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

Chapter 15

"A-aqua?"

"It's a trick; it has to be. Keyblades can't break. The Master would have told us about it."

Ven felt helpless as Aqua gathered up the remains of her keyblade. Her murmurs were frantic, and her sentences only became more disjointed as her efforts to rebuild Rainfell failed. She tried to freeze the pieces together, but her spell didn't create ice, only a casing of frost which quickly broke under the strain of her violently shaking hands.

"Aqua, we can't stay here."

"No!" Aqua shoved him away when he tried to haul her to her feet. "Just let me think."

"It's broken!" Ven cried. "We won't be able to do anything until we get back to the Master."

"I can fix this," Aqua mumbled. "I need more time."

Ven glanced behind them as dogs barked in the distance. He didn't know how to help Aqua, but he knew they had to go. Of the two of them, she had always been the strongest. Where he was swift, she was lithe and cunning; where he had fled, she had won. But now Aqua was unarmed, throwing him into the precarious position of the protector, and he wasn't sure whether or not he could rise to the occasion. He needed to get Aqua out of harm's way as quickly as possible.

He reached over and dismissed Aqua's armour for her. As the cool air brought goosebumps to her skin, she finally looked up from her fruitless endeavour. Her hair was stuck to her cheeks, as if wet, and Ven had never seen her look so lost before. Just as the glossy metal of Rainfell had dulled, the light in her eyes was dim. He could see his own fatigue mirrored in her.

"Come on," he said gently, "we have to get somewhere safe."

Aqua refused to leave her keyblade. She gathered up all the pieces and hugged them to her chest the way a child would hold a teddy bear. Some of the shards pierced her skin, and rivets of blood gave her clothes a striped pattern. Ven tried to take some of the pieces from her, just to minimize how much she was hurting herself, but Aqua shook her head and held them even tighter.

"I can feel it, Ven," she whispered. "In my heart, it feels like something's missing."

"Nothing's missing," he said with much more confidence than he felt. "It's still there; we just have to get the Master to fix it."

He led her around like a dog. Aqua wasn't paying any attention to the road, even when – according to the map – they passed through areas that should have been blocked. He threw the map in her face, begging her to get them to Brookhaven Hospital. However, Aqua had somehow become even worse than he was with directions. Barely three minutes in, and she led them into another dead-end in an alley.

"We're never going to get out of here," Ven said. It was still snowing, but his body was strangely hot. Being in a state of perpetual fear tended to do that. It also made your muscles so tense that they ached whenever you stopped moving. He looked out at the swirling fog that hid everything, then back at Aqua who stared into space, and felt hopelessness engulf him. He wanted to shut his eyes and pretend this was all a nightmare.

The soft sound of crunching snow reached him. Ven backpedalled into the alleyway, readying his keyblade. The footsteps sounded much too light to be the monster, but there were plenty of other things in this town. Whatever it was, he prayed he would be strong enough to face it.

The shadow was small, and flared out at the bottom. He could make out the sight of hair blowing in the wind, and whomsoever hair it was, it was short. There was no sign of a weapon, but Ven got into a stance anyways, bringing his keyblade back behind him in his reverse grip.

The shadow raised its hands in a gesture of surrender.

His mouth was dry. Aqua was still in a trance, blind to everything but the pieces of her beloved keyblade. At this rate, she would hinder rather than help in a fight. Protecting her would be akin to being a stray chasing other dogs away from its dinner, only if one got past him, then everything was lost. Though it was selfish of him, he had half a mind to whack her on the head to force her back to reality.

The figure passed through the last sheet of fog, and Ven burst into a wide smile.

"Xion! What are you –?"

She slapped a hand over his mouth, a finger to her lips. "I can get you to Brookhaven," she said. "Follow me."

Finally, things were looking up. He grabbed Aqua's hand and took off after Xion, who was walking so fast that he had to jog to keep up. Her movements were stiff, her eyes narrowed and hooded as she kept a careful watch on their surroundings. Ven helped too, but mostly he left it to her. After the harrowing escape from the monster, it felt so good to let someone else take charge.

"What happened to you?" he asked. "You disappeared at the clinic."

"I was afraid," Xion said, "of standing up to him. Even with Naminé around, I thought it was impossible to do that. But Terra, he . . ." She shook her head with awe. "He was amazing. He ripped a hole through the dimensions to save you, and if he could do that, then I," she took a deep breath, "then I can do this for you."

"Xion, who is this man you keep talking about?"

Aqua looked up, finally showing some semblance of her regular self. Xion dropped her voice and said, "He's the reason you're here." Before Ven could say anything else, she added, "I can't tell you his name. It might draw his attention."

"If I ever see him, I'm going to get Terra to punch him in the face," Ven huffed.

A ghost of a smile crossed her face. "I would enjoy that."

To Xion, it was like the fog wasn't there. She moved quickly, confidently, with nary a misstep. Ven did his best to literally follow in her footsteps, towing Aqua behind him. The older apprentice moved without his encouragement now, although she did space out from time to time.

Light poured from the hospital's windows, cutting through the fog like the beam of a lighthouse. After that, he saw the towering outline of the building, which wavered as Ven craned his head back. They ran up the cracked path to the doors, and watching them open felt as good as winning the lottery.

A wall of heat smashed into him. Combined with the swelter of his untamed emotions, it was positively suffocating. He greedily sucked in air, longing for the cool of the outside, but too scared to seek it. He could see Xion visibly relaxing, the tension rolling off her hunched shoulders. The black cloak dragged behind her, limp in the absence of the wind. Between the two of them and the bleeding Aqua, they made their way down the long halls like a procession of wounded soldiers, staggering and leaning against each other for support. They collapsed in the cafeteria, but Ven soon found himself walking over to Aqua.

She had Rainfell's pieces spread out on a table. The blue shaft of the broken keyblade had darkened to the inky tint of the ocean's depths, and its edges glistened red with Aqua's blood. Some of it came off on Ven's fingers as he handled the shards and tried to mend them the way he would solve a puzzle. However, no amount of prayer would glue these back together, and very few, if any, of the parts fit.

"You need to get that cleaned up," he said, eyeing the blood on Aqua's arms. He spoke gently, as if she were a child, and was careful not to make any sudden movements. This was new territory for them all, and he was terrified that something would shatter their fragile peace. He wasn't the one with a broken keyblade, but he could empathise. Wayward Wind was part of him; he could feel its energy swirling around in his soul, and would sooner wish to lose his arm.

Aqua didn't move, but once presented with the supplies, she started mopping up the mess. Ven sat across from her, watching impatiently. She performed her task slowly but thoroughly, and a metallic clink marked every sliver she pulled out of her body.

It was awful to watch. Ven's stomach turned over as he realized that all of this had been for him. At the time, panic had drowned out his ability to reason, but in the stupor caused by the aftermath, he could think clearly. Once the monster eliminated Aqua as a threat, she had been removed from the equation entirely. The monster had abandoned its easy prey for one still standing. It had no interest in Aqua; it was here for him.

And what about Terra? Would it have hurt him if Ven hadn't been there? Ven's heart skipped a beat, remembering Terra's face as he fell into the abyss. This was his fault. However accidently, he'd led his friends here. All their troubles and hurt, all their terror and pain, it was because of him.

For the first time in his life, Ven knew hate.

Aqua laid the red cloth down. The bleeding had stopped, but the cuts looked like they would start up again any second. Aqua mouthed Curaga, but without her keyblade, her magic refused to function. Her lip trembled; perhaps even more than her keyblade, Aqua's magic was part of who she was. Although it would upset her more if he stepped into fix it, Ven couldn't stand to let his friend remain hurt. He leaned over and cast his own spell, and his mouth dropped open when the wounds refused to heal. Perhaps some magic had survived in Rainfell after all, enough to cripple its former master.

They sat in silence, eyes fixed on the table. Neither stirred when Xion stood. Eyes closed, she wandered over to the doorway, where her nails dug into the wooden frame.

The small hand that landed on her shoulder was frail, like a butterfly's wing. Something about Naminé's entire attire spoke of sorrow and vulnerability. She met Xion's eyes, nodded a sad thanks, and glided into the room. Ven looked up at the girl who had tried so hard to get them out of here.

"It was the monster," Ven said, "the one with the helmet."

"The Bogeyman," Naminé said. "Most people just call him Pyramid Head."

Naminé approached, and surprisingly, went straight past the broken keyblade. Instead, she poked at the exposed bruises on Aqua's arm. "Aqua," she said, voice high with fear, "where did you get this?"

"It was another monster." Ven flinched at the flatness of Aqua's tone.

"Was it in the church?"

Aqua nodded.

"Oh, no." Naminé backed away, a hand over her mouth. She sat at an adjacent table, head in her hands.

"Naminé?" Ven slid down to her table, casting a worried glance at Aqua. However, she did not react to his absence. "Is it bad?"

"Yes."

His head met the table. How much more could they handle? Terra was gone, Aqua's keyblade was gone, darkness liked to transform the town into something from his nightmares, crazy monsters chased him everywhere, and he couldn't even find his way to the next street! At least Brookhaven was supposed to be safe. When they got home, he wanted a nice warm bath and his bed.

"Naminé," Xion said. Her voice was quiet, but she gulped and with a set look in her eyes, spoke more firmly. "Before you send them out again, I think they need to rest."

Naminé tried to speak, but Xion cut over her. "Look at them! They'll pass out from exhaustion before the town gets them. Ven, when's the last time you ate?"

"Honestly," he rubbed the back of his neck, "not since last night. I've kind of been too busy to notice."

"See?" Xion said triumphantly.

"I suppose," Naminé said, "that it won't hurt to wait, especially if they don't leave the building. Thank you, Xion. Be safe."

Ven stood. "You're leaving?" he asked Xion.

"I have to," Xion said, "they'll be wondering . . . Oh!"

Using all his awesome speediness, he had flung himself into Xion's arms. She wobbled under the added weight, drinking it in with an expression that was both wary and shyly pleased. It was odd, Ven thought as her hair made him sneeze, to hug someone who wasn't taller than him. If he wanted to, he might just be tall enough to hold something out of Xion's reach. Someday, he would have to try it.

A lonely part of his mind imagined Terra's whistle. He would be so proud that a girl was hugging Ven for a reason besides, as Terra put it, his puppy-dog eyes being too cute to resist. Of course, Terra would be certain to comment on the fact that Ven had to initiate the hug, to which Aqua would hug him to spite Terra, leaving the oldest apprentice quite putout. He turned his head, checking if Aqua had plans to take Terra's place, but she wasn't looking anywhere near him.

His fingers brushed over her skin as he put some distance between them. "Will you be okay?" he asked.

"Don't worry about me," Xion said.

"Don't say that!" On an impulse, he clasped his hands over hers. "You're my friend, so I have to worry about you."

A light blush crept onto her cheeks. Ven blinked, and then let her hand drop, the contact suddenly all too awkward.

To his surprise, Xion grabbed his hand. "I'll be fine, Ven," she insisted. "You just need to worry about getting you and your friends out."

"You're not coming with us?"

"I can't."

That was not acceptable. Xion's eyes widened when she saw how close he was standing. He held her in place by the upper arms, though his grip was loose enough that she could break free if she wanted.

"Why can't you come with us?" Ven asked. "This place isn't safe! You don't deserve this; no one does."

"You don't understand, Ven." She gently removed his hands. "I'm not like you." Before he could question her further, she nodded her head at Aqua and said, "Go, worry over her and Terra. They're the ones that need your help."

"Just promise you'll be careful."

"I will."

She leaned over and touched her lips to his cheek. This time, Ven was the one left blushing.

Too awed to protest her departure, he raised his hand to the spot. He wanted to touch it and make sure that hadn't been a dream, but loathed the thought of getting it dirty. Terra would have told him he was being a girl.

"You two seem very close," Aqua remarked. She – at long last – had some life in her. True, dark bags hung under her eyes and she looked otherwise ready to faint, but she was talking to him of her own free will. At this point, he was happy with just that.

"Aqua!" Lacking Xion, he flung himself into her arms next. Despite everything, he was in a fabulous mood.

She sighed. "Ven," she said fondly.

A tiny cough interrupted them. Naminé stood at Aqua's shoulder, looking uncomfortable as all attention focused on her.

"There's food in the kitchen," she said at length. "You should probably eat."

As if it heard her, his stomach growled. "That sound good," he said. "Aqua, are you coming?"

Her hand twitched as she glanced back at Rainfell. With a visible effort, she stood and tore herself away from the keyblade, eyes fixed straight ahead. They followed Naminé into the hall and despite his stomach's previous message to him, he wasn't looking forward to this. He'd spent a good day or so in the town and observed how rundown it was. What would the food be like? He couldn't imagine it being very fresh. All he could imagine was mouldy bread and rusty cups.

Like most of Brookhaven, the kitchen was white. Only the counters, where food had once been prepared, held a tint of colour. Here, red defaced the wood, leftovers from the act of slicing and cooking meat. The knives themselves lay lengthwise by the edge, close enough that Ven feared a careless action would knock them to the ground. However, he didn't think they were intentionally set up as a booby-trap; it was more likely they were there so that Naminé could easily reach them.

She ignored them and the fridge, instead climbing atop a stool and opening up the cupboards. Dozens of cans were stacked upon the shelves in an assortment of sizes and colourful labels. She started to take some out, but Ven jumped up and began making requests. At first, Naminé and Aqua stared at him with confusion, though Naminé did retrieve the cans he requested. It was after the fourth one that Aqua rolled her eyes, understanding. He was making a rainbow.

"The best rainbow ever!" Ven said when Aqua mentioned that.

She sighed and ruffled his hair.

The mush inside the first can he opened was gross and disgusting. The girls didn't seem to mind, but Ven had to force it down his throat, shuddering as it slid down. It tasted faintly of metal, sharp and bland. According to the label, it was canned peaches, but if that was true, he wasn't sure what he had been eating in the Land of Departure for all this time.

"I think I'd rather go hungry," Ven said. Actually, he really didn't need any food anyways. He must have been out there for hours, but he wasn't the least bit hungry or thirsty. He was tired at times, they all were, but it came and went.

"That's not a good idea," Naminé warned. She pushed another can towards him.

Ven whined in the back of his throat and with his eyes, pleaded for Aqua to save him. She continued to stare at her mostly untouched meal.

"Aqua?" He shook her shoulder.

She jerked. "What?" She glanced from the table to their wide stares. "Oh, I'm not that hungry."

Ven passed her his can of food. "You should eat." He hadn't paid that much attention when Naminé told him that, but Aqua's lifelessness was freaking him out.

She shook her head. "No, I . . . I think I'm going to go lay down."

Exhaling deeply, Aqua pushed herself to her feet and left. Ven stared, feeling that he should go after her. He stood, grabbed a couple of cans just in case she changed her mind, and followed.

Naminé frowned, her eyes dark with worry.

I had no plans to include Ventus x Xion in this. It just kind of snuck in.

Next chapter, we'll get back to Terra!