Lonely Hearts Can Find a Family
"All aboard!" the conductor yelled, announcing to any remaining passengers at the station who wished to travel on the last train of the night.
Twilight, Spike, Xion, Terra, and Ventus made it in time for the girls of the Young Six to board and head home for the two week break. Sandbar tagged along to see them off, though the fun, expected holiday plans they had seemed soured with Gallus's backstory. The girls got on board just as the whistle blew, getting themselves seated as they waved to Sandbar and their teachers. The wielders and baby dragon watched the train disappear down the snowy tracks before making their way back into town. Sandbar soon split up to head to his house, wishing his mentors a happy Hearth's Warming.
Twilight furrowed her brow, still feeling uneasy about Aqua's cold demeanor. Even though she knew Gallus was the one responsible for the goo powder mess, she thought the Keyblade master was falling back to her distrustful and spiteful ways after returning from the many years isolated in the Realm of Darkness.
"Terra, why didn't you stop Aqua?" Twilight questioned. "We all know Gallus should be punished and clean up the lounge, but Aqua sounded like she was going to punish him more severely than we intended. He lied and wanted to keep his friends around to clean up with him, but he came clean and told us all the truth. It's the holidays. He deserves to be cut a bit of a break."
Terra stopped, nearly startling the alicorn as she almost bumped into him. "...I wanted to, but the look in her eyes when I did..." Twilight stared at the stallion when he paused. He glanced at Ventus, then turned to face the alicorn. "She isn't going to punish him anymore than just the cleaning. She knows he's learned his lesson and admitted the truth."
"So then why was she so deadly serious and stopped the others from trying to plead in his defense?" Twilight questioned.
"Twilight, we couldn't keep the others here when they weren't involved with Gallus's mess," Xion said. "And it's like Aqua said; if anyone else knew a student from another kingdom sprinkled that goo powder on the Fire of Friendship, that's an enormous insult to Equestria's history, and we'll be saying goodbye to what ties we managed to gain from that kingdom forever."
"She really did have a point, Twilight," Spike agreed. "If there was another old fashioned pony like Chancellor Neighsay who takes Equestria's culture seriously, they'll end up causing a riot and want to get rid of the kingdom responsible forever. Not exactly the calmest or friendliest way to handle a 'small prank'."
"And that's what my school has been trying to promote since the idea came up: to teach other species about friendship and spread the magic that it brings," Twilight explained. "I'm still upset at the chancellor for misconstruing my educational intentions and tried to force Princess Celestia into warring against the yaks, griffons, dragons, hippogriffs, and changelings over them accidentally knocking down one of the school's towers. Nopony got hurt, and they wouldn't have ditched classes had I not been so worried about doing everything by the EEA guidelines. And at the time, we just reunited ties with the hippogriffs and the changelings were finally getting pardoned as enemies without Chrysalis in charge." Twilight huffed, rubbing her temple, reminded of the political headache she had to endure with vouching for the changeling kingdom, and reminding herself how she nearly ruined their chance of getting the hippogriffs to stand up to the Storm King when he invaded. "I know Aqua is supposed to be my teacher, too, but she needs to step down and stop making every single decision for all of us. We have to argue with her to stop and trust us with a full agreement and not fly off the rails."
"And I have been keeping her grounded as much as I can," Terra said. "Believe me, Twilight. Aqua IS fine, and she's not going to push Gallus too far while he's staying here for 'extra lessons'."
"How can you be so certain just from looking in her eyes?" Twilight questioned.
Terra went quiet, staring intensely at Twilight for a good while before he looked over at Ventus. He had been quiet since they all heard Gallus's confession. He looked up at his friend, his older brother role model, then looked at the confused alicorn.
"Twilight...you remembered how miserable Aqua was when you all first met her, don't you?" Ventus asked.
"I sure do," Spike chimed in. "Dropping the temperature to freezing cold magic surges when she gets angry, and blamed herself for what happened to you two, your master, The Land of Departure, everything that happened before I was even born."
"Right." Terra stepped closer to Ventus, wrapping his foreleg around the pegasus's shoulders. "She lost everything: her home, her family, and, after she told me about her darkness nearly taking hold of her...her will to keep fighting." He gave Ventus's shoulders a light squeeze, feeling him press closer as his wing draped around the earth pony stallion's back to return the hug. "We're just like Gallus; all three of us were orphans, but thanks to Master Eraqus, we became a family."
Twilight's eyes widened in shock, not knowing much about Aqua, Terra, or Ventus's past aside from their rough battle against the Unversed and Xehanort. "You and Aqua were orphans, too? I mean, I figured with Ven and his amnesia after his forced tutelage with Xehanort, he doesn't know his real family."
"Master Eraqus technically did adopt us, but with me, he saw the potential in me to be his apprentice," Terra said. "He offered me a chance to learn more about the world, and I gladly took it and became his apprentice. From where I grew up, I did have a couple friends where I stayed at as a kid, but it's been so long since I've been there because of training and Xehanort, I doubt they would even recognize me." He turned his head, glancing off toward the direction of the castle with a sigh. "...Aqua, however...He told me how he found her and brought her to The Land of Departure about a year after I first met her...
"She doesn't have a home world to go back to..."
Gallus wrung out his rag in the bucket, his claws sore and shriveled from the soap water tainted with purple goo. His work didn't take much longer with his friends being forced to clean the lounge room as well, though he was left with the tougher job of cleaning the tree, ornaments, and presents of slime without ruining the decorations too much. He still felt bad for forcing the others to clean up his mess over a selfish act, even though he was prepared for any strenuous labor for his punishment. Dropping his rag in the bucket, Gallus looked around the room, now spotless and clean of any of the joke slime he unintentionally spread.
"Jeeze. I'm not gonna feel my talons for a week," Gallus mumbled to himself. He turned around, finding Aqua standing where she had been for the last hour as she watched him clean up his mess, still wearing a stone-cold, stoic frown and gaze. "I'm done."
Aqua looked around the room and checked on everything to be sure everything was completely spotless. "...Alright," she said with a small nod, then turned and began making her way out of the room. "Follow me."
Seeing how he wasn't done being punished by the stern command, Gallus followed his master, taking the cleaning supplies with him to put away in the nearby janitor's closet. The two exited the school, stepping through the snow as they headed toward the crystal castle. Without slowing down, they made their way inside, walked through the halls with no time to warm up from the cold outside, and entered the library. Gallus thought he was going to be writing a sentence about lying and how wrong it was one thousand times, but Aqua continued onward, heading straight for the portal leading to The Land of Departure.
Passing through and entering the courtyard entrance, The Land of Departure was also covered with snow with a light snowfall sprinkling the vast mountain region. It was slightly less chilly here than in Equestria, though it was still cold enough to see their breaths as they exhaled. Gallus thought Aqua wanted to force him to study some historical wielders recorded in the past and the value of being a team player, but instead of heading toward the building, she began walking down the path leading to the mountain summit.
"Uhh, Master Aqua? Where are we going?" Gallus asked.
"This way," Aqua said.
Gallus grumbled slightly, a stupid question to ask when she was taking him somewhere for some one-on-one lesson for his actions. He continued following her, their respective limbs crunching the snow beneath them as they climbed higher up the trail. They passed the training ground and made their way up to the peak. Aqua approached the bench overlooking the area, brushing off the snow on the seat before she sat down. Confused, Gallus stared at his master, ignoring his presence and looked out on the horizon. Even though snow fell around the mountain region, there were some patches of clouds scattered about to reveal part of the night sky and the bright stars twinkling in the dark sky.
Having no clue what she wanted him to do, Gallus hesitated a moment before approaching the bench and sat on the other end. His eyes drifted from the mountain range in the distance, the random snowflakes falling in front of them, his claws, the ground, beginning to grow agitated from the silence. Glancing at Aqua, she continued staring out toward the horizon, still as stoic and pretending that Gallus wasn't even sitting on the other side of the bench.
"...So, why are we here?" he questioned, but got no response. "Is this supposed to be some sort of reflective thinking, only outside in the cold and not inside where it's warmer?" Aqua continued to remain silent, frustrating Gallus. He huffed bitterly, sulking in his seat, feeling like he had been punished enough. "I get it. I messed up. But I swear I didn't mean to cause trouble that would get Equestria to wage a war against the other kingdoms again. I just wanted to stay a little longer before-"
"Gallus." The griffon paused, looking back at Aqua, though her tone sounded much more somber than disappointed. "I told you we heard everything." When she turned her head to look at him, Gallus was a bit stunned that he saw she was looking at him with sympathy. "And I do mean everything..."
It took him a moment to understand what she meant. He didn't know how long Aqua and the others were listening in on what had transpired when his friends began to fight with each other, but they definitely heard enough. Gallus frowned, fidgeting slightly.
"...Well, then why are we out here?" Gallus mumbled.
"Why didn't you tell us about your situation back in Griffonstone?" Aqua asked. "I know your kingdom used to be prosperous, but when you told everyone you were abandoned and forced to live with a terrible guardian...Especially in the state it's in. No one should ever have to live or grow up in such a negative environment like that."
"It's no one else's business to know anything about me," Gallus said. "The less I talk about my 'home', the better I'd feel being far away from it. I didn't want the others to feel sorry for me. I'd rather not be a burden because I grew up-"
"You are NOT a burden!" Aqua exclaimed, startling Gallus. Trying her hardest to compose herself, Aqua took in a deep breath and looked forward. "...You don't always need to act tough to save face. From the way you spoke about Grandpa Gruff mistreating you, your birth parents abandoning you the moment you were born...Deep down, Gallus, I know you're hurting. That you want to have a real family like your friends have...and you believe you can never find one."
Gallus grimaced slightly. Leaning himself against the backrest, he stared blankly at the mountain range. Aqua barely knew much about him aside from his troublesome background, his homeland, and his struggles as a wielder, but she could read him like an open book despite how little he tried to show his true feelings. She felt sorry for him, which bothered him in some way as he had forced himself to be independent at a young age, but he didn't know why she cared about him much more than before.
"...I lost any sense of caring," Gallus admitted. "I was always on my own...None of it mattered. Until I...met you. And my friends..." Holding up a claw, he stared at his palm, slowly clenching it into a fist. "I never realized how lonely I truly felt before my first adventure in another world...I only thought of helping myself, and those selfish thoughts kept me from learning how to master Cure..." Sighing, Gallus lowered his claw and hung his head. "...Even when I figured it out, I still can't stop being so selfish...I don't know if I'll ever truly change, no matter how many times I try to make up for the wrongs I've made."
"That's not true; you admitted you've made those mistakes and realized you needed to fix them." Gallus looked back at Aqua, who managed to scoot herself closer to him when he wasn't paying attention to her. She gently placed her hand upon his head, gently rubbing it with sorrow-filled eyes. "I really do feel sorry for you." Gallus averted his gaze, but as her hand suddenly left his head, both her arms wrapped around him and pulled him closer to her. Startled, he didn't expect Aqua to hug him, gently cradling his head against her chest like a protective mother. "...I know how you feel...I was an orphan who longed to have a family to be with, too."
Gallus's eyes widened in shock, glancing up at Aqua before he leaned away from her. "You...You were?" he asked.
"Yes. So was Terra and Ven. Especially Ven," Aqua said. As the surprising information about three of his masters sank into the griffon's thoughts, Aqua dug her hand into her pocket, pulling out her memory ornament. "I want to show you something. A part of my past that led me to this world, to join my master and be his apprentice. I've never even told Terra about my life...or the world I had grown up in. You might not like your home in Griffonstone, or even the one who was forced to raise you, but, where you do have a home you could go back to...I can never go back to mine."
"...Why?" Gallus asked, partially curious, though worried about what exactly happened to Aqua when she was a child.
Aqua closed her hand around the ornament, and with the other, Gallus saw sparkles appear as she seemed to be casting a spell without her Keyblade. "You'll see," she answered, opening her hand as the ornament began to glow, and a magical screen appeared in front of the griffon as the memory before him zoomed in on a small city.
The city streets were busy with people going about their daily lives. Some businesses lined up door to door as customers filed in and out, running some errands or browsing whatever wares they may have. An outdoor market was bustling with activity on such a clear day as customers examined the freshly grown produce on display, or smaller stands selling candy or ice cream to families. Several dozen yards away from the busy market, there was a slightly rundown building, though still livable as it housed several orphaned children. The children were playing inside of the fenced in perimeter, running around playing tag or making due with some of the different toys that were available.
Sitting alone on the small flight of steps leading up to the doorway was a young Aqua. She wore some worn out clothes that were donated to the orphanage for the kids to wear: a dark blue T-shirt with a faded image of what looked like a small black cat with a gold crown and red cape, a pair of beige pants, and a pair of dirty white sneakers with socks that had a hole or two in them. She watched the other orphans play, slightly bored, but she was more anxious than ever as today was adoption day. She had been raised in this orphanage, left by her parents when the caretaker told her what happened when she was old enough to understand. Aqua was upset, but she understood if her biological mother and father couldn't take care of her. Her hopes of finding a new family, however, dwindled as the many families over the years since she could remember that were qualified didn't pick her.
The door opened as the caretaker stepped out, avoiding Aqua knowing she always sat on the stairs on this day. The older woman kneeled down and gave the nervous young girl a pat on the head.
"Today might be the day, Aqua," she said, staying optimistic for her. "There's going to be two or three couples coming pretty soon. Ready to see them?"
"I...I don't know, Miss Lara," Aqua mumbled. "What if I don't get picked?"
"Oh, I'm positive you'll be going to a new home today," Lara promised, giving the worried orphan a warm hug. "Let's gather everyone else back inside for a little snack and get you all ready."
Aqua nodded and stood up, helping Lara bring the other kids inside. She was the oldest out of all the orphaned kids, always seen as the big sister of the bunch and helped the woman running the orphanage once she was old enough to take responsibility. It was also much harder for her to be chosen by any families that come by when most of them would pick the youngest, especially for couples who have had trouble starting a family of their own. Aqua was hoping today would be the day, but she didn't get them too high to be utterly let down again. Even if she wasn't picked, she still had time to watch over the younger kids, or even new orphaned children and help them settle into their temporary home until they find their new permanent home.
As the kids snacked on a sandwich, some graham crackers, and a glass of milk, the couples arrived as Lara gave them the proper paperwork and information on the children in her care. After the question and answer portion to be sure the parents were suited for taking care of their new addition to their family, she guided them to where the kids were eating to see them and get to know them personally. When they came over to meet Aqua, she was incredibly nervous when she talked to them, fidgeting shyly and brushing her bangs aside.
When it came time for who they would pick, however, Aqua was a bit let down. Neither of them chose her. She had expected it, but it still broke her heart as her chances were getting slimmer and slimmer. While the kids went back outside to play some more, Aqua stayed inside, huddling against the backrest of her bed as she stared at her knees. The caretaker frowned, wishing she didn't raise her hopes up whenever adoption day came around. She walked over to Aqua's bed, kneeled beside it and gently rubbed the girl's head.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Lara apologized. "I thought for sure one of them would have been the one...Next time, for sure, we'll find you a home." Aqua sighed, giving a small nod, believing she would find herself a family one day. Lara reached her other hand in her pocket and pulled out some Munny. "You all behaved yourselves for the couples today. So, how about you go down to the market and get some candy for yourself and the others? There's a little extra so you can get something special for yourself. Just don't tell the others."
She gave Aqua a wink and a small smile. Tempted by sating her sweet tooth to make her feel a little better, Aqua smiled a little bit and nodded. The caretaker gave her the Munny, then left to watch the kids while Aqua followed and snuck around to the front entrance so the other orphans didn't see her going off to get them some candy. Thankfully, the market wasn't too far, but Lara was able to trust Aqua to handle herself since she helped her out so much since she'd practically grown up at the orphanage.
Aqua looked around the different stalls, being mindful of the other shoppers and not get in their way. She browsed some of the other racks of wares as she walked, not paying attention to where she was walking as she accidentally bumped into someone.
"S-Sorry, mister," Aqua apologized, barely giving the man she accidentally walked into a glance as she continued onward.
The man watched her as she continued looking around the market, bringing a hand to his chin, grazing the triangular soul patch with his thumb as he hummed curiously. "Such a bright light within her," he mumbled to himself.
Aqua finally arrived at the stall selling all sorts of candies, where some other kids were around looking to see which kind they wanted. Looking at the Munny she was given, she hummed as she browsed at the delectable, sugary delights. As much as she wanted to give each of the kids their favorite of favorite candy, even for herself, she didn't want to buy more than she could afford. She found some cheap chocolate candies that she knew they would love regardless, grabbing a couple handfuls that were enough for what Munny was left over to give back to the caretaker.
She approached the candy salesman and was rung up her purchase, all the chocolate she bought nestled safely in a bag for her to carry. Aqua thanked the man and began to head back to the orphanage, unaware that she was being watched by a trio of boys who had impish grins on their faces. The leader of the boys had a baseball cap worn backwards on his head, shaggy black hair sticking out from underneath his cap, a black shirt with the image of a green, reptilian creature with a brown robe, a lantern with a dark purple flame in one hand and a butcher knife in the other, green cargo pants, and a pair of black and red sneakers. Signaling to his friends, the trio closed in on Aqua and began surrounding her, startling her as they suddenly approached her.
"Where you going with that candy, blue hair?" one of the bullies questioned.
"And where'd you get the Munny to buy it all?" the other asked. "Did ya steal it like a grubby thief?"
"N-No," Aqua stammered, clutching the bag tightly. "I-It's my Munny."
"Liar," the leader said. "How could a poor, homeless rat like you even come across any Munny unless you picked some rich guy's pockets?" The trio laughed at Aqua, irritating her as they made fun of her. "Maybe if you just give us all that candy you 'bought', we'll leave ya alone."
"Leave me alone, Barry," Aqua mumbled, unable to walk around him as the other two boys kept her from leaving.
"And what are you gonna do about it? Cry to your mommy!?" Barry mocked. Aqua's lower lip quivered, striking a very sensitive nerve, but she didn't back down. "Either you give me that candy, or we'll do this the hard way."
"N-No! It's mine!" Aqua exclaimed.
"...Fine. Hard way it is." Barry suddenly pushed Aqua hard, making her yelp as she fell to the ground, dropping her bag and the remaining Munny she stashed in her pocket. The three boys laughed as they ran past her, snatching up the bag and Munny. "Our candy now, mudball!"
Aqua grunted angrily, quickly getting back up and chasing after Barry and his goons. What made it worse was that they did this in broad daylight, in front of a lot of people, and no one bothered to stop the boys or call them out for stealing from her. As the four kids ran, the man Aqua bumped into watched the scene with a disappointed scowl on his lips.
The chase led them out of the market and down through a neighborhood of small apartment buildings. "Stop! Give it back!" Aqua shouted, getting more frustrated as they continued to laugh and mock her.
The three boys slipped into an alleyway, and Aqua followed them down toward it, not willing to lose them and disappoint the other orphans. She saw Barry partway down the alley, looking smug while tossing the bag of candy up and down, goading her, but there was no sign of the other two boys. Just as she was passing a set of trash cans against the walls, a rope suddenly went snag a few inches off the ground, tripping Aqua. She let out a startled yelp and hit the ground, splashing into a small puddle of water. From their hiding spots, the other two boys dropped the rope they held taut to trip her and laughed as they went back to Barry, kicking water at her to soak her further.
Their mocking fell on deaf ears as Aqua slowly pushed herself up on her knees. Tears began to well in her eyes, her clothes soaked from the puddle they made her fall into. She was angry, but felt so humiliated as the three bullies always sought her out of all the kids in the city to pick on because she was an orphan. She wanted to break down and cry as she would never be able to have any hope of happiness.
"Look! She's gonna cry!" Barry pointed out, which only made the boys laugh harder as they found it funny to pick on someone as unfortunate as Aqua.
From the other end of the alleyway, a pair of footsteps were drowned out by the bullies' uproarious laughing. "Do you boys think it's funny to pick on a little girl?" Startled, the boys turned around to see who approached them. Aqua looked up, spotting an older man wearing a white haori, paleish-tan hakama, and a navy blue shirt, though the oddly armored section around his abdomen and the armored boots he wore that clashed with the style of outfit he wore, colored a dull blue-green and gold and black respectively. His black hair was tied back in a short, high topknot, a long bang falling over the right side of his face, and he bore a mustache along with the triangular soul patch on his chin. Crossing his arms, the man leered at the boys. "Why do you find it entertaining to steal something from someone and pester them until they're miserable?"
Barry wasn't dissuaded by this random man's appearance, nor by his scolding and disappointed frown. "It was my candy! I bought it fair and square, and this worthless little thief tried to take it from us!"
His friends nodded and backed him up, but the man was having none of it. "I watched the whole exchange in that crowd, and I'm more disappointed that everyone decided to ignore her when the real thieves ganged up on her and snatched her belongings out in the open."
"Heh! Then get your eyes checked, grandpa!" Barry taunted. "I bought this bag of candy with MY money, and she tried to-!" Before Barry or his friends could blink, the man had swiftly dashed passed them, standing behind the trio and before Aqua. Barry was stunned, then realized his hand felt lighter, only to glance at his hand to find Aqua's bag of chocolates had vanished in his grasp. "H-Huh!?"
Aqua was just as startled, staring at the man as she saw him move with incredible speed. In his hand was her candy bag, giving her a sympathetic smile, then looked back at the shocked bullies.
"I may be much older than you boys, but I am far from being senile," he said.
"H-How did he move that fast?" one of the two other boys uttered, starting to get a little scared after seeing the man was more than he seemed.
Barry, however, was not deterred as he growled. "Hey! That's MY candy!" he exclaimed.
"No, it isn't," the man stated. He looked back at Aqua and kneeled down, giving her a friendly, reassuring smile. "Are you alright?" Speechless, Aqua didn't know how to respond, but nodded her head slightly if she thought he meant if she was physically injured. He held his hand out to her, which she took as he helped her back on her feet. While keeping a hold of her hand, he gave her back her honestly bought bag of chocolate. "I believe this is rightfully yours."
Behind the man, Barry growled angrily, aggravated that he had his stolen goods stolen from him, but he was also surprisingly one-upped by an older man with a strange outfit. "You're gonna regret messing with me, old man!" he exclaimed. Being ignored by Aqua and the helpful man, Barry scowled at the man, reaching into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade in his right hand. Flicking the blade out, surprising his friends when they saw the deadly weapon he had hidden, he slowly crept up behind the man. "First you, then the worthless orphan."
Over the man's shoulder, Aqua noticed Barry creeping up behind him, gasping in shock when she saw the sharp switchblade hovering over the person who helped her. Noting her reaction, the man shifted his eyes to the side, then he swiftly spun around the bully intending to kill him. Quickly snatching his arm, Barry gasped and let out a grunt as his arm was stretched back by the man, his other hand grasping Barry's left shoulder to hold him in place.
"You're starting to test me, young man," the man sternly said. "Why would a boy your age be carrying around something like this, and with the intent on murdering someone to take something that you wrongfully stole from?"
"My grandpa gave it to me, and I don't care what you say!" Barry argued. "You took my stuff!"
"And your parents allowed you to keep it and use it irresponsibly for your own selfish desires?" He glanced back at the murderous boy's companions, who backed away nervously before running away, not wanting to get into anymore trouble than they already got in. Looking back at Barry, ignoring the startled look on Aqua's face, he grunted and shook his head. "Your heart is tainted with these entitled and spoiled actions. If you don't change your ways, that darkness will consume you, and you may never return to the light."
"W-What the heck are you even talking about!? If you don't stop lecturing me and let go of my arm, I'm gonna tell my dad on you!" Barry warned, wearing a smug grin despite being outmatched by an older, taller, and very skilled man. "He runs this town, and you're gonna be sorry you messed with me!"
"Ah. So, you can get away with such vulgar acts without suffering the consequences around here, eh?" the man asked, his tone confusing the boy. "Well, I suppose if I snap off your arm to get you to drop that knife, I could get away with that as well? Your father runs a very poor town if anyone could get away with murder, including his own son."
"...Y-You wouldn't really-?" The man suddenly pulled Barry's forearm back, causing an incredible amount of pain, but not enough to actually break his arm. Barry screamed, immediately dropping his switchblade. Seeing him comply, the man turned Barry around and shoved him forward, releasing him as he snatched up the supposed tool that would have been used as a murder weapon. Barry held his arm, disgruntled by his friends abandoning him as he glared back at him and Aqua. "Don't think I'm gonna forget this!"
He then ran off to find his friends and smack them upside the head for running away like cowards. The man shook his head, hoping that boy and his friends don't try a crazy stunt like that again. Focusing back on Aqua, he stashed the switchblade in his pocket to toss away somewhere Barry won't snoop around to find it. He kneeled back down before her, his lips curled back to that friendly smile despite what had just happened.
"...I-I thought he was gonna..." Aqua mumbled.
"I've dealt with far worse than a bratty little boy who thinks he owns the world," the man said with a lighthearted chuckle. "Do you have a name, dear?" Aqua looked away shyly, unsure if she did want to give her name to some stranger who helped her. Seeing her anxious glances, he figured he'd introduce himself to help her open up a little. "My name is Eraqus. I'm a highly skilled warrior who helps protect others."
"...I-I'm...Aqua," Aqua uttered.
"Aqua...What a beautiful name for a young girl." Flustered, Aqua clutched her candy bag tightly. Eraqus laughed at her shyness, gently brushing aside her bangs as he ignored the muddy water she fell into that made her look like a soggy mess. "Do not let those who are like those three miscreants bring you down. You are far better than what they are." He then gently prodded a finger to her chest, pointing straight toward her heart and made Aqua look down. "And it stems from here."
As he removed his hand, Aqua brought a hand over her heart, curious and confused. "My...heart?" she asked.
Eraqus nodded. "Yes. It's much stronger than their own selfish hearts." He stood up, giving Aqua a light rub atop her head, then began making his way out of the alley. "Be careful getting back home, Aqua."
Eraqus gave her a small wave before he left the alleyway and headed right. Aqua waved back sheepishly, silently thanking the kind man. She looked down at her bag, opening it up to see if Barry or his friends managed to sneak a piece or two out. Aside from her candy that was accounted for, she was shocked to see a big block of Munny hidden inside, much more than the change she got from the candy kiosk. She didn't even see him snatch the Munny Barry and his goons snatched from her, but she thought he must have accidentally left more than she lost.
"H-Hey, mister Eraqus!" Aqua called out as she hurried after him. "You gave back too much-!" As she rounded the corner, she was shocked to find no sign of him walking down the street. She looked around, thinking she mistook which direction he walked down, but he wasn't in sight. "...Where did he...?"
Humming nervously, Aqua looked back down at the huge Munny block. It was more than the woman running the orphanage gave her for the candy, and she didn't know if she would believe what happened to her. Sighing, she kept the Munny block hidden in the bag, then made her way back to the orphanage.
As it grew later in the evening, dinner had been served and the children were fed, and Aqua shared the chocolate with everyone. She kept the Munny block hidden, keeping it for safekeeping for an emergency or to help keep the orphanage running. The woman did ask what happened to Aqua's clothes, and she lied saying she tripped and fell into a mud puddle. Lara knew about Barry and his friends harrassing her and upsetting her anytime she trusted Aqua to run a small, quick errand for her, and Aqua didn't want her to worry about her more than she has today.
The sun had already gone down and it was getting close to bedtime. The kids were all in their pajamas, including Aqua after getting herself washed up from her unfortunate "fall". She now wore a pair of ice-blue sweatpants and a white shirt with an image of a bright green canid-like creature, shimmering sparkles around it dulled out from wear as another donated piece of clothing for the orphans, and it bore a red diamond-shaped ruby on its forehead. She had a new pair of socks on, and a pair of slippers sitting beside her bed. All the kids gathered around Lara for story time, a boring story Aqua's heard numerous times since she was a toddler.
Aqua had long since tuned out from the story, mostly distracted by Eraqus and what he said about her that made her feel special. Her hand subconsciously rested over her heart, wondering just what his words meant. She felt like they had some other kind of meaning, but she didn't know what they were. Part of her thought she imagined meeting him and she managed to best Barry herself, but she wasn't much of a fighter.
Suddenly, everyone heard the sound of thunder rolling outside, startling the younger kids as they huddled around Lara. "What was that?" one of the kids asked.
"Was that thunder?" Lara asked. Setting the book down, she stood up and approached the nearest window. Aqua and the other kids gathered closer as Lara pulled the curtains back. Outside, there were dark storm clouds, though they seemed much darker than any average storm cloud. "What is going on with the weather? The forecast didn't call for storms this evening."
"I-Is a lightning bolt gonna h-hit us?" another young kid asked.
Lara grinned at the innocent question, closing the curtains to shield the children from the scary weather conditions. "No, no, we're perfectly safe and sound inside. Sounds like the angels scheduled a bowling night at the worst possible time."
Aqua shook her head with a grin of her own, but the playful thought did settle the other kids' fears. When she headed back to her bed, she glanced out the window, slowly feeling an ominous dread from the dangerous-looking weather. She tried to brush that fear aside, pretending with the other orphans that it was just the sound of bowling pins getting knocked over by angels up in the heavens.
They were all soon in bed and asleep, Lara quietly stepping out to prepare for tomorrow and try to get some rest herself. The storm outside sounded like it was getting worse and the lighting from the veiled windows left an ominous purple darkness within the massive room of beds. Aqua had tossed and turned, trying her hardest to ignore the crashing booms of lightning strikes scattered all over the town, but she wasn't able to sleep. Frustrated, she grumbled quietly, putting on her slippers and snuck out to the bathroom to get a drink of water. As she walked past the beds, she didn't notice some of the shadows underneath the beds begin shifting around.
Aqua turned on the faucet, cupping her hands to gather some water and took a small sip. "It's just a bad storm," she told herself. "It'll go away...It's just a bad storm." As she went for another sip, she jumped when she heard screams coming from the other orphans. Ignoring the faucet, she ran back into the room to try to console them, starting to panic when she heard heavy thuds from what sounded like beds being tossed or flipped over, something that seemed impossible for even a group of children younger than her to manage. When she ran inside the room, she froze in terror: the beds had been tossed aside, but the worst part was the lack of screams the moment she arrived. "...H-Hello? G-Guys?"
No response of any sort, not even a scared whimper. She heard Lara run up behind her after hearing the children screaming, looking just as startled at the state of the room and the eerie silence that followed.
"What happened in here?" Lara uttered.
"I-I don't know," Aqua said. "I-I went to get a drink of water, then I heard them screaming and..."
From behind one of the beds, they saw the faint silhouette of a hand behind on overturned bed. Lara quickly rushed over to help the orphan, but as she reached her hand out to grab it, the arm slashed at her with sharp claws. The woman yelled in pain and backed away in shock, looking down at the trio of claw marks that scratched her forearm, drawing a little bit of blood. Looking back at the hand, it slowly pulled itself around from behind the bed, and what it belonged to startled Lara and Aqua. A black, hunched over creature stood out in the faintly dim room, with yellow, soulless eyes that glowed eerily in the darkness. Antennae on its head flicked and wobbled atop its head as it looked at Lara, who slowly backed away in fright.
"W-What is this thing???" she uttered, trembling as she looked around the room, fearing this monster killed the other children.
Suddenly rising from the floor, more monsters began to appear from the shadows and surround Lara. Aqua gasped and backed away, a bolt of lightning in the distance lighting the room for a brief second to reveal their hunched forms.
"M-Miss Lara!" she cried out, getting some of them to turn their attention on her.
Though the woman was scared, she tried to kick one of the Shadows away, but her foot barely made it flinch. The ones still focused on Lara lunged at her, scratching and clawing at her as she backed away.
"Aqua, run! Get help!" Lara cried out as she grabbed a lamp that was on one of the small nightstands, using it as a makeshift weapon to keep them away from her.
"B-B-But what about-!?" Aqua shrieked when one of them went to attack her, quickly backing away before its claws could dig into her.
"GO NOW!" Lara shouted, throwing the lamp at the monsters targeting Aqua.
It struck its head, which quickly turned and sunk into the ground, crawling across the floor as a moving shadow before it jumped up from the ground and attacked her. Aqua heard Lara scream as the Shadows began to pile on top of her, having no choice but to run away and find someone who can help. She quickly ran for the front door, tears already beginning to run down her face as all the children, and now Lara as she didn't hear her screams anymore, were killed by these unknown monsters.
Unlocking the front door, she ran out the door and headed into town, ignoring the terrible thunderstorm raging in the sky above. She didn't know where to go, or who to ask for help. She could see more of the Shadows rising and running amok, even going into other homes as she heard other people exclaim in shock or cry out in pain as they attacked more helpless victims. It was clear that no on would be able to save her, let alone anyone else who tries to defend themselves from them.
Looking back, she screamed as a small group of them were chasing after her. Running as fast as she could, Aqua tried to get away, turning down into a familiar alley where she chased after Barry and his friends earlier today. To her surprise, she saw the bratty bully looking around the trash cans, trying to find his stolen switchblade. She didn't know which was worse, but she'd rather have Barry beat her up for Eraqus saving her from his torment than those monsters.
Looking up from the can he was searching through, his eyes widened, then hardened as he growled at Aqua. "You!" He slammed the lid back down hard on the can, making Aqua wince mostly for fear of getting caught by the Shadows. She tried to quiet him down, but he marched toward her, still mad from earlier as he grabbed her by the shirt and pinned her against the wall. "Where did that old fart hide my knife!?"
"B-Barry, please be quiet!" Aqua begged, only to be slammed back into the wall.
"Don't you tell me what to do!" Barry shouted. "Where is it!? When I find it, I'm going to find where that old man lives and gut him while he's sleeping! He'll think twice before-!"
Desperate, Aqua quickly kneed Barry hard in the stomach. The boy wheezed, loosening his grip on her, but before he could clock her, she tried to cover his mouth and shush him.
"Please stop yelling," she uttered. "There's deadly monsters around."
Furrowing his brow, Barry snatched Aqua's hand away from his mouth and glared at her suspiciously. "Monsters? The heck are you talking about? Is this a made up homeless thing you're afraid of or something?"
"No! Monsters attacked the orphanage, and my caretaker, Miss Lara," she said, trying not to break down crying. "T-T-They...They killed..."
Barry rolled his eyes, not believing Aqua's story. "What are you? Three? Monsters don't exist, you idiot!" Down the alley, Aqua saw a bunch of glowing eyes looking at them, and they started running toward the two. Barry heard her scream and point, glancing to what she was looking at, only for his jaw to drop when he realized she was telling the truth. "W-What the heck are those!?"
"Run!" Aqua ordered, pushing Barry toward the alley to try to escape down the other end of the block.
Barry finally got his legs in gear and ran alongside Aqua. Since there was no time to ask any questions, they sprinted out and ran where they could try to find some sort of safe haven. As they exited the alley and down the street, they could hear screams coming from the houses and apartments they ran past. Aqua thought she saw some sort of glowing light shimmering through the windows before fading out, though it wasn't from a light fixture in the room. As they turned left toward another street, they stumbled when the ground suddenly began to quake, and the storm began to grow worse and worse as time passed.
"What's with the weird weather!? And what are those things!?" Barry questioned.
"I-I don't know!" Aqua said. Just as they were about to continue running, dozens of Shadows appeared in their path. They turned tail and tried to find another route, but even more barred them from escaping, surrounding them. Terrified, Aqua clung onto Barry, who barely flinched when the girl he bullied held onto him, too focused on the Shadows about to kill them. "W-What do we do?"
"Maybe if that old man didn't take my knife, I would probably be able to scare them off if I stabbed one of them!" Barry exclaimed.
The monsters closed in, then leapt up to slash them to pieces. Aqua and Barry screamed in fear, wincing and bracing themselves. Rushing toward them from down the road, Eraqus sprinted toward the two children, leaping over them and the Shadows. With a yell, he swung his arm, a bright flash of light appearing in his hand, summoning Master's Defender. The tip of the Keyblade unleashed a spread of chains made of golden light, swiftly lashing around the Shadows and snared all of them, trapping them inside the bright light. As he landed, he flung the caged Shadows, letting it explode in a bright flash of light that destroyed them all into puffs of dark mist.
Aqua and Barry squinted their eyes, both surprised to see Eraqus come to their rescue, though the latter leered at him as the man held his Keyblade forward in his samurai-like stance. "M-Mister Eraqus?"
"Are you two alright?" he asked while keeping his eye out for anymore Shadows.
"No!" Barry exclaimed. "You stole my knife! I could have protected myself, but you took it away and threw it in the garbage probably!"
"Boy, I did not want you to find it again after you attempted to murder me and young Aqua," Eraqus scolded. "Even if I were to give it back to you, it would do nothing to the Heartless."
"H-Heartless?" Aqua mumbled.
As Shadows rose up from the ground, Eraqus blasted the groups away from Aqua and Barry with magic spells, surprising Aqua while Barry was more dumbstruck. "Damn it. This storm of Heartless can only mean they found the heart of this world," Eraqus muttered to himself. "How have they managed to stay in hiding for so long, and where was the keyhole?"
Aqua and Barry watched Eraqus zip around, slicing through Heartless that tried to sneak around his blind spot and cast a variety of different spells to eradicate them. Aqua had never thought magic was real and only existed in fairy tales, but she was seeing the man shoot out fire, ice, and even lightning from his mysterious sword shaped like a giant key. Barry started to think he really was outmatched by Eraqus, looking around to find a way out of the endless spawn of Shadows. He caught a golden opportunity as a street was clear of any Heartless, and it led right toward his house in the distance.
"I'll be safe at home," Barry muttered to himself. "But what if they come after me?" He glanced at Aqua, who was too busy watching Eraqus and keeping away from the Heartless that were getting closer to them. He smirked, a selfish idea popping into his head. "No one will miss the homeless runt..."
With her back turned, Barry acted. He grabbed Aqua's shoulders, then pushed her toward a couple Shadows. Aqua stumbled and yelled, falling on the ground, alerting Eraqus as he watched Barry suddenly make a run for it down the road.
"No! Get back here! It's not safe!" Eraqus called out, quickly rushing over to save Aqua from the Shadows with a swift slash.
Barry ignored the man, glancing back and laughing in triumph. "So long, suckers! Good luck dealing with-!" While he wasn't looking, a dark void appeared, revealing another Heartless, though more humanoid, slightly taller than Barry, and unlike the Shadows, they had a jagged red mouth in the form of a wicked, sinister smile accompanying their glowing eyes. It had a pair of pale dark purple, tattered wings, a hood with two horns, pants with black and pale dark purple stripes, black boots with red laces, and a pair of gloves bearing sharp red claws. "...them???"
The Heartless loomed over the boy, frozen in place by its menacing face. It let out a low, raspy breath, sending chills down Barry's spine, and it sounded like it was chuckling darkly as it stared at him.
One...of...us...
The Heartless suddenly grabbed Barry's head, keeping him held in place despite his legs failing to do so in utter terror. While Eraqus was dealing with the never-ending waves of Shadows, he glanced at where Barry stood, startled for a brief second at the Heartless that stopped him, but the Shadows continued swarming in bigger numbers, forced to stay and try to at least protect Aqua enough before he could try to save Barry. Aqua gasped at the sight of the new Heartless lifting her bully by his head, unable to look away while Eraqus was getting relentlessly swarmed by the Shadows to keep him from saving the boy.
The Heartless pulled back its free hand, flexing its claws, finally getting a reaction from Barry as he squirmed, failing to get away while hanging a couple inches in the air. The Heartless let out a hiss, and before Barry could even utter a scream, thrust its arm straight into his chest. Aqua's eyes widened, her hands swiftly clasping over her mouth in horror. The monster's hand didn't pierce straight through Barry's chest, right through his heart. The boy let out a weak gasp, struggling to breathe. Pulling its claws out, Aqua watched Barry's heart being pulled out as well, held in the Heartless's hand. Unlike how the heart should look like in science books, it was bright and glowed pink, though it began to get swallowed by a dark aura, snuffing out the glowing light.
The humanoid Heartless loosened its grip on Barry's head, dropping him while clutching the boy's hat. Barry fell backward, his head lolling back in wide-eyed shock, his body quickly shrouded in light, then disappeared before he was able to land on the ground. Eraqus unleashed a shockwave slash, destroying the dozens of Shadows, seeing the fate of the boy as he grimaced, failing to save him. Aqua, however, was mortified. The Heartless stared at the two of them, dropping Barry's hat as it flopped to the ground, then faded through a void, taking its prize with it.
Seeing what the Heartless did to their victims when they killed them, Aqua lost all her senses, imagining the horrible deaths the people in the city, Lara, and even all the orphans had suffered. Their hearts being pulled out of their chests by the Shadows' sharp claws, their bodies gone as they faded into a flash of light, gone forever. She was going to die like all of them. She wasn't even sure if the man trying desperately to snap her back to her senses could save her and himself. Before the shock caused her to pass out, the last thing she saw was the storm destroying the town, Eraqus picking her up, then diving through a portal of light that blinded her with white before her vision faded to black.
Aqua stirred, her mind slowly beginning to wake up. She opened her eyes, trying to remember what happened last night, only to be distracted by where she had woken up in. It clearly wasn't the orphanage; the room was much smaller than the large room of the orphanage she shared with the other kids, the walls colored beige, and there was much more furniture in than beds, from a wardrobe to a small table with a mat to kneel on. Sitting up, she looked around the strange room, unsure where she is, or how she got here.
The door to the room opened as Eraqus stepped inside, carrying a tray with some sandwiches, a glass of juice, and a cup of steaming hot tea. Surprised to see her awake, Eraqus smiled softly as he set the tray down on the small table before approaching the bed.
"You're awake," he said. Kneeling down beside the bed, Eraqus checked the young girl to make sure she was ok, both physically and psychologically. "How are you feeling?"
"...Mister Eraqus?" Aqua uttered. Eraqus was relieved to know she remembered his name, his smile faltering a bit when he waited for the rest of the events to come rushing back to her. "W-Where...Where am I?"
"You are safe," he promised. "You're in my home...Do you...recall what happened last night?"
"Last...night?" The fuzzy memories soon came to light after a moment of thinking. Aqua's gaze turned to horror as she remembered fleeing the orphanage when the Heartless attacked her and her caretaker, the orphanage lacking the other orphans' existence, running into Barry and fleeing along with him, Barry shoving her into danger to escape when Eraqus was trying to protect them both, only to run into a much stronger, scarier Heartless, which killed him by taking his heart and phasing his body out of existence in a bright flash of light. Her body trembled as the adrenaline and fear of that night came back to haunt her. Eraqus gently grasped her hand to console her, the frightened girl slowly turning her head to look him in the eyes. "W-What happened to Barry? M-Miss Lara? Everyone?"
Eraqus frowned, slowly shaking his head as he closed his eyes, opening them to show Aqua the regret in his gaze. "...I'm sorry, sweetie...The darkness took them...They took your whole world," he said. "I was only able to save you, but just barely right as the storm began tearing your world apart."
Hearing she was the only sole survivor of her home - her world, Aqua slightly shook her head as tears began to well in her eyes. The kids she grew up with or saw leave with their new families, the woman who looked after her and the orphans and who she looked up to as a mother-figure, the bully she watched get murdered by an otherworldly monster, who didn't deserve such a gruesome end despite all he's done to make her miserable, and, at worse, her birth parents she may never have a chance of one day finding to at least discover who they were any why they left her for adoption; they were all gone. Her breath hitched in her throat, letting out a sob as her tears began to flow down her cheeks. Eraqus wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to his chest, holding the emotionally distraught young girl as she let out her sorrows. Aqua cried, gripping the man's robe while he rubbed her head softly. He knew she was completely lost and had suffered such a traumatic experience no child should ever go through, remaining silent while he continued to comfort her.
Several long minutes had passed before Aqua was all cried out. Eraqus gently released her, seeing the saddened, almost distant look on her face from the amount of hopelessness she felt. Using his sleeve, he gently wiped Aqua's tear-stained cheeks. He knew she had a lot more questions to ask, but she needed some more time to cope with the trauma last night gave her. Gently taking her hand, he helped Aqua climb out of bed and guided her to the table.
"I'm sure you must be hungry," he said, hoping to distract her mind with some food. Sitting Aqua down in front of the tray, he knelt down on the mat on the other side, reaching over to grab the cup of tea, which had gotten lukewarm while Aqua cried her eyes out. "Please, help yourself."
Aqua looked at the sandwiches, her growling stomach winning her over as she reached for one. She took a small bite, chewing slowly as she glanced up at the man sitting across from her. He sipped at his cup, barely minding the cooled hot beverage as he watched her eat her fill. She barely knew Eraqus, but he's come to her rescue twice in one day. As she took another bite, Aqua wondered what she should say. Thank him for saving her life and feeding her? Who he really is? What that sword was and what the Heartless were? Is she in another world if hers was supposedly "gone"?
"...You gave me more Munny than I had stolen from me," she mumbled.
Eraqus paused as he was about to take another sip, letting out an amused chuckle as he lowered his cup. "Well, after what that boy tried to do, a little extra would have been enough to help you."
Feeling silly for starting their conversation with an odd topic, Aqua blushed and glanced down in embarrassment. "I-It was too much," she said. "...And...I don't think I'm able to give it back to you now...I left it back at the orphanage."
Startled, Eraqus looked at Aqua with a sympathetic frown. "Oh...I did not realize you were an orphan," he uttered. Realizing there were other children nearby where Aqua had stayed with, he felt more guilty for failing the world and the other unfortunate souls lost to the darkness. "...I am so sorry. I wish I could have done more by finding the heart of the world sooner."
As Aqua reached for the glass of juice, she wondered what Eraqus meant. "The...heart of the world?" she asked.
Leaving his tea on the table, Eraqus let out a small sigh. "I know you have several questions, and I will answer them honestly. Are you willing to hear everything, even if it sounds too impossible to be true?" Aqua took a sip of her drink, giving the man a nod. "Very well. When we first spoke, it is true that I am a warrior, though not the kind you would expect. I am a Keyblade wielder-" Eraqus held out his hand, and in a flash of light, he summoned his Keyblade, startling the young girl. "-and this is called a Keyblade."
Aqua remembered the shape of the giant key, even the different magic spells he used to slay the Shadows that could only exist in fairy tales. "...Magic?"
"It's much more than that, but yes, there are magic spells we can use as well as combat the Heartless," Eraqus said, grinning as he saw the look of awe on Aqua's face.
As she continued eating, Aqua was enamored by more of what Eraqus had to tell her. From what a Keyblade wielder does, to the existence of other worlds beyond hers, though her world was now lost to the darkness in a terrible storm that was a sign that the Heartless would endlessly spawn as they found the heart of the world. She even had questions answered from what had happened to everyone, including Barry and what the heart was that the humanoid Heartless took from him. It was a bit of an awful question Eraqus was asked, but he promised to tell her everything until she was satisfied, and she only seemed to be more interested after the initial shock.
After about an hour, Aqua had eaten the sandwiches and down every drop of her juice, taking in every single detail Eraqus told her. "So...you were trying to save my world?" she asked.
"Yes. I had scoured every inch of your world for the last few weeks trying to find the heart of your world," Eraqus said. "It is the shape of a keyhole, hidden somewhere within a world. If it's locked by a Keyblade, the Heartless would not be able to crawl inside and destroy the world, cast it into the Realm of Darkness along with any remaining inhabitants the smaller ones haven't taken."
"...And there were so many Heartless during that storm...You couldn't have stopped them by yourself," Aqua mumbled.
"The Heartless are not so cunning," Eraqus stated. "But, the one that took that young boy's heart...That Heartless seems to be more intelligent. I have seen many kinds of Heartless, but nothing like that one." He looked down at the table, his Keyblade resting on the surface as he explained everything to Aqua. "Heartless hunt down the hearts of all living things. Within each heart, there is both light and darkness. Their main goal is to take those hearts and create more Heartless, shrouding the hearts they take with darkness to increase their numbers. The stronger the light within one's heart, the stronger the Heartless." Aqua nodded her head, understanding what the Heartless do and how they were "born". Eraqus hummed to himself, worried about the other reason why he was more interested in protecting her aside from being the only one he could have saved. "Aqua, do you remember what I said to you after handling the young man?"
Curious, Aqua gave him another nod as she placed a hand over her heart. "You said my heart was stronger than Barry or his friends'...Why?"
Eraqus nodded and smiled. "It's more than just how nice and good you are compared to them." Standing up, he moved around the table and kneeled down beside her. "Every heart has light and darkness within them. What matters the most from someone is what they decide is best to hold in their heart with the good or bad intentions they have." He gently laid his palm over Aqua's hand, still held over her heart. "But your heart is much special. I sensed a strong light much similar to mine when we crossed paths back in the market." Aqua looked up at Eraqus curiously, then turned her gaze to the table as he glanced down at his Keyblade. "The light of a Key Bearer. And you, Aqua, have the potential to become a Keyblade wielder like me."
Gasping in surprise, Aqua looked back up at Eraqus again, then to her chest. "...I...I do?"
Eraqus took her hand, clasping it in both of his, getting her attention once more. "Yes. But you are not obligated to take on such a burden if you do not wish to," he said, frowning slightly. "I know what you went through was horrifying. I would have been scared, lost, and confused if I were in your shoes. There are far more dangerous kinds of Heartless out there, and many more that could be lying in wait to destroy another world if we intervened or not. What I can teach you will be strenuous, but you would have the skills and knowledge necessary to help protect the worlds from darkness."
"...Even magic?" Aqua asked.
Eraqus couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the little girl's enthusiasm for the arcane arts the Keyblade grants its wielder. "Even magic," he said. "But it's ok if you don't want to do this. I won't be upset. And, if you wish, I could try to find you a new home elsewhere so you can live a normal life." Aqua had always wanted a home, a family, but with everything she experienced, she wasn't sure if she did find a new home to live in somewhere in another world, only for it to get snatched away by the darkness. She thought back to how everyone back in her world had fallen, and she had a power within her to maybe fight back if she had known much sooner. She was upset that they were all gone, but the thought of other worlds, other people, other children would face the same fate, maybe she could do more than she ever thought she could. "If you say yes, you won't be alone training," Eraqus continued, snapping Aqua out of her thoughts. "I have an apprentice who's about your age, and he has just finished learning the basics of swordplay. I think the two of you would be good friends and training partners."
Aqua hummed to herself, weighing her options. She glanced at Master's Defender, wondering if she was able to go through with the training and help other worlds. And she'd make a new friend who was also from a different world. Eraqus was worried that he might have put too much pressure on her despite how awestruck she was as he told her everything about the Keyblade and the Heartless. He was about to let go of her hand when he felt her other hand rested against one of his, looking straight up at him with a hidden confidence that shined through her blue eyes.
"I'll do it," Aqua said, startling the man.
"...Are you absolutely certain?" Eraqus asked.
Without hesitation, Aqua nodded. "I felt like I lost a lot back home, but I don't want others to be lost and alone like me," she said. "I want to train and protect the worlds from darkness. Keep everyone safe, no matter what."
Eraqus blinked, speechless from the bold words that came from the little girl who was completely terrified and depressed moments ago. Seeing the truth of her words that came from her heart, Eraqus grinned, giving her a nod and gently squeezed her hand.
"Very well, Aqua." He released her hand and gently rubbed her head, making her giggle slightly. "But, even though you are eager to start, we'll wait until tomorrow to begin your training." Seeing it was fair, Aqua nodded her head. Eraqus reached for his Keyblade, grabbing the hilt, then brought it before Aqua as she got a closer look at the blade. "Grasp my Keyblade, and I shall begin the Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony."
"Ok," Aqua mumbled, reaching out her hand and wrapped her small fingers around the hilt above Eraqus's hand.
With a nod, Eraqus lowered his head and closed his eyes. "In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend—no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love."
Aqua waited for some bright lights to appear as a sign of her being granted the powers of a Key Bearer, but didn't see anything flashy, or feel anything come from Eraqus's Keyblade. When he opened his eyes, Aqua slowly released her hold on the hilt and stared at her hand.
"...Umm...Did it work?" she asked.
"It has," he promised.
Aqua pouted slightly. "I thought it'd be pretty."
Eraqus burst out laughing, rubbing Aqua's head again, making her grumble. "Don't worry. Terra thought the same thing when I gave him the ceremony, too."
"Terra?" Aqua asked curiously.
"My apprentice," Eraqus said. "And, just in case you're wondering when your Keyblade will appear, it will take some time before it shows itself to you." He removed his hand from Aqua's head, making her grumble slightly, but she understood, knowing she was far from ready to swing around a key-shaped sword. "And, as my second apprentice, I don't think your pajamas are a proper outfit for training in the future."
Aqua looked down at her clothes as Eraqus stood up and walked over to the closet. "But...this is all I have," she uttered.
"I know. Which is why..." Taking an outfit from inside, he turned around and showed Aqua her new outfit: a black and blue, high collared halter top with two pink intersecting belts over the chest, white bell sleeves, black shorts with blue strips of cloth that went on both sides, along with a smaller white strip around the waist, long black socks, and a pair of silver boots. "You will be wearing this."
Aqua gasped as she stared at her new clothes. She had been grateful for being given donated or handed down clothes just to have something to wear, but the outfit was brand new, and looked to be about her size.
"Wow," she uttered.
Eraqus gave Aqua her new clothes and shoes, giving her a small pat on the head. "Go ahead and try them on. I'll be back in a moment. I need to inform a colleague of mine about what happened last night."
He took his leave, closing the bedroom door behind him. Aqua was excited, feeling the surprisingly soft, but fitting material. She couldn't wait for tomorrow, but, at the same time, she was a little bit scared meeting his other apprentice, Terra. Eraqus said that she might get along with him, so she trusted his judgement. Her new life had started, leaving behind the pain of the old, but she wouldn't forget the people she had known, whether they treated her with kindness or not.
Gallus silently watched everything Aqua had endured before she wound up what was probably a part of The Land of Departure. He didn't feel sorry for the bully who picked on her, but he had never known his master had ever gone through such a horrible loss. Her world was swallowed up by darkness and witnessed what happened when a Heartless takes the hearts of their victims. He hoped neither he or his friends ever found whatever that humanoid Heartless was; it seemed much, much different than any he's seen or heard of.
The next few memories that flashed by were of Aqua's training, from meeting Terra and the rough start between their relationship as friends, some moments between the two when they weren't training, years later when Ventus arrived and became a part of Aqua and Terra's lives. Aqua cut off the memories there, having shown her apprentices everything else after Ventus joined. Gallus looked at Aqua, part of him a bit glad he didn't go through losing the world he grew up in like she had, but it only showed that his master had suffered through tragedies since she was born.
"...Ok...So, you had it much worse than I did," he finally said after a long moment of silence. "But...I still don't appreciate Griffonstone after seeing that. I never will with how bad it is."
"It's far more than just appreciating still having the home you grew up in," Aqua corrected. "For so long as a kid, I always wanted a family, just like you. Day by day, year by year, I was slowly losing any hope that I would ever find my 'home', and it grew worse whenever I bumped into Barry." She placed the ornament back in her pocket, then looked out at the mountain range. "Even after all these years, despite how I grew up in that orphanage, I held no resentment to the couples who chose another child, nor the boy who thought it was fun to be a little delinquent and pick on those who were less fortunate than them. Despite wanting what I desperately wished for, I always had my caretaker, Miss Lara, to cheer me up and give me some hope that the day will come when I would get adopted.
"Then, that first day I met my master, a part of me felt...safe around him. And when my world was being destroyed by the darkness, he came to my rescue. He practically took me in and became the father I had always wanted. Most of our relationship was just as teacher and student, but there were moments where Terra and I were like his children, and he knew when to switch being the strict, but firm instructor to a calm and understanding father figure. And my relationship with Terra started out as friends, but then puberty kicks in and I grew to have a crush on him. I...hid those feelings so I didn't end up ruining our friendship, but deep down, I was hoping when we'd grow up more, there was a possibility we could be more than friends.
"And when Ven came into our lives, I gained a little brother that I wanted to protect. Even before I knew why Xehanort brought Ven to The Land of Departure and what he planned to do with him, I could tell he was lost and alone like I was. Part of my instincts as a big sister from the orphanage kicked in, and I never wanted to let him go..." Aqua sighed, looking down at the snow-covered ground. "...I don't want to let go of anyone..."
"And...Xehanort ruined everything for you," Gallus said, remembering how divided the trio got when Xehanort began luring Terra down a dark path, Ventus and Vanitas being used to fight each other and forge the X-blade, and Aqua struggling to try to bring them both back and not lose them.
"Yes...and you saw how...unstable I have been," Aqua mumbled. Taking a deep breath, she pushed aside the worst things she had done, looked out to the building where days as a Key bearer began, a small smile on her lips. "Despite everything, all the hope I kept losing, I was able to find hope again; the light that helped guide me through my darkest of days." She looked back at Gallus. "Back then, the moment I started my training, started my new life...I found my new home. And my family."
"'Family'?" Gallus asked, confused.
Aqua nodded. "What it means to have a family doesn't have to mean anyone who's related to you by blood. Your family are those who care about you. Who would do anything to make you happy or feel right at home." She placed her hand over Gallus's heart, getting him to look down at her hand, then back at her. "And who you care about and hold deeply in your heart...They're your family, just as much as you are a part of their family."
It took a moment for it to sink in, but Gallus understood what Aqua showed him. Not once did he ever think that family meant anything besides parents with one or more children. Seeing how his master had deeply cherished Terra, Ventus, and Eraqus through her past as an apprentice, and the sadness from losing them, he had quite a lot in common with her than he thought. His new friends cared about him and wanted to support him by suffering a similar punishment with him so he didn't feel alone. Even when his prank went much farther than he intended it to be, no one faulted him for the reason why when he revealed his past.
"...I...I think I get it," he said. "My friends...are also my family."
"Exactly." Aqua wrapped her arms around Gallus and hugged the griffon again. "And so am I." Speechless, Gallus was paralyzed from surprise by what he heard. "Master Eraqus was like the father I always wanted growing up. Even with how important our training was, he always spent the time to be more of a father figure to us. He made me feel like I found my home after all those years waiting for the day I would find my new family.
"And I see you and the others as more than just my pupils as well. I want to be there for all of you. Someone to trust to hear your woes and your shoulder to cry on. I know there are moments where I can be really strict and scary, but because of what I had constantly lost and found in the past, I've always been scared of losing everything all over again." She held him tighter, resting her cheek on top of the griffon's head. "I just want you to know that you'll always have a place in my heart. Never let your hope for something you desire deeply fade, Gallus...There's someone out there who can pull you back from the brink of darkness, and they might be closer than you think."
Gallus let Aqua's words sink in. She was right; if he and the others never bumped into her, he would probably still be the selfish, moping griffon that his whole kingdom was today. He wouldn't have trusted or even found some common ground with any of his friends if she didn't scold them for their bickering. Part of him even felt guilty for skipping classes when he was forced to enroll in the School of Friendship when the fun stuff got replaced with usual, boring studying all schools had. Though Aqua has had many friends who pulled her from the depressing darkness of her past, having him and his friends being a few more of those small lights within her darkness helped her on the road to recovery. She may have been harsh on him and the others for his crude prank, but she had been because she truly cared about them doing the right thing and trying to prevent another potential attempt at a world war between all six nations again. And she wanted to be there for him, just like her master had for her.
His eyes quivered, holding back his tears as he hugged Aqua back. "...I'm really glad I met all of you," Gallus said, his voice shaky as he tried his hardest not to break down in front of her. "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble..."
"It's ok, Gallus," Aqua assured as she held the griffon teen tighter. "We're all here for you. You owned up to your mistakes, and you're learning from them. Even if you think everyone will judge you for your actions or expressing your true feelings, none of us ever will. You can tell me anything in private if you don't want to feel embarrassed, but don't bottle them up until they eventually come out in the worst way...like I did."
Despite still feeling hesitant to lower his guard and lose what reputation he had between his mentors and friends, Gallus nodded silently. He wanted to stay like this with Aqua, held in her arms in a protective, motherly embrace, never once sharing a simple hug with anyone up until he came to Ponyville and learn at the School of Friendship. It was comforting, he felt safe, and was willing to fully trust and confide in Aqua to talk more about himself. However, with all the cleaning he did and the added "lecture" on what family truly is, he was a bit too exhausted to talk about anything else that might be bothering him tonight.
Aqua soon let him go, rubbing Gallus's head as he smiled at the affectionate gesture, though he frowned slightly. "Uhh...You know, when the others come back from break, they might not be happy with you," Gallus said. "Especially Silverstream."
"I'll explain everything when they return," Aqua said. "But, most of what I had to explain about that prank was serious."
"I know. I'll...try not to pull anymore dumb pranks during the holidays," Gallus promised.
"Good." The two watched the snow sprinkle across the horizon, a small smirk growing on Aqua's face as she glanced back at Gallus. "But, you had expected me to punish you further for the next two weeks, right?" Gallus grimaced, shifting his gaze at her before looking away, wishing he kept his beak shut. Stifling her laughter, Aqua gently ruffled Gallus's head feathers. "And you're going to be severely punished, mister."
Sighing, the griffon slumped his shoulders. "Let me guess; intense drills until I can barely feel my muscles?"
"Oh, I can come up with something worse than that," she said. Gallus let out a small groan, but remained silent as he braced for what else he was going to do on the break. "For the next two weeks, starting now...Your punishment will consist of celebrating both Hearth's Warming and Christmas with us and learn what a real holiday about family and friends is truly about." Gallus's grimace turned into bafflement. He turned his head, gauging whether or not he heard her right, though with the teasing grin on Aqua's face, he felt like he was getting pranked himself. "And we're going to start by heading back into the castle, drinking some hot cocoa, and listen to some Hearth's Warming stories by the fire."
Aqua stood up and began to walk away from the bench, leaving Gallus still sitting frozen in place. "...Uhh, wait...That's...Are you being serious right now?"
"Do you really want to be pushed to your limits with intense training drills?" Aqua questioned, looking over her shoulder with a snide grin.
Startled, Gallus quickly shook his head and flapped out of his seat. "Cocoa and storytime it is, then!" Aqua laughed at the griffon's reaction, continuing her trek back down the mountain. Gallus followed her, finally getting out of the cold, but he definitely wasn't going to forget what he saw and learned of his master. Even though he had opened up about his fears to two people he barely met back in Corona Kingdom, Gallus was going to find it challenging telling someone he could trust without dropping the image he made for himself to avoid feeling embarrassed by how he really felt on the inside. Pondering if he should tell Aqua about his biggest fear, they were getting closer to the portal as they reached the courtyard. Taking a deep breath, he decided to make use of their deepened bond they now shared. "Uhh, Master Aqua?"
Before she walked through the portal, Aqua turned around to face Gallus. "Gallus, it's the winter break. You don't have to use formalities between us, especially if it's just the two of us."
Perplexed by the thought of speaking to Aqua casually, he brushed the notion aside. "Ok...Uhh, there's...something I want to tell you before we head back."
"What is it, Gallus?" Aqua asked.
Hesitating for a moment, Gallus sighed heavily, getting it over with before it drove him crazy. "Well...It's something...kinda dumb," he mumbled. "When we got back from the Kingdom of Corona, you know all the stuff I showed you and the others?" Aqua nodded her head, making Gallus feel a bit stupid for reminding her what his first trek to a new world turned out to be. "...There were...a few things I left out. I didn't want to drag out everything, but I...didn't want you to see...something that wasn't as bad as stealing Rapunzel's hair."
Aqua hummed curiously, seeing the griffon's trepidation. "You're claustrophobic, aren't you?"
Shocked, Gallus balked as he stared at his mentor, beak hanging open. "...Y-You...knew?"
"More like a guess, but I definitely hit the nail on the head," she said. "After seeing Sora's view while you were with him, Donald, and Goofy, then noticing some parts that you omitted from showing when it involved going through the cave path to Rapunzel's tower or fleeing from the Nobodies into the abandoned mine quarry, your reactions and cuts to the next scene after gave me a few hints." Disappointed, Gallus slumped his shoulders and hung his head. He was ready to tell his master his deepest fear, but the moment felt ruined when she had guessed it all along. Sensing his distress, Aqua approached him, kneeling down in front of him and rubbed the griffon's head. "It's ok, Gallus. Being afraid of enclosed spaces isn't something that's silly to be afraid of. You managed to fight through your fear when you blindly rushed toward Rapunzel's aid."
"I wanted to tell you something personal that I wanted to get off my chest," Gallus huffed. "You told us and showed your deepest fears, and you showed me what your life was like before you became a Keyblade wielder and never told Masters Terra or Ven."
"Oh...Sorry," Aqua mumbled, moving her hand away from Gallus's head. Gallus sighed again. He couldn't be mad at her for trying to help him, even if she read him like a book better than he could do so himself. "...Maybe...if it's something you're afraid to tell the others if it's too embarrassing...was there a time where you first experienced your claustrophobia?"
Shifting his gaze up at Aqua, he looked back down, dragging his claw against the snow in small circles. The cause of his phobia was much, much scarier than outright admitting it, and he wasn't sure if he could tell the tale without having his griffon pride tarnished. But, Aqua did say she was willing to hear him out if there was anything troubling him, and she wouldn't judge him for what he's feeling or what he'd done.
"...When I was six, I...tried to climb down into the Abysmal Abyss by myself to find the Idol of Boreas," he said, the beginning of his story shocking Aqua. "I got sick and tired of Grandpa Gruff spouting how the Arimaspi stole the idol and fell deep into the abyss, and how we were once a powerful, wealthy kingdom, but the symbol of our wealth was forever lost. I questioned why no other griffon bothered to go down and find it, but he just kept squawking about the powerful gale winds that blow within the mountain that's impossible for even a dragon to fly through. I shouted at him, saying I can get that dumb idol and be the next king to rule Griffonstone and show him how useless he was.
"I stole some rope from the tour guide and was ready to climb down, but the moment I looked down over the edge, I began to regret my words. Stubborn, like all griffons are, I thought I secured the rope tightly enough to an anchor and began climbing down. With how small I was, I was getting blown by the wind like a piece of paper trapped in a hurricane. I don't think I got a few feet down when a powerful gale force within the mountain flicked me hard into the wall, breaching through a soft portion where I must have hit it and created a small opening." Just remembering that day made Gallus feel his anxiety kick in, his breathing getting heavier as his claws shook. "...The entrance I made had quickly collapsed, trapping me...My rope was still attached and left just a small hole for air, but I was too weak to dig my way out, especially with the wind constantly threatening to knock me around even if I did. So I...I began to panic...The walls kept getting closer and closer, I couldn't breathe, and I cried for help from someone...anyone..."
Gallus was violently trembling, hyperventilating as he reached a claw to his chest. Despite being out in the courtyard, wide open space where he wouldn't suffer from his claustrophobia. Aqua quickly grabbed Gallus's shoulders, his breath hitching as he was snapped out of his worst memory. He finally got control of his breathing, but he still shook slightly from the traumatic episode.
"You don't have to say anymore," Aqua assured, not willing to see Gallus hurt himself if the experience was that traumatizing for him.
Gently grasping her hands, he swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling safer as she held him while he shook his head. "I-I'm good...It...I try not to...remember that," he said. He didn't want to leave Aqua on a cliffhanger and expect the worst after he was rescued. Once his breathing slowed, tempted the be hugged by Aqua until he was calm enough to continue, he just kept a firm grip on her hands for now. "...I was stuck for...about an hour or two until Grandpa Gruff climbed down into the abyss to find me. I dragged me out and back home, scolding me and saying he told me so. Didn't care that I was scared half to death, but I was...kind of glad he came to save me...I never went back to that chasm ever again after that."
Part of Gallus felt a little better, but he felt much more relieved when Aqua pulled him into a hug again. Just like how Rapunzel comforted him in the mines, Gallus welcomed the embrace and hugged Aqua; safe and protected by someone who cared about his safety.
"Thank you for sharing that with me," Aqua said. "I know it wasn't easy to talk about. But, if Grandpa Gruff didn't want anything to do with you, I'm not too surprised to know he came looking for you that day. Perhaps a part of him does care, but, as every griffon can be incredibly stubborn, he doesn't want to admit it."
"...I doubt that," Gallus mumbled. "...Promise not to tell the others?"
Aqua leaned Gallus back, then went through the motions of a Pinkie Promise. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Understandably, Gallus was a bit confused by the odd motions as she promised not to tell anyone else his worst fear. "That's a special promise Pinkie came up with. A promise that you never break unless you want to lose the trust of the one who you swear to promise to."
"Forever..."
Startled, Gallus and Aqua looked around to find where the mysterious whisper came from, and sounded an awful lot like Pinkie's voice. "...Please tell me I haven't gone crazy and wasn't the only one who heard that," Gallus begged.
"No, I think I heard it, too," Aqua said, then shrugged her shoulders. "Pinkie being Pinkie, I guess."
"She hasn't been listening in, has she?" Gallus asked, annoyed.
"I think it's really just the two of us here right now," Aqua assured.
Gallus groaned, letting the odd whisper go. "Whatever. I'm ready for that hot cocoa now."
Aqua giggled, patting the griffon's head. "Ok. Let's try to enjoy the rest of the holidays."
Gallus nodded, slightly eager to take part in a fun, family-filled holiday where no one had to forcibly tolerate each other. The pair walked through the portal back into the castle library. Gallus had no idea how his masters were able to acclimate switching between how many legs they walk on as they transform, but he was physically, and psychologically exhausted, and all he wanted was to drink some hot chocolate and relax until he eventually passed out.
Inside the castle's personal lounge, the wielders sans Lea, Twilight, Spike, and Starlight had gathered for a small relaxing party for Hearth's Warming Eve. Twilight was still reeling from what Terra told her, Spike, and Xion about Aqua and what amount of her past he knew. She never thought her world was completely gone. From Sora's first adventure as a wielder, defeating Ansem and closing the Door to Darkness helped bring back the worlds that were lost to the Realm of Darkness, and some worlds that were freed, but "sleeping" needed to be awoken through the dream realm to completely return. She didn't know if it was possible for any world to be permanently wiped out from existence, but if Aqua's home world possibly returned, why didn't she bother trying to search for it?
Sora hovered near the hearth, sticking out his tongue as he placed his hoofmade Hearth's Warming doll next to the many others resembling the group. "There we go. Hoof and hoof with Kairi's," he said. "Once the worlds are much safer, I gotta get mom to make a Hearth's Warming doll to join in."
"We're gonna need a bigger hearth, then," Riku said.
The door to the lounge opened, Aqua stepping inside with Gallus right behind her. "Room for one more addition to the party?"
Seeing Gallus with her, the others were a bit stunned to know the griffon was let off easy when the others learned from Twilight, Spike, Xion, Terra, and Ventus who pulled the goo powder prank at the school. "I thought he was being punished," Sora said.
"It's the holidays. I'm giving him a break, but he's learned his lesson," Aqua said. "Right, Gallus?"
"Y-Yeah. Definitely," the griffon said.
"Well, we're just about ready to enjoy some more stories," Kairi said. "Have a seat, Gallus. I'll get you some hot chocolate."
Gallus nodded, slightly nervous being a part of the group as he picked a spot on one of the few sofas in the room. Aqua joined Gallus, making sure he was comfortable as he warmed up after they were out in the cold for some time. Twilight felt a little guilty for doubting Aqua earlier, though she couldn't help herself for worrying about the Keyblade Master's mental state whenever she got upset or angry.
"I told you she was fine," Terra said, jolting the princess out of her thoughts.
"I guess you're right," Twilight said. "After the last few times she decided what to do with some ponies before, I didn't want to just sit back and let her take charge, only to make things worse for everypony. Including herself."
"I know. I was a bit worried, too, but I trusted her not to go too far with Gallus," he said. "She definitely has a soft spot for kids if her interactions with Ven were any indication back then."
Twilight had noticed when Aqua dealt with training the Young Six. Though her teachings were strict, something she was very familiar with while under her tutelage to better understand the basics of swordplay and stamina training, Aqua was also aware of the six apprentices' learning curves or assisting in how they could best improve their combat abilities without scolding them harshly. She heard about what happened to Ocellus in the monster world, and even before the crisis involved with Vanitas and her safety, Aqua knew the changeling was much more shy and sensitive than the others and went with a softer approach with her personal training.
Kairi approached the lounge, her magic aura carrying a few trays of holiday cookies and several mugs of cocoa for everyone, giving the first mug to Gallus. "Thanks, Master Kairi."
"It's the holidays, Gallus. You can just calls us by name," Kairi assured with a small grin.
"Uhh, sure. It's...a bit weird to me after being in school for a few months," he mumbled. He looked down at the warm, steaming mug, several marshmallows floating in the brown, chocolatey beverage and melting into it. One of the marshmallows suddenly got whisked away by a blue aura, watching it fly straight into Aqua's mouth. "Hey! Get your own!"
"What? It wasn't me," Aqua responded cheekily.
Gallus covered his mug, keeping Aqua away from his marshmallows. Once everyone had gathered together and got comfortable in their seats, Starlight started things off with "A Hearth's Warming Tale", a story she'd grown to like after hearing it last year. Gallus was a little worried he might not like any of the stories, but he warmed up to it once the spirits began to arrive and make Snowfall Frost enjoy the holidays as she had when she was a filly. He sipped at his mug and nibbled on a cookie while enjoying the stories. Though the lessons about how Hearth's Warming was founded was boring to him, Gallus found an appreciation for the holiday than the Blue Moon Festival. He was surrounded by those who all cared about each other, delicious food, and fun tales to weave and tell. He wondered if Christmas was just as good as Sora claimed it was, and he couldn't wait.
Gallus didn't realize he had subconsciously scooted himself closer to Aqua while enamored by the next few stories as a new reader was picked for each one. Aqua noticed when she felt his tail lightly tap on the couch beside her, occasionally brushing up against her side. She glanced at him and smiled, glad to see him enjoying himself and experiencing a truly fun holiday with his newly discovered family.
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Wow, that was deep.
Also, you were quite creative in Aqua's story. Or was it actually that.
Either way, good job. I enjoyed the story.
Well that's quite a description of what they do heh cool
Beautiful bonding moment between Gallus and Aqua, I wonder if they will form a Limit later on
It looks like Darkness may have played a part in Aqua's Past.
I have a feeling many ponies may be temporary deaf, if Pinkie shouted loud enough to be heard all the way on The Land of Departure from Equestria after the Pinkie Promise was made.
I LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!
SWEET CATHARSISSSSSS!!!!!!
That was a heart warming chapter that Aqua had with Gallus from her sharing her past with him, to finding out that Aqua treats those she trains and those that are her friends like Family. Her lesson of knowing what a Family can be from one orphan to another is heart warming & to see that Gallus has a kind Mother figure in her.
But the real surprise is that Aqua wants Gallus to understand the holidays they celebrate, that is shocking since the best one to teach him Christmas is Sora. So I am looking forward to how that turns out, and hopefully Twilight can not be left out on adventures since i miss her traveling with Sora.
Barry got a taste of pure Karma. He was selfish, cruel, cold hearted, & ruthless and that's where it gets you. Especially for the way he treated aqua and for trying to sacrifice her to save himself.
Aqua has come a long & is now a great keyblade master and a good person.
This is a super random thought I had. But I will forever love you, if Sora and Kairi weren't able to get married before the keyblade war and while fighting the Heartless would get married during the war, similar to what happens between Will and Elizabeth in POTC At World's End. Not necessary, but just some food for thought.
11513238
I think the cutscene plays differently in Disney Town depending on who you play through their story last. I went in order with Terra, then Ventus, and finally Aqua, and I got Aqua as the winner. The ice cream that gives them their unique formchange would be their reward for the whole group, and the ice cream flavor would be different depending on that last character. I'm tempted to make a new playthrough myself to see if I go through each character's story in reverse to see if Terra has that cutscene, too.
Was little Aqua wearing a Cait Sith shirt? If so that's adorable
Ohhhh! It was so sweet!
11530603
It's mentioned in the summary. After DDD. And it was before I ever played the game many years ago until I got my hands on the 2.8 A Fragmentary Passage bundle that came out a few years ago, so what is mentioned in the earlier chapters are from what I knew of the game and a spoiler on the ending before I officially played through it myself. (I usually don't like to be spoiled with games from a series I enjoy and want to experience the story and gameplay for myself.)
Hey Codex92, how are you doing and how was your day 😎😎😃😃🙂🙂