Chapter 3 The Light
Tay grabs his stomach letting the keyblade disappear as he starts to fall. Terra runs forward and catches him lowering him slowly to the ground. "That was stupid kid. We could have handled the heartless," he says.
"Wanted to help," Tay groans trying to stand once more, but Terra puts his hands on Tay's shoulders keeping him down.
Aqua crouches down next to him with her keyblade still in her hand. "Tay, that weapon you used, do you know what it is?"
He nods. "It's a keyblade. You guys have them too. I didn't know there were others like me."
Aqua laughs slightly. "We didn't know there were others like us either. Master Eraqus told us that keyblade wielders were nearly extinct."
"Who's Master Eraqus?" Tay asks curiously.
"He's our teacher," Terra says. "We go to his school, Master Eraqus' Keyblade Academy or MEKA."
"What do you do there?"
"We train to become Keyblade Masters," Aqua says. Then seeing the question on Tay's face she says, "If we can pass the Mark of Mastery exam we will become masters. We'll be in charge of watching over the worlds and training future masters. Well, more the first one because there aren't many keyblade apprentices left to instruct."
Tay leans back on his elbows soaking this in. He asks, "So...how many are you talking about when you say there aren't many left?"
Aqua exchanges a look with Terra and then replies, "Until we met you, as far as we knew Terra and I were the only keyblade apprentices left."
"Seriously?"
"Well that's what we thought, but here you are so maybe we were wrong to assume that there were no more keyblade wielders," Terra says.
"Tay, will you tell me what you do for work now?" Aqua asks him. Terra looks at her confused by this sudden change in topic. She shoots him a look that says she has an idea.
"Um sure. People hire me to take out the monsters when they become a problem. Did you call them the heartless?" He asks Terra who nods. "It's good work."
Aqua looks at Terra. "The light that keeps the world from falling into darkness," she says and he nods having come to the same conclusion.
"Uh...what?" Tay asks, not sure what they are talking about.
"We came to this world to find a light that was fading out," Aqua explains. "We found you, a keyblade wielder, near death."
"Um, ok," Tay says still a little nonplussed.
"Would you like to come with us?" Terra asks him. "It looks like you've figured how to use the keyblade pretty well on your own, but Master Eraqus can teach you even more."
"To a different world?" Tay asks nervously.
"Yeah our home is a world called The Land of Departure," Aqua says.
"I guess...yeah I would. It sounds like a better place then this crap pile," Tay says with a small smile. "Let's go."
"Hold on a second kid, isn't there anyone you want to say good bye to? Your parents? Your friends?" Terra asks him.
Tay shakes his head, "I never knew my parents. I lived on the streets with a bunch of kids for awhile but as soon as I began to use the keyblade they were too afraid of me stay. I guess I had one friend. He told me a little about the keyblade and the worlds. But he died two years ago." He looks down reminiscing. "Tay was older and smarter than me. He liked to read and knew all kinds of stuff-"
"Wait, his name was Tay?" Terra asks confused.
The boy looks up sheepishly knowing he was caught. "Yeah, sorry I lied to you before," he says. "You guys were weird. I wasn't sure if I should trust you. My name isn't Tay it's Ventus."
"Well Ventus, I'm glad you trust us now," Aqua says smiling kindly so Ventus knows she isn't mad about him lying to her.
"If you're sure you are ok with leaving, we should head back to the castle and report to Master Eraqus," Terra says.
"You live in a castle? That's fucking awesome!" Ventus says with a grin.
Terra stands, laughing at the boy's excitement. "Just try to keep that colorful vocabulary of yours in check around Master Eraqus. He isn't big on swears," he says, then, "C'mon." Terra reaches down, hooking his arm under Ventus' shoulder. He helps Ventus to his feet trying to be gentle.
Once on his feet, Ventus pushes Terra's hand away saying, "I'm fine." Terra accepts this without argument and summons his keyblade again. Ventus watches in awe as the two older keyblade wielders toss their weapons high in the air only to have them return as strangely shaped contraptions that float half a foot off the ground.
Terra walks to his and rummages through the hidden compartment under the seat. He finds what he is looking for and pulls out a helmet with a dent in the back. He hands it to Ventus who takes it and, while putting it on, asks, "Can my keyblade turn into one of those things?"
Aqua nods saying, "It can but I don't think its wise for you to be riding alone in your condition. You can just ride on the back of Terra's." Then she and Terra both smack the half sleeve of armor they each were wearing on their shoulder and, in a flash of blinding light that made Ventus' eyes water, their armor appears.
"That's so fu-" Ventus begins to say but Aqua's head snaps around and even though he can't see her eyes Ventus is sure she is staring at him disapprovingly. "I mean...that's so cool."
Terra moves next to his side and helps him walk over to the glider. His armor rustles with every move. Terra sits astride the glider first and motions for Ventus to sit behind him. Gingerly, Ventus does so gritting his teeth against the pain of moving. Terra looks over his shoulder, "You all set back there?" Ventus nods he is. "Alright then hold on tight." Ventus hesitates, there is nothing to hold on to except Terra so he awkwardly wraps his arms around Terra's torso feeling the armor poke him uncomfortably.
Terra leans forward and Ventus does the same looking down as the ground rapidly gets farther and farther away. He holds on to Terra tighter no longer caring about the hard armor poking him and gasps when they get so high that they leave the world and speed away into space.
...
Ventus climbs off the glider his eyes wide open in wonder as he stares up at the castle looming up in front of him. It is like nothing he had ever seen or heard of before. When his companions had said they were going to a castle he had assumed it was going to be like the ones back home with the dark crumbling stone and an oppressive aura. But this castle is light filled and comforting. Its impressive and although it makes him feel small it doesn't scare him the way the dark fortresses back home did.
Terra and Aqua unsummon their armor and following their lead Ventus takes off his borrowed helmet. He turns and hands the helmet back to Terra who places it back into the hidden compartment on his glider. Ventus now sees the beautiful gardens lit by lanterns and gazes in awe. It feels like a dream. His home world had never given him the wildest idea that there could be such beautiful places.
"Master Eraqus!" Terra and Aqua both shout in unison causing Ventus to turn around to face the doors of the castle once more. Coming down the steps is an older man whose scarred faced is hard to read, but Ventus could tell he is very wise. His companions hurry forward leaving him standing alone beside the two gliders. He watches them talk eagerly to the man who is the Master Eraqus they had been telling him about. Ventus can't make out what is being said, but the master keeps glancing at him. Each time those eyes look at him his stomach twisted and he looks away feeling like that man could see right through him and into his heart. To avoid meeting Master Eraqus' eyes he continues to look around his new home. Even though it is the middle of the night, he can tell that light fills this world.
He turns back as the other three walk over. Terra and Aqua hang back watching carefully as Master Eraqus steps in front of Ventus and looks down on him his facial expression just betraying a hint of curiosity. "Hello Ventus, I am Master Eraqus. According to my students, you posses the power of the keyblade."
Ventus nods warily, "And they told me you could teach me how to use it better."
"That I can," Master Eraqus says with a slight smile. "But first I would like to know how much you have discovered on your own."
Ventus holds his hand out and summons his keyblade. It appears in a small flash of light and looking at it he says, "I don't know much about the keyblade. Tay told me most of the things I know about it but I think he knew even more." He pauses collecting his thoughts. "I know that only I can use it. When I tried to give it to Tay it only reappeared in my hand. I know that it's powerful enough to defeat the heartless and I know that even though that is true they are still drawn to it and to me like some sort of suicide magnet." With that he makes his keyblade disappear and let's his hand fall continuing in a softer angrier voice. "Those bastards are always after me. I keep everyone at a distance afraid that if they get too close to me they will get killed...like Tay." He stops talking too busy trying to calm himself as painful memories of his best friend flashed through his mind.
Master Eraqus stands silently for a moment letting Ventus regain his composure before saying, "As Terra and Aqua have already told you, keyblade bearers are much more rare than they used to be. Since the great keyblade war we have been in decline partly from the fact that others have the misconceived notion that our attempts to assist the worlds are really ploys to take them over. Our power scares most people away and the heartless that are drawn to us make them fear us even more. But still we strive to protect the light and banish the darkness from the worlds."
"Why? If the idiots don't want us to help then to hell with them," Ventus says.
Master Eraqus' eyes widen slightly in surprise then narrow, "We help because it is our duty to help. We have been chosen to wield the keyblade because of the strength of our hearts-"
"What do you mean chosen? Who got to choose?" Ventus interrupts.
"Ah, I see that there are indeed holes in your knowledge. The keyblade chose you. Do you remember being given the Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony as a child?" Master Eraqus asks Ventus.
"A ceremony? No?" Ventus replies confused.
"Two things must happen for a person to gain the power to wield a keyblade. First a keyblade master must perform a rite called the Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony. Then, the recipient will be able to use the keyblade if their heart is strong enough," Master Eraqus explains.
"Someone gave this to me?" Ventus whispers summoning his keyblade again, holding it down by his side. He looks down at it, the resentment that had been building for years turning to blind anger. He turns away from the others and throws his keyblade as hard as he can watching it fall clattering on the steps to the gardens. He doubles over gasping in pain holding his stomach tight as the cuts from the heartless sear once more.
Master Eraqus grabs Ventus by his shoulders and Ventus looks up to see the concern on the man's face. As the pain ebbs, he straightens up to see Terra and Aqua around him with similar looks of concern. "I'm fine," he says hollowly looking away from the others to stare at his keyblade lying at the bottom of the steps.
"Master I think that's enough for now," Aqua says.
Master Eraqus doesn't reply to her. Instead he says, "Ventus, look at me." Slowly Ventus turns to face him once more letting his anger show on his face. "You cannot get rid of the keyblade so easily. It is a part of you and that is not a curse."
Ventus shakes his head and says, "It is a curse. It hurts people...I hurt people." A tear falls down his cheek. He wipes it away quickly. How long had it been since he had let himself cry? Even after he had buried Tay he had held back his tears but now he couldn't. The tears roll freely down his face and he shakes with silent sobs. He closes his eyes and feels himself being pulled close into a gentle hug. He stands like a statue in Aqua's embrace trying to stop the tears but his memories will not let him. He goes back to the first time he had summoned the keyblade and the heartless had appeared, to walking through unknown towns with his hood up knowing the heartless were coming, to the huge black hand grabbing Tay and lifting him away, and, most recently, to the heartless piled on top of him trying to rip him to shreds. A sob escapes out of his throat.
"Shh, shh," Aqua says soothingly rubbing the back of his head. It has been so long since someone cared enough to comfort him. Stiffly and unsure he raises his arms wrapping them awkwardly around Aqua who pulls his closer. She continues to talk softly to him, "It's alright Ventus. It's alright."
Eventually Ventus' tears dry up and sniffling he pulls away rubbing his eyes. Aqua lets him go and straightens up.
"Ventus-" Master Eraqus begins.
"I don't want to talk anymore," Ventus interrupts keeping his eyes downcast, focusing on the stones under his feet.
"Of course," Master Eraqus says with a sigh, "I'm sure you are exhausted. We will talk more in the morning."
Terra, without a word, slips his arm under Ventus' and helps him towards the castle doors. Ventus looks back just in time to see his keyblade disappear in a flash and knows it will really never leave him. "Try and smile kid," Terra says and Ventus looks up at him, "This is your new home and a new chapter in your life. You are going to happy here believe me."
VENTUS! Yes the blond boy who said he was my OC Tay is actually Ven who is probably my favorite character in the KH series. If you are kinda of confused about what Ven did/said you're probably not alone. I didn't explain it all on purpose but his back story will be filled in over the next few chapters.
Rhyme13kh14Xion13: I think this chapter answers your questions about Ven :)
Lantean12: Thanks for helping me out!
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