Chapter Two: The Lingering Will
Orario City Dungeon, Present Days
"RAAAHHH!" Raux roars as he slashes with his sword, he cuts the monster in front of him, his sword and his superhuman strength easily rips the monster in half.
Poux, the team's supporter, carries a small ballista in her arm with an arrow before firing at a monster next to Raux. With his heightened chientrope (human-dog) hearing, Poux hears a monster approaching from behind and quickly turns around, dagger in hand, slamming the monster in the chest before leaping back.
"Cort, where are you?" Poux screams trying to find the third member of her team who should be protecting her.
A knife flies over Poux's shoulder and hits the monster in the head, effectively killing it. When Poux turns around, he finds Cort with one arm outstretched, indicating that he has thrown the knife and holding a short sword in his other hand, caught between the fangs of a Kobold.
"Sorry Poux, but I'm kind of stuck here" Cort says before punching the monster in the snout, making it release his sword, then decapitating it.
Poux runs to him and they both stand side by side to face the monsters.
"How did we end up in this trap?" Poux asks loading his arm ballista with another arrow
"uh…" Cort tries to think of an answer knowing it was his fault
"Don't even try!" Poux yelled, looking annoyed at the young human "we only got into this because of you" shooting his ballista arrow at a distant monster
"Enough of you two!" Raux yells from afar as he returns to his companions "we are in this together and if we are going to get out of here alive then we have to stop bickering"
Poux sighs in both indignation and defeat, for his captain is right. Cort on the other hand doesn't disagree with anything and just wants them to get out of this situation soon.
The three adventurers leap into the midst of the monsters with a battle cry.
some time later
the members of the Hestia Family were collecting the magic stones from the monsters they had just faced; the battle was exhausting but they emerged victorious
"right… Poux… how many this time?" Raux, the Captain of the expedition and the Hestia Family, asks for support from his family.
Supporters, adventurers who, even when receiving a god's blessing, are still weak to fight monsters but still have useful abilities in other areas; unfortunately supports are frowned upon by adventurers and suffer constant abuse from them and are even considered disposable by ill-intentioned adventurers.
Raux saw talent in Poux when he met her a year ago, along with Cort who they met 3 months later, the two have hidden talents and Raux intends to cultivate these talents until they awaken, although Poux has started to awaken her talents.
Poux counted all the magic stones she had collected with her companions and after a few more accounts that only she was in charge of while inside the dungeon, she frowned and looked at Cort with some disdain.
"Unfortunately, captain, we lost some arrows and daggers, so taking that into account, we only have 20 magic stones here, and there were 35 monsters in this ambush. That is, we had a loss" Poux finishes, now looking angrily at Cort
Raux frowns for a moment thinking about how to compensate for this loss, but then that thought stops later, after all, in the dungeon you can't stay still for long.
"We'll make up for it by going down to the next floors, have faith, it's not over for us yet" the Hestia family captain spoke in an inspiring manner in order to keep his companions together.
"*sigh* if the former captains were here maybe-" Cort started to grumble before Raux pinned him against the wall, holding him by the throat.
"THEY WERE NEVER PART OF THE HESTIA FAMILY!" Raux yelled furiously, his hand squeezing the young human's throat.
Poux, scared and worried, grabbed Raux's arm trying to get him to release young Cort but she didn't have the strength to go against an adventurer of a higher level than her.
"Raux! Stop it, can't you see you're killing him?!" The chientrope support screams, trying to reason with the enraged captain.
Her desperate words reached the captain, who, realizing that his own companion was being hanged by him, released him and walked away from his companions, crestfallen and full of conflicting feelings; on the one hand he was furious that those two were being mentioned and on the other hand he was ashamed of himself for having done such a brutal act with a fellow member of his family.
Cort and Poux look at him scared, rightly and still a little apprehensive, they both know how much the current captain of the Hestia family hates that the two former captains are even mentioned in his presence but it's still terrifying to see how altered the captain can get. just talk about them.
Raux sees the fear on the faces of his subordinates and the guilt gnaws at his heart even more.
"I-I'm sorry… II… I shouldn't have done that. I… I…" Raux apologizes sincerely and with tears in his eyes, falling to his knees "I'm sorry… I… *sigh* it's not your fault , I lost my patience just listening…"
Poux, knowing his captain, understands where this almost uncontrollable rage comes from; Two years ago, the Hestia family had two other members, both captain and captain, serving the goddess diligently and doing what was necessary to keep the family above poverty and want, but one day they both simply walked away, leaving her alone with a promise to return one day. The young chientrope could not believe the audacity of the two, abandoning her goddess to flee, with an excuse so false that it does not deceive even mortals, since the gods are able to sense when a mortal is lying and never be deceived.
After a while they both get up and give words of comfort to their captain, they both lift him off the ground and the three move on, towards the lower floors of the dungeon.
meanwhile on the surface
Hestia was working at her little Jagamarukun (spiced potato crisp croquette) stall, already totally bored that the day will be monotonous again; as she looks at the street she looks at the sky, at her two friends: The Day Stars.
A year and a half ago, Orario's daytime sky lit up abnormally and everyone, both mortals (humans, dwarves, elves, etc.) and even the gods, were surprised by the emergence of two new stars in Orario's sky, two white stars that shone even in broad daylight. The phenomenon has never been explained; astrologers from other kingdoms and lands were called by the gods and leaders of different nations to study the two stars; during the day the two stars seemed to shine with the same intensity of sunlight and at night, both caught the attention of everyone who looked at the sky, but such stars made no sense, their position was unusual, their brightness defies even the sun (something that bothered gods like Apollo, the Olympian god of the sun) and even after months of study nothing had been discovered about the two stars, not even by the gods who considered this strange apparition a sign that something was coming, something big but the question was: what
There they were, defying the sunshine as they always did. Hestia felt a strange familiarity coming from the two stars, but she couldn't tell what it would be, it was almost as if-
"HESTIA!"
"Hmm?!" the home goddess is startled by her name being shouted beside her ear; looks like her boss was angry again
"You're on work hours, don't stare at nothing! We are losing customers this way!" the owner of the stall where Hestia works yells angrily at the goddess, since they've known each other he has to be hard and rigid with her otherwise she gets lazy and limp
"Okay, okay" Hestia nods and goes back to work, but her mind continues the train of thought 'does those stars have anything to do with… no… but they remind me of them both…'
Badlands, Two years ago
A figure remains kneeling before a spatial distortion in front of him, this figure has black armor with bronze decorations and red details, the helmet has two raised antennae (like ears) and the front has the likeness of a wolf's face, on the back. There was a big white cape. This figure in a single description was a knight, but what broke with the knight's image was his weapon, on which it leaned, a huge key with the shape of a sword, or perhaps a sword with the shape of a key?
The figure was weak, it had spent almost all its strength in a great battle that it had not long ago, but still, with the few strength it had left, it formed the distortion in front of it, a portal, to attract the presence of its hated one. enemy-
yes… your enemy… (at this moment several images pass through the knight's head, in particular the shadow of an old man with golden yellow eyes)
the man who took everything from his life... the one who deceived him, who betrayed him... (the knight unconsciously clenches his fists around his weapon, while the memories of the death of one of his loved ones, who died in his arms)
he will never forgive you... he will never forget... he will find you... and destroy you... he will destroy you. he will end up with-
**Swhirl**
Suddenly the portal activates and two figures fall through it.
Moments after Bell and Venna jump in to attack the distortion
The twins scream as the reality around them shifts; in one moment they are both inside the dungeon falling on top of a strange anomaly that they thought to be a monster and in the other the anomaly reveals an image of a desolate and deserted land and then both are sucked into it and see lights and abstract shapes running towards them. back while they are in an endless free fall.
Finally a bright light appears below them both and they both shield their faces expecting the worst.
"WOOOOOOOHHHHH! Ohfff" Bell is the first to leave, falling on his back on the ground.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Venna screams as she falls and lands
"AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!" Over her brother "V-vennaa…."
Venna quickly gets off her brother who turns around, kneeling and curling into a ball massaging his stomach.
"Bell! No, no, no.. I'm sorry, I couldn't control it- no I don't- ahh" Venna apologizes embarrassed and distressed "I'm sowwy" Venna starts to say before starting to sob and tear up
"Venna…" Bell says with difficulty before her sister grabs him, trying to hug him "I… said… you're heavy…"
Immediately after these words are out of Bell's mouth, her sister rages, releasing him and hitting him on the head.
"You have a lot of nerve to say such a thing, you jerk! I'm here worried about you and you take the opportunity to insult me!" Venna screams furiously and stands up, until she hears her brother laughing "What's so funny, you jerk?"
"At least… you stopped crying…" Bell says as he tries to get up.
"... what…?" Come on surprise question
"If I can do anything to keep you from crying… I can handle whatever you do to me later…" Bell explains, finally getting to his feet, still with a hand on his stomach and a smile on his face, "because, you look so much better with a smile on your face than with tears" Bell adds.
Venna is surprised by her brother's response, before blushing and punching him lightly in the arm.
"Moron…"
"Hahaha…"
*Vroosh*
"!"
"!"
A strong wind blows suddenly startling the two brothers, who look in the direction it blows.
"Ah"
"What?"
In front of the brothers is a mysterious figure kneeling before them with a huge gun stuck in the ground.
"..." the figure watches the siblings, both identical except for their genders, but one of them catches the figure's attention, the male twin "Ven?"
"Oh!"
"Ah! He talks!" Venna screams in surprise upon hearing the strange figure's voice.
"..." the figure remains motionless but the air around her suddenly becomes lighter "Ven… it's been a while…"
"Eh?" Bell senses that the figure is talking to him, but the name "Ven?"
The twin then looks at his sister and starts to form an idea in his head.
"Venna… do you… know this man?"
"What? Why do I have to meet him?!" The twin asks indignantly
"W-well… he said Ven-" before the brother could explain, his sister was staring at him head on, anger written all over her face.
"And just because he said 'Ven' does that automatically mean he's talking about me?"
The male twin opened and closed his mouth several times trying to counter arguments but nothing came to mind.
"..."
"Hic!" Venn turns around quickly as he feels uncontrollable fury directed at her, but soon recognizes the fury 'wait a minute' "ARE YOU THE GUY WHO WAS SCARING ALL THE MONSTERS ON THE FOURTH FLOOR?" Venna yells as she points her finger at the figure
"Ah… Venna, I don't think we're on the fourth floor of the dungeon anymore…" Bell says to his sister with some trepidation and fear
Venna, feeling irritated but confused, ask "What do you mean Bell?"
The young adventurer then puts his hands on his sister's shoulders and turns her sideways, showing her the immense desert plain around them and of course, the horizon with the rising sun. This immediately silences the young albino and makes her realize: if the sun is rising it means that the two of them have spent the entire night in the dungeon and are now somewhere else OUTSIDE the dungeon.
"Alright you canned nuts!" Venna starts yelling at the kneeling figure "start explaining how you got us out of the dungeon and where is this place?"
"..." the figure remained silent and only suppressed the violent intent that was emanating "Ven… What happened to you? You look… different…"
Bell again senses that the figure is referring to him and in order to confirm this, she begins a dialogue.
"Sir… by any chance… are you referring to me?" Bell asks in hopes of having some answer
The figure said nothing but the air around him changed, as if he were reacting to the figure's will.
Bell, taking this as a signal to continue and putting his hands on his sister's shoulders, uncomfortable with the situation, he introduces himself.
"My name is not Ven. My name is Bell, Bell Cranel and this is…" Bell leaves his sentence incomplete, looking at his sister.
"... Venna, Venna Cranel" the twin responds still suspicious of the figure
"...Bell? Ven..na?" The figure says the names confusedly.
"Yes, it's us. Could you tell us your name sir?"
The figure does not respond for a few moments as if trying to remember something
"Terra"
"Hmm?"
"Hmm?"
The twins are confused. What does he mean by- Wait. Is it?
"Is your name Terra?" Venna asks a little confused
Even without words, the figure confirms, just by the mere change of the wind around him
"...so... Mr. Terra. .. could you tell us *disguised cough* what place this is and why you brought us here with that-" Bell starts asking and as he turns around to point out the strange anomaly, he is startled with what he sees "the... the..." Bell's voice fails but the terror in his voice is evident
"Bell?" Venna turns around and sees her brother turned on his side, his face frozen in an expression of total terror "what's up? Bell, talk to me!"
Venna tries to shake her brother but he doesn't look away from her, so with some trepidation, she also looks in the same direction and soon understands what terrified her brother: the anomaly that brought them here has disappeared. They were stuck here with the strange figure
"The…the… the anomaly… is gone" Venna says terrified, that was her only way out of this strange place and back to the dungeon connected to her city.
Bell quickly turns around "Mr. Terra can you please tell us where we are?"
"..." Terra remains kneeling but the wind blows towards the twins, as if he's asking if they really want to know this.
"Please. We got here through some kind of anomaly and now it's gone!" there was the answer
"we have to go back, we have someone very special waiting for us" complete Venna worried, not for herself, but for her goddess, who must be worried about the sudden disappearance of the two
"..." Venna's words touched Terra deeply, who remembers two- not three very special people to him "do you... have anyone important too?"
The twins are confused by the question, everyone has someone important don't they?
"Of course. Don't you?" Bell asks, taken by curiosity
Venna just looks at the strange man seeing the air around him suddenly tense up, she has an idea why the sudden change
"you sir..." the twin tries to speak but the words get stuck in her throat
"... a long time ago... I was a disciple of a great man..." Terra begins to speak with great regret in his voice "a man who took me in when I was still small. He raised me as his son... me and two others... Aqua… Ven…"
The twins immediately understand what the knight is trying to say; he lost his whole family.
"!" The air around Terra suddenly turns violent and begins to form a typhoon "he tricked me… used me as a pawn…"
The two brothers are scared, the knight's aura was much stronger and more intense next to him than either of them could imagine.
"W-what Skill is this?" Venna asks, trying to stay on her feet, the mere pressure of Terra's anger is making her weak.
"Urgh…" Bell can barely stand up but supports his sister with his own body so she doesn't fall "Mr. Terra! Calm down!"
Bell's scream seems to have had an effect, as Terra lowers her anger pressure, but it is still palpable.
What had happened for this man to have so much power and anger in him?
"Mr. Terra… what… What happened to you? To your father and the other two?" Bell asked in hopes of being able to understand the situation and perhaps help this person.
"Please. We don't want to bother you but... if we can help, please tell us what happened" Venna adds, equally determined to help the man who, despite appearing cold and angry, can feel a deep sadness in his heart. your words
"..." Terra stops the typhoon completely "I'll tell you what happened. With me… with my master… with my friends…"
hours later
The two albino brothers expected a lot, but never would they expect and hear this story;
An ancient order of warriors that has existed since the beginning of the universe, with swords of unimaginable power, called Keyblades, who only choose those who have a pure heart, but if they allow themselves to be corrupted by power or wrong ideas, they become threats. .
Such was the story of Aqua, Terra, Ventus, Eraqus and Xehanort.
Eraqus trained Aqua, Terra and Ventus to be his successors and Xehanort strayed from the path of protecting the universe from the evil that crawls through the darkness and instead sought to recreate an ancient war that was fought even before the age of the gods, where thousands of warriors of that order fought and fell. All for the ultimate power, the power of Kingdom Hearts, the heart of the universe.
The order of warriors was almost extinct in that war and Kingdom Hearts was lost to Darkness and Xehanort wanted to recreate that same horrible war!
He tricked Terra and set him against his master and friends, making them fight each other and when he had no more use for him, he took his master's life, stole his body, and tried to kill his friends.
He doesn't know what happened to his friends Aqua and Ventus, but he fears the worst as the fallen master had plans for Ventus and ordered his apprentice Vanitas to kill Aqua.
But Terra didn't let him get away or get away with it, binding his mind to his armor, Terra fought one last time against Xehanort to retrieve his stolen body. Eventually he emerged victorious from the battle, but his armor was powerless and his mind exhausted, forcing him to sleep and losing his chance to regain his body.
He has been here ever since, in the Keyblade graveyard, gathering his strength and the residual magic that still permeates the air of this land from time immemorial.
Venna kneeling on the floor, tears streaming from her eyes, she didn't want to believe the story she just heard. It was sad, heartbreaking. How can such a vile, cruel man exist?
Bell was beside her sister, equally in tears, holding her to his chest, trying to comfort her.
Hearing the story was terrible, but both still asked for confirmation that any of these things were real, Terra just told them to look beyond the mountains and draw their own conclusions. Confused and somewhat apprehensive, the twins went to the region beyond the mountains and there, they found the Graveyard.
A huge open field with hundreds if not thousands of key-shaped swords stuck in the ground like graves for fallen warriors. The twins could only imagine how much pain the knight must feel for his loss.
Upon returning to him, the brothers asked about their master and friends. At this time, they both heard comforting things about these people; like Eraqus, though a hard and rigid master, he was also a fair and wise man;
Like how Aqua was, she was an expert user of magic and was able to make the simplest things have a deep meaning, which showed her intelligence and wisdom;
Like how Ventus was an energetic and cheerful young man, always looking to improve and maintain a positive attitude.
And even without asking, Terra told them about his adventures and how his journey brought him closer to the people he loved, how he swore to protect his friends and stop Xehanort, but now he's stuck here in this place.
After hearing his story, they felt in their hearts an intense sense of respect and admiration. What led them to
"Terra" Venna begins "Would you… could you teach us?"
"...?"
"Venna and I want to get stronger, to protect someone we love dearly"
"And even if we are not worthy, we want to learn from you" Venna completes
"..." Terra is silent for a few moments "Alright" the knight then rises from his kneeling position, surprising the twins (he was taller than they expected) and grabbing his Keyblade and pulling it off the ground "I will train you two… but be warned, I will not be easy with you…"
Immediately a strong wind blows, followed by an intense pressure of power, coming from Terra who is in position for battle.
"Get ready!" he announces
The albino twins then feel joy and pride bloom in their hearts and they both jump to put distance between them and the knight- no… between them and their master. They are ready and they will prove their worth in this fight, both for their master and for themselves.
On this day… the gods of Orario felt a strange presence permeating the air of their world, but what could that be?