Oh this one gave me so much trouble. Also i apologise for the wait. Uploads are not going to be constant anymore. Writing blocks are a pain!
Paralogue 3: A Strangled Peace
"So, what is the problem around here?" Xion asks as Sumia and Cordelia fly through the skies above Regna Ferox, high above the Shepherds column. So far in every direction is nothing but snow-covered forests and mountains, while a single river flows idly below them. Motioning her mount to fly closer to the ravenette, Cordelia explains.
"The villages around here have not sent any forces to the Feroxi army. These people are renowned for their forestry, yet no word nor wood has come. There have also been reports of the Risen and Bandits in the area of these villages. We are here to put an end to these threats and re-establish connections with them, presuming they have not to be rendered unto ash." The crimson-haired night patiently tells Xion before lying out ahead. Xion sighs sadly before looking at the ground, eyes widening. Below them fleeing through the trees is a crowd of villagers, numbering around forty, flying from a horde of Risen.
"Sumia, Cordelia! Below us!" Xion exclaims before pointing below, indicating the chase. The other two Pegasus knights gasp in horror before a steel sets in their eyes. "We need to help them!"
"We will, but not alone. Chrom and the others need to be let known." Cordelia turns her mount around to fly back to the others, with Sumia and Xion close behind. The ravenette takes one more glance behind at the villages, spotting three warriors fighting behind the retreating villages as they rush to a nearby town. She could only hope they could make it in time.
The villagers rush towards a wooden gate before pounding desperately upon it, crying for help. A shambling Risen mercenary approaches behind, its blade dripping with darkness as it raised it, ready to strike him down. Suddenly, the sound of steel slicing through the air sounds behind the Risen as it vanishes into darkness. Standing in its place is someone who looks identical to Roxas but with a more innocent look in his eyes—dressed like Lon'qu but with white and black are his primary colours for his top, with dull green and yellow for his iron. His boots are a pale silver. His katana, held in reverse, is also flat green and yellow but as sharp as any other blade. He nods at the villagers before the gate before they rush to join with the rest before sighing sadly at the wooden gate.
"How could anyone ignore people who need help?" he asks aloud before rushing to join the others as another wave of Risen falls upon them. He grimaces briefly before smiling as he watches an older man run forward before striking them down. Wearing the same armour as Kellam and taller than Frederick, but in dull gold and red, wielding a spear of brown and gold. His hair is a dark brown, measly spiked vertically and with blue eyes. He looks over to the young boy with an easy smile on his face.
"Don't think about to right now, Ven. Focus on the here and now." He replies before striking his shield into the ground, challenging all to dare approach him. Charge at him; they do, only to be engulfed in pillars of water as a woman walks forward towards them, her height just above the knight's shoulder. Dressed similar to Miriel, but with deep blue robes, lilac-blue pants and silver shoes, she holds an ocean blue book in on hand while a blue ice tomb lies on her hip, alongside a deep indigo sword in a silver sheath. Her hair is short and blue, a similar shade to her eyes.
"How about you save that advice for yourself, Terra?" she says with a hint of banter before summoning another pillar of water to engulf the Risen. "You can banter with Ven after we have seen the villagers to safety."
"Give me a break Aqua," Terra replies before using his shield to bash several Risen away before swinging his spear in an arc, sending three more back to the depths. "Just trying to lighten the mood is all." Ventus could only shake his head at the antics of his best friends. Even here, when depowered, they still find time to flirt or joke. However, he had no time to comment on them as a scream from the front grabbed his attention. After giving Terra and Aqua a quick nod, he rushes towards the front of the villagers, as several Risen, with some Heartless mixed in with them, advance upon them.
Tightening his grip on the new form his Keyblade took, Ventus leaps in front of the villages before striking down two of the Risen at a furious speed. He glares down at the remaining one before rushing towards them, determined not to let any of them harm a single villager.
"Is what you saying true?" Chrom asks with steel in his voice. Xion, Sumia and Cordelia nod affirmative, stating that the villagers are being hounded at each step. Chrom could only shake his head in sadness. Who knows how many villages have been destroyed thanks to these creatures. But what irked him more was that a town barred their entry, even though they pleaded for their lives! "We can deal with the quiet village later. But, first, we need to rescue those villagers and the warriors protecting them. Robin, do you have a plan of action?"
"In a situation like this, speed is the main factor. Our best bet is having Xion, Sumia, and Cordelia fly to them and lend assistance while Frederick and our other mounted warriors rush to their aid. As for the rest of us, we will see to the village. Even if they are closed to the outside, that won't stop the Risen or Heartless from barging in."
"Very well, Sumia, Xion, Cordelia, you know what to do," Chrom says to the three Pegasus Knights, who nod in return before they fly off to assist before he turns to Frederick with narrows eyes. "Frederick, take all our riders and lend aid. The rest of us will defend the village."
"Yes, milord," Frederick replies before turning to the riders. "Riku, Sully, Stahl, Miriel, Panne, with me!" he cries before motioning his horse into a gallop, followed closely by the others. The remaining Shepherds gather around Chrom while Kellam sends Sully and worried stare.
"What's the plan, Chrom?" Sora asks as they gather round, determination in their eyes. Chrom looks to them before motioning Robin to take the stand.
"While the other help protect the villagers, our objective is to defend the village nearby while also finding out why they refused to shelter them. Understood?" a series of nods follow in confirmation.
"Then let's move out!" Chrom exclaims before rushing off towards the village, Shepherds in tow., It was time to find out why they refused them entry.
"Say goodbye!" Terra shouts as he brings his spear in a wide arc, slicing five Risen down in one swing. To his right, Ventus unleashes a Sonic Blade against their foes, as Aqua switches her Water tome for an Ice tome, summoning pillars of ice beneath the Risen as they continue their relentless charge. "There is no end to them! We can hold out much longer!"
"I know!" Aqua yells as she summons another pillar of ice under the Risen before drawing her sword. "But we can't abandon these people!" Terra grimaced as he braced himself for another charge until the ground began to tremble. The Risen seemed to notice as well as they turned their attention from the three guardians to the source of the sound. Bursting through the trees on their right, Frederick and the other riders arrive as Sumia, Cordelia and Xion dive from the sky, slashing into the Risen ranks. "Looks like you got your wish, Terra." Aqua comments as the riders tear through the Risen before heading towards them.
"It looks like it. And it seems there are a few familiar faces amongst them," Terra replies before locking eyes with Riku, who gives his inheritor a smirk before returning his gaze to the Risen. However, the sudden change in fortunes could not last as several dark portals appear in the sky, with three Heartless Pegasus Knights emerging from the Darkness. The sight of which causes Cordelia to freeze.
"Those riders, I know them! They were my fellow sisters!" she cries in horror as the three Heartless riders bear down on her. She would have joined them if not a sudden blast of water from Aqua diverted them. The crimson-haired knight looks at the mage in surprise.
"Focus! We can tend to them later, but for now, you must fight." She says in a stern tone before her gaze softens. "Free them from the cruel fate fostered upon them." She says gently. Cordelia looks at the Heartless riders, tears stinging in her eyes as Sumia and Xion fly to her side.
"We are with you." Sumia says sternly but with a sympathetic gaze.
"Let us end their pain." Xion finishes with a remorseful look. Before muttering thanks with a pained smile, Cordelia looks between them before leading the charge against her fallen sisters. This would not be easy.
All is quiet at the village, despite the roaming Risen and Heartless prowling around its walls. Not in the vast number as those attacking the villages, but more than enough to bring ruin to the town. At least, it was until Chrom and the Shepherds assaulted from the rear. Despite having no flyers or riders, the Shepherds manage to cut a path to the village's gate before forming a defensive ring. With Robin, Miriel, Rick, Lissa, Naminé, Roxas and Virion safely protected by Chrom, Sora, Kairi, Donnel, Vaike, Kellam, Lon'qu and Gaius. The Risen charge at them, intending to breaking through to the defenceless village, but are quickly fallen by arrows, fire, and lightning before reaching the wall.
Those that did found it sturdier than they believed. Several times through the melee, the Shepherds resisted the urge to use Sonic Blade, for any gap in the line would be disastrous until an opening appeared.
"Chrom! The Risen have stopped coming!" Sora cries as he brings Kingdom Blade down on one of the remaining Heartless before glancing back at Chrom. "We should be able to break formation!"
"Understood!" Chrom replies before ripping Falchion out of a Risen Warrior. "Shepherds, charge!" with a resounding cry, the Shepherds break from their formation and plough into the remaining foes, Lon'qu unleashing swift and deadly Sonic Blades as Donnel swings his with better fluidity, the training spars with Sora paying off in spades. Roxas, for his part, continues to fire arrows alongside Virion before the opening of more dark corridors grabs his attention. Flying from its inky depths is a host of wyvern heartless riders, bearing down on the grounded Shepherds. Roxas grimaces before looking over his bow, wondering if the shotlock he remembers would work. He breaths evenly before pulling back on the string, the usual white arrow of light replaced by one of orange fire, as a sphere made of several orange lines appears at the end of his bow. He could feel the strain on his arms, the pent up energy straining him o the max before reaching its peak before he let the string go.
"Ragnarok!" Roxas yells as the arrow flies forward, piercing the sphere and sending several homing lasers of orange light towards the Heartless, each impact destroying them in one blast. Immediately after, though, he could feel the kickback in his arms. Despite being able to use it, Roxas still wasn't strong enough in this current state to use it without suffering from the recoil. He could only grunt in pain as he could feel Naminé's magic already tending to him as the last of the Risen are dealt with. "Thanks, Naminé."
"What were you thinking, Roxas?" Naminé scolds him as she tends to his wounds. "You are not ready to use Ragnarok yet! So what made you think using it would be a good idea?" To his credit, Roxas could only sheepishly shrug as the rest of the Shepherds gather round, with Sora and Kairi also giving the blond unamused stares.
"Next time Rox, call for help before you do something like that. None of us are back to full strength yet." Sora says before pulling his brother to his feet and supporting him. "We're all in this together."
"I'll remember that for next time." Roxas replies. The four guardians turn to look at Chrom and Robin, already anticipating the questions on their lips until the sound of wood creaking grabs their attention. They turn to look at the gate, surprised at seeing it open to them, as an elderly villager steps out from it with a wide grin.
"Shepherds, we thank you for saving our village." He says while bowing to them. "Please enter our village; we can ready warm beds and hot meals for all."
"I appreciate the offer, but we have a group of refugees to save first. Half out our number are already helping them, but we need to go to them." Chrom replies before he narrows his eyes at the elder. "Why did you not offer them shelter. Even without the Risen hounding them, they could die in this frigid weather."
"We're a peaceful town, sir." The elder replies with a stern look. "We have no weapons, nor any want for them. We survive by barring our gates to those who might bring us harm."
"Even from defenceless people who have no home to return to?" Kairi asks, disgusted. The rest of the Shepherds silently agree with her. This village may value peace, but to bar others from entering and condemn them to an icy death?
"Harsh as it may be, I can't have my people dying on account of other folk's problems.." the Elder replies before turning back into the village as its doors slowly close. Chrom could only shake his head in disbelief before turning to Robin.
"We must hurry; Frederick and the other need our help." The others nod before turning around and rushing back, hoping they were not too late.
The waves of Risen seemed to be endless. The constant attacks force the villagers into a narrow canyon as the Shepherds fight fiercely to defend them. The reason? A giant Risen Berserker is standing in the middle of the swarm, his constant presence spawning new Risen and Heartless with each step. In typical situations, this would be when arrows and magic would bombard it while the Pegasus Knights attacked from above. But this was not one of them.
"Aqua, can't you hit that Risen Chief with magic?!" Riku asks as he runs his spear through another Heartless before switching to his sword and blocking an axe strike. He glances at the bluenett as she struggles against a sword-wielding Heartless.
"If I weren't preoccupied, I would!" she yells back before pushing the Heartless off and slicing it across the chest. Taking the opportunity, she grabs her water tome and fires a blast of water at the Risen Chief, striking it in the head and forcing it to stumble back. It turns its blood-red eyes on her before roaring in rage, anger that it had been attacked by mear water. The fight in the sky was not going so well either. While mere shadows of themselves, the Heartless Pegasus knights had all of the experience of their past lives and proved to be more than a match for Sumia and Xion. Cordelia was holding her own, but her lance hesitated every time she had an opening to strike, the image of her fellow sisters plastered on these shadowy beasts. Until an arrow of light zoomed past her and hit one of their shoulders.
"Their here…" she breathes a sigh of relief as Sumia and Xion form up next to her. They turn their gaze downward, watching as the remaining Shepherds tear into the back of the Risen, Chrom heading straight to the Chief with Vaike and Sora in tow.
"Focus on the leader! We take it out, and the rest will withdraw!" Chrom says as he splits another Risen in two, as Sora deflects a sword blow with his shoulder shield. Vaike, for his part, laughs happily as he tears into the Risen, axe swinging.
"Don't worry your little blue head Chrom! Teach is in session!" he cries before cleaving through five more. Before focusing on the Risen Chief, Chrom could only shake his head at his old friend/rival's antics. Then, a blot of thunder followed by a ball of fire removed several more standing in his way as Sora and Kairi rushed to assist him. The Risen Chief looks to the approaching three warriors with rage in its eyes as it swings its giant axe at them. They jump to avoid the strike as it leaves a massive gash in the snow-covered earth. The Risen takes another swing, only for two arrows to strike its arm, forcing it to drop its axe. Chrom leaps at the beast, taking advantage, bringing his blade down as Sora and Kairi strike at its sides.
The beast stumbles backwards, the strikes from three holy weapons at once too much for it to handle, as it falls back into a cloud of smoke and dust. The remaining Risen and Heartless, seeing their leader fall, flee into portals of darkness, with the three Heartless Riders flying as well. Cordelia could only look on in sadness as tears threatened to fall again before a comforting hand from Sumia fell on her shoulder.
"We will find them and lay them to rest, Cordelia." She assures the heart-stricken rider. Cordelia tearfully nods thanks before joining Xion and returning to the land-based Shepherds. A wide grin was on Chrom's face as he looked over the riders after glancing over the villagers.
"Great work Frederick. No civilian deaths. You all should be proud." Chrom applauds the riders, with Sully smirking in pride as Stahl bashful rubs behind his back. Still, in beast form, Panne nods in gratitude to Chrom before laying down to rest, ears still alert for any ambushes. Frederick nods in thanks before glancing over the Guardians as they conversed with the three newcomers.
"We did not do it alone, my lord. We had assistance from the three warriors already here. And they seem to be acquaintances of Sora and his friends." He motions to them, drawing the Shepherds gaze. Chrom nods at Frederick before walking towards them with a small smile. His approach was noticed by the Guardians, who turn to face the grateful prince.
"We are thankful for your help." He says with a slight bow. "Had you not been here, they may have been many villages already lost to us."
"It was our pleasure," Aqua replies, returning the bow. "We could not stand idly by and let innocents suffer. Not after that…" she quietly mumbles to herself before introducing herself. "My name is Aqua. With me are Ventus, someone who I view as a younger brother, and Terra, my husband." She finishes with a slight blush, which Terra shares with a surprised Chrom, who quickly shakes it off.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Aqua. I'm guessing Sora has already told you about the Royal of Ylisse?" Aqua confirms his question with a nod. "Then that is well. And if I must ask…" he turns to look at Ventus, with a curious look on his face. "Are you Roxas's twin?" The Wayward trio could only laugh nervously at the question. That was a can of worms that NOBODY wanted to open.
"Y-Yeah. I am." Ventus replies. "But if it's okay, your highness, you can call me Ven. Everyone else does." Aqua and Terra could only look at Ven with wide eyes before Chrom started chuckling to himself.
"There is no need for formalities with me, Ven. Please call me Chrom. And that goes to the two of you as well." Chrom says while looking at the couple, who nod acceptingly.
"If you don't mind me asking Chrom, but why are you up here? We heard that Regna Ferox was gathering warriors for war with Plegia to assist Ylisse." Terra asks while crossing his arms, a fantastic feat considering the size of the gauntlets and armour plating. Chrom looked to the towering man before nodding.
"You are right, Terra. Regna Ferox is readying itself for war, but there had been reports of trouble up here in the north. So we volunteered to assist in quelling the disturbance as Ferox readies itself. As it happens, we are on our way to quell a major bandit stronghold not far from here. Once we see these villages to a nearby village and safety, we will march upon them. Can we count on you to help?"
The Wayward trio looked between each other before glancing at the other Guardians. Each gave them a confident and comforting nod to them. Then, closing her eyes in acceptance, Aqua turns to Chrom. "We will. After all, we have just reunited with our friends, and we are not separating from them now."
Chrom nods in acceptance before walking over to the villagers, the leader of which walks out to meet him with a very thankful smile. The Wayward trio smile at each other before joining the other Guardians. "So, as you were saying, Sora, this Emmeryn that Chrom is related to is a Princess of Heart?" Aqua asks as she switches into a dour mood along with the rest. Sora nods in confirmation with a grimace.
"Yeah, she is. And before you say anything, we tried to convince her to come with us, but she would not budge. I don't think even Terra could have made her move."
"Still, this is a perilous situation we are in," Terra says with a dark glare, remembering the time Maleficent used him to steal Aurora's heart. "If Gangrel gets his way, then one of the pure light will be lost. We have been lucky enough not to see what happens when one is lost forever, but if Gangrel gets what he wants…."
"There is something else bothering me," Kairi interjects with worry. "Why is Maleficent helping him? She tried to use the power of the Princess of Heart before, remember? Should she be aware of what happens?"
"Or maybe she is counting on that to steal her heart at the last minute." Riku finishes with a scowl of his own. It would be something that the dark fairy would do.
"All the more reason to stop Gangrel," Naminé says with steel in her voice. "We can not let him succeed in his twisted revenge plot. Too many lives have been lost already to his blind rage." The Guardians could only look at the ground in sadness at the remark. A cry from Chrom snaps them back as he calls for them to join up as they head back to one of the closer villages. Placing the sadness behind them, they march on to another day.
"So, how have things been while we were here, Aqua?" Kairi asks as she and Aqua walk through the village. The villages had taken pity on the refugees and allowed them entry, bringing out hot food and blankets for all. The Shepherds themselves were even offered a place to rest in turn, a welcomed respite for all. Aqua turns to look at her apprentice with a small smile.
"For now, everything is at peace. I'm sure Riku had already told you, but Master Yen Sid has begun training Hayner, Pence and Olette in the ways of the Keyblade. So far, their training is proceeding nicely, but he is growing concerned about what is happening here. Especially with no easy way of conversing with each other." Aqua's smile fades before becoming stern. "But now we know why everything has been at peace for so long. How long has Maleficent been on this world?" The two could only frown at the question until a sad sigh caught them. Turning to the source, they see Cordelia staring into the sky, hand on chest with pain in her eyes.
"Cordelia?" Kairi asks, startling the Pegasus Knight before she focuses herself.
"Lady Kairi and Lady Aqua. What brings you over here?" she asks as she quickly wipes away her tears. The two share a glance before looking sympathetically at the Knight.
"You are still in pain at losing your fellow knight siblings." Aqua points out. Cordelia could only gaze at the ground in sadness as the two walked up to her. "I know words can do little to heal pain like what you have, but still, I'm sorry. No one deserves to go through like what you have."
"How could they?" Cordelia could only ask before looking at the two. "How could those things parade around in the bodies of my sisters?"
"Cordelia, has anyone told you about where the Heartless come from?" Kairi asks. Word has discreetly been passed through the Shepherds by a decision from Chrom, Sora and Riku, yet it had not reached all yet. Cordelia shakes her head, clearly one of the few who had not yet been informed. "As you probably can tell, the Heartless are creatures of Darkness and are born from it. But that is not the only place they can come from."
"The Darkness in our Heartless is also where they can come from." Aqua finishes. Cordelia looks at the two in confusion. "Cordelia, in every heart, be they man, woman, elderly or young, has Darkness inside them. How much can vary from person to person, but they all have one commonality. Let the Darkness inside run rampant without restraint, and you can become a Heartless." Cordelia's eyes widen in shock before glossing in realisation.
"You mean that my fellow riders…."
"Gave in to the Darkness in their hearts? Yes, although not of their own will." Aqua finishes before giving the Pegasus knight a comforting hug. "So long as you walk the right path and do not give in to negative emotions, you won't suffer the same fate." Cordelia lets the words sink into her. For a long time, she held Chrom in a special place in her heart, and yet it never seemed like he would ever return the feelings. She recently found herself getting jealous of Sumia, seeing how close she was getting to Chrom. Would she end up like her fellow knights if she continued down this path? Aqua breaks the hug before giving her a reassuring smile.
"Thank you, Lady Aqua. I think I understand now." Cordelia says before placing a hand on her chest. "The next time I see them, I won't hesitate to end their pain." And in time, learn to move on and find a new person to love. The two Keyblade wielders nodded at her before leaving the crimson-haired knight to ponder until she spotted Gaius lounging around in a terrible state. Her eye twitches before she walks up to him, a small smile on her face to hide her displeasure at his current state. "Gaius." She begins, grabbing his attention. "Weren't you wearing those exact same clothes yesterday?" Gaius raises an eyebrow before looking over himself.
"Yeah, they are. That a problem?"
"And unless I'm very much mistaken, you also wore them the day before that." Cordelia continues with eye narrowing. Gaius slowly begins moving away as he begins to feel suddenly intimidated, with an alarming sense to run.
"Y-Yeah, well, this is my favourite outfit. Why are you so interested in my attire? You fancy me or something?" He tries to play off before Cordelia holds an arm out, blocking him as her now very narrow eyes scan over each inch of him, like a hawk.
"I'm simply trying to offer a piece of friendly advice here. Perhaps you don't realize that you look and smell like the floor of a tavern." She points out before pointing at his shirt. "That shirt is covered in honey, and the less said about your pantaloons, the better." Gaius quickly begins to shrink under the knight's gaze, while at some distance away, Sora, Roxas and Riku look on in bewilderment.
"Not to mention your hair needs a trim, and you have crumbs stuck to your face... And is that a turkey leg I see sticking out of your pocket?!" Cordelia exclaims before pulling the said leg out of the pocket and throwing it away, much to the pleasure of a lucky dog nearby and to Gaius's chagrin. "Heavens, Gaius! Don't you care about your appearance at all?"
"Well, as long as it's not slowing me down on the battlefield, right? I'm not some fancywaist who needs to strut around like a peacock." Gaius says, defending his appearance. Cordelia tilts her head slightly at the proclamation.
"Well, I'll concede on the fancywaist point and for battlefield purposes, but still, perhaps you should consider it regardless when not on the field." Gaius shakes his head in resignation before agreeing to change. Only for Cordelia to lecture him on how to bathe and clean his clothes with vinegar, to which Gaius promptly retreats from, with Cordelia hot on his heels. The three onlookers could only blink a few times before looking at each other.
"Who knew Cordelia could be a fashion freak." Roxas comments, to which the other two silently agree while thanking themselves that their girlfriends are not zealous.
How did I get wrapped into this? Ventus thinks to himself as he watches a very peculiar sight before him along with Xion, Naminé and Terra standing in a line at set distances. Before them standing near Terra, stiff as a statue, is Frederick, while at the far end is Panne, in beast form. The knight had asked her to help him test how far she needed to before his fear to kick in, to which she was glad to help. As for them, they were only standing nearby asking Terra how things were going before getting wrapped in as judges.
"Alright, Frederick, is this alright for now?" Panne asks as she sits in at her current distance. Frederick nods and says he feels completely fine for now. Panne nods before moving up to be in line with Ventus. "And how is this?" Frederick again nods that this distance is also acceptable. Again, Panne nods before moving up to be in line with Xion. Frederick nods hesitantly. Terra shakes his head at the knight's antics before Panne begins to move up to Naminé, at which point his resolve is shattered.
"BEGONE, FOUL SHE-WITCH!" he screams at the top of his lungs, much to his embarrassment as Xion breaks into laughter as the others shake their heads, with Panne returning to human form shortly after.
"It would seem this is the point where the fear enters your veins," Panne says, to which Frederick nods at, before apologising profusely for his outburst.
"If I can make a suggestion." Terra begins before walking forward. "Would it not be easy for Panne to help Frederick overcome his fears? If that is alright with the both of you."
"It is alright with me. After all, your friends have accepted me into your warren. One good deed deserves another. That is if you are alright with it, Frederick." Panne nods her head to the knight in question, who seemed to be fighting himself in reaching a decision. Meanwhile, Xion walked over to Naminé with Ventus.
"Why don't you try and get rid of the memory that caused this in the first place Nam?" Xion asks curiously. Naminé looks at her before shaking her head in a negative.
"It would not work. My powers are limited only to Sora and his friends. And while I do not doubt he sees Frederick as a friend, it would only work by playing with Sora's memories., Which is something I am NEVER doing again." Xion, for her part, winced at the mention of Castle Oblivion, the place that caused so much pain for all of them.
"I think we should just leave this to Panne," Ventus adds to the conversation. "An incident with a wolf causes Frederick fears. And Panne is triggering those same fears in her beast mode. So it stands to reason that if Frederick is no longer afraid of Panne, it will help him conquer his fear."
"That may be the best way Ven." Naminé says as Xion nods happily at her brother. Just how complicated did Sora's family tree get!? The three turn back to the scene before them, with Terra acting as a mediator between Frederick and Panne. "At least, I hope it is."
Next Chapter will have the Stats for the WayWard Trio.