Five years ago the final battle was fought and won. Xehanort and his darkness was defeated by the light and a semblance of peace washed over all the worlds. The Keyblade Masters had won. There were costs, of course, but none too great.
With the end of Xehanort came time for a great decision. The worlds could not be returned to their original states - they could not be made as one - but as long as the lanes between worlds remained open in any fashion darkness would always have a chance to grow. Even if they remained vigilant for the rest of their lives it would only delay the inevitable repeat of Xehanort's actions. Clearly something had to change.
Census
HUMAN
KEYBLADE MASTERS
KEYBLADE APPRENTICES
DREAM EATER
NOBODY
HEARTLESS
Total
”I missed the beach,” the words were murmured softly as bare feet dragged along the sand, cold ocean water lapping up against them. Sora had planned a trip back to the islands for some time, but he knew going back to talk to his mother wasn't going to happen. He knew it was best to just let things stay as they were, so instead he went back to the island where it had all really started. Where he, Riku, and Kairi would all go, where they tried to build the raft. Where the tree houses were, the tiny shack and the cove, the secret place.
Sora couldn't help but smile fondly as he thought about all of it, continuing to walk the shoreline. He was more than positive that no one had been here in some time, years most likely. Everyone had grown up, gone on to different things and that was just how it was going to be. That was fine really, it wasn't like he was trying to live in the past, but this was just something he wanted to do, maybe for a sense of closure or something silly like that, he wasn't entirely sure. Hell, he just liked the beach. What was wrong with that? He just missed their island. He didn't mind coming alone.
The brunette found himself sighing a little, heading over to the dock and flopping down, letting his feet dangle just above the water's surface. He was taking a break from the academy for today, and this was a good place to relax. It was good to just get away from the students every now and then, though in truth he didn't really mind teaching and meeting them. It was interesting to see what they had to say.
Still, didn't mean he didn't like a break. Which was why he was back here enjoying the warm breeze and the smell of the ocean.
Tagged - Notes
The path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell
i linger in the doorway of alarm clocks screaming monsters calling my name Let me stay Where the wind will whisper to me Where the raindrops as they’re falling tell a story In my field of paper flowers And candy clouds of lullaby I lie inside myself for hours And watch my purple sky fly over me Don’t say I’m out of touch With this rampant chaos your reality I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge The nightmare I built my own world to escape In my field of paper flowers And candy clouds of lullaby I lie inside myself for hours And watch my purple sky fly over me Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming Cannot cease for the fear of silent nights Oh how I long for the deep sleep dreaming The goddess of imaginary light
Ventus couldn't say honestly that they were a place of happy memories for him. It was where Xehanort had taken him to die and where Vanitas had so cruelly forced him to remember just what he was, and what he was meant to become. Bright blue skies, warm air, beautiful waves, but he still felt cold as he stood there watching the ocean. It wasn't like Vanitas was going to suddenly pop out of the waves to come after him, or that Xehanort was going to drag him back into the water to drown him, but knowing that was far different from convincing his heart to believe that too. The panic was a deep ache that refused to go away and it was the very reason he was there. It might have been a bit of a perverse reason but four years had passed since the last time Vanitas or Xehanort had been seen. They weren't coming back.
He came there weekly and had for the past several months. It was something that Ven never spoke of to Aqua or Terra, or even to Sora or Roxas or anyone else. He didn't want to hear them say he was being silly, or to see sympathy in their eyes as they tried to explain it was normal for him to feel that way. Ventus just wanted to deal with it until the fear was gone.
Today was different though, and Ven wasn't sure it was in a good way. He had been sitting on the small island that stood slightly apart from the beach, the island with the lone papou tree, when he noticed movement. Shifting so that he fell under the shadow of the tree he saw a familiar mess of brown hair down below. Sora? This was the brunet's home after all... but did he have to decide to visit today?
Sora had expected to be alone on the island. He hadn't come here looking for anybody and he didn't think anybody had come looking for him, so when his gaze shifted towards the island with the single papou tree he found himself squinting ever so slightly when he caught sight of a familiar figure. It was Ven, and the fact that he was here was more than a little surprising.
Weird. Still, Sora didn't think twice about hopping to his feet, the boards of the dock squeaking under his feet as he hurried along. ”Hey Ventus!” He waved eagerly, as if the blond wouldn't see him against the beach making his way over. It wasn't like he stood out or anything, no way.
Had Sora known Ven's reasons for being here he might have been a little more respectful and he might have minded his own business and stayed where he was, and hey he might have even left! But he didn't know any of that and was rather eagerly tromping right over. Making his way along the bridge that connected the little lone island to the bigger island. ”Didn't expect to see you here Ventus,” the brunette said lightheartedly, ”though I guess everyone likes the beach every now and then.” He smiled widely at that. He was almost curious as to why Ventus was here, but what good would it do to ask that? It wasn't like there was anything to do on this part of the island other than just sit around and stare at the ocean or the sky.
i linger in the doorway of alarm clocks screaming monsters calling my name Let me stay Where the wind will whisper to me Where the raindrops as they’re falling tell a story In my field of paper flowers And candy clouds of lullaby I lie inside myself for hours And watch my purple sky fly over me Don’t say I’m out of touch With this rampant chaos your reality I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge The nightmare I built my own world to escape In my field of paper flowers And candy clouds of lullaby I lie inside myself for hours And watch my purple sky fly over me Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming Cannot cease for the fear of silent nights Oh how I long for the deep sleep dreaming The goddess of imaginary light
VEN let out a small sigh as he heard Sora calling out for him. Of course you saw me. Despite how his thoughts seemed there wasn't any nasty undertone to them though. Sora was, well... Sora, and the years hadn't dulled the young man's enthusiasm. It would have been rather disappointing if they had, really, and Ven was happy to see that he was still so... so Sora. It was a little difficult to deal with sometimes though.
He watched as the brunet hurried over toward him, moving to meet up with him on the small island. "Um... yeah, I guess," Ven said softly, mouth twitching into a small smile as he did. The fear that the islands brought him wasn't banished but it was easier to shove down inside when there was someone with him.
"People don't really go here much anymore, do they..." It was such a small world too. The idea of being confined to it... it didn't upset Ven, not in the way it had upset Riku, but he had never been stuck on just one world before. It was a truly foreign thought for him now.
It was obvious something was bothering Ventus but Sora wasn't sure what it was and the brunette found himself frowning a bit thoughtfully, reaching up to run his fingers back through his own hair thoughtfully. Was it any of his business? Over the last few years they hadn't really talked. They weren't really good friends but when it came to helping ecahother out with things both of them were pretty good at it. It was still weird thinking about how they were weirdly connected in a way, like related almost. By hearts and stuff.
Sora couldn't help but smile sadly at Ventus' statement, and he nodded ever so slightly, looking out towards the mainland. ”Yeah. I missed it a lot but it's nice to come back to visit every now and then. Funny how Riku, Kairi and I were trying so hard to get away but now that we can't really come back I just want to go back and see everyone again.” For a moment Sora found himself staring almost wistfully out towards the actual island before shaking his head. ”But uh it's good that I don't. I've got other things to do! I've got classes to teach and... ya know. Anyway what are you doing here Ventus?” Sora hadn't really intended on asking but honestly he'd take any answer, anything to keep him from really thinking about home and how much he missed it sometimes.
i linger in the doorway of alarm clocks screaming monsters calling my name Let me stay Where the wind will whisper to me Where the raindrops as they’re falling tell a story In my field of paper flowers And candy clouds of lullaby I lie inside myself for hours And watch my purple sky fly over me Don’t say I’m out of touch With this rampant chaos your reality I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge The nightmare I built my own world to escape In my field of paper flowers And candy clouds of lullaby I lie inside myself for hours And watch my purple sky fly over me Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming Cannot cease for the fear of silent nights Oh how I long for the deep sleep dreaming The goddess of imaginary light
HE wished he had a convenient cover story just waiting to be whipped out when Sora asked him why he was here, but Ven just found himself drawing a blank. The thought that he could be caught had never crossed his mind and so he had never tried to come up with an excuse. He was just here visiting? Just enjoying the beach? Just... anything?
Yeah, maybe if he didn't suck at lying. But Ven always ended up turning the same shade as a tomato when he tried to deceive someone. Unless it was absolutely necessary he just couldn't do it. Or unless it was a lie of omission. Which...
"It's been four years... and it feels like no one's deserved a chance to be trained. Is it us?" Ven knew he had passed his own 'exam' after the battle with Xehanort - as did all the other non-Masters - but there was always a little voice nagging him in the back of his mind that made it feel like he didn't deserve it. There had been a few students that had shown potential but so far the legacy of being a keyblade bearer hadn't been passed on.
The only other option was that the worlds didn't need any more keyblade bearers. It was slightly easier to handle that as the truth but Ven knew that couldn't be it. The heartless were never going to leave now... which meant keyblade bearers would always be needed.
It wasn't like Ventus was doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing. But his lack of actual response to Sora's question caused the brunette to frown a little. Um okay. There wasn't much he could say though. It wasn't like Ventus really had anything to hide right and maybe he was here for personal reasons? Sora knew there was some sort of history between Ventus and the islands. What it was he wasn't entirely sure, he had heard bits and pieces but that was really it.
The blond's question caused him to frown thoughtfully, lifting a hand to tap his chin thoughtfully. ”I'm not sure,” he said softly. ”I mean, I think we might be being too picky. The keyblade picked some strange people didn't it? I mean, it picked me. But that was an accident, it was supposed to be Riku... and then... well. Maybe we aren't looking at the right qualities. Maybe we look at the bad things in people instead of what could make them a good keyblader?” Sora nodded a little at that, content with his reasoning. He honestly wasn't sure he did that himself, in truth he was afraid of the responsibility of training another person. He was worried he'd just mess them up and point them the wrong way and then they'd end up doing bad things and he would have ruined them and it would be all his fault.
i linger in the doorway of alarm clocks screaming monsters calling my name Let me stay Where the wind will whisper to me Where the raindrops as they’re falling tell a story In my field of paper flowers And candy clouds of lullaby I lie inside myself for hours And watch my purple sky fly over me Don’t say I’m out of touch With this rampant chaos your reality I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge The nightmare I built my own world to escape In my field of paper flowers And candy clouds of lullaby I lie inside myself for hours And watch my purple sky fly over me Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming Cannot cease for the fear of silent nights Oh how I long for the deep sleep dreaming The goddess of imaginary light
SORA had a point and Ventus wasn't really sure how he felt about that. The current keyblade Masters had been made from a group of... individuals who should have never been trusted with the keyblade in the first place. A woman who deserved it, a man who turned to darkness, a boy who was supposed to end the world... a once-nobody, an experiment, the one who had almost ended all the worlds, the assassin, and the princess they were all supposed to protect. And then there was Sora, the one who had stumbled into something much greater than himself and the one who had accepted everything gladly.
"Maybe you are right," he said, tone doubtful - not because he didn't believe Sora but because Ven just really didn't want to. He didn't want to end up dealing with the consequences of having to train someone who was as broken as they had been. It was a testament, really, to how far they had come and how jaded parts of them had turned over the years. They had struggled and suffered through it and now the memories of the past were keeping them from allowing others the same chance.
"But it's such a big responsibility. And we're... would it really be such a bad thing if the keybladers just died out with us? It's not like the worlds are kept secret from each other anymore. We don't have any borders we need to patrol. Why do we have to shove this responsibility onto someone else?"
Sora shrugged a little at Ventus' doubtful tone. In truth he wasn't sure what would make someone a good keyblader. There were some strange keybladers right now and while Ventus was thinking more along the lines of just what kind of ragtag group they were Sora was more or less thinking about the qualities they all had. Which... well. They were very diverse. We have students like us though. Students that try hard and want to be better. They really did it was just a matter of looking out for them.
”Would it be such a bad thing if the keyblades just died out with us?”
The brunette found himself frowning thoughtfully at that, giving the question some thought before shaking his head. ”There... is always going to be something bigger than just people. Bigger than just... what normal people can handle and the keyblade might be the only thing that can help. If someone bad gets their hand on their keyblade and we're long gone then were would they be? I mean we'd be dead but it'd still be our faults. I'd be rolling over in my grave!”
i linger in the doorway of alarm clocks screaming monsters calling my name Let me stay Where the wind will whisper to me Where the raindrops as they’re falling tell a story In my field of paper flowers And candy clouds of lullaby I lie inside myself for hours And watch my purple sky fly over me Don’t say I’m out of touch With this rampant chaos your reality I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge The nightmare I built my own world to escape In my field of paper flowers And candy clouds of lullaby I lie inside myself for hours And watch my purple sky fly over me Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming Cannot cease for the fear of silent nights Oh how I long for the deep sleep dreaming The goddess of imaginary light
VEN rolled his eyes but grinned at Sora's oh-so dramatic statement about what would happen if they didn't pass on the keyblade before they died. "You know that's assuming that Yen Sid could even die. He's... ancient and still around." He had been around when Ven had been trained close to what, fifteen years ago now? And so had the King. It was hard to think about the worlds existing without either one of them and it was a thought that Ven found he couldn't really wrap his mind around. As long as there were people they would both exist. It just... was.
"But... I guess that's the thing..." Sora had lightened the mood and a huge portion of the heavy weight that had been settled over his chest had disappeared, but the topic at hand was a little too serious to just joke around about. Ventus walked over to the tree, placing a hand on its trunk as he looked up at it. "The reason evil people got the keyblade before was because they were given it. If we don't pass it on no one else would have it and that's... I don't know if it's better to just hold it back or better to make a mistake. I mean...
Sora found himself frowning thoughtfully as Ventus made his way over to the nearby tree, he had a good point. Yen Sid and the King really didn't seem like people that would die but still. Everything had to have an end. Still, the brunette found himself frowning slowly, biting at his lower lip as he stared out towards the mainland thoughtfully.
”I don't think we can live in a constant worry of... what ifs,” he said slowly, picking his words with painful thoughtfullness. ”There's always the possibility that something bad could happen. There's always the possibility that something evil completely new could come up. And there's always going to be the possibility of a mistake or... whatever. But I don't think any of us would make that kind of mistake. I mean... people... change as things influence them but all of us ended up on the right paths. Whether we pick keybladers or not...”
Sora's voice trailed off and he sighed lowly, reaching up to rub the back of his neck, ”I never really thought about this I guess.”
Ventus just shook his head at Sora's response. There wasn't any malice in the gesture though and he found himself smiling. Aqua and Terra had always told the blond that he could see the bright side of anything but he had nothing on the brunet. It didn't matter what was happening... Sora was always happy.
"I..." Ven started to speak before realizing that he didn't even know why Sora was on this world. It was his homeworld and maybe he had been here for personal reasons. He might have been working something important out and the blond had just stomped all over his time for reflection.
"Sorry Sora. I don't think you came out here to be depressed, huh?"
