Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.
Pursuit
Chapter Sixteen – of Sacrifice
The first gleam of the morning sun had peeked over the far off mountains when Ven first detected the slow wing beats on the wind. He could now plainly see the countless Heartless in the area still tearing each other apart but now this new sound concerned him more. He scanned the pale sky but it had begun to snow and he could see no sign of the, seemingly huge, creature that would be attached to the powerful sounding wings.
He could feel a new energy pulsing through his veins as the new dawn broke, his former wound reduced to nothing but a dull ache that he hardly noticed now. He was as ready as he could ever be as the creature drew closer with every passing second.
"Uncle Ven?" Eraq sounded worried as he poked his head out of his mound of blankets.
"Don't worry." Ven smiled confidently and knelt down to pull the covers back over his dark blue head. "I got this kiddo. Just lay low and wait. Your mom and dad should be here soon."
"Mom and Dad are coming?" Eraq squeaked excitedly and Ven nodded, causing the boy to smile in return and obediently curl even further into his cave of fabric.
After regaining his height and checking the status of the feuding Heartless in the forest, Ven looked skyward once more to blink in surprise as the huge winged creature descended with a monstrous cry.
Simply put, it was a dragon, though it bore the Heartless symbol on its serpent-like forehead. In fact, to Ven, it looked more like a huge snake with wings and two front legs but no rear ones. It was easily four times the size of the centaurs and looked to have ten times the attitude. It roared at Ven and its landing shook the ground so much that many of the other Heartless in the area stumbled and crashed.
Ven stood his ground and flipped his weapon to its ready position. After studying the dragon's movements carefully for the few seconds he could, he knew that he would need to leave Eraq's side if he was to protect him properly. He could only hope that the dissension in the Heartless ranks would continue until he had dealt with the giant beast. To top things off, he noticed the wind had picked up with the beginnings of a blizzard. Great.
The dragon snarled and lunged but Ven was way ahead of him and leaped into the air above its head, effectively dodging its snapping maw of daggers. "It's your lucky day, pal! I've finally got enough energy to use this." After throwing his blade at the winged serpent's head and stunning it, Ven took a few seconds to concentrate. Wayward Wind returned to his right hand in the form of a shining prism much like the ones he had summoned formerly.
This time however, there was more than six.
The dragon glared and roared furiously before taking to the air with its powerful wings. "Hey!" Ven barked with a sneer. "Come back, I just wanna play!" Taking a second blade in his left hand he arrayed the remaining eighteen feather-blades at his back to form a pair of arcing wings before shooting off from the ground with a sonic boom.
The dragon let out a gurgling noise of surprise and pain when Ven stabbed at its midsection, well, he assumed it was its midsection. Writhing and roaring angrily, the beast snapped its dangerous jaws at Ven, but he was too quick and swung onto the spindly creature's back. It barely took an instant for his blades to change formation and shape what he imagined. A dragon's maw. Only his was made of magic swords imbued with the power of the heavens.
The dragon stared at the ironic formation for an instant before it opened its mouth in defiance, only to have it snapped shut by Ven's "dragon", piercing the beast's muzzle clean through and clamping it like a muzzle.
Amid its struggle to rid itself of the hindrance the dragon plummeted to the earth and crashed into a line of trees. Before he had been dragged down with it, Ven had leaped off its back and retracted his blades with a thought. Exerting a calm that seemed altogether inappropriate considering what he was fighting, Ven lighted down to the snow and landed softly before approaching his opponent at a steady gait.
The serpent was shaking its head, stunned, as it struggled to right itself. The pathetic display did nothing to slow Ven's steps, he did however halt in his approach when he heard some odd chanting in the forest, soon after the dragon roared furiously as it was practically engulfed by green fire.
It seemed to be evolving right in front of his eyes, its head grew a pair of wicked looking horns, its two wings split into four and as a whole it just grew larger.
"Oh." Ven gaped for a moment as the fire died away and the renewed monstrosity composed itself with a rumbling growl. The blond smirked and spun both blades in his hands while his wings spread out defensively. "Well, the harder they fall and all that." The cruel wind and snow pelted his face, though he hardly noticed it through his haze of adrenalin. It was however getting more difficult to see clearly.
The dragon lunged and Ven pivoted, using the flat of one blade and sliding it along the beast's snout with a hiss. So engrossed in his duel, Ven was unaware of the black fox padding over to Eraq. He was also unaware of the distinctive decline of weaker Shadows in comparison to the more powerful Assault Riders.
A moment later and his fight with the dragon was going fairly well; he could tell he was waring it down again. It had yet to take to the sky and instead struck out at him with all it had, teeth, claws, wings and tail. He had been able to dodge or block every attempt until the moment came when he heard someone shouting frantically. Distracted, he looked to where Eraq was hiding, only to have his blood run cold at the sight of a centaur charging in the boy's direction.
Through the thickening blizzard, he barely noticed the tall, burly figure lumbering his way across the snow to intercept. Then the dragon slammed its whip like tail into his side and he went careening a great distance before regaining control of his bladed wings and stabilized himself in midair.
The vicious beast was now airborne as well and flying straight for him, but Ven had to take an instant to check Eraq's status. He was surprised to see that big figure from before now stood between the Assault Rider and the mound where the boy was hiding. In fact that dark figure seemed to be holding the bulk of the horse-monster back with his bare hands. But what had mainly caught Ven's attention was the monster's spear appeared to have pierce clean through one of the newcomer's arms and he was painting the white ground with his blood.
A snarl brought the blond back to his own duel and he barely managed to call his wings forth in front of him in order to block the dragon's frontal attack. Although Ven had to focus on the Heartless in front of him, he couldn't help but continue to ponder on why a total stranger would take such a savage wound for a child he didn't even know. The big, dark stranger didn't even look human, in fact Ven thought he had seen sharp, erect ears protruding from the top of his head.
Ven struck out at the dragon's face with his twin blades and as if he wasn't distracted enough, had to glance down once again when he heard horses screeching and more voices wailing among the Heartless chaos below. Three horses and their riders were pounding across the snow toward Eraq and he thought one of them bore armor resembling Wentai's.
He didn't take any more time to examine the other two riders, all that mattered was that they were allies, and they couldn't have come at a better time, since the weaker Heartless had all but disappeared, leaving that mysterious hulking figure all alone to fend off the bigger ones. The riders rallied around him, their gleaming steel blades slashing out at the shadow beasts and even the hooves of their horses shot out defiantly.
Ven turned back to his opponent with a renewed confidence and parried a three-pronged slash from one of its paws. Focused completely on his task, he thrust every shining feather at the creature and while it was distracted, proceeded to mount its neck. Snarling furiously and rocking to dislodge him, the dragon dropped into a deadly dive for the ground.
Taking a blade in each hand once more, Ven grimaced against the velocity but stabbed both weapons into the back of the beast's skull, eliciting a pained cry from it and guaranteeing its collision with the earth.
He managed to dismount just in time and once again landed lightly on the soft powder. Checking briefly that the others were holding out for the moment, he swiveled back to the winged monster as it grumbled menacingly and shifted to get up once more. Its wings were crumpled and torn though; it would not be taking to the air again.
Ven had been about to launch another assault on the beast when he heard a familiar buzzing over the cries of monsters and roaring blizzard. He glanced over his shoulder, hopeful, and was rewarded with a glorious sight. Aqua and Terra were flying straight for him astride their gliders and within seconds were standing on either side of him with Keyblades drawn.
He was suddenly overwhelmed with a number of emotions and he could feel his eyes beginning to brim with tears at seeing them. He wanted desperately to hug them both and tell them everything that had happened but the dragon was coming, and it was angry.
"Let's do this," Terra rumbled and leaped clear of the beast's charge, Aqua did the same but in the other direction.
"Right!" Ven shouted and shot straight up, blades poised for the finishing blow as Terra and Aqua delivered their lightning fast cross cuts over the dragon's flank. Ven came down, his two priority swords slamming down into the center of the serpent's skull while the other eighteen feathers aligned into a straight line along the monsters spine. The dragon dropped with a wheezing cry and struggled to get up again but was unable, as if pinned to the ground by the prismatic blades.
Panting from an exhaustion he hadn't been aware of, Ven only withdrew the swords when the giant Heartless dispersed into a fine black mist, while the raging snow storm seemed to die along with it.
He grinned when Aqua and Terra both moved to clap a hand on either shoulder. "Figures you two would show up in my moment of glory."
Aqua allowed a small smile in response to Ven's comment but her attention was quickly drawn to the three horsemen that had setup a protective perimeter around what appeared to be the remains of a campsite. Claire was there now as well, since Aqua had unloaded the girl some distance away from the battle for her own safety. Even so, the apprentice had joined with the horsemen in fending off the mob of lesser Heartless, though the monsters were already fading back into the forest in full retreat.
"That's where Eraq is," Ven told them, allowing himself a weary sigh as he dismissed his celestial weapons. "I think he's alright. There was this big guy guarding him while I fought the dragon."
Aqua couldn't see the person he was talking about, or Eraq for that matter with the three horses roaming about, but she was running towards them before she even realized it, with Terra and Ven right behind her.
The three horseman had dismounted and removed their helmets by the time she reached them, and she froze upon seeing their faces. She recognized all three of them but their names did not immediately come to her.
The first man, blond with a kind smile and reminded her instantly of Ven, bowed politely in greeting. "Ah, Ventus, glad to see you're still in one piece." He eyed both Terra and Aqua curiously. "These must be the boy's parents? I'm Wentai." Without waiting for an answer he introduced his companions in turn. "This is Li Shang, High General to the Emperor," he nodded to the dark haired man beside him and then to the woman with short black hair who was kneeling by a mound of blankets. "And Fa Mulan, Hero of China."
That's right, Aqua remembered them now. They had helped her and Terra on their first visit to this world some years ago, only, the trio didn't recognize them in turn since they had assumed different forms for whatever reason. A tiger and a dragon, wasn't it? Dismissing the trivial thought, Aqua hurried over to Mulan who was checking an unconscious Eraq for any injuries.
Worried brown eyes met hers as she knelt down by her son, Terra close behind her and Ven crouching beside Mulan. "He seems fine, but he won't wake up," the dark haired woman supplied and made a sweeping gesture. "How could he have slept through all of that?"
Aqua placed a tentative hand over her son's forehead and could sense a green haze there. "This sleep is spell induced. It should fade once the caster is destroyed or leaves the area." Seeing that the boy was unharmed and not in any real danger, Aqua's gaze revolved back to Ven, checking him for injuries even though she hadn't noticed any earlier.
Aside from a few nicks and scrapes, he too seemed relatively uninjured, though her eyes were drawn to his right shoulder where a gaping, jagged hole had been ripped through his vest and jacket, revealing bright pink skin. "Ven! What happened?" Leaning over Eraq, she reached out to the blond in order to inspect the newly healed tissue.
"Huh?" Ven blinked dumbly but submitted to her inspection without complaint. "Oh, well, you see, things got kinda dicey without you guys. But I'm fine now, really!" Once Aqua relented and leaned away with a frown, Ven waved his hands earnestly and gave his former wound a mild tap. "Someone left me an elixir and it fixed me right up!"
"Someone?" both Terra and Aqua chorused, glancing to each other with similar expressions of bewilderment.
Momentarily distracted, Aqua looked up at the sound of a deep, ornery voice and finally noticed the "big guy" Ven had mentioned. She felt like she should have remembered his name too, but she was too distracted to focus on names. He had cat-like pointed ears and a drawn and pudgy face and he was sitting in the snow with what looked like a huge lance piercing and rightly stuck through one of his thick arms. The arm was dripping blood but he continued to wave Claire away even though she was obviously only trying to help.
"It has to come out or I won't be able to heal it," the girl argued plaintively.
Aqua crossed over to the two, only leaving Eraq's side because he was in no immediate danger. "Here Claire, let me handle this."
"Yeah," the fat cat agreed with a satisfied nod. "Let someone more experienced han- Ahrwoo!" If he was a cat, he was a cat that could howl like a dog as Aqua mercilessly ripped the spear out of him and proceeded to quickly mend the bloody gap with a high level Curaga.
Claire gawked and the big cat threw his head back and whimpered pathetically. Aqua simply shrugged. "No sense in prolonging what needed to be done."
"That's sure not how Aerith teaches healing in her class," Claire commented wryly and gave the big lug a comforting pat on his good shoulder.
Before Aqua could reply, Ven snapped his fingers suddenly. "Pete, that's his name, right? Or, also known as Captain Justice?"
"That's Friendly Disney Town Janitor to you, Keyboy," Pete spat irritably, rubbed sorely at his arm and gave Aqua a narrow look. "I'll take the kid's treatment next time, thanks."
"Was it you that made all the Heartless go crazy?" Ven asked him.
"Well," Pete started with quirked expression. "I was able to control the lesser Shadows and turn them on the others, but yeah, guess I did make them go crazy."
"You were the one I sensed lurking in the forest then?" Ven pressed further and Pete nodded to each question. "You also setup camp and those elixirs..."
As the two conversed, Aqua moved back to tend to Eraq, though there wasn't much she could do until they either got him away from or dispatched the source of the spell.
"But I don't understand something," Ven was saying. "Who was controlling the other Heartless? I know I heard someone chanting when the dragon evolved mid-battle."
"You mean you really don't know?" Pete nearly guffawed but seemed to think better of it. Before he could even say the witch's name, Aqua bolted to stand upon noting how close Claire had wandered to the treeline.
"Claire! Don't wander off, I can still sense danger in there."
"But that fox I just saw, it was at that castle we checked awhile back, I'm sure of it."
"What fox?" Aqua questioned suspiciously. She remembered seeing no fox in Maleficent's keep, not a single creature in fact.
"Oh, well," Claire hesitated, shifting on her feet uncomfortably. "I didn't mention it because I wasn't even sure it was real at the time, but just now-"
"I'm going to end this," Aqua growled darkly, called forth Rainfell and readied a tight grip on it.
"Aqua," Terra started gently and reached for her but she jerked away from him. "You don't know for sure-"
"Yes," she told him firmly. "I do know." She marched away through the snow, passing Claire and absently noticing the girl's worried gaze as she looked from one of her masters to the other in question. No one moved to stop or dissuade her as she drew deeper into the forest. She wondered if Terra had given some sort of silent signal for everyone to leave her be. That was fine though. She wanted a moment alone with the dark fairy anyway.
She had trekked quite a ways through the woods before she sensed that the dark presence she was after was only a few feet away and perched modestly on a tree branch above, its yellow eyes peering down at her warily.
Aqua knew very well that the thing was not a real fox. "Explain yourself," she hissed up at it, barely keeping her roiling temper harnessed.
The fox turned away briefly, as though it were sighing with boredom before leaping down, though it didn't touch the ground and vanished among a flare of green fire. A black clad witch materialized in its place and she kept her back to Aqua, though turned her horned head slightly to offer a sidelong glance. "I wasn't going to hurt the child," she said with a dismissive gesture at nothing in particular. "He was to be my new servant, and he would have been much more useful than whatever your beloved Academy will turn him into."
"Maleficent," Aqua growled and bristled, the witch's indifference only fueled her already fiery rage and it was becoming much more than she could handle. "Sora made a truce with you!"
"Oh dear, there seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding," Maleficent cooed as though she were innocent, her voice all sugar and honey. "I agreed to never attempt world domination again. Recruitment, my dear, was never mentioned in the contract."
"Let me get this straight," Aqua ground out between clenched teeth, her whole body quaking furiously. "You were planning to steal my son, turn him into some pawn of darkness, and you expected me and Terra to just sit back and let you?"
"But it matters not now." Maleficent didn't seem to hear the rant or the question therein as she waved a bothered hand. "The boy is too full of light. He would never make a good servant for me in that state, so you can have him back." Her tone suggested she was being gracious, although her version of graciousness probably involved tossing bread crumbs to lowly peasants. "It's a shame really, and rather surprising considering who his father is." She turned a little more to give Aqua a curious once over before smiling wickedly. "In any case, I am patient. Perhaps someday-"
"If you ever come near my son again-!"
"Ah, but what is this familiar darkness I sense?" Maleficent nearly purred and cackled briefly as she turned fully to face the blue haired woman. "Yen Sid didn't tell you, did he?"
"Tell me what?" Aqua snarled and swung her Keyblade around in her anger.
The witch only chuckled in answer. "Oh my dear, you'll find I can be very patient indeed." Before Aqua could close the distance between them and attack, Maleficent disappeared with a blaze of black and green, leaving behind more of that sharp, maniacal laughter to echo among the trees.
Thoroughly frustrated and scowling at the white ground for a long, silent moment, Aqua finally lowered her weapon and it shimmered away. Coward, she thought, Stand and fight! More than anything, she just wanted to make the witch pay for what she had done to her family.
Well, almost anything.
"Aqua," came Terra's guarded tone from behind. She could hear his and Ven's footsteps and she turned to see them approaching cautiously with Eraq still unconscious and nestled protectively in Terra's arms.
"I was right," she said, eyes not quite meeting his. "It was her."
"It doesn't matter," Terra told her firmly and hefted the boy expressively as he halted in front of her. "This is all that matters now."
The movement seemed to stir the boy and his bright blue eyes fluttered open in what seemed a delirium. Maleficent's absence canceled out the sleep spell just as Aqua thought it would. "Mom?" Eraq blinked at her in disbelief and he turned up to gaze at Terra. "Dad?" The boy's wide smile suddenly banished any and all dark thoughts concerning the evil witch. Besides, knowing her, she probably just wanted the last laugh, quite literally.
"Mom, Dad!" Eraq cried again, eyes filling with tears as he thumped his head against Terra's chest. The sound of utter relief in his voice and the sight of his contorted features as he discharged his pent up torment through a string of incoherent wailing, caused Aqua's defensive walls to crumble in that instant. All the tears she had held back in the past week came crashing forth all at once as she moved to embrace the boy and his father.
She thought she even detected a sob or too wracking Terra's body, but didn't pay it any mind, she was too busy covering the boy's face and head in kisses while wiping away his tears as well as her own.
"Ven," Terra called over his shoulder, his deep voice wavering. "Get over here."
Yes, Ven, Aqua thought idly and looked up as the blond drew beside them hesitantly. Both she and Terra reached out with one arm and pulled him into their reuniting hug.
Aqua found that it was impossible to differentiate the laughter from the weeping.
Terra felt an overwhelming wave of relief pass over him. Relieved mainly because Ven and Eraq were finally safe, but also because of Aqua's sudden emotional recovery. It wasn't just Eraq and Ven he had retrieved. He had gotten his wife back as well.
He could feel the light of her love swelling and smothering the darkness, that lurking creature she had developed deep inside her heart, until it was nearly nonexistent. He guessed that he could only sense the fragment that remained because he was so attuned to the element himself.
As they made their way back to the campsite where the others had waited for them, Eraq had demanded to be held by his mother. Terra took no offense to the demand though; it was natural for a child to want his mother after such a trying circumstance. Not to mention that Aqua was more than willing to take him. He guessed the outcome would have been the same even if Eraq hadn't made his demand.
Mulan, Shang and Wentai met them at the tree line and Terra could see that the other search party had arrived and was congregated some distance away by the idling horses. He hadn't noticed earlier, but apparently Angelo had been, and still was, perched on one of the mounts. Rinoa was over there now, shower the dog in affection and tears of joy while Leon stood beside her and Sora and Kairi stood some ways back, talking softly to Claire as she was no doubt filling them in on events. Sora soon turned his attention to Pete and with a huge grin, proceeded in tormenting the huge cat.
"Oh good," Mulan said with a smile aimed at the small boyin Aqua's arms. "He finally woke up."
Eraq sniffed but didn't turn his head or acknowledge anyone, but kept his head firmly planted against Aqua's chest. All he knew and all that mattered to him at the moment was his mother, and clinging to her as though she would disappear at any instance. Though such an outcome was unlikely since she in turn held onto him with just as much desperation.
Ven moved to shake hands with Wentai and nodded to the others. "Thanks again for all your help."
"My pleasure Ventus," Wentai replied and turned to Terra and Aqua curiously. "But I can't help but feel like we've met before."
"We were thinking the same thing," Mulan added with a shared glance to Shang.
"We have," Terra answered as he reached up to pull at a thin chain from under the collar of his inner shirt. His gold wedding ring hung from it, but what made Mulan and Shang gawk was the black and white trinket that accompanied the ring.
Aqua did the same and produced the twin to his ring and counterpart to his pendent, jostling Eraq a bit in order to complete the task. Part of the reason they didn't display the rings on their hands was mostly for practicality, as their day to day lives often included combat training with Keyblades, thus the risk of damaging them was fairly high, although Terra liked to think it was more about keeping the bond closer to their hearts.
"The tiger and the dragon?" Mulan and Shang chorused in disbelief, though they obviously couldn't remember their names after so much time had passed.
The look of recognition on Wentai's face however, was unmistakable; he would have never forgotten them. "You mean Terra and Aqua?" He looked to each of them in a new light, awed. "You really were human after all!"
Terra and Aqua both nodded with a smile. "Thank you for watching out for our boys," Aqua said, kissed Eraq's head and reached out with one hand to cup Ven's cheek tenderly. The blond rolled his eyes briefly but did not lean away from her touch.
Terra's mind was buzzing and he didn't catch much of the following exchanges. He felt both exhausted and drunk with contentment. He was only slightly aware of Sora's approach, as he had apparently grown bored with Pete and was moving on to his next victims to tease, throwing an exaggerated arm over both Mulan and Shang and eliciting laughter from them both. "There, you see? Everything worked out in the end."
Any further introductions between the motley groups were promptly repressed as Terra instinctively moved to catch his wife when she nearly collapsed beside him. He noted with a fleeting amusement that her hold on Eraq didn't so much as slip. "Aqua!" Shifting her weight around, he lifted her off her feet and held both her and Eraq close to his chest.
"Is she ok?" Ven asked, his eyes reflecting what Terra deemed the personification of concern.
Aqua's mouth moved slightly but she appeared too drained to produce any voice, her eyes drooping shut as she nuzzled Eraq's fluffy dark hair. The boy himself had passed out again moments earlier. Terra could only smile warmly at the two. "I think the ordeal has just caught up with her," he told Ven. "She hasn't slept in days." Not to mention she's pregnant and hasn't been eating like she should.
"Oh," Ven replied with a worried nod. "We should let her rest then."
"Yeah." Terra nodded back. "In fact we could all use a good rest." He looked up to see the other team had all gathered around with concern. Pete was trying his best to act aloof in the background. Sora had moved to link hands with Kairi, both of them wearing goofy grins. Rinoa was holding a squirming Angelo as the dog whined and licked her face exuberantly. Leon was eying the canine dubiously while Claire watched everyone curiously from beside him and Rinoa.
Terra returned his content smile to the ones in his arms. "It's time to go home."
Aqua was only partially aware of things as Terra set her down in her seat inside the ship. As delirious as she was, she wasn't about to release her hold on her son, safety protocol or not, and she was glad when Terra made no move to enforce it. He simply buckled her in and placed a gentle kiss on both her and Eraq's heads.
The ship roared to life and she was sleeping deeply before it even lifted into the sky.
She felt like she had only been asleep for mere moments when Terra nudged her awake. "We're home. Are you alright?"
She nodded feebly, or at least she tried too, not entirely sure how successful she was. "Fine." It was truly astonishing how quickly her strength had left her after everything was set right. She wondered how it was that Terra was still holding up. Had he just paced himself better? "What about you?"
He smirked, a spark of amusement dancing in his cobalt blue eyes. "I think I can make it to our apartment."
"Don't toy with me," she threw back at him coyly, feeling a flicker of mischief for the first time in awhile. "If you're incapable of completing the task then just leave us right here."
"No, no, I'm capable," he nearly whined at her defensively as he leaned down to once again slip his arms under her legs and back respectively. Without much effort he lifted her and the still snoozing Eraq into his steadfast hold before heading through the ship to the exit. Aqua glanced around but guessed that Ven and Claire must have left already. "But as soon as I'm in bed, I'm not moving for three whole days."
"Three days?" she asked incredulously.
"Three days."
It turned out Aqua had three days to think long and hard about her new decision. On their third day of lounging about in bed, she finally discussed it with Terra.
"Are you sure?" he asked her, his voice and eyes anxious as he cupped her face with one hand. "You're willing to give it up, just like that?"
"It isn't a decision I've come to easily." Blinking her eyes with a brief regret she placed her hand over his. "It's what needs to happen."
"But," Terra hesitated, eyes drawn away dismally. "It's become a part of who you are. And I can't help but feel like I'm to blame for this."
"It's time I made my priorities clear." Reaching over, she brought his dark blues in line with hers. "To everyone."
Sighing in defeat, he nodded against his pillow. "It's probably for the best that you give it up."
"Give what up?" Eraq wanted to know as he stormed into the bedroom with his black moogle tucked under one arm, thereafter crawling onto the bed between them. Aqua smiled warmly at him. It hadn't taken long for the boy to grow extremely bored with all the sleeping.
"None of your business little man!" Terra barked playfully, snatched the boy into a bear hug and proceeded to ruffle up a nice cloud of static in his dark blue hair.
"Argh, not that, no!" Eraq squirmed and howled, feigning displeasure though it was quickly contradicted by the contagious laughter that followed.
Aqua's smile only grew more as the two tussled on the bed in front of her. Yes, this was the right decision.
"Are you sure?" came Riku's response, his aquamarine eyes considered her carefully, giving Aqua an ironic deja vu. They stood just inside the council room with Sora and Ven, though she had made it clear that the matter was not worth sitting for.
She nodded determinedly and grabbed Ven's arm to pull him forward. The blond's mouth had nearly hit the floor after Aqua's suggestion and he continued to gawk at her in disbelief. Sora, who still stood beside Riku, had had a similar reaction. "You what?"
"I'm stepping down," Aqua repeated for him, no less determination in her voice as the first time she said it. "And I'm nominating Ventus to succeed me. He demonstrated the greatest selflessness and self-sacrifice during the crisis. He is amiable and he cares about everyone; he has the makings of a great leader."
"But Aqua, you can't-"
"No excuses Ven," she cut in gently. "I don't feel worthy to lead anymore. And-" she paused to glance away with a sudden pink gracing her cheeks. "I'll be out of commission for awhile."
There was an awkward silence that followed. Both Sora and Ven frowned and scratched their heads in confusion while Riku scrutinized her carefully before understanding dawned on him. "Oh."
"Oh?" Sora questioned and gave Riku a playful shove. "What's that mean? I don't get it."
Riku cleared his throat objectively, obviously intending to steer the conversation elsewhere. "If that is your decision Aqua, then we will put Ven's appointment as your successor for Grand Master to a vote."
"But Aqua-" Ven started to interject again, only to freeze as she placed a finger to his mouth to hush him.
"You'll do wonderfully," she told him and brushed his messy bangs away in order to tenderly kiss his forehead. "I believe in you Ven." She smiled at his speechlessness and took the opportunity to make her exit without another word.
The three men stared after her for a moment. "I still don't get it," Sora grumbled, arms crossed in a pout as he glared at his best friend.
"And I'm not explaining it."
"Well?"
"It's done," Aqua declared, a soaring expression lighting across her beautiful face as she joined him in the sun. "I'm a free woman."
"Well," Terra said, a bright mischief playing in his eyes. "As free as you can get." He gently pulled her close to puff at her blue bangs affectionately.
"No sir," she remarked with a smug tone. "I am as free as the ocean tide. Any attempts at holding me down will be frustrated, wholly and completely."
Their differing shades of blue met in a mutual amusement.
"Is that so?"
"It is."
They both turned distractedly when Eraq's delighted laughter responded to a bath via Angelo's tongue. "Ok, ok, stop already!" the boy howled and waved the dog away. "I'll throw it, I'll throw it!" Once the dog let him up, the dark haired boy grabbed at a stray ball and tossed it for her, which elicited a string of excited barks as she lunged for the wayward sphere.
He turned his gaze to his parents and a beaming grin split his features.
It was in that instant that Aqua realized, that smile, was what she had fought so hard to pursue.
White. It was white everywhere. An unusual coincidence of snow had graced Radiant Garden the day Yukimura was born and now it covered everything around the Academy, from high up on the clocktower's roof, to the training courtyards below.
Sitting on a bench among one of the freshly dusted courtyards, Aqua sighed contentedly, her warm breath puffing out a cloud against the chilly air. Being cooped up for three days after giving birth had nearly drove her crazy. Thankfully Terra had finally agreed to an outing and she was relishing the pure, crisp air. It was refreshing and she didn't think the odds of convincing her to go back indoors was very good. Terra would probably have to drag her back in kicking and screaming.
"Be careful Eraq," she told the six year old, her attention suddenly drawn down to him. He sat in the three inches of snow, cradling the newborn as he had been instructed, though he was somewhat distracted by Marlene and Denzel beside him and had let Yuki's head slip a fraction. "She's still very fragile." The boy nodded with as much seriousness that a six year old could muster, but his correction came too late and Yuki began to wail at his blunder.
Aqua cringed and she could hear Terra's annoyance from nearby. "Yep, there she goes." So far, Yuki was not a quiet baby, and her unpleasant cries caused Eraq and his friends to quickly lose interest.
Sighing wearily, Aqua took the newborn from him and attempted to calm her before the tantrum grew too gruesome. "Sorry Mom," Eraq murmured with a frown. She waved him off and he stormed away after his friends without another word.
"What is it with this one?" Terra wondered with a cringe of his own, drawing beside her and running a hand over the baby's fuzzy white hair. "So cranky."
"Eraq must have taken all the happiness out of me," Aqua deadpanned. "I had nothing left to give her."
"Ha-ha," Terra mock-laughed and scratched at his head in dismay as the baby only seemed to resent his voice and cried louder.
Aqua bounced and shushed at her baby girl, rearranged her many layers and wrapping her more securing against the cold. They hadn't thought the weather would effect her too much so long as they didn't keep her out in it too long, but then again maybe she was starting to dislike her element.
Once the wailing had eased, and Yuki's face softened from its former contortions, Aqua found herself once again surprised to be staring at a pair of dark blue orbs that were not her husband's. The baby stared right back and gurgled, probably complaining about her careless brother.
She had no more than got the girl settled when the next challenger stepped up. "Can I hold her?" Claire asked, pale blue eyes hopeful. "Sarah want's to see her but she's too shy to ask."
Unsure if the baby would remain stable, Aqua hesitated but finally nodded her approval and handed her over to the apprentice, who then wandered over to a circle of kids where her sister sat, all of them fawning over the newborn. By some miracle, Yuki didn't start balling the minute she was taken. Perhaps she liked all the attention?
The baby was proving to be quite the commodity within the community. In the past hour alone, the child had been passed from Aerith to Yuffie, Tifa and most recently before Eraq, Rinoa, who was close to expecting her own little bundle of "joy" soon.
Now it was the younger generation showing an interest in her. All of which was fine with Aqua; she could use a nice break.
Releasing a relaxed sigh, Aqua stared around at the endless white snow and felt her brows furrow with the same recurring thought she had had since the child was born. "I'll never understand genetics," Aqua grumbled. Honestly, where had the white hair come from? Certainly not from Terra.
"Hey, there's some blue in there somewhere," Terra joked, giving her a playful nudge.
"Yeah, maybe if she's sitting in the element she's named for."
Terra shrugged. "Still counts."
The sound of crunching snow made them turn to see that Ven had approached. "Hey guys. You planned a family outing and didn't invite me?"
"Ven," Aqua greeted with a smile before aiming a pointed gesture at her husband. "Correspondence is his job. It's all I could do to talk him into letting me out in the first place."
"I knew you'd show up sooner or later," Terra said, clapping the blond's shoulder with a grin.
Giving Terra a narrow look, Ven turned to Aqua. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he sat down on the bench beside her.
"I'm fine," she told him fondly and reached over to pull his head closer so that their heads touched, ear to ear. Ah, her beloved first child. Her easy, calm child. How she cherished him.
Even though Eraq was obedient and happy most the time, it was still hard keeping up with him. Aqua often wondered if she and Terra had given the master as much of a hard time when they were that age.
Not wanting to be left out, Terra joined them and sat on Aqua's other side, reclined and stretched a long arm across the back rest of the bench.
"Do you mind?" Aqua grumbled at her husband. "I'm trying to have a moment with the boy." She knew very well that Ven was no longer a boy; that he had been a man for many years already. To her though, he would always be that goodhearted young boy he had been when he appeared in their lives so long ago.
"What? I've done nothing wrong," Terra defended, though while Aqua's gaze was turned in his direction he biffed Ven upside the head.
"Hey!" the blond yowled and sent the brunette a threatening glare that danced with a playful edge. "Do that again!"
Aqua rolled her eyes. "Yes, do it again," she hissed at her childish husband and dug an elbow into his ribcage.
"Ok, ok!" The dark haired male held up his hands, wincing. "I surrender! Continue with your little moment."
"It's too late. It's been ruined."
Terra blew out a bothered sigh. "Do I have to fix everything?" Reaching out again, he pulled Ven's head to touch Aqua's once more and pressed his own brown locks against her blue tresses, so that the three of them were squeezed together in a tri-colored mess of hair.
"Oh yes, this is much better," Aqua commented dryly, causing Ven to snort and Terra to hum with amusement. Though if she was to be honest, the contentment swelling in her chest was overwhelming.
Then the tender moment ended with a plaintive cry, and Aqua sighed.
Parenthood was proving to be a much greater sacrifice than she could have ever imagined.
AN: I really hope this chapter wasn't a let down for all the hype that led up to it. :/ Please let me know what you thought! Also, only a short Epilogue remains, so prepare yourself for this to end soon! I welcome your questions! I am really curious to know what you guys are thinking.