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“Call me Ven.”
Aqua smiled at the sight of her friend already making good greetings with someone he’d recently met. He was as bright a spirit as she remembered and was happy to see he hadn't changed. Aqua reached out a hand and pet the back of Ven’s head, her hand running over his spikes. He turned his gaze towards her, letting his grip of Sora’s hand go slack.
“Good morning, Ven.” Her voice was quiet, but sincere.
Ventus returned the smile and said, “Good morning, Aqua.”
The two stared at each other and Sora kept to himself, grinning at their reunion. “I’ll.... be over there.” His eyes flicked to the left and he turned on his heel. Donald squawked and almost argued. But Goofy laughed and nudged the duck along behind Sora. Ventus stared at Sora for a few seconds before Aqua grabbed his shoulder and pulled him a bit closer. They faced away from the other three and Aqua started talking in a lower voice.
“Sora, what’s wrong?” Donald was somewhat upset. He wanted to be involved in the conversation.
“Nothing. I just figured they need some alone time.” The brunet raised his hands behind his head. He continued apace towards the balcony that oversaw the entrance. His eyes were trained on the beautiful array of glass-stained windows. They rained their prism down onto his body. He stopped at the railing and leaned on it.
“Why’s that?” Donald asked.
“Well, they haven’t seen each other in years, right?” Sora kept his eyes on the window. “They probably wanna talk, and we shouldn’t intrude on that.”
Donald sighed and began tapping his foot on the floor, as if annoyed.
“Gawrsh, you’d think after however many years it’s been, maybe it’s good for Sora and Ven to be separated.” Goofy muttered. “How ya feelin’, anyways?”
Sora didn’t respond immediately. He moaned under his breath and thought about his words. “Well, I don’t feel too different.”
“Nothin’s hurtin’?”
“No. Why?” He turned around at that question, one eyebrow raised.
“Ahhh.... well, I figured maybe since you two were together for so long, being pulled apart like that did something.”
Sora’s gaze fell onto the rainbow patterns on the floor. He held up his right hand over his chest, his heart. “I don’t think anything happened. Nothing bad, at least.” His gaze trailed back up and landed on Ventus and Aqua. They were still talking. Aqua said something and Ventus almost laughed. “I feel like... a weight got pulled off my shoulders, but that’s a pleasant feeling.”
“That’s good to hear.” Donald said.
“Yeah, like you don’t have enough of those already.” Goofy smiled at the keyblade wielder.
“At least I don’t have to worry about the power of waking anymore.” Sora smiled a devious little grin and his hand tightened into a fist over is heart. “Got that settled.”
“What? When’d you get it back?” Donald crossed his arms and stared at Sora with squinted eyes.
Sora felt the weight in his heart return, but it wasn’t because of Ventus. “Oh, uh.... Heh, about that.... Apparently I.... never lost it, heh?” He brought a hand up and rubbed the back of his neck.
“WHAT?!”
The duck’s loud quack dragged Ventus and Aqua’s attention. Everyone stared at him as he slammed his feet on the floor and went off at Sora, who was trying to calm him down. No one could understand what he was saying with how shrill his voice was.
“Donald, Donald, it’s okay! None of this was for nothing, I promise!” Sora held out both hands, smiling nervously in his failed attempts to calm him down. “I mean, look at all the people we helped! Rapunzel got to see the lanterns, Boo made it back home, we found another Baymax-!”
“The point of that adventure was to get your powers back!” Donald pointed at Sora and continued his accusations. “And you had it the whole time?!”
“Aw, he didn’t know, Donald! I’m sure there’s a good reason.” Goofy chimed.
“THAT’S NOT THE POINT!” The duck yelled. Goofy and Sora jumped back.
Sora explained the situation to his friends in a matter of minutes. When Ventus saw Aqua in danger, his heart tried to wake up and dragged Sora away. He told Sora about the power of waking and how he hadn’t gotten to use it yet. It wouldn’t work unless Sora called upon it, and Ven supplied just the right situation to use it in.
“It was pretty easy after that. I used the keyblade and Ven woke up.” Sora finished. “I thought that would be waaay harder. But I guess Riku just made it sound difficult.” He uncrossed his arms from each other.
“Guess that makes sense.” Donald sighed. “But we still went through all that trouble and we didn’t even need to.”
“Sure we did!” Sora tried to encourage him. “If we hadn’t gone out, Woody and the others would still be dealing with the Heartless. Mike and Sulley would have Unversed everywhere, scaring kids. Hercules would be fed up with all the titans. We helped!”
“Well, when ya put it that way, sure sounds like it wasn’t for nothin’.” Goofy smiled at Sora’s enthusiasm. He always did seem to look on the brighter side of things.
“Did you say ‘Unversed,’ Sora?” Aqua stood behind Donald, only a few feet away. She had concerned plastered all over her face.
The three turned to face her. “Yeah. Turns out that Vanitas can control them. And he set them lose in some of the worlds.”
Aqua squinted and sighed. “There’s no end to all this nonsense, is there...” Her voice was low. “I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
“So, are you and Ven ready to-” Wait a minute. “...where is Ventus?” Sora looked past Aqua, towards the thrones and around the perimeter of the room, but he was nowhere in sight.
“He needed to grab something from his room, he’ll be back.” Aqua reassured him of his worries.
“His ‘room?’ Wait, you guys live here!?” Sora gaped even more than he did before.
Aqua felt amused by his reaction. “Yes. This is where we trained with our master. It’s our home.” She looked up at the rainbow prism. It was much better than before, cracked and destroyed, ruins of the castle pouring in around the halls. “When I hid Ven out here, I use a trick the master taught me so that way no one could find him. Everything should be as we left it.”
“That’s amazing... This place is... REALLY amazing.” He tried to contain his excitement. “I’m really walking in the castle of keyblade wielders...!”
“If you want, you can come back when all this is settled. I’m sure Terra and Ven would be happy to have a guest.” She extended the offer. “You two, as well. We’d love the company.”
Donald and Goofy nodded, but Sora was too overtaken with glee to not steal her attention back. “Reeally?! That’s awesome, I would love to!!”
Aqua couldn’t believe how excited Sora was over a castle. He’d been in plenty, she was sure, and this one wasn’t too different. The courtyard and the throne room were about the only castle-like features that were here. The doors on each side of the hall led to the upper-stories, with bedrooms and book rooms and a kitchen. Nothing too interesting. But she admired his excitement and keen respect for the place.
“Do you want to look around?” She smiled at him, hoping to gauge more joy from his heart.
“Would I ever!” He turned heel to do that, but froze mid-pace. His head craned toward Aqua. “...is that okay?”
She almost laughed. “Don’t break anything.”
“SWEET!” Sora continued and immediately ran to the thrones. Donald and Goofy stayed put and stared at him as he ran.
“Y’ever think he’ll get used to new sights?” Goofy asked.
“No. It’s all he’s ever wanted to see, remember?” Donald reminded.
“He’s an adventurous one, I take it?” Aqua chimed in. The two looked at her and nodded. She grinned. “He and Ven are gonna be good friends, then.”
Sora was already moving onto the next room. He pushed open the doors to the east wing and ran. His laughter echoed into the throne room. He ascended and the steps leveled off until he was on flat ground. The hall was dark, a few small windows lighting the ground where the light could reach. One window between every two rooms.
Sora pushed open the first door with ease. Inside was a bookshelf, a desk, and a bed set against the window. The view outside was beautiful. In the distance were the mountain ranges and the forests. The chains on one of the peaks latching onto the building just below the window. Sora had hardly gotten to look at the outside of the castle before heading in. Seeing it from so high up was definitely better.
He got on the bed and pushed open the window. The soft breeze blew through and his hair ruffled. The chain around his neck rattled and the small crown flew over his shoulder. He squinted and held up a hand. The breeze died down and gave him a chance to lean out of the window. He was at least 40 feet above the courtyard below.
As soon as he began to lean, his heart beat loud in his head. Adrenaline shot through his limbs and he pulled himself back into the window. He froze up. Thoughts blew threw his head so fast, he wasn’t even sure if he was thinking them. But whatever it was, he knew one thing: don’t fall out of the window, please.
He sat on his knees, unsure what emotions he felt. But he didn’t want to feel them again and shut the window. Further down the hall were rooms of similar manner. Some had a few belongings in them that others did not. One room was a storage for books. Another held nothing but wooden weapons, most likely used to practice sparring.
Sora bent down to pick up one of the swords. It was in the shape of a key, like his own. The sword was much lighter in weight, easy to swing, easier to throw. He’d lose it very fast in a fight. But it was harmless. He swung it in front of him like he would his keyblade. It almost flew out of his hands if he did not secure his grip on the handle. It reminded him of the toy swords that he and Riku would use when they were little. He was enjoying the nostalgic feeling for as long as he could.
But Ventus screamed. Sora’s head jerked out of his memories and he whipped his head around to stare down the hall. There was a loud thump and something else hitting the floor after.
“Ven?!” Sora yelled, hoping for a reply. He dropped the weapon on the floor and skid down the hall towards the swung open door. Sora grabbed the knob and yanked it out of the way. Ventus was back-first on the floor, books scattered around him. This room was much livelier. Smalls bits of paper were pinned to the walls and neat lil' items sat on the desk. Ven was staring at the window.
His breathing was rough and eyes were wild with fear. Sora bent down next to him and grabbed his shoulder to get his attention. “What happened?”
“There was... something in th... the window...” He replied through exasperated breathing. Sora glanced up at the glass panes. There was something slinking around the edges of the window that looked like a white noodle.
“What in the world...” Sora muttered to himself. He stared at it as it moved in the same pattern. It seemed to... “Is it trying to get in?”
“Whatever it’s doing, we need to tell Aqua.” Ventus sat up and moved to his feet. He was ready to turn to the open doorway, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the weird noodle.
“But what... what is that thing?” Sora stepped closer to the glass panes. It seemed to continue its way around, but when he moved closer, it shuddered. Without any hesitation, it seemed to slip off the window and stabbed the glass. The panes shattered the entire window in the process.
The shards flew towards the two boys and they both shielded their faces. The creature shot through the window and towards Ventus. In less than a second, it became latched on the end of the kingdom key. It was thrown into the bookshelf on the west side of the room and fell down, hit the floor, twitching.
Ventus stared at Sora and was marveled by the impressive response time. But didn’t get to comment before it began moving again. It kinked up on itself before darkness spewed from its form. It stood up tall, about as tall as the two it was about to face. The zipper concealing its clamped mouth unwound itself and the Dusk wobbled.
“Nobodies...” Sora and Ventus muttered the word at the same time. The latter took his keyblade in hand and they waited for it to make a move. Sora barked: “Get lost, will ya?!” It seemed to stare at them, its head cocking from one of them to the other and back.
Sora saw another Dusk sneak through the window in his peripheral vision. And more. He’d never had trouble dealing with Nobodies before, but this was not a very good place to fight in.
“How did they get here?” Ventus asked the question aloud. The Dusks appeared around Ven and Sora, trapping them in the tight room. With little place to maneuver, they were soon left to stand back-to-back. It didn’t work well with Ven’s technique of wielding the keyblade. He’d have no room to prepare a decent swing. Sora wasn’t much better. His weapon was longer and would hit Ventus were he not careful.
“Vanitas must’ve brought them,” Sora noted. “When he came looking for you.” They both traded glances around at the adversaries. Neither one had any idea how to get out of this without causing destruction.
The Dusks hadn’t moved, but Sora could feel their gaze fixated on him. He was waiting for one to even think about moving, and if it did, he’d swing over the top and crush it into the ground before-
Hast thou succeeded in reviving our liege?
Sora flinched at the voice in his head. He’d heard that voice before, but only once. They had asked a similar question. “What was...”
“You heard it, too?” Ven asked. They were both a little shaken, eyes shifting from Dusk to Dusk. “Are they the ones talking?”
“Must be...” Sora muttered. He glanced over to his right and took particular interest in the one Dusk blocking their exit. “I’m gonna dive it, follow me after.”
Ventus didn’t want to admit that he didn’t understand what Sora was about to do, but it should be easy to follow him.
Without hesitation, Sora dug one leg into the floor and launched himself forwards. He held his keyblade straight out in front of him and it pierced the Nobody standing on the bed. It disappeared into the air, leaving Sora lunging forward with nothing to strike. He flew straight out the window.
Without even thinking, Ventus followed him. And he would curse himself later for that. Sora screeched as he plummeted into the courtyard below the castle. Ven was seconds behind him. He hit the grass and cement with his side, landing on his shoulder. Sora groaned and felt the pain flare up in his left arm. And then again in his chest as Ventus cascaded down on top of him.
Ven’s head hit the grass, but the rest of him landed on Sora’s chest. He felt Ven’s body collide with his rib cage and forced every last bit of air out of his lungs. Sora coughed up what he could and tried to take another breath.
Ventus shook his head and said, “Sorry,” in a damaged tone. He rolled off of Sora and onto the grass, groaning. He got on his hands and knees and looked back up at the window. The Nobodies were sliding down the side of the castle.
Ventus stared at them, brows furrowed. He didn’t want to admit it, but he didn’t think he was cut out for combat at the moment. To throw one swing at Vanitas took almost all the strength he could muster. His body was frail after not having moved in over a dozen years. His keyblade even felt heavy in his hands. He couldn’t fight like this.
So he did the one thing he could think of. He took a deep breath and screeched as loud as his voice could manage, which was painfully loud, “AQUA!!”
One of the Nobodies dove towards Ventus. He kicked his feet against the floor and pushed himself out of the way. It collided with the grass and bounced back up into the air, springing into its Dusk form. Ven shoved his keyblade up to guard for the next jump, but another Dusk landed behind him. He only had a second to look at it before it entwined its razor-like hands over his chest.
Sora rolled onto his front and pushed himself up with his arms and legs. In front of him, the blond was kicking at the empty air with two Dusks holding him against the floor. His keyblade clattered against the cement. “Ven!”
He was already beginning to get tired. His legs dropped on the floor and he couldn't manage to lift them back up. The Dusks’ hands held tight on his arms, leaving both his hands useless. Ven couldn’t do more than growl at them.
Sora pushed himself off the floor and took his key in hand. But another Dusk landed in front of him and wrapped itself around his right hand. It pulled him down to the floor again and his legs flew out from under him. Sora yelped and had no choice but to collapse.
His body was already hurting from catching Ventus. And he felt like his arm was going to break off if the Dusk didn’t stop pulling on it. The soles of his shoes scuffed against the stonework. His legs working to get him away from the adversary. But to no avail.
My liege. Thou hast been away for too long.
Sora and Ventus froze, eyes wide, the voice echoing in their heads again. Without hesitation, they both said aloud, “Who are you talking about?!”
The Dusks began to lift Ventus off the floor. His legs hung in the air useless. And again, he did the only thing he could think to do. He took another breath, but the Dusk slapped it’s hand over his face, silencing and blinding the boy.
Sora’s eyes flew over the environment from his spot on the floor. He saw the gray colors of Ventus’ keyblade lying by his feet and stuck one leg out. The tip of his shoe snagged the hilt of the weapon and he bent his leg in. The key was sent skidding across the cement to his free hand. He took it backhanded and threw his arm into the air, aiming for the Dusk that held his arm.
It dispersed into particles of light on contact, freeing his other arm. Sora shoved himself off the ground and pounced at the Dusk on Ventus’ left side. He didn’t want to risk hitting Ventus with either key and instead tackled the Nobody. Its grip on Ven went lose and Sora rolled across the grass and cement with it. When the momentum slowed, he raised the key in his left and stabbed the Dusk with it.
Ventus’ face was free and he shouted again, “AQUUUAAA!!” The other Dusk pulled him further into the air by his one arm. He clenched his eyes shut and cried out.
Sora spun on a heel, pent-up anger in his eyes, narrowed and teeth bared. He threw both weapons at the Dusk. Its existence shattered and Ventus dropped onto the ground, landing hard on his knees.
More Dusks were already surrounding them. This was a much more suitable environment to fight. Sora backed up to Ventus and pushed the key back into its proper owner’s hand. But as soon as he did, the key clattered against the floor and vanished. Ventus fell to one knee, taking deep breaths.
Sora spun and looked on with fear. “Ven, what happened?” He knelt down and grabbed his shoulder.
Ventus said in a hoarse voice, “I can’t fight yet...” His eyes turned to the Dusks. “Which one of us are they after...?”
Sora readied his blade. “Or do they want both?” He wondered. His thoughts were immediately put to rest. He remembered where he’d heard the voice before. But he wasn’t in that memory, it wasn’t his. They were looking for someone, or photos of someone.
“Roxas.” Sora muttered. “They’re after Roxas.” He stared at the Nobodies, preparing to fend them off from both himself and Ven. “They’re after you.”
Pity in his eyes, Ventus looked at Sora and sighed. “I’m... not sure if you knew, but, uh, just ‘cause we look the same doesn’t mean that-”
“I know! But Roxas looks like you. They can’t tell the difference. To the Nobodies, you’re him.”
Ventus didn’t know how Sora knew that, but he didn’t ask questions. It made sense, at least for the moment. The Dusks began to shudder and Sora recognized that movement. He held his guard.
Before the Dusks could get closer, someone squawked something that was unintelligible. Thunder crackled and lightning rained down around the two. The static sparked off the metal bits on the two’s clothes and the bolts pierced the Dusks. They started twitching and were unable to move.
Sora and Ventus turned to the door of the castle, where Donald and Aqua stood. Aqua held out the keyblade and a harsh light was produced from the tip. A stream of color ejected from the key and flew past the two, colliding and sending the Nobodies reeling. Many were destroyed on contact. And the rest, Goofy pounced on with his shield.
Sora stared at the grass where the bolts and prisms struck. It was burnt and dead, the cement blackened and cracked. But the Dusks were gone. Their voice was gone.
Goofy pushed himself off the ground, shield in hand. “Welp, I dunno how you two ended up outside, but it’s a good thing we heard’ja.”
“You’ve gotta be more careful, Sora!” Donald teased.
Sora glared at Donald. “Hey, it wasn’t my fault! We only had one way to go and it was out the window!”
Aqua knelt down to Ven and put her hand on his back. He avoided eye contact and muttered something to himself. “What happened?” She asked.
“I was in my room getting stuff when I saw something out the window. It tried to grab us and we had to run." He said his own thoughts out loud. "They’re looking for Roxas, still....”
“‘Roxas?’ Who’s that?” Aqua asked. She looked up to Sora for guidance.
“A friend we’re trying to save. He used to be in the Organization so they’re still trying to get him back.”
“I’ve missed a lot more than I thought.” Aqua sighed and smiled to herself. “You’ll forgive me if I ask a lot of questions. I want to make sure I get the whole story.”
Sora gave her the kindest smile he could manage and shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. It’s a long story anyways.”
Sora pulled Ventus off the floor, his left arm over Ven's shoulder and a hand at his waist. Ven’s legs dragged against the floor. Small sparks flying where the metal boots made contact with the stonework. He tried to pick them up, but grunted without avail.
Sora had already taken notice and looked down at his limp limbs. “Are you that hurt?” He kept going towards the mountain pathway.
Ventus looked frustrated at the empty air in front of them. “No, I.... Eghhh.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He left a thin line in the dirt where he couldn’t pick up his feet. “I can’t move a lot or I get tired.”
Keeping pace with Sora, Aqua heard and stared at Ven. “Did those creatures do something to you?”
“I think he’s still a bit tired and drowsy.” Goofy speculated, standing at Sora’s right.
Ventus smiled, weak. “Took a reeeaaally long nap and I’m still tired, huh?” His voice was still frail from the screaming.
“Sounds like Sora.” Donald teased.
Sora gasped and snapped, “I don’t sleep that often!” Donald and Goofy snickered at his lies.
As the five continued their way down the mountain, Ventus began to pick up his feet. He still needed Sora to hold onto him, but by the time they reached the summit, he wasn’t scraping anymore. In the distance, the sun was starting to set.
The summit was coated in mossy vines over some old ruins from eras past. In the distance was the castle, standing tall and proud as Ventus and Aqua remembered it. The wind rattled and shook the mighty chains that held it to the mountain.
Ventus smiled at the sight of the setting sun. “This still feels the same.” Sora helped bring Ventus toward the edge of the summit, where Aqua had sat down. He let Ven’s body slump down to her left and she held onto his arm to keep him steady. Sora settled on Ven’s other side, and Donald and Goofy sat around the three.
“The sun feels great...” Aqua said. She closed her eyes and let the beams touch her pale skin. It’d been forever since she felt the rays of warmth.
“It does.” Ven agreed. He leaned back and supported himself with his hands, staring up at the red and orange colors of the sky. Sora followed his gaze and traced each color back to the sun. He squinted to look at the bright orb and he felt nostalgic. He’d done this plenty of times back home on the islands, but there was something different now. He hadn’t gotten to see the sunset in a long while and felt like he was missing something in his hand.
When he looked down to see what it was, he was surprised to find his glove was missing. Or rather, it wasn’t his glove he was wearing. His hands were shrouded in black cloth, the sleeves of a long black coat loose on his arms. He grasped for something to be in his right hand and was disappointed to find nothing.
“Hey, Roxas.” Someone familiar said.
He looked to his right and saw Axel sitting there, staring at the sun. The wind blew through his red hair and rattled the ties on his hood. He had one knee raised and his arm over it, an ice cream stick clutched in his hand. “Bet’cha don’t know why the sun sets red.” He smiled.
Sora jolted forward and blinked once. Axel was gone immediately and he met Aqua’s concerned gaze. “Sora, are you okay?” She asked.
Sora gaped and looked down at his hands. They were his again. He grasped for the air, but found nothing to hold onto. “I’m fine... yeah.”
Ven cocked his head to one side, trying to gauge what Sora was thinking about. He turned and looked past Aqua. “Did you see another Nobody?”
“No. Nothing was there.” He reassured. “Was just thinking about someone, that’s all.” He placed his hand over his heart, the aching feeling returning again. I’m sorry, he thought. I’m sorry about all of this. He hoped his thoughts could reach the other heart inside his.
Something nudged his shoulder and he faced Ventus, who had a devious smile. He muttered something only Sora heard, “Worried about Kairi?”
If Sora wasn’t embarrassed before, he was now. Of course Ven would know about that. I don’t know how I had even hoped to hide it. His face was turning red for certain now. “Sh-shut up.” He muttered back. Ven contained his giggling.
They stared at the sky for as long as the sun was in it. When it finally slipped over the trees in the horizon, the darkness of night overtook the skies. Ven stared at the spot where the sun set, unease setting into his heart. “Hey, wait. What happened?”
“The sun sets, Ven. I thought you knew that.” Aqua said. Her eyes were fixated on the stars blossoming in the sky.
“But... usually there’s a green light or something when it sets.” Ven complained. “Why wasn’t it there?”
“Oh, that’s only when the sun sets on the water." Sora said. "The light fractures through the water. It creates a weird green color before it disappears 'cause that's the color of the ocean."
“Huh.” Ven stared at the tree tops for only a few more seconds. Guess I got too used to sunsets on the beach.
As the stars took over, they all stood up and Sora announced, “We gotta get back to Riku and the King.” They all agreed with silence, no one objecting. Ventus could walk on his own and trailed behind Sora as he led the way back to the gummi ship. It had been moved when the land changed, now residing at the bottom of the mountain. But it was still very much intact.
“So, I dunno how we’re all gonna be in there safely.” Sora said on approach. “Usually it’s just Donald, Goofy and I. Taking Aqua was a bit of a hazard.”
“I’m sure we’ll be fine, Sora.” Aqua said. “We used to travel the Lanes Between with nothing but armor and keyblades. This’ll be nothing.”
Sora was caught off-guard. “Wait, you did WHAT?”
“It was how we got around before the Heartless started causing trouble.” Ven explained. “In fact, why don’t we do that? We’ll follow behind you.” He raised his hand up to his shoulder, where a piece of his armor was strapped on.
But Aqua grabbed his shoulder before he could press his hand on the metal. “Ven, you’re still tired. We don’t want to risk you getting hurt.”
“I’m feeling better, Aqua. I needed to sit down for a while, that's all.”
“She’s got a point.” Sora chimed, crossing his arms. “Armor or not, you’d be safer in the ship.”
Aqua expected Ven to put up an argument like he used to with Terra and herself. When he insisted on joining them for the more rigorous training lessons. He was stubborn and rarely took no for an answer when it came to personal requests.
But he just sighed and said, “Yeah.... you’re probably right.” The response surprised her. But she didn’t say anything. He had matured some since she last saw him. I guess watching over someone for their whole life made him a bit more mellow.
“And it’s best if Aqua doesn’t either. She’s still recovering.” Goofy said.
“It’s okay, we’ll figure it out.” Sora said. His words were comforting to Aqua. He had also matured a lot since she saw the boy as an infant on the islands. But it was almost as if his presence alone was the comfort she needed.
The five were aboard the ship and airborne in minutes. Aqua and Ventus sat on the floor towards the back, where it was deemed they’d be safest. They hadn’t an idea of how the gummi ship operated and both agreed they’d be useless as co-pilots.
The ship left the castle behind and flew off into the starry void. This part of the void felt empty, rock clusters and stars filling the space rather than any worlds in sight. It was almost pleasant to witness the vastness of the space between all the worlds. There were still so many places Sora'd never visited before. So many places that were begging to be seen by his heart. He kept up his dreams, of wanting to see more of the outside world, like Riku called it. There was just too much to do at the moment to worry about them.
He'd given all his attention to navigating the messy terrain that floated about.. It was all broken bits of rubble and rock, but no Heartless were in sight. Sora concentrated on skidding past and missing the tight spaces between the rocks. Donald and Goofy had started talking with Ven and Aqua.
"How long has it been anyways, since you two disappeared?" The knight asked.
"Uh... I'm not quite sure." Aqua crossed her arms and started sifting through her memories. "Mickey told me that it'd been at least ten years... But I don't know how much time has passed since then."
Ventus leaned forward a bit as Sora made another break to avoid hitting more terrain. "Ten years for sure. But..... I think it's thirteen now. Or right around that."
"How can you tell?" Donald asked.
Ven smiled and yelled, "Sora! How old are you?"
Sora flinched and turned his head to indicate that he was listening now. "I'm-! Wait..."
Donald sighed. "Told you Sora can't count."
"I can! I just... lose track of time." Sora veered to the right and everyone started leaning to the left. "I'm sixteen-years old."
"Gawrsh, thought it was longer than that."
"Maybe I'm seventeen, I don't kn-AHGH!" The ship lurched forward into a dive and everyone flew off the ground for a second.
"Thirteen years then."
Aqua's gaze trailed off her friend. "Thirteen years.... in the Realm of Darkness..." She hugged her legs and tucked her face behind her arms. "It's a miracle I even made it."
Ventus scoffed. "You kidding? Aqua, you're a Keyblade Master! You made it because you're strong!"
"I'm not, Ven... I succumbed to darkness in the end. And I needed someone else to come save me."
He didn't have a rebuttal for that. Riku and Mickey weren't able to get through to Aqua. Sora's intervention was the only reason they'd gotten away with minor injury. But she-
"You're making that sound like it's a bad thing."
"A Keyblade Master is supposed to be able to hold their own. Even when I had the power of darkness, Sora still beat me."
"That's 'cause he knew he had to save you, Aqua." Ventus put his left hand over hers. "He wanted to protect his friends and bring you home. So he did. That's what made him so strong."
She raised her head to look at Ven. "When did you get so wise?" She didn't do more than a weak smile. "Was oversleeping for twelve years some sort of training session for you?"
"Now you're taking cheap shots."
The two laughed, actual joy between them. They needed this, to be with each other again.
"But, how do you know all that?" She asked. "You and Sora weren't alone for too long."
Her friend stared at her, confused. Then his eyes widened and he laughed in a low voice. "Oh, right... He never told you."
"About?"
"Sora kept me safe when I fell asleep." He stared at nothing in particular, but a smile crept onto his face. "After I'd destroyed the χ-blade, I ended up destroying my own heart. And what pieces of it were still there... Sora found them and he held onto them, for the past twelve years." He looked up at his savior, who was still trying to avoid the terrain from destroying the ship.
"He had your heart..." Aqua muttered the words to herself. "This whole time, you were with Sora."
"He was there for me when I needed him the most. I don't think he remembers it at all. But I don't plan to forget."
Aqua turned her gaze towards Sora, as well. He held an aggressive grip on the helm, eyes squinted and determination masking her previous assumption of his childish demeanor. "No wonder..." ...he reminds me of you.
The ship dove again, and then took a harsh turn to the right, throwing Aqua and Ventus towards the left side of the ship. With no secure grip on the floor, they both flew, Ventus' weight pushing Aqua into the panels harder. They yelped and Aqua tried to grab hold of something to save her. But to no avail, the two were thrown about without warning.
Sora heard them struggle and he yelled over his shoulder, "Sorry! We're having issues right now!" He threw the ship into another sharp turn in the opposite direction. They were akin to rag-dolls, Ventus and Aqua tumbling across the other side of the ship.
"Sora, stop it!" Donald yelled. "You're gonna break something!"
"If you wanna fight the giant Heartless that's chasing us down, then I'd be happy to let your steer!" Sora glared at the mage.
Aqua grabbed a hold of the back of Goofy's chair. "There are Heartless, out here?!" She stared out of the glass into the empty void, hoping to see where the beast was. Nothing was in sight.
A shadow loomed over the ship. Immediately, something collided with the top of it and threw everyone around. Sora was tossed out of his seat and collided with the back of the ship. Aqua had an iron grip on the chair and dangled on it. Goofy and Donald held onto what they could, but the duck lost his grip and crashed into Sora in the back. Ventus was pinned against the window by nothing but momentum, his limbs splayed against the glass like a starfish. The five screamed as the ship hurtled.
The Heartless threw it as far as it could manage. The vessel spun and the stars outside became a fast blur with the debris in the void. Sora felt he was going to be sick, but the ship collided with rocks and the spinning slowed immediately. It lay on its side, all its passengers floating in the gravity-barren space.
"I didn't know... Heartless could, eghhhh..." Aqua's voice trailed and she grabbed her head, aching from being thrown about.
"We might have to run and hope we can out-run it." Sora muttered. He pushed himself off the glass and floated towards his chair. He grabbed the back of it and held on tight.
"The ship's too damaged to get us anywhere fast, Sora." Goofy reported.
Donald sighed and grabbed his face, hiding it behind his hands.
"The ship isn't doing much to that thing, I don't know if we have many other options." The desperation in Sora's voice was clear.
"You got one." Ventus said. Everyone's gaze fell on the blond, who was still clinging to the glass dome that separated them from void. He was upside, legs pointing towards the top of the glass. "It's stupid, but we really don't have anything else." He looked like he was worried about something, but it didn't seem to be the ship.
The Heartless began to circle back around the rocks, searching for its prey. It could sense the hearts of light inside it, seven in total. The main body of the beast was skeletal in nature. The claws branching off it turning into massive rock formations. It had no hind legs, but the tail was a massive spike of broken debris and white bone. It had pincers on its face that clamped shut every few seconds, trying to nab whatever it could. Above that, yellow orbs that shone brightly in the void. The emblem was between those eyes.
It couldn't wait any longer. The massive being dove toward the colorful ship, pincers open and ready to grab. But as soon as it was close enough, the rear of the ship sparked and lit up. It flew out of the path of the creature. The beast collided with the rocks and roared as its body cascaded with it. As the tail flew up, the ship weaved around it and spun 180 degrees. The main guns on the ship started firing.
It felt the bullets begin to plummet against its back. It pushed off the terrain towards the ship again, pincers wide, the rocks flying off into the void. And again the ship dove out of the way, down this time. The beast was not swayed and turned with the vehicle, diving after it. The distance closed fast. It could taste the smoke coming off the engines and feel the heat of the fires. And yet, once it focused on the light inside the ship, it felt weaker.
There were only six hearts in there.
Something flew into its eye and tore across its face, blinding it on its right side. The Heartless roared and shook the entire void around it. Darkness seeped from its new wound, the first real hit that it had taken. The gummi ship veered to the left and the monster collided again with a chunk of debris.
The ship stopped moving and seemed to stare at the monster as it flailed against the rocks. Sora grinned at the creature's dismay and shouted, "It worked!" He looked out to the right of the ship and saw their weapon, Ventus, floating their in his armor. It was a brilliant green and cobalt blue, accented by gold tips and sharp edges all over. The horns on his helmet pointed backwards like dog ears. He held steady balance on the board that his keyblade had created, aesthetically resembling the weapon itself.
"Ven, are you okay?!" Aqua shouted to him.
"I'm fine, just a little rusty." He said. "Keep going, we can take it out!" Without waiting for Sora's response, he sped off towards the Heartless again. Once he was close enough, he leaned to one side and tipped the weight of the board. The blades on the edges narrowed the gap and soon cut into the Heartless' bone-like structure. It roared again.
Sora maneuvered the ship around and ordered Donald and Goofy to fire. A bullet-stream flew from the ship and collided with where Ventus had created a weak spot. Ven flew back around and dove towards the beast's other eye. If it was blind, it would be all the easier to take on.
Like it could sense where Ventus was aiming, it brought up one of its rock-covered arms and swung it towards him. Ventus gasped. He was going too fast to avert the collision, but he kept his course. The hand sped forward, and Ventus pounced off the board. His armor rattled in the wind and he no longer had control of his movement. The board collided with the Heartless' hand, crashing through it.
Ven was close enough to the hand to run atop it, but ungracefully crashed head-first into the rocks. He tumbled, screaming the whole time. His neck snapped in the wrong direction, but he had no time to worry about it. His body was upright again and he ran across the surface, breathing faster and faster with each step. His keyblade was still plummeting through the rocks below, he could feel it. The beast cried in agony.
The boy took a leap off the edge of the hand and his board emerged from the other side of the formation. It slid underneath him and he grabbed a hold of it with his hand, remounting. His lungs were heavy from screaming. The tiredness began to take him again. No. I'm not done yet. I can sleep once we get somewhere that's actually safe.
"He's getting tired." Aqua clutched her hands over her heart, staring at the green speck as it flew past. "Ven can't fight for much longer."
"We've almost got it..." Sora threw the ship forward again. "Just a little longer, Ven!" Bullets of light flew towards the Heartless. It had finally dislodged itself from the structure and begun soaring. The trails of darkness coming from its body told Sora that it was almost done for. It needed one more big hit.
Ven was on par with the ship again and the two sped towards the beast. Ventus veered to the right and Sora to the left. The ship came around to the side of its face and fired into the beast's only eye. It wailed and shook its head. Ventus plummeted towards its only arm and leaped backwards off the board. He sent it flying towards the hand. The keyblade struck through the rocks and shattered most of them. The hand fell lifeless, symmetrical with the other side.
Ventus hurtled through space, but watched on with amusement. His board vanished in a flash of light and the keyblade reappeared in his hand. He remounted and flew towards the monster. Sora pressed on towards the beast, a wild look in his eyes. He shouted, "Hold onto something!" Aqua ducked behind the chair and held onto it tight. Goofy and Donald were as secure as they could be.
As recklessly as he could, Sora plowed the gummi ship into the Heartless. The beast had tried to raise its weak arms to batter anything away that it could, but it had no means of seeing where to aim. The tip of the ship crashed into the thin cut that Ventus had made in the beast's hide. It skid and it wasn't smooth. Everyone inside had to grab tight to keep from being thrown to the back of the ship. Bullets flew from the ship at the same time, landing in the wound.
It spun off the back of the beast as it reared up one last time. It screeched into the void. Darkness spewed from its form as it began to disperse back into the air. The yellow light in its blind eyes faded as it let lose one more scream.
Ventus kept his gaze on the Heartless as he approached the gummi ship fast. He smiled behind the glass of his helmet. The victory was hard-earned but they'd won. And he couldn't wait to lay down again. Aqua watched her friend speeding towards the ship and a smile sunk onto her face. He'd earned himself a good rest.
He only had a few seconds till he could take comfort in the safety of the ship. But the tail from the beast swung up between the two. It spun the gummi ship on its side and sent it flying away, everyone inside screeching as they lost sight of Ventus. The brave wielder himself was thrown in the opposite direction by the impact. He hurtled away, his keyblade disappearing instantly, body spinning without control. The ship stalled and stopped its movement. Below them, the Heartless finally gave up its form. Sora, dizzy, sat up and saw the heart inside the beast vanish, their victory finally secured.
"Geez..." He grabbed his head and moaned, the throbbing pain coming back to him all at once. His arms ached from being thrown so much and having to hold on so tight. But the pain didn't matter. "Where'd Ven go?" His eyes refocused on the stars and rocks outside.
Aqua stood fast from her place on the floor and ran to the window. Donald and Goofy pulled themselves off the floor and stared into the void. "I don't see him." Donald muttered.
"He's over there!" Aqua pointed to their right. Sora squinted his eyes and stared towards her direction. He could see a speck floating there that looked an awful lot like Ven's armor. He was making a star shape, his limbs floating around. Aqua felt powerless to help and yelled, "Sora-!"
"I know!" He turned the ship and threw everyone around. Then pressed down on the pedals on the floor, sending the ship towards the armored boy. The ship was hardly moving. No one aboard was smiling.
The distance closed, almost too slow for Aqua to bear. On approach, Ven kept spinning around without want. He was upside down, facing the ship when Sora realized he could see Ven's face. His eyes were closed. The helmet's glass was shattered.
"VEN!" Aqua reached out a hand. No one could have seen it because he moved too fast in combat, but bits of frost had formed on his armor. At his finger tips and on his knees, the white ice was easy to see now that he had no choice but to hold still. It was spreading up his body.
Sora felt his heart drop in his chest. No, he thought. He can't be.... No! I won't let him!
Without even thinking about his course of action, Sora leaped out of the chair and dove behind Aqua. She was still staring at the sight of her friend freezing over. She'd already seen this happen before. Ventus was suspended over the edge of the cliff, his helmet cracking under Xehanort's grip. The glass shattered and she could see the fear in his eye. And then at once, he was frozen and tossed over the edge. His body collided with the rock in every way, breaking the armor off piece by piece. That was then. And now...
The ice was spreading across his body. Bits of his broken armor floated around him, jagged edges, sharp and pointy, chipped and broken off. The ice crept towards his face. Aqua didn't know what to do. She had no means of going out into the void to save him without getting frozen herself. Her armor was missing still. It would be her death warrant to-
A beam of light shot from the side of the gummi ship and collided with Ventus' comatose body. It seemed to wrap around his chest and it began to lull him closer. Aqua gasped and she turned her gaze to the source. Sora was clinging to the side of the ship with his left hand, outside of the dome. His fingers were pried between two of the blocks that made up its structure. His brows were furrowed and teeth bared, the key clutched in his right hand, pointed at the boy. The beam from its tip pulled Ventus closer.
"Sora!" Donald and Goofy cried at the sight. Aqua was too shocked to do anything more than stare. Sora groaned to himself as the cold crept over his limbs. But he didn't let the temperature waver him from his objective. He tried motivating himself and the light dragged him in faster. Just grab Ventus. That's all you need to do, Sora. Just grab his hand.
She finally moved herself to words. "Sora, get back in here!" She yelled. Sora didn't respond. "You're going to freeze to death!"
The ice was already appearing at the tips of his fingers and on his legs. But- "I don't care!" He barked. "I'm not going to let you lose him again!" Aqua gasped and stared in dismay. He wasn't going to budge. He really was a lot like Ven.
Ventus was finally in reach and Sora discarded the keyblade immediately. It vanished in a flash and Sora leaned out to grab a hold of Ven. The ice was in patches all over his armor. Sora wasn't much better, the frost setting in on his face and over his clothes. His skin was turning pale fast. His frozen hand grabbed a hold of Ventus' and he pulled him in close. Where the armor touched Sora's skin, frost started to form where it hadn't already. Sora stared down at his friend's face. The glass was shattered on one side of his helmet. It revealed little more than his shut eye and the blonde bangs frozen over his face.
Sora took smaller breaths, his exhales leaving steam in the air. He'd never felt this cold before. Even in Arendelle, Sora had never felt so much pain in his limbs than the bitter bite of the ice. Even stabbing himself with the keyblade didn't pair up with this cold nipping at his heart. The frost coated his whole body, solidifying more in certain places than others. It was a struggle to stay awake and he needed to get to safety now. Sora released his grip on the ship and navigated to the bottom of it with his one free hand. His fingertips were stuck in solid ice. But he managed to pry open the panel to the inside of the ship.
He looked up to find Aqua standing there, reaching out a hand. Tear streams down her cheeks, she tried her best to keep a sob in her throat. Sora smiled, weak, and reached his hand up to grab hers, as much as he could. It was frozen like a straight stick. The warmth of her skin soothed the pain in his hand for a second. His grip on Ventus' arm didn't loosen as she and Goofy hauled the two into the ship. Goofy took Sora by the shoulders and set him down on the floor. Aqua took Ventus' frozen armor and pried it off of Sora's frozen body. The ice snapped and the two lay separated on the floor. The panel slammed shut.
As Sora was set down on the floor, the bits of frost on his hair flaked off, letting him lay flat. His arms were turning a weak shade of blue from the cold. The clothes were frozen, the fabric unyielding and holding in certain positions. His necklace was frozen to his skin, small spikes of ice coming from it. His entire body was covered in a thick layer of frost. Certain parts frozen over and unable to be moved, most of all, his hands and his legs.
Ventus did not bode much better, if at all. His armor was covered in layers of ice, not allowing Aqua to move his limbs at all. She had to pry the helmet off of his face in broken pieces. His wind-swept hair was frozen over. The armor that had touched his body refused to break off. It was frozen on in a twisted amalgamation of ice and blue skin. His expression was frozen with furrowed brows and a small frown on his face.
"Oh, Ventus..." She brushed a hand over his cheek, hoping to wake him. "I'm sorry." She couldn't keep her voice from cracking. Donald and Goofy sat over Sora, shaking him and trying to warm him. But to no avail. The ice on the two boys hung thick on their bodies.
Maybe, if I'm careful... "Donald, help me out." She looked at him. The mage looked up at her and make a squawk that signified his confusion. "Cast Firaga, but don't let it leave your staff. We'll warm them up ourselves."
Sora and Ventus were pushed closer together. The fire spells from the two mages would be able to reach them both. Aqua held the keyblade over Sora and Donald held his staff over Ventus. They both concentrated their magic on the tips of their weapons. Small flames procured from them both. Goofy stood nearby, looking on with desperation.
The flames created instant warmth inside the vessel. But the cold seeping in came from Ventus and Sora's bodies. The fire they had mustered would not warm them at this rate. Frost was already forming on the ground where they both lay. "We need more magic." She said aloud. Aqua stared at her weapon and forced more fire to emit from the blade. Donald did the same.
As the heat intensified, the bitter cold started to shrink back. But still, the two boys showed no signs of warming up. "More!" The heat became sharp and almost burned Aqua to be in control of it. Goofy needed to take a step back from its intensity. But the ice on the floor started to disperse into particles of water. The small spikes on each of them started to melt and drip into a puddle. The frost on each of their faces was starting to run off like tears from their eyes.
Little by little, the ice vanished from them. The fabric on Sora's clothes started to bend again and allowed his body to sink down to ground level. The necklace frozen to his skin fell over one shoulder. The was a small, crown-shaped mark where it had seared into his flesh. Ventus' armor started to break off, no longer being held together by the ice. Bits and pieces fell from his knees and shoulders. His chest piece chipped a little bit and parts of his helmet fell off his cheeks. The frost dripped like water off his head. A spike on his helmet broke off and the only spike left pushed his head and forced him to face Sora.
After minutes of warming the boys back to a normal skin tone, Sora's eyes squinted open. The sight of the fire being held inches above his face blinded him and he needed to shut his eyes again. He groaned and tried to pull one hand over his face. But his limbs were still weak.
Aqua looked past her blade to see Sora's movement and she immediately lost the fire. "Sora!" She yelled. Glee sparked in her face and she dropped the keyblade to the side. It disappeared from existence. Aqua dropped to her knees and pulled Sora off the floor. He moaned as she moved his body.
"Is... is Ventus okay?" He croaked the words out. Aqua nodded and gestured to his right. He craned his neck and saw Ven, who's skin was no longer a faint blue. He began to moan and his face twitched.
Before Sora could attempt to check on Ven, Goofy and Donald jumped him and pinned him back against the floor, shouting his name at the same time. He screamed as they pushed him down and hugged him. Sora felt the warmth from their bodies and was thankful they'd done so. Feeling started to come back to his hands and he hugged them back.
Aqua knelt next to Ven and pulled him into her arms. The armor was still very cold, but he had color in his face again. He shifted in his sleep and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw- "Aqua..." He muttered.
"It's okay, Ven." She hugged him tighter. "You're okay."
Sora and Ventus were able to stand, given a few minutes. They stayed seating on the floor till then and simply accepted the warmth their friends could offer. Aqua wrapped her arms around them both and pulled them both in for a hug. Donald repeatedly cast Firaga to further warm up the vessel so the two would recover faster. And soon enough, Sora was able to stand up again. The brunet took his place at the helm and he began on their voyage to the tower.
Ventus discarded his armor, or what remained of it, in a pile and groaned. "I don't even know how to fix it..." He stared at the broken helmet pieces, messing with some of them in his hands.
"Maybe you should've listened to what the Master said about repairing it." Aqua snickered. Ven looked up at her and frowned.
"He told me to never use it, not how to fix it." He muttered. "Don't you know how?"
"Yes, but... this won't be too easy." She picked up a few of the broken pieces as well. "Normally, you can take the armor off and it'll repair itself. But this got pretty beat up. You won't be able to use it till we get some special help. And even then, it'll take several days."
Ventus groaned loud and shut his eyes, very annoyed. "Greeaaaat. So I'm not gonna have that for the big fight."
"You'll be on par with the rest of us." Sora chimed. "That's not too bad, right?"
The two met gazes and Ven couldn't help but mimic Sora's smile. "Nah. It's not too bad." He leaned backwards with one arm and look at his hand again, the blue in his fingertips was gone. But he still felt exhausted.
The rest of the voyage wasn't as turbulent. Aqua settled back into her spot at the back of the ship. Ventus began dozing off. At first, all he was doing was leaning against the wall. Then he slowly slipped down to her shoulder and used her as a headrest. Aqua didn't say anything or move. The gummi ship's gentle shakes moved his body down until he was leaning on one of her legs. She felt a little awkward, as the only other time he's slept near her was in a bed back home with her watching over him.
Those days still left her with questions, and ones she wanted to ask. Ventus is a particularly special person, the Master had told her. At so young an age as twelve, he had succumbed to the darkness in his heart. Master Xehanort was forced to take action to save him. Although she wasn't certain what the action was, it left Ventus without his memories. He was unable to do even the most basic of tasks without someone helping. Aqua remembered having to help him eat every day. Terra would bring him outside and show him how to walk and run. And the Master had it worst of all: he needed to show Ventus how to fight.
The Master would've taken Ventus in regardless of his status as a keyblade wielder. But he knew that if Ventus did not learn how to fight as soon as possible, he may very well lose his touch with the keyblade. He'd have a harder time trying to learn it later. They started small, of course. He tried to show Ventus how to hold the weapon, but he always insisted on holding it backwards. Eraqus thought the boy didn't understand what he was doing until he asked Ventus to summon his key. And he understood immediately: this was how Ventus used it. The shape and length of the weapon was the giveaway, flat on one edge and shorter than his legs. If he held it any other way, it would've been awkward.
Within a year, Ventus had learned how to talk again. He was able to roam the castle without anyone supervising him. Aqua even found him some days in the kitchen. He would be trying to make something for himself because he didn't want to bother anyone. He was childish, but as was expected. He was growing up for the second time. Eraqus made sure that Ventus knew his place as an apprentice early on. But that didn't stop the Master from showing some affection to the child. She recognized it from the way he treated Terra and herself. He loved Ventus, and she knew that Ventus loved him.
As she was getting lost in her memories, Ventus had woken up. His blue eyes hung open. He yawned to himself, but didn't move from Aqua's leg. He couldn't. She'd wrapped her arm over his body and was holding him close. And he didn't mind the comfort. The feeling was wholly familiar. His memories of the time were hazy, but he could recall them. Aqua guiding him through the halls of the castle with Terra at his side. Ventus couldn't remember the layout of the castle for almost two years. And for the longest time, she had tried to ingrain it in his mind. But every day felt like a new life. And she'd start every morning the same. She woke him up, brought him something to eat, then took him around the castle. By the end of the day, when she was to put Ventus to sleep, he retained some sort of cohesiveness on where he was. And it improved as the months passed. He was able to guess where the rooms led and at one point, he led Aqua to his own room. He was happy about that, and the smile on her face made it better.
Learning again, that was a struggle. His memories had been sapped of every basic concept that most people knew, even at birth. He didn't know how to drink water and one time, and he tried to mimic Terra only to pour it over his face. He saw himself in the mirror once and tried talking to his reflection for twenty minutes. Then the Master saw and told him that nobody was there. Sometimes he forgot to breathe and Terra had to hit his shoulder to remind him. Those days were a little embarrassing for Ven to remember. He didn't know how Aqua and Terra managed to put up with him.
He was stubborn and could be very rude at times when he didn't get his way. The Master wasn't as lenient with Ventus as he had been with Aqua and Terra. Once, Eraqus had decided to take Aqua somewhere special for a training lesson. It was to help her master a spell she was having trouble with. But the importance being that he and Aqua wouldn't be home for some days. Terra was instructed to take care of Ventus during that time. Ven kept insisting that he be allowed to go look for Aqua and the Master. Terra knew where they had gone, but was told to not allow Ventus to leave the castle for any reason. Even if he claimed it was to practice on the training rings over on the mountain. And so Ventus and Terra would get into it. Ventus would batter Terra to try and get him to say where they had gone. But Terra didn't need to do more than hold Ventus by the arm to make him stop.
And when Ventus started to cooperate, it was in bitterness and clear lack of anything else to do. There were training sessions when it was obvious he wasn't trying. Terra had scolded Ventus for not wanting to obey the Master. If he didn't listen, he'd never be strong enough to go to other worlds, to see more places. Because he wouldn't be able to defend himself if something bad happened. Because he wasn't even trying anymore. Ventus has started crying once he heard those words. Terra immediately tried to comfort him by ruffling his spiked hair. The two talked it over after that. Ventus promised he'd respect the Master's wishes. Terra said he'd ask the Master about bringing Ven out. The Master denied the request, but Terra never did stop asking. He never stopped caring for what Ventus wanted.
"You awake, Ven?" Aqua whispered. Ven turned his head up to face her.
"Yeah, sorry." He pulled away from her and her arm fell off his shoulder. He sat upright and leaned against the wall of the ship. He slumped down a bit, eyes closed. He looked distracted.
"Something wrong?" She asked. Ven sighed and looked down at his hands in his lap.
"I can't stop thinking about Terra." He admitted. "I'm not really sure what happened to him... just that Xehanort might be using him for something. I feel... awful about it."
Aqua leaned forward and her eyes narrowed. "Ven, it's not your fault. We were all being played by Xehanort." She reached over and grabbed his hand. "We'll get him back. We'll win this fight, save Terra and bring him home."
He didn't show any signs that she'd heard him. So she gripped his hand harder and shook his arm. "Hey, look at me." He did so. "We're gonna save him."
Ventus hesitated to do so, but he smiled at her and hugged her hand with his own. "Yeah. We will."
The rest of the ride was uneventful. Little happened more than Sora taking a sharper turn than he'd meant to. He would apologize to everyone around him for it, which often brought up a resounding, "No worries," or "It's okay." But he didn't apologize for flooring it. Momentum pressed everyone against their seats, Aqua and Ventus against the floor.
"Guys, we made it!" He shouted instead. The ship continued its fast descent to the tower. And it hovered over the grassy summit. One by one, the five left the ship and stepped onto the hill. Aqua was thankful to be on something that didn't rock or shake every few seconds. She wobbled for a moment before finding her balance and following behind Sora to the door.
Ventus stared up at the skies. The blaze of lights and patterns that made up the sky amazed him. In such a way he hadn't felt since he last saw a meteor shower. "Wow..." He muttered, gaping at the stars. His eyes reflected everyone single one with amusement.
The four left him behind when he'd stopped to stare. "Hey, Ven!" Sora called. He could tell Ventus was enjoying the sights, but knew it was best if they finally met with Yen Sid. Ven spun around and stared at Sora, confused. Then flinched and started running towards the door that Sora held open. They moved up the confusing sets of stairs until they found the hard wooden door the Yen Sid's study. Sora banged on it twice before pulling the door open.
Kairi and Riku looked up from their conversation to find their friend at the head of a party. Sora strode into the room with pride, bringing four friends with him. Riku looked over the group and recognized everyone, including Roxas.
Wait, Roxas? Riku stared at the blond and his attire. Those weren't the same clothes he was wearing before. Similar, yes, but Roxas didn't used to have a piece of armor strapped to his shoulder, or a tied-on emblem over his chest.
"Ven!" Mickey jumped from his place near Yen Sid's side and ran up to the blond. "You're awake!"
'Ven' let a grin lose on his face and said, "Yeah. Took me long enough."
Riku wanted to ask questions. That wasn't Ventus, was it? He and Roxas don't actually look identical, do they? Well, maybe that is possible. If Ventus was in Sora's heart this whole time, that might have affected Roxas somehow. He didn't want to ask the question now and make it seem rude.
Kairi knew immediately that it was Ventus. She'd met Roxas once before, when he and Naminé had resigned to fading away. And Axel said that he and Ventus were identical. So she knew what he looked like. She looked at up at Axel. He kept his gaze on Ventus. She felt like reminding him that it wasn't Roxas, but that would've been painfully awkward to say out loud. She hoped he'd realize it.
Yen Sid cleared his throat at his table. Everyone turned their gaze to him. There was something about finally having the long lost and the young and new standing as allies. Brought together by one person. Standing united in one purpose. Everyone there could agree that it was because of Sora that they had all come together. He had never given up on anyone who stood by his side. He fought endlessly to bring his friends home, and will continue to fight to bring the rest home.
His thoughts were still on Roxas and Terra and Naminé. And he wished to himself that he could've brought them here. To stand amongst everyone under one banner. To fight alongside each other with one goal. But if saving them meant continuing the fight without them, Sora vowed to himself that he would fight. He could feel Roxas' want to fight and he thought to himself, I'll do it for both of us. That burning passion in his heart wasn't just his own. It belonged to Roxas, too. And this third heart he held inside, perhaps they felt the same. Because now, surrounded by his friends, ones from both his youth and his most recent journeys. He felt empowered. He felt strong. They would be his power. And he would be their's.