uncharacteristic snarl on his face. "You sent me to that place!"

"I didn't send you anywhere," Vanitas said. "If the darkness came for you, then that must mean you're hiding some pretty interesting secrets deep in that heart of yours."

Vanitas stepped forwards. The red markings on his chest glistened, as if made of blood. With the air of someone about to declare checkmate, he sneered, "Just like Terra."

Ven lunged. Vanitas burst out laughing again, and with a burst of purple fire, he summoned a dark keyblade to meet Ven's own. The resulting clang made her ears ring and just as Ven was bringing his keyblade back for another swing, Aqua cast a Reflect spell between the boys. The bright blue barrier shocked Ven, and he retreated back, Wayward Wind dragging along the ground.

"You should keep him on a leash," Vanitas said to her.

She ignored him and turned to Ven, placing a comforting pressure on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Ven nodded. The barrier seemed to waver with the force of his glare.

She rubbed his back, and looked up at the dark boy who watched them with his head cocked to one side. "I'm the one he attacked," Vanitas said. "Don't I get some sympathy?"

She swallowed down her instinctive dislike for the boy. "You provoked him," she pointed out.

He shrugged. "Anyone who loses their temper that easily doesn't deserve to be a keyblade master." The helmet swivelled to face Ven, and Aqua could feel the heat shooting between their faces. "They don't deserve anything."

Ven started forward, and her own fury had to be checked in favour of stopping him. He inadvertently pushed her back against the barrier, keyblade humming as he tried to get past her. From the other side, Vanitas approached leisurely and laid his hand upon the barrier. Aqua turned slightly. His helmet filled her vision and for a brief moment, it disappeared to be replaced by a youthful face with menacing yellow eyes.

And the barrier rippled as Vanitas reached through and grabbed her wrist.

Electricity set her nerves on fire. She was deaf to her own rattling cry and Ven's concerned ones. Vanitas stood above her as she fell to her knees, his grip on her wrist the only thing grounding her to reality. A great pressure bombarded the back of her mind, stunning her thoughts into silence, and smothering her consciousness. The pain was dying, replaced by an apathetic numbness. She felt like she was being lifted out of her own body, though she could still feel its pain. An icy hot dagger was forcing its way into her chest, burning it.

Her arm ached.

With an audible crack, Vanitas' hold on her broke as Ven brought his keyblade down on his arm.

She gasped, oblivious to the clash above her. Her arm felt like someone had grabbed a sharp knife and was using it to etch something into her skin. Eyes closed, whimpering, she brought it close to her, rubbing it in hopes that it would make things better. She felt no blood or cuts underneath her fingers, but the pain was very real.

"Thundaga!"

The air pulsated with Ven's fury. The lightning crashed down, striking Vanitas straight in the chest. Without a sound, the masked boy stumbled back, the tip of his keyblade dipping.

"Not bad," he said, "but not good enough."

"Really?" Ven said. "Because you don't look so good."

"Your concern is appreciated, but I'm not the one you should worry about."

"Aqua!" Someone shook her and she instinctively lashed out. The presence retreated, and then returned. Ven was crouched by her, his voice high with fear as he tried to calm her. She forced her eyes open, meeting Ven's wide ones. Shaking, she accepted Ven's help to raise herself into a sitting position and leaned against him for support.

"What did you do?" Ven demanded. Aqua winced; the loudness of his voice made her head throb.

"Nothing that concerns you." Vanitas lowered himself to one knee, hovering at Aqua's eyelevel. "How are you feeling?" he asked her.

Ven stayed in his post as Aqua's support, but slammed Wayward Wind down. It formed a diagonal bar, separating her from Vanitas. The masked boy chuckled.

"Look like the kitten's grown some claws. Do you honestly think you would be enough to stop me, Ventus?"

Ven growled.

"That's what I thought." The arrogance of this boy was infuriating. Even when Ven's keyblade began to spark, Vanitas didn't hesitate to strut.

"But," Vanitas held up a finger, "as much as I would love to hang around and chat, I have some other business I need to take care of. Oh, and Ven? There's a friend here to see you."

Vanitas stepped back into the fog just as they heard the sound of metal scraping against rock.

"Aqua, we need to go!"

She nodded and straightened up. Now that Vanitas was gone, she felt like a great weight had been lifted off her. The pain in her arm was receding, and she experimentally flexed it. The black bruises popped out and to her confusion, it seemed that they had moved. She twisted her head to study them, and saw that indeed, she was correct. Before, they had been random and like a patchwork quilt. Now, they were gathered in one mass. The sides of the site were rounded, meeting at a point at the bottom.

"A-aqua!"

She whirled around and saw it.

The monster stood before them, motionless. Its great pyramid-shaped helmet was swathed in rust that seemed to dye the air around it blood-red. It towered above them, knife waiting at its side, and she could faintly hear what sounded like deep breathing.

She summoned her keyblade, and it shivered in her hands.

"You can't fight it!" Ven cried. "We have to run!"

She heard Ven, but her body wouldn't cooperate. She couldn't tear her eyes away.

"Run!"

Ven pulled her away and broke the spell. At the same instant, the monster stumbled forwards.

It was a miracle that she kept up with Ven. She didn't know whether he was checking his speed or fear had made her faster, but she wasn't complaining. After losing Terra, the last thing she wanted was for Ven to wander off. She couldn't see the monster anywhere behind them, but Ven was adamant that it was close by. She'd argued, commenting on how slow its gait was, only for it to appear right in front of them. After that, she made the decision to stop questioning Ven and just believe him instead.

But then he led them into a dead-end.

"No, no!" He was stuttering, shaking his head in denial. "I've been this way before, there was no wall here!"

Metal screeched behind them. The monster stood in the mouth of the alleyway, blocking any chance of escape.

Ven choked back a sob. He backed up, pressing himself into the wall. Aqua glanced from him, to the monster, back again, and set her jaw in grim determination. She stepped in front of Ven, shielding him from the monster's hidden eyes. Rainfell came to her hand, and her armour followed a second later.

"Aqua," Ven hissed, "what are you doing?"

She looked back at him and said nothing.

She made the first move. Keyblade raised, she charged the monster, throwing her hips into the swing. Sparks fell like rain around their feet as their blades locked. Immediately, the monster's strength bore down on her, causing her muscles to shake. She disengaged, stepping back. She had never faced an opponent with so much raw power.

When the monster struck, its swing took up the entire width of the alley. The first one she dodged, the second she tried to block with Reflect. But when the knife came into contact with the spell, searing pain ran down her arm, and the monster withdrew the knife, thrust it forward and shattered the barrier. Step by step, it was forcing her backwards. Soon, she and Ven would be pinned.

With that knowledge, the next time the monster swung, she raced forward in the lapse that followed. Ignoring Ven's cries, she brought Rainfell down and slashed the monster in the chest. Its helmet pointed down at her, and it stepped back to get a better look, as if curious. Undaunted, she whacked it again in the thigh, and when that failed to get a reaction, pointed her keyblade up at the monster's chin and cast Firaga.

The earth shook as the monster stumbled. Behind her, Ven whooped and she couldn't help a small smile. Since her magic appeared to be having an effect, she continued to use it, blasting the monster with spell after spell. It was working; now Aqua was the one forcing the other back.

But the monster was mighty and slowly, it pushed it way through her spells and began to take back lost ground. Panicking, Aqua cast Blizzard on the ground, hoping to make the monster slip. But the thing was so big and heavy that it broke the ice underneath its feet, and trudged forwards without any trouble.

She could hear Ven behind her, and that solidified her will. She wasn't going to let this thing near him, even if it killed her.

The monster's head turned and on its helmet, she could see the slits that the monster eyes must have been behind (how could it see them well enough to follow them?). She cast Firaga at that, but the spell broke over the monster's helm, seeming to have even less effect than it did before. A flash of light, right in front of the helmet, gave the monster pause. Seeing that, she blinded it again, and then leapt forwards, landing and sliding on the ice. She slid past the monster, hooking Rainfell out as she did so . . .

Black blood splattered the ground.

It hissed and popped like acid as it was absorbed into the snow. The monster stumbled back, clutching the wound, and turned away completely from Ven to face her. She ducked into a fighting stance, willing the monster to approach and step further away from Ven.

It did.

Their blades met with such power that it nearly shattered her bones. A shockwave rang through the air, whipping the snow into a frenzy. Aqua disengaged just as the monster tried to wrench Rainfell out of her hands and failing that, tried to grab her. She backed away, slowly luring her foe out of the alleyway. The monster followed loyally, spitting the air in a downwards stroke so close that she had to flattened herself against a wall to avoid it, then dive backwards as the knife sunk into the stone.

The world opened up as they walked out of the alleyway. Aqua glanced around, wary of any other opponent that may be sneaking up on her. However, she couldn't keep her eyes off the monster for long. It was hesitating in the mouth of the alley, as if considering abandoning her for Ven. She blasted it with Thundaga, which served to attract the monster's attention, and lured it even farther from her friend.

The ground shook as the monster battered it with the knife and the vibrations, combined with the icy road, the nearness of the strike, and her own fear, caused her to miscalculate her next step. She tripped backwards, Rainfell falling from her fingers, and froze as she saw the monster towering above her.

She regained her wits just in time to roll out of the way. Calling Rainfell back to her, she twisted at the waist, and drove her keyblade through the monster's shin. It fell to one knee, using its knife as a giant, rusty crutch.

She just didn't expect it to recover so quickly.

Her head ached. She was on the ground against a crumbling wall. A shower of dust fell to the ground as she shifted. She blinked, trying to clear the black spots out of her vision. It came back to her suddenly: she had gotten too close, and the monster had attacked. Her back groaned in protest as she struggled to an upright position.

Ven. Her head snapped around. The monster was ignoring her and going after the younger apprentice, who was desperately shouting off spells. Her legs weren't quite moving the way she wanted them to, but she stood anyways and teetered forward, back deep into the alley. The monster had Ven cornered, blocking off all escape as it brought the knife back. It thrust forwards, and Aqua threw all of her strength into her next spell.

"Magnera!"

The knife stopped. Then it inched back. The monster stared, seemingly stunned by the refusal of its weapon to obey. With a great heave, it pulled the knife sideways and broke the spell. However, Aqua had already succeeded in her goal. She cast Gravity next to anchor the knife to the ground, and then froze the monster's feet in case it tried to chase them. Ven saw what she was doing and bolted past the monster, leaping into her arms.

She knew exactly when the monster broke free, because the resulting shudder ran up and down her spine. But it was okay; they were almost out of the alley.

Then the knife crashed into one of the buildings.

The entire world swayed. Cracks ran from the site of the impact all the way to the top. An avalanche of brick and plaster rained down, and Aqua just barely pushed Ven out of the way. When the dust cleared, a mountain of rubble stood between them and freedom.

Behind them, the knife screeched.

Ven summoned his armour and shakily held his keyblade up. She took one look, and then secured him behind her. She didn't know how she was going to defeat this thing, but she wasn't about to stand back and let Ven get hurt.

It swung.

Their blades met.

Rainfell hummed as she forced her magic into the keyblade. The shaft shimmered with light and surprisingly, she felt her opponent weaken.

"It's weak to light," Ven whispered behind her.

She heard him, and focused all her energy into making Rainfell glow. The light increased in intensity, and the keyblade grew hot in her hands as if she were handling a sun. The monster continued to press back and small cracks ran down the keyblade's shaft, but the monster was cringing against the force of her spell. She clenched her jaw, ignored Rainfell's whispered warnings and set one final surge of power into the keyblade.

A bone-shaking snap.

Rainfell disappeared.

The knife clattered to the ground.

The monster groaned and fell back through a dark portal that opened up behind it. The portal closed, and its knife dissolved into the air.

She had won.

Then why was there only horror?

She could feel it: an ice-cold dagger thrust into her heart. Shaking, Aqua held her hand up and frantically tried to summon her keyblade. It appeared in a flash of light, hovering in the air in front of her. She reached out, grabbed the handle . . .

And the keyblade shattered.