~ So this is love ~
~ So this is what makes life divine ~
Her fingers traced the edges of her bed, her eyes focused on the empty space on her husband's side of the royal bed. A bed that far exceeded any kind of mattress she's ever seen before.
It is regal with its blood red comforters and eggshell white sheets, the mattress they slept on was absolutely extraordinary in size. It was wider than the entire floor of her tower room she spent a majority of her life in and was almost impossibly soft. As if she were resting on a cloud every night when she laid down her head. Her darling blue eyes lingered on the space beside her, images of her husband flashing in her mind.
She recalled many mornings waking up alongside her Prince in the light of the warm morning sun. His arm draped around her waist and his face buried in her hair. She thought of his dark eyes and his even darker ebony hair, that gravely voice of his as he whispered good mornings to her every day.
There was then this flashing of a mess of brown hair where there should be black and the sight of sun kissed skin instead of his peachy pale tone, a broad and powerful form being gently caressed by the shifting morning light as opposed to thin and tight. Then those tender blue eyes as opposed to nearly starless night black opening onto hers.
She felt her hand clutch a handful of the sheets before she quickly rose from her spot and stepped away from her bed. She cursed herself under her breath. She thought of him again!
She combed her fingers through her bright blonde hair, letting out a sigh of incredulousness as she glanced out the window of her castle. Her blue nightgown clinging to her form, made of the finest silks her husband could buy. She had to stop thinking about him. She had to stop thinking about Terra. He was gone. He's been gone.
And he wasn't going to come back. A truth that pierced her heart every time she was forced to remind herself. A truth she found herself telling herself more and more recently since she had returned home.
Her eyes surveyed her land with a somber stare, the warm morning sun beating on her cheeks as she mellowed out her breathing and eased her mind. She couldn't focus on the have nots and could bes, she was going to have a good day.
She watched as the light of the dawn was resting against the high walls of her estate which left these looming shadows over the courtyards, the shimmering shine of the morning dew left the ground slick and wet. Sparkling in the small catches of light akin to starlight. The waters of the still pools reflected the dim starlight still present in the skies.
It was a peaceful sight to have every day. One she promised to not take for granted. The image of beady yellow eyes presented themselves in the shadows, and made her stomach drop. She quickly shook her head and just as quickly as they appeared, they had vanished. A trick of the mind.
There is a rapid series of knocks against the wooden doors which causes the Glass Slipper Princess to catch herself and bring her back to reality. With a lingering look over her estate, she leveled out her fast beating heart and approached the doors with a swift walk. It was around that time of day, she needed to get a move on. It was time for the rest of the castle to get their day started, she couldn't be left behind.
Opening the door to find her step-sister, Drizella standing beside the door. Her sunken eyes staring into the floor before she turns her attention towards Cinderella. Baring her teeth into a crocodile's smile and straightening her back.
"Good morning, your majesty." Her voice is grating and unenthused, just like every morning. Cinderella would never get used to seeing her in her cleaning attire. Unlike her typical day to day wear that was this fanciful swamp green dress, since her 'promotion' to a housemaid in the castle post her little step-sister's marriage to the prince, now she wore something no one ever thought she would wear every morning for the clean. She was now assigned to wear a simple white apron, rather plain brown skirt and a modest dark sleeved top. Her hair pulled back with a tied off green handkerchief, the only choice of wardrobe she was allowed by the Prince. "Same as before?"
"Good morning, Drizella. Yes, thank you so much." Cinderella said genuinely before she nodded with a vacant expression, walking off behind the courtesy blind and changing into her daily routine wear.
It was so odd to her, to be the one giving orders rather than receiving them. Years and years of conditioning was still hardwired into her head, and she had a quarter of her mind to resume her duties as she had been shown for years. But no longer. She was no longer a house maid. She was a Princess.
Despite that, her daily wear was her typical brown skirt and dark sleeved top. Her cleaning wardrobe that she never truly could grow out of or leave behind. It was familiar and it was cozy, in its own way. She left Drizella to her work, ignoring the nasty faces she made behind her back as she made up the bed and picked up the clothes.
Her walk to the dining hall is accompanied by Prudence, the castle's lady-in-waiting, whose incessant words and pompous orders slide off of the Princess's ears like water off of a duck's back. It was the kind of day where she didn't feel like a participant in the workings of the day.
Just moving from one center piece to the next. Cinderella simply nodded and agreed as she always had, even if she didn't quite care about what she was agreeing to.
Breakfast was quail eggs and slices of ham, accompanied by a bowl of fruit and a warm cup of tea. Well, it should have been. Anastasia, the other step-sister, was responsible for the portion of the morning routine that was to fix the breakfast and to tidy up afterwards for the Princess.
A morning ritual that neither party really grew accustomed to. Anastasia hasn't been able to learn how to cook and Cinderella spent most mornings picking the inedible scraps out of the meals she was served.
It was unfortunate, years of being catered to and served left the step-sister's cooking skills much to be desired. There were eggshells in the medium cooked eggs, the ham was blackened to a crisp consistency, and the tea was lukewarm and the bag had split leaving the leaves to float around the surface. The fruit however was fine, and Cinderella ate half the bowl before engaging in her typical activities for that afternoon and later into the evening.
With her Prince, soon to be King, out on a bureaucratic hunting trip with his advisors, the day was hers to decide. She would spend her day walking through her kingdom and interacting with the townsfolk that dwell within. As she wanted due when she had a day free of a Lady's responsibilities and no political intrigue to be had.
With a cloak around her shoulders and her basket tucked under her arms, she left her castle and proceeded down into the streets.
The sound of people opening up their wares, the smell of fresh bread, the hammering of steel shops and the chitter chatter of passersby. Her eyes wandered over the packed streets with astonishment, the stalls showing off their wears and their merchandise with everyone engaging without a single care in the world.
It must've been weeks since the world had been restored to normal. And everyone was fine.
It was so off putting to her, recalling the tsunami of darkness that had devastated the land and sent her into the clutches of a malevolent fairy and her court of ne'er-do-wells. Her world was destroyed. Her people were surely sent into oblivion. Her body shivered as she recalled the dark halls of Hollow Bastion and the monsters that dwelled within.
Though, it wasn't all too bad by the end of it. The other princesses were kind and understanding, with their own worlds having been lost to the dark barring young Alice and kind Jasmine whose homes were spared. She had prayed their homes were safe and sound and that they were returned peacefully home, following the Keyblade wielder's defeat of Ansem. She thought of the weapon in his hand, recalling Terra's own destined weapon. His taut arms, his broad and powerful chest. His strong jawline and his rough and tender hands-
"Madame, a muffin?" She was pulled from her train of thought, the baker offering the Queen a sweet treat as she walked through town with her mind elsewhere. She thanked him and continued on her way. The warm bread and juicy blueberries hit the spot, a warm smile gracing her face.
The day was uneventful, but an easy going day all the same. Which bothered Cinderella to no end.
The world feels so different now, so unlike the doom she had bore witness to. She recalled the world being plunged into darkness so fast and the destruction left in its wake was terrifying. She didn't know what to make of this new normal. Where everyone has apparently moved on from such an incident except for her. Perhaps they didn't recall it as she did? Maybe she truly was lingering on the past and refused to move forward? Who knows.
When she finally came to from her preoccupied mind, the evening dusk had settled and she found herself sitting beside an all too familiar fountain to gather her thoughts. She stared absently into the waters and over her shoulder, an all too familiar face appearing over them. She wore a vestment of blue, with full round cheeks and pure white hair.
"Darling, it is so wonderful to see you again." Cinderella's eyes turned towards the Fairy Godmother, her lips pulled into a huge smile and a warm glow to her cheeks. The older woman nodded and gave a bow to the Princess of Heart. "My Princess."
"Godmother!" Cinderella cried out in joy, wrapping her arms around her and holding her tight. The Glass Slipper Princess had yet to see her since the fall of their world, and to see such a familiar face safe and sound was a dream come true. "So wonderful to see you again!"
"And it is so good to see you!" The Fairy Godmother pulled away, examining the Princess with a sweet grin and a squint of the eye. "So, darling. What have you done since the last time I saw you?"
"Oh, I have seen these great beasts of darkness with huge claws, Princesses of different worlds gathered together, and a Keyblade wielder! Another Keyblade wielder!" Cinderella said with a wistful grin, her eyes shimmering with the dying evening light and her lips pulled to a darling smile. "Godmother! I saw another Keyblade wielder!"
"I believe we have met the same boy." She stated with a sweet smile, taking a short jaunt around the fountain and letting her eyes trail across the surface of the water. Seeing the reflection of her grin in the still waters. Cinderella following behind her every step. "Sora?"
"That would be him. Brown hair, sun tanned skin…" Cinderella noted, her smile faltering as she turned her eyes to the fountain as well. Taking a seat on the cool stone and letting her heartache bloom in her chest. So familiar, that boy was. "Blue eyes… Godmother, might I ask a question?"
"It's been so long since we last spoke, I suppose a few questions are in order." She smiled towards the blonde haired beauty, nodding her head in agreement. Watching the demure Princess focus on the waters as she thought about her inquiry. "Ask away."
"The keyblade wielder, Terra. The one I danced with that night so long ago… Whatever happened to him?" Cinderella had a feeling in her chest that she knew the answer to such a question, but she needed to know. To settle her mind. To ease her heart.
"My sweet," The Fairy Godmother stood beside the fountain, watching Cinderella's hand mindlessly toil through the waters as she spoke. Disturbing the peaceful still surface with her fingers. "Terra was struck down in combat, all in an effort to protect his friends. He lost his body and his heart to malevolent forces, and his story ended with him losing his final fight. I am so sorry, my love. He is gone."
Cinderella's hand froze in the water, her bottom lip quivered and her eyes pulled tightly shut. As to not let a single tear break against her cheek. She recalled Terra's tender touch against her skin that night, the way the warmth of his body coursed through his hands as he held her. How gentle he was to her that night. She had wished, even in a dark corner of her heart, that he had simply forgotten her and was alive out there in the cosmos. So he was at least safe. But he was dead. He was gone. Just as much as she wished he wasn't. A pain that she could learn to deal with in time. But to know for certain that he had perished-
"It's unfair." Cinderella broke the silence that she had created, her voice cracking under the weight of such devastating news. She huffed, taking her dry hand and using her thumb to begin wiping away the few tears that did trickle down her cheeks.
"It is unfair." The Fairy spoke tenderly, her hand reaching out to hold Cinderella's own hand and squeezing it tightly. Giving the younger woman some assurance as she continued to speak. "But he fought valiantly, my darling. And courageously, up to the very end."
"And he died." Cinderella spoke softly, the very words and sensation of being held by the hand conjuring an image of her father resting on his deathbed. His frail hand resting in her own, squeezing pitifully with the last remaining strength that he had in his body. She had wished he was here now to comfort her. "He lost his heart…"
She could barely believe such a thing. His heart was so strong, so pure in its intention. He was attempting to do the right thing, time and time again. And he died for it.
"My darling, that was so long ago now. He has died, but sought his end on his own terms." The Fairy Godmother said with a stern and proud voice. "He fought as a hero should. Take pride in that. He was a warrior, at the end of the day."
Cinderella nodded, a faint weak smile gracing her lips. He was a warrior. A powerful, capable, kind warrior. At the end of the day, that is what he was. A warrior. A true knight, who had stolen her heart.
"You are my Fairy Godmother, you grant my wish for me to go to the ball once before. And that changed my life." Cinderella hummed lowly, her eyes darting to the older woman. Her fingers traced and fiddled one another, her eyes shifting to the ground. "Maybe, is there a wish you could grant me? A wish to have Terra come back to me? Could that somehow be arranged?"
"My darling…" The Fairy Godmother whispered, her fingers tracing along the edges of her wand with a withdrawn stare in her eye and her lips pulled into a sullen expression. "I don't believe you know exactly what you are asking for. I cannot, in good faith, bring back the dead. It could have devastating consequences. Your noble knight had his time here. Be grateful for that. If I were to reverse time itself, it's not just the world that will change. It is not just Terra's fate that will change. You will change. You'll forget your happily ever after. You'll forget your prince. Your wedding. Your life now will effectively be re-written. Surely you mustn't believe this Terra-"
"Ma'am…" Cinderella's eyes looked forlornly out into the garden and took inventory over the majesty of her estate. Her beautiful pools of water, hedge trimmings in the shapes of horses and elephants and lions, and the beautiful trees that loomed over the walkways to keep the stone path shaded. Cinderella hummed wistfully, her hand resting over her fast beating heart. She thought of her husband, her station. Her friends and her family. She shut her eyes and let out a wistful sigh. "I cannot change your mind. But I know in my heart of hearts that I would trade all of it. All of it. Again and again. For him. He gave me the hope to find the strength that was in my heart and he, above all, deserves a chance at a life. A true chance at life. Fairy Godmother… I love him. I truly love him. To have him here with me is all that I wish for. He didn't deserve such a horrid end. Not him. Not my Terra."
The Fairy Godmother cupped Cinderella's chin and held her face in her hands. Her tender eyes glistened with unshed tears and her heart laid heavy with the burden of loving someone who was unjustly taken away. The older woman, weighing her options, simply nodded her head. She then took a step back and smoothing out the bunches in her own robes. She silently prayed she wouldn't be ruining the equilibrium and the nature of the world by fulfilling this darling girl's request. It is just one little detail to save her beau, what harm could it truly do?
"Now, Cinderella, to undo your wish and set forth towards a hopefully more noble end. I call upon all the forces of the universe to heed my call! I ask to not bend the rules of nature but rather turn back the clock strikes and return to a time long since set in the past!" Cinderella watched as the very moon and sun ran averse their typical rotation. The sun set in the east as it rose from the west. Chasing after its sister moon across the constantly shifting sky. Tender blue barren skies shifting to bleak, opaque star studded midnight heavens and back again.
Again, and again, day chased after night. Cinderella's eyes lingered to the skies, soon forgetting the taste of her wedding cake on her tongue, the sensation of a ring on her finger, the tender kiss of a prince against her mouth. Her vision blurred when she saw Anastasia with the Baker soon vanish into a distant dream. The feeling of fitting into her spare glass slipper had since faded into nothing. "Reverse the moon and sun, turn back the tide and time, let us bring forth the one named Terra back to Cinderella's care prior to his life coming to an end! Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!"
With some faith, love, and a bit of magic. Her wish came true…
Several Years Earlier…
The Keyblade Graveyard
The Stone Obelisk
Terra's dominant grip the handle of his keyblade, his other hand clutching the torn open wound along his abdomen. Terra's heaves of exhaustion had echoed in the plain space. The young keyblade wielder's body had sustained a considerable amount of damage. So much so that he had found it too difficult to continue to fight.
Much less just continue to breathe, even with the shallow breaths he took weighed heavily and took a considerable amount of strength for him to take. Xehanort's eyes narrowed, those golden eyes of his staring at the damaged, breaking vessel. The volley of discarded and forsaken blades might have been overkill, the old Master had realized possibly too late.
The young man's right ankle had apparently been broken, having crumbled under the weight and power of the man as well as the thundering strikes of his opposition. The joint was noticeably bent out of shape, with his shin lined up perfectly with his ankle joint as his boot was twisted out of socket. His attempts to ward off the inevitable were credible, the old Master had to admit.
The gorget of his setting sun shaded armor had dug into his neck and chin, the damage lingering from the battering of keyblade swipes and the knocking about for he had been felled time and time again by Vanitas and his master. Leaving these deep gashes of fresh red along his throat and jawline. The still running blood drained down the slatted panels of his armor.
His thin cheeks were scored with unblocked slashes from various blades and low surface burns from the dark flames that Xehanort and his pupil Vanitas had conjured and sent his way.
The worst damage, however, Xehanort himself had caused during a devastating combo during their duel. The bite of Xehantort's blade had sundered his chest plate to detrimental effect, the layered plates along his abdomen having caved under the old master's smite. Now jagged and pierced the younger man's stomach.
That is not including the various dents and cleaved through strikes that were left all across Terra's form. All of him was battered and damaged the likes of which Xehanort has ever seen. A lesser man would be dead. Thankfully, he had chosen the vessel perfectly to receive some punishment.
He would have to ensure he doesn't damage the body further, as he would hate to experience this new body for the first time by spending several months under bedrest when he takes control of the young man. Especially one that looked so close to the verge of death.
That is when the ground rumbles, and Xehanort's smile forms into something truly wicked and wild. His shaded eyes now aglow as a bright new light reflected in his gaze.
"Oh! There, you see?" Xehanort hand raises to gesture behind Terra. His voice taunting the younger man as Xehanort sees his plan begin to unfold beautifully.
Terra, with a wheezing breath and a mouth that tasted of copper, slowly and dreadfully looked over his shoulder at the sight. As he turns his head, that is when he notices this incandescent beam of light rising from the barren wasteland below, rising high above the edge of the cliff that Xehanort and him fought upon. "The X -blade has been forged! The boys' destiny was fulfilled!"
"Ven!" Terra's voice is hoarse, rough, and it was painful to even say his small friend's name. His tongue desperately wet his lips, as he feels his heart thumping hard in his ears. He had lost Ven.
"And now, Terra, it is time for the final union!" Xehanort spins his blade around and turns his Keyblade onto himself. With a sure and measured stab, he plants the tip of the blade against his heart. He then lets out a horrible cry of indescribable joy as his form begins to be surrounded by a golden hue.
"What?" Terra whispered in a flat and defeated tone, his eyes glancing up to see the bald man's body pierce his own chest. The ebony steel keyblade shimmers and shines, bursting into twinkling starlight that then evaporates into nothing.
"At last, our moment is here." Xehanort's heart then springs forth out of his body, and slowly hovers out of his frail form. This pulsing, crystalline shape of a heart nearly coated entirely in darkness. Its crimson glass illuminated by an ebony glow within. Terra shifts his legs to move, only for his right leg to cave under the pain of his foot and keep him locked to the floor. He was unable to properly move.
He flexes his arms defiantly. Desperately, he tightened the hold of his Keyblade, his forehead resting against the hard metal of his weapon as he called upon the strength to try and finish the fight. With a few defiant pulls, he fails to stand up. He couldn't unsheathe it from the earth. He was unable to fight.
"Aqua…" Terra's eyes flood with visions of his blue haired companion, his sweet sister by choice. A true master, in all matters of the word. Patient. Kind. Just.
She deserved her Mark of Mastery, and who deserved to be the successor to their master. Who always wanted what was best of him and for Ventus. Even at the cost of her own safety and wellness. Terra's heart sank into his stomach. He failed her.
"Out with the old and brittle vessel, and in with a younger, stronger new one!" Xehanort raises his hands, lifting his heart up toward the heavens. Terra's breathing becomes heavier, and quicker. Trying to find the power in himself to get up and get back into the fray. His friends needed him.
His friend needed him now. Just one now. Ven was gone.
"Ven…" Terra's voice broke as he uttered his young brother's name. His eyes went wide and his heart cracked under the pressure of his realization. He had led the young man astray with his own careless behaviors, leaving him behind when he should have been leading him. Caring for him and protecting him as any big brother should have done. He failed him.
"And now it is your darkness that shall be the ark that sustains me!" Xehanort's keyblade had pierced his heart, releasing his heart and allowing it to be sent out towards his new vessel as an arrow was loosed from its bow. His body pulsed with this chaotic and wild surge of power. As though he couldn't contain the vast amount of energy that powered through his frail old form. His spirit then charged forth as a bolt of pure energy. Ready to take hold and conquer this younger, more powerful body.
"Please forgive me…" Terra whispered as he grit his teeth and attempted with the last of his power to block Xehanort's attack. To buy himself just a moment more of time. "I'm sorry…"
Terra desperately tried to raise his blade to block the incoming attack, no matter how sloppily and tired his form was. His fingers slipping, the blade landing tip first into the ground and sticking in front of him. Terra's eyes fell to a close and he prayed to the Light to forgive him of his trespasses, as he awaited his imminent demise.
It's then in a flashing, blinding light, Terra feels his body be pulled back by its collar, as though he had dunked immediately into the depths of a still body of water. His falling back was breaking the surface of the shimmering portal and causing him to start sinking ever faster into the incandescent depths that attempted to drown him with their ethereal light.
Terra felt a morbid thought echo out in his mind, wondering if this is what death felt like? The dunking of one's whole body and heart into the light?
Without an ounce of strength left in him, he let himself be driven back into the light. Back from whence he came. His mind desperately calls out for forgiveness from the two friends that he couldn't save.
The bolt of darkness that had come for him had smashed against the cheek of his wide blade, the weapon of light received spiderweb cracks from the impact, and just as Terra lost his vision to the light, he witnessed his Keyblade absorb the blow meant for its master and shatter into pieces. Having done its duty and tried to protect him one last time…
A Time Less Familiar…
Castle of Dreams
Cinderella's Tower
Cinderella had watched the third and final day of the ball begin to unwind from the familiar comfort of her room in the lone tower of her father's estate. Of which she didn't mind, considering recent events.
The noise of the ball had gotten wild and outrageous since the announcement of the Prince looking for a girl to fit into a glass slipper. A thought that made her laugh at the audacity that the Prince would be so obsessed to check every foot of every lady within providence to find the missing woman.
Although she was grateful for the dance shared with the Prince as she always dreamed of doing, and to have a dress that looked so beautiful and pristine before having to rush out of there before the final stroke of midnight, it was nothing compared to the simple soiree she shared with that brown haired knight from beyond the stars.
She felt her heart rise to her chest and a longing sigh blow out of her sweet lips. Her fingers tracing the edges of her mouth, recalling Terra's heated lips pressed against her own. She giggled gently to herself, her cheeks warming into a bright and ruby red.
She recalled the way he tenderly held her face and how he kissed her so passionately. Her knees were weak just thinking of him now. It had only been a few days since their dance, and it had been the focus of her dreams the last few nights as well.
Her eyes flashed and her mind shuddered as she had been struck by a quick and pulsating headache. Her mind raced as though she were suddenly struck with a painful stab to the front of her head. She winced and grumbled, her jaw clenching and her mouth ushering out a short groan. She leaned her head out the window, thinking the chill autumn air would ease her mind. The cool breeze did wonders for her headache, and her body relaxed as the evening gust blew past.
That's when she sees the twinkling of A falling star racing across the night sky. Reminding her of the glider that her sun kissed knight had once ridden on a few nights ago.
She held a hand to her heart, and dreamed that he would return to her. Just as he promised he would.
It was then she noticed that the falling star seemed to be getting closer and closer, the trail of fire that it was leaving behind becoming wider and more vibrant. The star shines its light over the Tremaine estate just before finally crashing into the nearby forest quickly followed quickly by an eruption of dirt, fallen leaves and grime bursting out of the nearby tree line from the impact.
Cinderella, her eyes wide and mouth agape, had gathered her evening cloak and her lantern and raced down the stairs of her tower. Her eyes wide as she chased after that fallen star. She had a suspicion that it wasn't an ordinary star, and curiosity had immediately begun to fill her being.
She didn't care for the noise of her heels as she thundered down the stairs, ran past her sisters rooms and threw open the front doors and charged outside. She would deal with the punishments from her wicked stepmother in the morning. She had to know.
She ran past the ajar front gates and out into the forest, finding the dust finally settling as the clouds of dirt began to disappear on her approach.
She covers her mouth and nose from the kicked up debris, as she steadily approaches the crash site. Raising her lantern before her to light her way. The dense clouds gathered around her ankles, as she measured steps not to trip and fall over the gopher holes and twisting tree roots.
That's when she heard it. It was a pain struck whimper against the dark, and its initial call sent a shiver down her spine.
"I'm sorry…" The voice sounded pitiful, tired, and broken. Cinderella froze for a moment before she steeled her resolve, and pressed on into the dark. She didn't have to walk too far, the fervent snivels and inconsistent breathing were the beckoning cries of this hurting body she could follow. She approached the man who had fallen from the stars, her lantern dropping to the ground and immediately going out. Her eyes went wide as she realized who landed so haphazardly onto their lands. It was her worst fear.
Terra, busted and broken beyond belief with his eyes half lidded, mind fogged by pain and regret all the while bleeding profusely from his fresh and deep wounds, had apparently kept his promise.
He has returned to her.