~ Oh sing sweet nightingale ~

~ Sing sweet nightingale ~

The courtyard made for a simple and easy spot for the horse riding lesson to be held. It took Terra a night of reflection and commitment to make sure that he was ready and able to do the work that he was being tasked with. Namely, working with Drizella.

He had been grateful for the lodging and the food provided by Cinderella, as he would probably be dead a few times over if it wasn't for the hospitality of the family.

Even if it was to give thanks to such a wicked family who treated Cinderella so harshly. However, Terra had been fortunate enough to not be asked to leave, and for that he was at least grateful.

Even still, when he showed hesitation at the invitation to become Drizella's personal trainer last night, Cinderella jumped at the opportunity to speak of the benefits of the assignment. Firmly, being a worker on the property guaranteed that he would have a bed at night, and a reason to be fed in the morning. Especially since he was showing signs of improvement and it was only a matter of time before Tremaine asked him to be dismissed.

Terra did ask for the night to think it over, got some decent rest which was only to be rudely awoken by the sound of hammering hands on a shabby wooden door.

Drizella, as opposed to the more gentle handed Cinderella, nearly knocked a hole through the door to get Terra awake. Her shrill voice shouting for him to answer the door.

When he answered the door with his chest bare and body goosebumped from the chill of the morning air, a bent elbow leaning against the door frame and his half lidded gaze cast over her, she immediately lost her voice and softly remarked that he shouldn't have slept in so late and would need to get up early for their lesson.

Her eyes focused on the masses of muscles in his arms and how trim and attractive his bare chest was in the morning glow. With powerful pectorals and an abdomen so muscle bound she was sure it felt like iron when pressed against. She couldn't have imagined the damage that had to have been done to make a mark on him. It would have felled lesser men.

He agreed to the early morning lesson with a thoughtless yawn and a wave of the hand, wished her a good rest of the morning and privately prepared for the day. Shutting the door behind him.

It was shaping up to be a good day.

Terra expressed nothing but thankfulness to the powers that be when he unraveled the bandages along his hands to change them and found that they had been healing rather well and had begun to scar over. No more open cuts and scuffed bruises.

Some of that innate magic that lingered in his body must be putting effort to accelerate his healing even a little bit. If he can't cast Thunder, he is possibly subconsciously diverting energy into healing.

At least, healed him enough he could allow the crisp morning air to hit the scarring wounds and allow him proper access to all ten of his fingers once again.

To see his tanned, rough and calloused hands unburdened by the wraps made his spirit soar.

Then came the actual lesson of the day, which began with a simple, 'where do we build upon' approach to the rather inexperienced student.

Terra had to see where the black haired sister was at without intervention and build from there. Just had his own teachers had done for him in his youth, whether it be his apprenticeship under the stable master or under Eraqus as his mentor.

Turns out that she has nothing to build off of, as evidenced by her … well, everything.

"You want to make sure your heels are dug into the stirrups. Your toes should be at the top of the hill, heels should be at the floor of the valley." Terra stated gently as he watched Drizella shift her stance and follow his instructions… poorly. Her head was tucked down like she was preparing to brace for a fall, her shoulders were hunched over to give her some feign idea of balance, and her feet were duck footing as opposed to facing inward. He rubbed his chin nervously, as he held the reins in a stern fist. Making sure Major didn't run off with her on his back. His eyes focused on her feet as that would be the simplest to address. One step at a time, he reminded himself. He had time to make sure that she was properly trained. "Your feet need to be shifted inwards."

"Shut up, Boytoy. I'm trying! This stupid horse just isn't listening." Drizella scoffed, rolling her eyes as she got unsettled in her spot and attempted to turn her feet into the proper, if uncomfortable, position. Her calves strained and she felt as though her legs were gonna lock up. Terra watched with a worried look in his eye. "You think that because you can ride a horse makes you this great teacher all of a sudden. Dolt."

"A bad student often blames the teacher." Cinderella remarked under her breath as she picked the weeds out of the garden whilst listening to the complaints coming from her stepsister. Terra overheard her enough, stifling his laugh, and he focused on getting Drizella's feet facing correctly. The horse shuffles in his spot, needing a rub of assurance from Terra to settle their wild spirit.

"The horse can sense your anxiety. Take a few easy breaths and the horse will relax with you." He walked over to the horse's left side, reaching down to take her foot and position it correctly. A hard hand pulling her foot into place and making her shout in surprise. His paw grabbed her so tight and hard. "Now your foot right here? This needs to change. Improper placement."

"Watch it!" She said, just about to start pouting when he glances up at her with a stern expression on his face. Those blue eyes of his cutting to hers as he tightened the hold of her foot. "I said-"

"You asked me to teach you, this is how I teach. Please calm down." Terra said with an exacerbated tone, his eyes shutting gently as he settles his annoyance and begins to try and relax again. "Let's just make sure your feet placement is correct before we try to get you to ride."

Terra settled her feet and worked to straighten her back once again. Drizella now was 'accidentally forgetting' to not hunch her back and bend over and having to feel Terra's hand push her shoulder up and his fingers trail down her spine to keep it straight. A motion that made her heart hammer in her chest, particularly now when he started rough and eased into a tender touch as he worked down her back.

Cinderella, who initially was watching out of morbid curiosity of how Terra is going to handle Drizella, had found herself staring in confusion as she saw Drizella's face flush and her eyes flutter as Terra worked on her posture. The man was oblivious to the way her hands clutched and her body seemed to shiver whenever he made contact.

One of Cinderella's hands that was buried in the dirt squeezed hard and she began to glare at her stepsister.

Drizella glanced over Cinderella, her face once a light shade of pink before the color sinks out of her face upon seeing her blonde sister's face. The stepsister cleared her throat, avoiding the blonde's befuddled gaze and began to tremble in her spot out of embarrassment rather than excitement.

"Ahem. I'd like off." Drizella stated with a soft voice, so soft that Terra thought it was the breeze until she took a sharp intake of air. "Get me off."

"What's that? You want to stop?" Terra muttered as he took a step back and cocked an eye. "We barely started. You just got on the horse."

"I said! Get me off! Now!" Drizella huffed, crossing her arms and raising her voice. Her chin raised and her nose pointed high. "Get me off! Get me off this darn horse now, peasant!"

She barked an annoyed sound, as she threw the reins into his face, Terra batting away the leather as it almost hit his eye and immediately reaching for her as she threw her foot out and began to slide down the side of the stallion.

If he didn't lunge, she would have landed right on her hip. Luckily, he had caught her and she groaned in agitation. She wanted this whole lesson to stop immediately. Not while Cinderella was able to see her.

"You cannot just jump off without-" Terra began to explain, hopefully to make her aware that he cannot help her if she refuses to tell him what she was going to do so he could help. She grunts in frustration, writhing in his arms like a worm on a hook before she balls her fists and begins to crash them into his shoulders and chest. Feeling as though she were pounding against stone as she growled out in annoyance.

"Don't you ever tell me what I can and can't-"

She found the perfect spot and the right angle to hammer her heel of her hand, and on contact Terra drops her before falling onto his back and grabbing hold of his pained shoulder. His teeth gnashed together as he hissed in pain.

The still healing wound burned as if he had just attempted to cauterize it with a flat piece of hot iron before it began numbing into a single stretched note of nauseating hurt.

"You stupid idiot! You dropped me-" Drizella began to scream only to see him tenderly rub his now reopened wound and see the fresh blood begin to bleed out through the shirt's cotton layer.

Drizella's voice is caught in her throat, she then makes an ashamed and embarrassed rush back to the house. Ignoring Cinderella as she rushed to hiss off and tried to help him. Slamming the front door behind her with a wide arm swing and leaning against the frame. Her forehead resting against the wood.

A part of her was so furious that he carelessly dropped her onto the dirt and mud, thinking about how careless and reckless he was to not be ready to catch her. She held her fist against the door and knocked on it in frustration.

A small part of her felt responsible for punching him and clearly hurting the already injured man. Especially since he was trying too hard to teach her how to ride a horse.

She straightened her posture and walked into the parlor, Anastasia and her mother sipping their morning tea and reading silently. Drizella trudged through the room with her lower half of her dress still wet and stained with mud. Tremaine glared at her daughter, her sunken eyes glancing over her dirty attire and wordlessly demanded an explanation with a single raise of the eyebrows.

"Tell that stupid girl Cinderella to stay out of the courtyard for my morning riding lessons! She nearly got me killed by distracting me and that idiot groundskeeper! I never want to see her outside when I'm with him again!"

With that, Drizella marched up to her room and slammed the door. Locking herself inside before burying herself under a mountain of pillows and trying to hide from her shame.

Cinderella had dropped her gardening gloves and rushed to approach Terra's side when he fell to the dirt. Her eyes follow the trail of the blood as it trickles down his left breast and down to the bottom hem of his white shirt. She quickly popped open his shirt to inspect the wound, seeing that the punch had popped a few stitches and needed to be replaced. She wiped the sweat from her brow before she rose to her feet.

"I think it's a simple job. Just need to get the sewing kit and the thread and you'll be right as rain." She said with a smile, seeing Terra pull his heels in and rest his forehead against his knees. His arms stretched out as he let out a few unsteady breaths.

"I once had been hit by seven bolts of lightning in training." Terra noted, with a defeated smile breaking across his lips. He shook his head and huffed in disappointment. He pulled his hands closed to his face and stared at the healing over scores across the backs of his hands and the palms. "I got lucky one morning and chopped down a tree in three swings."

He groaned, taking his fingers and raking it through his brown hair. He let his frustration get the better of him and he resolved to focus on his breathing. Breathe in, hold for three seconds, breathe out for three seconds, hold his empty lungs for three seconds and do it again and again. Eventually his mood was tempered and his voice returned to its normal tone and rhythm.

Cinderella listened to him speak, her hands that were beginning to undress him to address the wound lingered on his shoulders. Slowly she let her fingertips glide across his triceps and down his forearms and feeling his body shudder under her touch, her soft small hands cupping his rough and rugged paws and squeezing them tenderly. She felt him reciprocate the force, his thumbs gently rubbing along her knuckles as he kept his eyes fixed to the dirt.

"These things take time, Terra." Cinderella whispered, as she applied more force to her grip. Terra smirked, looking up and meeting her stare. Their blue eyes meeting in a sweet moment before Terra wet his lips with a quick lick and rose to his feet. He looked over Cinderella, his eyes half lidded and his hands still holding hers as he towered over her.

"Thank you, Cinderella." Terra whispered as he took an aside glance at the horse and let out a huff of a laugh. He bit his lip with a devious eye brewing in his mind as he nudged his chin towards Major. "Want a quick lesson from the stupid idiot?"

Cinderella laughed and swiftly nodded her head. Even if she already knew how to ride a horse, any offer to spend time with Terra was time well spent.

Terra, his hands still holding her own, walked her over to Major. He gently let his right hand slip along her ribs and the other cupped her foot. In a single fluid motion, she was hoisted up onto the back of the horse.

She straightened her back and turned her feet inward. Her eyes are full of pride over having the correct posture and foot placement. Terra looked over, and shook his head. He had been waking up feeling pain, dealing with Drizella's constant shrill shouting and now he was feeling the sting of a hit without the thrill of combat. With a few moments to compose himself, he believed he was entitled to a few moments where he can focus on his Princess. The images of their night together are still fresh on his mind and on his lips.

Since his narrow escape from death and his body constantly in pain, the forlorn looks and occasional holding of hands were the most recent displays of affection that he had experienced from her. She was busy with her family and her chores and he was busy trying not to die. But his hands were no longer bound in bandages, his body ached for more than a good night's rest at the moment, and they were alone. He wanted to remind her that he hasn't forgotten about that night, and found the best way to do that would be for him to remind her of his touch. The only person to have known the tenderness his hands were capable of being.

"That's wrong." Terra noted with a low rumbling voice, as he leans in and raises his hand to her form. His fingers rubbing along the inside of his palm to flex and warm them up prior to contact. "Your foot placement is all wrong."

Before Cinderella could protest that she in fact was sitting correctly, she felt his fingertips skirt along the edge of her ankle in a gentle motion. His eyes squinted with intense focus as his palm cups the back of her calf and slowly squeezes and pulls down. In slow pulls that relaxed her tight muscle. Letting his light rubs of affection echo in her body.

His lips breaking into a little mischievous grin as he grows more bold and lets his hand grip and grab hold of her calf muscle. Feeling how small her legs are compared to his huge hands. He lets his palm glide up and down the back of her leg. Tucking under her knee to the back of ankle in long loving strokes. His fingertips rubbing down her shin bone in measured pointed motion as he lets out a light grunt of pleasure in his shut mouth. Just touching her was satisfying enough for him.

Feeling her face begin to fade into a shade of pink, Cinderella cooed in desire as she felt his other hand reach over and rub along the front of her knee. The palm massaging over the joint as he glances up and meets her impassioned stare. His blue eyes held onto a sense of reserved desire in his eyes. The kind that she knew once unleashed, would make for a very loud and exciting display. The kind of yearning stare that made her curse the fact it was so early in the day and she had other duties to attend to. And yet she couldn't pull away. She didn't want to. She wanted him to touch her more.

"How long has it been since you've ridden? Huh, my princess?" Terra asks deceptively as he tightens the hold of her lower leg, letting his other hand that massaged her knee begin to slowly skirt up her dress to comb his fingers against the top of her thigh. The sharp intake of breath she made nearly left her light headed, and he flared his nostrils as he let out a single huff of laughter.

"I haven't ridden in a while." She spoke gently, her pleasure fogged mind not picking up on his double meaning. Just lost in letting his fingers slowly drag and caress her gently while his hot, big hand palmed her calf. Feeling her muscles get squeezed and tremble under his touch in a rolling motion of his wrist.

"If you haven't ridden in a while, it can leave you sore. For days after."

"Terra," She mewled, her lips curled inwards as she got lost in the tenderness and the warmth of his hands. A chill running down her back as she hums a note of desire in her closed mouth. "Terra… Goodness."

"If you ever get sore…" Terra's eyes fluttered before he leaned in close and gently laid his lips against her shin and felt her leg goosebump and shiver in response to his kiss. He smirked against her hit skin and let a bout of hot air race down her to her foot in a gruff groan. The kind that rattled his throat and rumbled like an earthquake in his chest. The kind that Cinderella wanted to feel the warmth of close to her neck while he was atop of her. "I wouldn't mind helping you rub out those achy muscles. You know I'm rather… good with my hands. Wouldn't you say? "

His offer was extended as his hands receded, returning to his sides as he flashed her a smirk. Cinderella, mere moments from being unwound and feeling hot, was forced to compose herself and steady her voice as she answered. Terra grinned with pride, the enjoyment he got out of making her feel hot and bothered definitely lessened the pain of that punch earlier.

"I'll be sure to consider your offer." She spoke with a sly smile and a glint of longing in her eyes. "Sincerely… my knight."

Terra helped her off of the horse so she could attend to the rest of her duties. Wearing a proud smile as he watched her take a few steps away from him, stop to get settled in her senses, before returning to her work.

Terra tended to the horse, a short walk around the property, giving the horse a feed bag of fresh oats and replacing the water, it was a productive afternoon for the Keyblade Wielder.

Before taking a short rest into the late afternoon, he was awoken to a short lunch of hot bone broth and a small loaf of bread courtesy of his blond beauty. When he goes to lift the bowl to sip on the last few drops of the steamy drink, he sees a folded note underneath the bowl. When he opened it, it simply read, 'I hope you rest well. Let me know if you need any assistance with your shoulder.' The message is punctuated with a small heart.

Terra refolds the note, kisses the bend of the letter, and sets it tenderly aside. Laying it across the table to the side where Cinderella typically seats. A few measures taps to keep it in place as he soaks the last drops of his broth with a piece of bread. With that, he returned to his bed and proceeded to rest for the rest of the evening.

Terra's eyes watched as the sun's rays faded from the tree lines and cloaked the forest in darkness.

Terra crooked his neck and sniffed his body, the smell of blood, horse manure and perspiration was thick. With a scrunched up nose and hearty laugh, Terra decided tomorrow morning he will walk down to the river and have a rinse. The rushing water would do him good, and remind him of home.

The Mysterious Tower

"Tell me Rodent," Aqua's golden eyes stared through the glass and were focused on Mickey's disconcerted stare. Sitting opposite of the King at her own angle. Legs crossed. His gloved hands resting on his knees as he glowered at the silver haired prisoner. "When you were crowned, did you start taxing the peasants in cheese ? Place a permanent ban on rat traps? Tell me, is your succession held by a single child or by the dozens your pathetic broodmare spawned?"

"That's enough, Xehanort." Yen Sid remarked, stepping down the stairwell with a thundering crack of his heels to the cobblestone steps. Aqua's face lit up in excitement, rising from their feet and staring up at the great and powerful wizard. "We have had enough of your petty insults."

"Then drop the walls around me here and now. Go on, go ahead and try to silence me." Aqua slammed her fist into the clear surface, her hand cracking against the wall and making a smile break across her face. That sensation of pain lost in a rush of spiked adrenaline. Invigorating and intoxicating adrenaline, at the thought of facing Yen Sid in combat. Aqua's eyes glanced over at the King. "What do you say, Rodent? Want to go another round with me?"

Aqua summoned her blade, that garish Keyblade made of darkened iron and worked with malevolent force. "I promise, I'm in command of this vessel proper and ready for you this time. A fair fight."

"We won't engage with you until you relinquish Aqua from your clutches, you fiend." Yen Sid spoke with gravitas and authority, Aqua's eyes rolling as she marches around the box. Prowling around with her weapon in her hand. "If you're determined to fight us, then get right to the point. Let her go so that you can face us as you are."

"Why? So she can return to a world where that feckless child is comatose and her inept cohort is currently Light knows where? That boy was perfect until he decided to run off. He's already bled out from the damage I gave him. Dead and alone in some world so far away from home." Aqua cackled, jamming the tip of her blade against the surface of the cage, the flat glass shimmering out as force was applied to the weapon. Trying to drive the weapon through the shield to pierce Mickey's skull. "Come on, Yen Sid. Drop the barrier. Let's see if you still have what it takes to protect the realm from me. Show us that legendary power you are supposed to possess."

"Xehanort, you will not bait me into releasing you so easily." Yen Sid shook his head, glancing down at Mickey. Who remained as vigilant and patient as he ever could. "You will not break Mickey's spirit either. We will free Aqua and you will return to the dark from whence you came."

Aqua glared at the old man, rolling her eyes as he huffed a sigh of disappointment. If Yen Sid wouldn't oblige him, then there was no point in trying.

"You clearly don't know me very well then." Aqua remarked, dragging the blade off of the surface and dismissing it. She sat back down, hands resting on her knees. "I've broken Eraqus' lineage with nothing more than a few clever words and a boy who listens. I waited years for my plan to come to fruition, and I'll wait years more to guarantee my victory over you sorry sods. I have the time. Do you?"

Yen Sid shook his head and left Mickey alone with the prisoner. Aqua scoffed, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her forehead against her legs. Breathing slowly and gently. Mickey rose to his feet and brushed off the dust and grime that gathered from his immobile form.

"Don't worry Aqua. If you can still hear me in there. We will get your body back. I promise." Mickey said surely, leaving Aqua alone in her cage alone. Aqua unfurled and laid flat against the ground, her eyes staring up into the ceiling as she let out deep chested signs. Attempting to relax. Letting the cool surface of the stones beneath her skin chill her body.

"They are right, you know." Aqua's eyes glances over at her reflection in the surface of the glass, not reflecting the splayed out Aqua but she is instead standing. Arms crossed, with her blue eyes glaring at her golden eyed self. The real Aqua. "You think you won, but you haven't. Not really. They will expel you from my body and I'll get my life back."

"Spare me the grating lecture, child." Xehanort replied, ignoring her stare by returning their eyes to the ceiling. Attempting to feel unbothered by her presence. "You should be grateful that you're still alive. Hiding somewhere in your consciousness. You might have gotten more of a fight out of me than if I had gone for Terra. If it wasn't for that dolt bursting into starmatter like Eraqus did when he died, you'd be dead and Ventus would have completed his mission. My life's work would have been completed and you wouldn't need to suffer."

"You were never going to win. Yen Sid told you as much. This wasn't supposed to happen. You were supposed to lose!" Aqua roared, rushing to the surface of the glass and slammed her fists into the wall. The knocking made Xehanort snort out a chuckle. "I swear, I'll fix this as soon as you are gone and banished."

"Listen to me, let us pretend that I was supposed to lose. In that unlikely scenario." Xehanort turned their eyes back to Aqua, lips curling a malicious smile. "That does not mean you were supposed to win."

"You're not facing reality." Aqua shouted, throwing up a hand and walking away from the wall in frustration. She walked away from the surface, her heels echoing inside Xehanort's mind.

"Technically, you're not facing reality." Xehanort noted as they rose up from their spot and walked over to the edge of the surface. "You're the projection of a little girl who cannot see the way and the truth. Let me blind you with the light. You lost. I won!"

"We will beat you. Again and again if we have to." Xehanort rolled their eyes at Aqua's words, before an idea sparking in their head. If Aqua was projecting herself into their space… Xehanort could possibly do the same. Albeit, they would be sharing Aqua's mind palace, rather than become some ghost on the physical plane.

If Xehanort was going to succeed in his plan, he would need to exterminate Aqua from her own mind.

They turned to the reflection, a hand moved to press against the surface. The surface sparkling as Aqua's body was slowly vacuumed towards the wall. Her heels dug into the floor as she attempted to stave off the pull.

"What's happening? What-what are you doing?" Aqua shouted as she attempted to fight the vacuum.

"Relinquish your seat to me. Give me the reins, Aqua." Xehanort slammed both of their hands to the wall, lips pulled into a frenzied smile. "You want control? Then fight for it! Let! It! Go!"

With that, the remnant image of Aqua is pulled into her corporeal silver haired form. Xehanort's eyes shut suddenly, and they crash to the ground unconscious. With neither one of them at the helm of Aqua's body. Both of them spiral into the dark depths of Aqua's mind.