AN: I feel compelled to double post because these are shorter than usual lol. My fuckin OCD brain can't stand it. xD So here you go. :D
Invi stood in the grassy clearing up the mountain path, as evening fell upon the world.
She gazed around at the crumbling stone walls once surrounding the perimeter of the clearing. She looked to the broken pillars framing the slope down the mountain.
She took in the worn, stone bridge over the stream she had crossed.
She strode over to a large pool of water with two splitting streams (born from two separate waterfalls), on either side of a curving ledge and platform. She bowed her head and lowered herself to her knees by the water.
To her left, a path curved up and around to the top of the ledge, leading on to a new path through the mountains. A passageway, between two high rocky peaks, sharp and steep.
Behind her, there were a variety of curious instruments - wooden structures and strong bars extending from them, with chains and golden metal circles hanging off.
She drew a breath, taking in the scents of the grass, the flowers, and the water. And lost herself to memories...
"Why do you get in my way?" Aced yelled.
"Don't be so conceited! I'm protecting the balance, just like the Master told us to! You need to come to your senses!" Invi rattled off, right back at him.
"If we don't do something, light will expire! Then we won't be able to avoid the grim future that awaits. We need to defy the Master's teachings to protect the world!"
"You're saying he was wrong!?"
"He's not here anymore. I won't let his prophecy come true. I won't let the world fall into darkness!"
"You fool!"
For all Invi's deriding of Aced at the time, calling him the one lost for his senses...the one who was the fool...it had been her.
She closed her eyes, drawing in a quick, shaky breath.
"Why did you tell Ira? It had to be you because you were the only one who knew where we were hiding. Didn't you think for a second that your actions could be making things worse than they already are?!" Ava said furiously. Desperate, angry - hurt.
"And why should that even bother you? Not only do you have your Union, but you've also gathered the finest Keyblade wielders from other Unions and you're training them in a secret location - aren't you?" Invi accused coldly.
"Yes, because that is my role!" Ava burst out.
Silence fell upon them, on that lonely bridge.
"I had no idea...I apologize, I overstepped," Invi spoke quietly.
"No, I shouldn't have snapped at you either..."
And yet, for all that...
They had been missing the forest for the trees, as the saying went.
They had all been, always.
Because the Master had intended it to be that way. Had handed out those roles, designed to cause them to...
And they had played right into it, to the very end.
Aced and Gula had not been wrong to form an alliance, they had not been wrong to do everything in their power to prevent the war.
They had been right, all along.
And Ava...
If all the Unions could have come together, sworn off conflict, if...
Invi's long, lavender hair shimmered in the light of the lampposts nearby, with their glowing white orbs, as she shook her head fiercely.
Against the world, against herself, against memories of...
Of everything now thrown asunder - and into a stark, new light.
"You're such a fool, Invi," she admonished herself cruelly, whispered - scoffing at herself.
"Oh. I see you found the training grounds."
Invi startled, head whipping around.
It was that "new era" Keyblade wielder - Master Terra.
Invi stood quickly, turning away from the man and ducking her head. "I apologize if I've disturbed any-"
"There's nothing out here to disturb," the young man cut across smoothly, smiling at her. He was muscular and tall, but he held himself so easily, so lightly. He had such a calm, relaxed demeanor, in comparison to, say, Aced...
Invi would have expected him to be along similar lines - all aggression and brutish strength.
Yet he seemed...more like Ira - or even herself...
Composed, thoughtful...
"Unless you're talking about the frogs," the man continued.
Invi blinked - she glanced at him, then away again. A feeling bloomed inside of her. A discomfort. An intense...discomfort. "I...no? Unless the wildlife here is particularly sacred, or endangered-"
"Relax," the man said lightly. "Please. The buildings and structures might be in bad shape, but the world itself is doing fine. It's thriving."
"A-all right," Invi said, taking a deep breath and letting her hands uncurl at her sides.
"Unless I'm the one disturbing things here. Did you want to be alone?"
"No!" Invi said quickly. "No - I - it would probably be best if I...wasn't, right now."
"Okay." Terra approached her, but stopped well short of her.
"According to Luxu, you share a tenuous, distant connection to one of my friends," Invi spoke suddenly, her cheeks growing warm. "The line of wielders you hail from - those from Scala Ad Caelum - were established by one of the Dandelions, a boy named Ephemer. And the Dandelions were formed and led by my friend, Ava. So...in a way, I suppose, she succeeded in what she set out to do, at least. She ensured that light lived on, and that the duties of the Keyblade wielders...were handed down."
"Becoming a Keyblade Master has been a long-held dream of mine, since I was little," Terra responded quietly. "I'm honored to carry on such a long legacy." He paused, glancing at her, giving a small grin. "And you know, I'm also pretty honored to get to meet you - to just stand here and talk with you. Don't take this the wrong way, but, it's hard to believe you're one of the Ancient Keyblade Masters from the history books."
"I find it just as difficult to believe I'm mentioned in history...books..." Invi replied, hesitant.
"Well, not exactly. It's all vague and indirect - shrouded in mystery," Terra went on. "But we did know of you. Sort of..." He shrugged, then crossed his arms.
"I see..." Invi nodded, still feeling rather overwhelmed, in that moment.
Perhaps because it was yet another clear reminder of the still unbelievable fact that she was now...out of time.
Thousands upon thousands of years past the era she knew. In an entirely new, reorganized world - of millions of smaller worlds.
A frown came over her face at the thought.
"This World - these worlds..." Invi began softly, hesitating. She glanced over at the man cautiously - but he was merely watching her. Attentive. Curious. Warm and inviting. Merely watching her; she turned away again swiftly. "They seem so...lonely."
Terra considered her a moment. Mulling over her words. Then, he nodded. He tilted his head back, gazing up into the sky. "I guess they are, to someone from your time. But to us, it's the invisible, unbreakable connections between them, and the view we see when we look up at night...and see all these stars...that makes it all a lot less lonely."
"But you are all...apart - separated," Invi went on, more assured now. "And I heard that the Keyblade wielders of today even fight to maintain that separation. How can you wish to keep people in such ignorance? To keep them from making true bonds with each other?"
Another glance revealed that Terra didn't look offended or upset by her words. Simply...contemplative. He gave another nod - looked over at her in earnest. "For whatever it's worth, not everyone shares that opinion. There are some strong voices against it, especially among the youngest generation."
"And yourself? Do you hold that view, personally?" Invi spoke, avoiding his gaze fervently.
"Truthfully, I've never given it much of a thought," Terra admitted freely. "I just went along with it when I was a student because those were the rules - the traditions we held to. But now that I'm a Master, myself, and I have the space and time to think it all over...maybe I'll change my mind. Maybe I already have, at least a little."
"I suppose people everywhere, throughout all of time, share that same weakness, then, don't we?" Invi sighed. "Adherence to tradition - never thinking to question what we're told..."
"But some of us do. And sometimes, things do change for the better. New ideas, new ways of looking at things. New discoveries. All of it leading to new traditions, and new ways of doing things. But I think it has to start with changing ourselves first."
Invi nodded, looking down at her feet now. She brought up her hands to push back her hair, tearing strands out of her face. It struck her, then, that it had been a very long time since she had last gone without her robes and mask outside of sleeping hours...
Even in her earliest memories, she could only recall the Master - and that outfit he had given her. And instructed her to wear at all times, even when around the other apprentices...even alone with the likes of Ira...
Why?
And why had she gone along with it all her life?
Invi raised her head, and she looked up into Terra's eyes. She fought against all the discomfort of being viewed this way - exposed, naked - and she forced her lips into a smile. "That starts today, then." She hesitated, then raised her hand, extending it to the man. "I'm aware Luxu introduced us earlier, but...I'm grateful to you for this hospitality, Master Terra."
Terra smiled back at her, and he took her hand in a shockingly gentle grip to shake. "I'm just happy to help, Master Invi. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."
"I'll bear that in mind," Invi said sincerely.