"...and that's pretty much how the past couple of days have gone with her," Luxu concluded, standing on the docks of Scala Ad Caelum with Lauriam, gazing out across the ocean together.
Lauriam frowned, but nodded. "I appreciate you telling me this. If what she needs is time and space, I'll be glad to give it to her." He flushed as bright as his hair, turning his head aside. "It was...nice enough while it lasted, but I wouldn't want it to come at the expense of her wellbeing. And I'm in no great rush, myself, honestly; I have some doubts and fears of my own about it all. My own feelings aren't...as clear as I usually like them to be. It's something to sort out, at any rate. If her and I are going to do this at all, I'd prefer we have our heads clear about it...as much as we can, at least. Elrena, more than me; I want to know that she knows exactly what she wants before...proceeding further ahead."
"Talking like that, you sound like you already have yours on pretty straight to me."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Luxu gazed at Lauriam for a moment. Then, he spoke on. "You know, you and Strelitzia might think about getting out of here, too. I doubt Elrena's ever going to step foot in this place again if she can help it, and with Skuld gone as well, well...it's probably gotten lonely around here for you two? And if your feelings for...my friends...are in any way similar to the likes of Elrena, or Skuld, then you'd probably be happier putting some distance between you and them, wouldn't you?"
"True, yes..."
"Well then, you might think about coming over to Twilight Town, even. I mean, if what you want is a normal, peaceful life - for yourself, and most especially for Strelitzia - then there's no better place I can think of. It's a good world, with good people. Kind, compassionate, normal people. Strelitzia could see Namine more often, way more easily, and she could even start going to school, too - if that was something you wanted for her, that is." Luxu paused, adding on swiftly, "I don't mean to tell you how to run your life or anything - just throwing out some suggestions that might be helpful. Feel free to disregard them."
Lauriam leaned forward on the railing, looking down directly at the water now. The wind fluttered at his long pink hair. He turned his head, and a smile curved at his lips. "Those are some excellent suggestions, actually. I've noticed her becoming particularly restless the past few weeks now. I think she might be on the verge of suggesting such a thing, herself. Especially since her...sleepover with Namine."
"Really?"
"Mm. She's been bringing it up the last few days, in particular - wanting to see Namine again, wanting to explore that world. I think...it would be very good for her, if we were to...move over there. That is all I want to give her: a peaceful, normal, rich and fulfilling life in this World. Nothing less. Because it's nothing less than she deserves."
"No question about it. She deserves the full benefits of her second chance at life. She deserves the chance to just be a kid...while she still can."
"I'll discuss the idea with her, then."
"All right. And, hey, any help you'd need to get set up - I'll be there. Just say the word. If it's buying a house, getting paperwork in order...I can help you with that, easy peasy."
"I imagine you've done such things before - numerous times over?"
"A few times - with and without the help of magic to grease the wheels a little."
Lauriam pushed off from the railing, straightening up tall. "If we are to do this, I think I will need the help - I've never done this before, after all."
"Of course. Whatever you need."
"Although, there is one other thing to consider with this idea..." Lauriam mused.
"What's that?" Luxu questioned.
"Elrena's likely going to accuse me of following her," Lauriam said humorously. "I truly wouldn't want to give her such an ill impression of me..."
Luxu laughed, shaking his head. "She'll get over it - a world is a big place, and there's plenty of room for both of you."
"Let's hope so."
Skuld raised her Keyblade, focusing on where she wanted to go.
The portal appeared, bright and warm, swirling in front of her.
She smiled and lowered her Keyblade, simply letting the portal disappear again.
She could still do it - her Heart still remembered. With some help.
"Good job," spoke Master Terra, watching her from the sidelines of the Land of Departure's training grounds.
It still felt a little strange to think of someone younger than herself as a Master - but between him and Master Aqua, and Luxu (though only technically, in his case), Skuld thought she was getting used to it. And besides...Terra and Aqua both felt like Masters; there was an unmistakable air of experience, hardships, and yes, power around the two of them. They exuded it, they embodied it. They had earned their Mastery, through battles and trials and journeys that Skuld couldn't imagine - had yet to go on, herself, even now.
Next to them, Skuld still felt like the teenage girl of Daybreak Town - the learner of Daybreak Town. Just a kid trying to stay afloat, fighting against powers and plans far beyond herself. By this point, even Ventus, Lauriam and Elrena all had years worth of fighting experience compared to Skuld. Ventus, considerably less than the latter two, but still...
Skuld wasn't even confident she could win against the newer, younger wielders - the Princess of Heart and her friends! From all Ventus, Terra and Aqua had told her about them...they were forces to be reckoned with in their own rights, as well. They had had their own journeys, these past months, too. Hardships and trials that had forged them, taught them. Compared to all of that...
Compared to her best friend, Ephemer...what could Skuld hope to be?
Skuld sighed, letting her weapon vanish. She sat down in the grass, then and there, and then fell back to the ground completely. She gazed up at the bright sky, the clouds of fluffy white...
Ventus looked over at her - Terra's expression changed to concern - and Aqua started over to her. But Terra stopped Aqua, and gave Ven a look; Ven approached Skuld on his own.
"You okay?" the boy asked. At least he, Skuld thought, was still just a boy.
Skuld looked up at him, and she gave a smile. "Fine..."
Ven nodded, and then he sat down next to her anyways.
Of course he hadn't bought it...
"Ven..." she found herself speaking again, quiet as could be.
"Yeah?" he said instantly, attentive - turning to her.
Skuld looked up at him - then, away. Off into the clouds again. "You spent four years training here, and living here?"
"Yeah...I did. Why?"
"Do you want to be a Keyblade Master...like your friends?"
Ven grinned. "Definitely. I always have - still do."
"Do you think...I could become one, too?"
"Of course!" Ven said instantly. "You were one of the strongest wielders in Daybreak Town; you wouldn't have been chosen to be a Dandelion if you hadn't been! And even after the war, you...you were there with me, with- Ephemer. We were all there together. We kept fighting together, to the very end. You made it to the end, Skuld. And now you're here with us again! You're totally Keyblade Master material."
It was true that, at the Keyblade Graveyard, fighting against the former Union Leaders, something inside of Skuld had just...clicked into place again. And since then, suddenly everything seemed markedly easier. Not perfect, not back to the full strength and ease of the girl in her memories - but a vast improvement over the last ten years, for certain. And she wasn't ungrateful for that; her Heart felt lighter and stronger than it had in ten years now. But, even still...
Skuld sat up suddenly, bracing on her arm and turning to look at Ven, straight on. Her dark hair swayed, hanging over her face. She pushed it away with annoyance. "I want to be - I want to continue doing my duty, even in the new World. I want to help people, I want to protect them, and save them. But I'm not sure I can measure up anymore, Ven. Not like this."
"Don't be so hard on yourself; you've already gotten a whole lot better, since the Graveyard fight. I mean, just listen to yourself!" Ven refuted, beaming at her. "You need to try and think positive, okay? You've gotta believe you'll get there someday."
"Soon?"
Ven shrugged. "Maybe not. I might not get there anytime soon, either, ya know. But I'm not going to give up on my dream. Dreams don't just come true out of nowhere; you have to work for them. So that's what I'm gonna keep on doin'. Until I get there."
Skuld frowned deeply, ducking her head. "It all just seems so hard...so far off right now. I'm not even sure if that should still be my dream anymore. We were only Keyblade wielders because our Union Leaders found us, and took us in - and gave us this power. But what would we be if they hadn't? How would our lives have gone? I don't even know...I can't even imagine it..."
Ven frowned now, too. He glanced away, himself.
"I had a sister, you know," Skuld said suddenly, softly.
"Huh?!" Ven whipped back around, staring at her. His mouth hanging open, his eyes bugging out.
Skuld laughed lightly at the sight, nodding. She pushed herself up, sitting up straight and tall now. "Her name was Astrid. She was a year older than me - we never got along well. Our parents spent more time trying to keep us apart than anything else. When the darkness came, Lady Ava found us, and saved me and my sister. She brought us to Daybreak Town, and gave us the power of the Keyblade. But when the Unions were formed, we ended up in different ones. Over the years of our training, I only saw her a few times. But every time I did..."
"What?"
"She never acknowledged me. She had friends around her, but she always acted like I didn't exist anymore. The way she looked at me..." Skuld sighed again. "I always felt like she blamed me - for our parents. For the darkness."
"You were a kid too," Ven said.
"I don't think it mattered to her."
"So you're wondering what happened to her? Thinking about how things would've been if...everything wouldn't have gone the way it did?"
"If none of this had ever happened, we'd probably still be together - and she wouldn't have hated me," Skuld confirmed softly. "We'd still have our parents, too..."
Ven looked at her sadly, but he didn't argue her on that point.
"Do you remember yours?" Skuld asked, quiet and simple. "The life you had before Daybreak Town?"
Ven shifted with supreme discomfort. "I barely remember much of Daybreak Town - even now. Forget anything even further back than that."
"You could ask Namine for help," Skuld said. "You've seen how much she's helped me. She's incredible."
"I could..." Ven agreed, slow and uncertain. "But I'm not sure I want to remember anything like that just yet."
"Are you afraid that maybe you had a terrible sister, too?" Skuld tried to joke, giving a small grin.
Ven just nodded, tilting his head back to look at the sky. "Maybe I am."
"It's okay to be," Skuld said seriously.
"I know..." Ven sighed. "Aqua and Terra have told me that before - about all this. But I'm just not ready to remember... Maybe someday, though. Anyways, enough about me; weren't we talkin' about you?"
Skuld shook her head, brushing her hair back and getting to her feet again. "Enough about me, too. Let's just get back to training."
Ven stood too, smiling at her. "Okay."
The past or the future - both were uncertain and conflicting.
Maybe...the answer was to stop wondering about either of them.
Maybe the answer was to just focus on the present - the moment. The now.
For now.
Whatever she did, whatever she became, whatever path her life would take her down...Skuld didn't need to figure it all out now, did she?
Anything else was just unnecessary anxiety and stress.
In the name of continuing her training, Skuld and Ven sparred together. It was simple, easy - light. But it was helpful for her, even to just go through all the motions again. To get her body used to it again - to moving in such ways, to holding itself in those positions.
Masters Terra and Aqua watched them over the course of the sparring and blade sequences, each of them giving the occasional tip or making an observation.
And it helped, Skuld found.
After over an hour of this, in the middle of practicing with her magic, an unexpected visitor arrived (but a familiar one).
Out of a light portal came Master Luxu. He scanned the area - looked to Master Terra and Aqua - and then set his gaze on Skuld and Ven. He raised a hand in an exaggerated wave as he strode over to them. "Hey. How's it going over here? Sorry to interrupt anything."
"You're not interrupting," Skuld said, lowering her arm of swirling ice and turning to the man with a smile. "Did something happen?"
"Nothing like that, no," Luxu said quickly. "I just, uh, wanted to see if I couldn't snag you and Ven for a minute. There's something I'd like to talk to you both about."
"What is it?" Ven said, eyeing the man curiously - but cautiously, too.
"Whatever it is, you can talk about it right here," Master Aqua spoke firmly, striding over to them now. Master Terra was close behind her.
Luxu glanced at her, looking a little embarrassed. He took a breath and brushed a hand through his hair. "I don't think I can, actually. This is personal, private stuff - concerning their pasts. Their lives. Ventus might be comfortable sharing that part of his life with you two - I don't know - but I doubt Skuld would be happy being forced to do the same." He looked at Skuld, meeting her gaze with a softness. It was compassion - empathy. It was care. The care he'd given her the past ten years now, ceaselessly and tirelessly... "Or am I wrong?" he added quietly.
Skuld looked to Ven. Then, to Aqua and Terra. "You're not wrong," she said simply. "I think I'd like to have talks like that in private."
"Why don't we all head back to the castle, then?" Terra spoke lightly. "You can get comfortable - have privacy - and Aqua and I will stay away for however long this talk of yours will take. But we'd like to be able to be there for Ven if he needs us, at least."
"Let's go," Ven said instantly, starting off across the clearing, heading for the mountain path.
Skuld hesitated, then followed him.
Luxu followed her - with Terra and Aqua bringing up the rear.
"Alright, I know this is unexpected, and I'm not sure how to even start with this - but I have something I'd like to tell you guys. I'd like to tell you...about Brain. And, you know, a couple of other things too. Things that I thought were important...things I thought that you deserved to know."
Skuld sat down with Ven in the Land of Departure's lounge area, on the lower level of the west tower.
Luxu watched them both for a minute, silent and clearly uncomfortable. He shifted in his chosen seat (a nice, silver armchair).
"I've been kicking it around in my head for a while now, to be honest," he went on, at their silence. "Been dropping hints like crazy - but nobody's taken me up on it. Sooo...I guess I'll just make the first move here..."
"Well, we're listening," Ven said quietly - gazing at Luxu intently now. "So tell us. Tell us...about Brain. And whatever else you have to say."
"Alright, so..." Luxu brushed at his hair, then sat back. He let out a long breath of air. "Okay: you already know that after you guys got into the Ark...I told Brain how it all worked. How to save you guys. But what you don't know is that on that day, we came to an agreement. We made a deal - and a promise. I'd transfer my Heart into his body, and kick his Heart out so that it could travel into the future...and be reconstituted there at some point. Some when."
"I made sure to hang onto his hat, to be used as his medium for reconstruction, and I made sure the people of Scala had memories of him," he continued. "They were awaiting his arrival, because I'd told them when and where he was going to be. That was what was decided. And it worked: he was restored in the future, in Scala Ad Caelum. Long after Ephemer passed away, but still looong before Xehanort came along. And I met with him there, again, like I promised. I checked in on him, and I told him again, like I had before...that I was going to watch out for you guys. That I'd be there in the further future when you all finally arrived in the World again...wherever and whenever that would end up being."
"So...what happened to him?" Ven asked quietly. "He was alive, a long time ago, but..."
"Well, he- he lived," Luxu said, spreading his hands. "He found a place for himself: made a home. He grew up, grew old. He even had a family - a wife and a kid. I came back to visit him, from time to time, over those decades. But...then I had to move on. Keep going forward. To keep my promise to him. Because I could be sure he'd made it - that I'd saved one person, at least, for damn sure."
"He had children..." Skuld said in wonder, a smile coming to her lips.
"Yeah. And..." Luxu hesitated. "And I know for a fact that that family line of his continued on - right up until about...a decade ago now. Because when I went back to Scala, about seventy years ago...I learned about and met a boy, who was said to have had a great great great great- well, an ancestor who was known by the people of Scala to have fought in the Keyblade War. And that ancestor was Brain, so..."
"Who was it?" Skuld said curiously. "This descendant of his?"
Luxu looked right at Ventus. He sat forward, leaned in. Took another breath. "Well...he was a boy, who became a man, who became a Keyblade Master: his name was Eraqus."
"Are you messing with me?" Ventus said, staring with wide eyes.
"No, I'm not." Luxu shook his head firmly. "Your Master, Eraqus, he inherited Brain's Keyblade, didn't he? The Master Defender. Ephemer held onto it for him, after the end - and the people of Scala gave it back to Brain when he finally reappeared. And then, after Brain passed on, his Keyblade was passed on, down the generations - down his family line - unbroken until...it reached the last living member of that bloodline."
Ven gazed at Luxu, his face a whirlwind of conflict and emotion. Then he looked away. He clenched his fists in his lap, drawing a sharp breath. "So...when you talked about being in Scala Ad Caelum decades ago - with my Master, and with Xehanort - you...you knew who he was? You knew he was- Brain's- descendant? Even back then?"
Luxu nodded, reluctant. "Yeah, I knew. I saw the family resemblance right away - but I wasn't sure until I heard the rumors. Then it was confirmed. Surely you can see the resemblance now, too, looking back on things?"
Ven sat there for a long moment. Then, he gave a tight nod. "Yeah, I guess I can..." he whispered.
"Do you know anything about Ephemer?" Skuld asked suddenly.
Luxu sat back again, nodding to her. "More than just history? Yeah - yeah, I watched over him, too, over the course of his life. I watched him rebuild the World, watched him restore the lives of some of the Dandelions found in the Realm of Sleep - long story, and I don't know most of it; I just know he had some big adventure there - and I watched a thriving city start to form...and the legacy of the Keyblade that begun anew, under his ideals."
"So there were more survivors? More than us?" Ven said eagerly, his head coming up again.
"There were. A few dozen, but no more than that," Luxu replied. "But it was enough to...get the ball rolling again," he said carefully - uncomfortably. He gazed at Skuld again.
"What...?" Skuld asked, holding his gaze right back. The look...it unnerved her for some reason.
He sighed, throwing up his hands. "This is going to be an awkward as hell conversation, so let's just get it over with..." he muttered out. "Tell me - do you remember...having a sister? A girl - older than you - named Astrid?"
Skuld nodded. "Are you saying she survived the war? But how? She never became a Dandelion like us - like me - or did she..?" she added uncertainly.
Luxu gave a tight nod. "She must have changed her mind at some point, then, because she was there, after the World ended. Ephemer rescued her, along with those others I mentioned, from out of the Realm of Sleep. And she - they - helped him rebuild, get things started. In fact, uh..."
"What?" Skuld repeated, feeling a bit of annoyance now. Or was that anger? Why were these feelings even in her Heart at all right now?
Luxu looked downright embarrassed now. Extremely uncomfortable. But then he seemed to get over it, schooling his features and drawing himself up in his chair. "Okay, look, you're an adult, and there's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to rip this bandage off: they ended up together. Ephemer and- your sister, Astrid."
"W-what...?" Skuld stammered.
"Yeah. No idea how it happened, or exactly when, but...they were together. They fell in love, yadda yadda, you know how it goes. Romance - marriage. And then...a family. They had...three kids together-"
"Ephemer- MARRIED MY SISTER?!" Skuld erupted. "He- they- CHILDREN?"
Luxu sighed, holding up his hands. "Maybe I shouldn't have told you that part-"
Skuld had jumped to her feet without realizing it, and she hurried from the room in a whirlwind of long dark hair. Her chest seizing, her vision going blurry...
"Definitely shouldn't have told her that part..." Luxu's groaning voice followed after her.
But it was too late - because he had told her.
And she could never unhear it!
