A/N: I have visited three more other worlds. The Pixie Hollow and the Blazing Kingdom were interesting worlds weren't they? If only they were in the Kingdom Hearts game, especially Pixie Hollow. I think it's cool to play as a fairy. I envy Kirito and his friends for having that Fairy MMO game in Sword Art Online.
World: Radiant Garden
I returned to Radiant Garden shortly after my journey in Pixie Hollow. I was glad to see Ventus is settling in well with everyone. It's early in the morning, Ven decided to do a little training, since he hasn't practice in fifteen years. He's now in the Fountain Court. Ven just stands in place near one of the water grounds. He stares down at his own reflection on the thin water.
"So much has changed..." He says.
Ven stands back. He holds his Keyblade, Lost Memories, in front of him. He holds it over his head and gives a heavy strike releasing a yell. As he practices his hits, he thinks about the past. His home in the Land of Departure. His friends Terra and Aqua. His master Eraqus. He still cannot believe all of it is gone.
What he cannot believe most was seeing me all grown up. As far as he remembers, I was a helpless shy little boy who wouldn't leave Aqua's side, who was the only one that Ven could beat in a sparring match. It's like one minute I'm that and the next I'm suddenly a Keyblade Master.
Ventus releases a final strike and shout. He now rests from his training, standing there panting. He takes a final sigh. Ventus turns and is caught by surprise. I'm standing by a lightpole watching him.
"Morning, Ventus." I say.
Ventus stands straightly then bows. "Oh. Good morning, master Patrick."
I chuckled as I walk towards Ventus. I push him to stand back straight. "At ease, boy. No need to get all formal."
"I must. To a student of Master Yen Sid and a Keyblade Master." Ventus says.
"And here I thought Goofy was a nutty one." I say. "That was some impressive practice. Not bad for being asleep for fifteen years."
Ventus nods with a smile. But that smile disappears. "I still can't believe I've been asleep for that long. Feels like just yesterday, I'm in the Land of Departure with Terra and Aqua and you were a little boy. Now I'm in Radiant Garden...with you all grown up."
"I don't blame yea, kid." I say. "It's nice to see you're settling in well with Leon and the others."
"Yep. They treated me very well." Ventus says. "By the way, why is it Serah calls you her big brother? Is she really your sister?"
I shook my head. "No. We just grew up together after I was abandoned when Aqua was taken. I guess I just felt like a brother to her."
Ven seems depressed. "I still can't believe what happened to Terra and Aqua. I was worried something were to happen to them in the Keyblade Graveyard, but I didn't think it could get this bad."
"Neither did I. Xenahort is quite the wicked. It's as if he was planing to get rid of you three from the start." I say.
"Well...not me. He was using me to become some kind of χ-blade." Ven says.
"Yes, yes. I'm well aware of that." I turn to the side looking at the distance. "Terra became Xehanort's new vessel and Aqua was taken away in the darkness. I'm already on a journey to bring her back from that horrible realm." I put my fingers on my chin. "But for Terra...his will be a hard one."
Terra went through quite a journey in his condition. First he became Xehanort's vessel, I don't know what happened to him five years later, then he attacks Radiant Garden and becomes a Heartless and a Nobody, both of which were destroyed by Sora and Riku. Then for some reason, he returns as a human again along with few other's who were members of Organization XIII as Nobodies.
"Hey, you want to spar?" I ask.
Ventus looks surprised and confused hearing that. "A spar?"
"Yes. I never really got a real match with you. I mean, back in the Land of Departure, you were going easy on me and we were using toy swords." I say.
"Well...if you insist. But I'm not going easy on you." Ven says.
I chuckle hearing that, then I give Ven a pat on the head. "I'd be more worried about myself if I were you."
Me and Ventus returned to the Central Square. Merlin and everyone else are taking their seats on the benches on the walls above the center square. Me and Ventus stands in front of each other a few feet. We both give a simple bow then we summon our Keyblades taking our positions.
"So who are you guys gonna root for?" Yuffie asks.
"Why, big brother of course." Serah says.
"I think Ventus has a chance of winning." Rinoa says.
"Are you kidding? He's been asleep in cold storage for years while Patrick's been training hard core. That kid's toast." Cid says.
Leon, Cloud, Tifa and Noel mutters in agreement. Me and Ven stands in place frozen. Ven takes this opportunity to observe my form. I hold with my Keyblade held to my side, legs spread knees bended, my attention sharply focused on Ven. Ven takes a baby step forward. I give a small flinch, that's when Ventus makes his strike.
The boy is quick but I'm faster. I dodge his attack by moving to the side right when he was about to make contact. Ventus was surprised by my last second dodge. The boy stumbles forward as he tries to stop his movement. The moment he stops, I make a rush charge towards him. Before he realizes my assault, I strike twice then give him a sweep kick, knocking him off of his feet, then kick him in the back while he's off his feet.
Ventus falls back and hits the wall. "See? What I tell yea?" Cid says.
Ventus staggers to get back on his feet. He looks at me surprised. "Don't forget: I'm not the helpless little boy you've been fighting."
Ven puts on his serious face, holding his Keyblade by him. "Right!"
Ventus charges at me, yelling. Ventus makes his strikes, I evade each of them. At his last strike, I parry it. I grab Ven by the shirt and toss him over my shoulder to the ground. I turn looking down at the boy. He gets back on my feet and attacks. I make my strike causing his Keyblade to fly out of his hands.
Ven looks at his Keyblade. Once it's on the ground, he looks at me completely surprised. He didn't expect to be disarmed like that. I give him a spiral kick, knocking him back down to the ground. I stand over him with a foot on his chest. Ventus looks at me.
"You're enjoying this aren't you?" He asks.
I smile a little. "A little bit." I answered.
Squall jumps into the square walking towards us. "All right, I think the kid's had enough."
Ventus gets back on his feet. "Wow. You really surprised me. I guess Yen Sid taught yea well."
"He certainly did." I say.
Ventus reaches into his pocket. "Here, you should have this." I take the Ventus charm. "I woke up with that. I don't know what it is or how it ended up with me, but I figured you could make good use of it.
I smile a little, giving a nod. Just then, I get a feeling of unease presence. I turn my head to the side as I hear a fainted noise. Sounds like weird chanting, only I can't make out what it is. One second I hear it then it's gone.
"What is it?" Leon asks.
"Hmm..." The rest of the gang gathers with us. I'm drawn silent for a moment, but nothing happens. "I'm getting a bad feeling." I say.
"Now that you mention it...I'm getting a bad feeling too." Ven says.
"You sure it's not feeling sore from all those beat downs?" Yuffie says, making everyone but leon and Cloud and Aerith laugh.
"Is it Heartless?" Leon asks.
"Unversed?" Ven says.
I turn completely around. There's nothing, then the feeling is gone. "I don't know...maybe I just imagined it."
We all return to the house.
Aqua yells as she strikes the Heartless with her Keyblade. In a single strike, the Heartless falls, but she gets hit with every five Heartless she slain. Even though each hit is a minor attack, it hurts like it's a major attack.
Aqua soon becomes surrounded by the Darkballs. They charge towards her, all at once. Before they could reach her, Aqua unleashes Explosion, unleashing powerful light magic surrounding her, wiping out the Darkballs.
Vantias, Izu, Zaela and Wingul stands on top watching Aqua with Rasputin.
"She's a tough one to break." Izu says.
Aqua blocks a Morning Star's attack with one of its spike arms. Aqua repels the attack then strikes at it three times, destroying it. However, another one appears behind her. Aqua turns and gasps as she sees it's about to strike her.
The heartless knocked her back and she falls to the ground below, smashed to the ground. Aqua groans in agony. She manages to get back on her feet, only with her knees bent and she holds on to her right arm, moaning in pain.
Aqua looks around. She can see that there's countless Darksides all around her. Aqua holds her Keyblade out, but still having her left hand on her right upper arm, for it sores with exhausted pain.
"You should let me finish her, lord Rasputin." Wingul says.
Rasputin looks at Wingul at the corner of his eyes. "Not yet." Then turns his attention back to Aqua. "I want to see her suffer."
Shouting with rage, Aqua charges towards one of the Darkside's and attacks.
Later on that day, me and Ventus are hanging at on the bar. We are sitting at the table by the windows. I was sharing him the recording Aqua had made before going on her journey fifteen years ago. Ventus is surprised to hear everything she's saying on the device. What's surprising is that she's making me her living legacy. He thought it would be either him or Terra since they're close friends with her.
The message gets to the point where she's about to sing, that's when I stop it. "Wow...that's deep." Ventus says.
"I know. It really brought me to tears. Mostly cause I was sadden to hear her once again all these years. Maybe me realize I miss her more then I thought." I say.
"I know...I just wish there's something I can do." Ven says. "Aqua is my friend, so were Terra. I even gave my life to protect them."
I look at him curiously. "What do you mean by that?"
"Back at the Keyblade Graveyard, when Vanitas and I joined together, he was wielding the incomplete χ-blade. My only choice was to join him to make it whole, cause if I didn't, my heart would be destroyed. But I refused and destroyed it along with Vanitas." Ven explains.
"Geez. That explains how your heart vanished." I look out the window. "But you're only half correct, cause Vanitas is still out there."
Ventus looks worried. "What? How?"
"I have no idea. But he's now working for the Shadowmoon." I say.
"What Shadowmoon?" Ven asks.
I look at Ventus. "Man, you have a lot of catching up to do, kid." I say. "The Shadowmoon are the people that took Aqua away. They are hunting for someone known as 'The last LeiShen'. Before you ask, LeiShen's a powerful Keybladers that were the guardians of Kingdom Hearts, and the Shadowmoon are hunting for them."
"So...who's the last one?" Ven asks.
"I don't know...It's all confusing. I personally think it could be Aqua since they're assaulting her every second in the darkness. But then again, they are also having their sights on me." I lock my fingers together, elbows on the table and my chin on my hands looking down on the wooden board in between us. "Aqua has to be, since she's powerful enough to live fifteen years straight in battle."
"If she is, that's horrible." Ven says.
"Yes it is. Which is why I have to find her. It's only a matter of time before she gives into the darkness and shallows her whole." I say.
Ventus is speechless. Just then, Tifa walks by with our drinks. She sets down my hot chocolate and Ven's oolong tea. I pick up my cup, giving it a cooling blow.
"Hey, Patrick?" I look at Ventus. "Did you ever...get back your memories?"
I shook my head. "No. Everything I have forgotten when I arrived in your world is still a hollow image." I set my cup down, crossing my arms. "I've tried so hard to remember, but everytime I try, I keep entering some kind of migraine attack."
"That's gotta be tough." Ven says. "It was the same thing with me back then. When I first arrived, I had no memory of anything and the Aqua and Terra's questions, except for my name, caused me so much pain I blacked out."
"Yeah, Aqua told me that before." I say.
Me and Ven finish our drinks and left the bar. As soon as we're out the door, the feeling returns, only it's stronger then before. Ventus must be getting it as well.
"You feel it too?" I ask.
"Ye-yeah. It's so weird." Ven says.
Just then, my Wayfinder glows. Ven's pocket is glowing as well. He reaches in taking out his Wayfinder, which is the object that's glowing. "Our Wayfinders, they're glowing."
I look down, resting the wayfinder on my palm of my hand. "Why..." The I hear the whispering chants once again. I look up. "Humm? Did you hear that?"
Ventus looks at me confused. "Hear what?"
So Ventus can't hear it. The whispers speaks again, louder. It still sounds like chanting, but strangely I can make out what it's saying.
"'Come...come to...the grave...The grave of...fallen bearers.'" I say.
The whispers slowly fade away, then the feeling then our Wayfinders stop glowing. "What was that?" Ven asks.
"I don't know." I look down, fingers on my chin. "'Come to the grave of fallen bearers'...hmm."
"Could this be that Shadowmoon's doing?" Ven asks.
"Perhaps...then again, it feels like...someone's calling me." I say.
"Maybe it's Aqua." Ven says with hope.
"Only one way to find out." I face Ven. "We have to go to the Keyblade Graveyard."