Kingdom Hearts 1. of Beginnings

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story. Also, the pic I used for this story belongs to KickBass77 on DeviantArt and the link to it is on my profile.

**Pursuit**

_AN: This is a sequel to my story: Awakening, so I urge reading that first if you haven't already... As for this sequel, I fully intend to finish it, but I won't be as dedicated to it as I was to Awakening, thus I may not be updating every Friday. Also, this sequel was partially inspired by a story called "Odd" by The Punch Lord, it's really cute and funny so I highly recommend it. Anywho, onward, and enjoy!_

_**Pairing Note: There are minor pairings added to this story, though as I specified, they are minor and should not effect the enjoyment of your read should you disapprove of said pairing...**_

**Chapter One – of Beginnings**

* * *

Bright golden rays of sunlight washed over Radiant Garden's surface, bathing the land with a soft glow from the sun's slanted angle of twilight.

Terra sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, soaking in the last of the day's warmth. A slight breeze tugged lightly at his dark hair and hooded haori, something he wore to imitate his late master, much like the triangular shaped patch of hair on his chin, though he hadn't indulged in a mustache, choosing not to copy his old master completely. He felt that these little things helped to keep his master's memory alive, never mind that it made him feel more distinguished somehow.

He listened as the breeze rustled the grass all around and mingled with the joyful cries of children. He sat on a bench in the middle of one of the Keyblade Academy's parks where a playground was stationed not far away. He opened his eyes at the sound of his son's footfalls and smiled to see his old master's true legacy running toward him as a five year old boy. His bright blue eyes danced with energy like his mother's and his charcoal blue hair was taking shape like Terra's, with long bangs splitting on either side of his face. He wore a simple black T-shirt and tan shorts and his black shoes thumped along the ground as he trotted around. "Eraq," Terra called to the boy that had inherited his master's name. "Be careful." He frowned when he could tell the boy wasn't listening. Eraqus was laughing and looked over his shoulder to his playmate as he ran. Terra cringed when the boy suddenly tripped and fell, his knee scraping on the grassy earth. Terra was on his feet and scooping the boy up before the first wail could escape his young throat. "I told you to be careful," Terra chided gently and returned to the bench with the boy in his arms.

The boy's playmate, a three year old girl with soft brown hair followed and sat on the bench as well. "Don't cry Eraq," she pleaded with worried brown eyes as the boy sniffed and rubbed at his scuffed knee, fresh tears running down his cheeks. The girl looked up to Terra apologetically. "Is he ok?"

Terra smirked at her and then nudged his son. "Look at that Eraq, Marlene is worried about you, now suck it up and try to be tough, it's just a scrape." He licked a thumb and rubbed the dirt away from the injury, causing the boy to cringe and whine, though his crying had abated some.

All the commotion had even caught the rapt attention of the two year old toddler at Terra's feet. The younger boy's hair had a lighter shade of brown than Marlene's, in fact if one scrutinized enough one could detect a slight variation of red there, no doubt an element passed from his father. His blue eyes were such a soft tint that they were almost green, another influence from his father, Terra guessed.

He nudged the still sniffling Eraqus again. "Look Eraq, even Denzel is worried about you." The said toddler stood up with a wobble and moved to put both hands on the bench as he peered up to Eraqus, seeming genuinely concerned.

"Hurt," Denzel said simply and hesitantly held out a tentative hand to touch Eraqus' shoe, causing Terra to cock his head curiously. The younger boy was quiet and withdrawn by nature, and any interaction he instigated like this was rare.

Eraqus sniffled and nodded at the other boy, rubbing a fist at the tears on his cheeks. His whining stopped but his breathing still hitched and his knee still stung, but his father told him it wasn't a big deal and he shouldn't cry, so he wouldn't. He looked to Marlene when she suddenly bounced around on the bench excitedly. "I know! Uncle Terra, tell us a story!"

"A story?" Terra repeated, somewhat amused by the girl's hyperactive outburst. "What kind of story?"

Eraqus' eyes lit up and he turned around in his father's lap to gaze up at him, hopeful. "A story with a dragon!"

Terra couldn't withhold a short bark of laughter at how quickly the boy was distracted from his injury. "How do you know about dragons?"

"Uncle Lea told us," Eraqus explained with a bright smile, his glossy blue eyes clearing more every second. "He said he makes fire the same way dragons make fire."

"Did he now?" Terra pondered aloud, thinking the fiery red-head's explanation was no doubt just a simple way for the children to understand his unusual ability to manipulate fire. "Well, I do have one story with a dragon, though she didn't breath fire."

The two older children gasped excitedly while Denzel worked his way up onto the bench and sat on Terra's other side, looking up to the man silently, though the toddler couldn't understand what they were talking about, try as he might.

Terra smiled at the three of them in turn and poked Eraqus' side objectively. "Well, actually, _you're_ mother got turned into a dragon once."

"Mom did?" Eraqus' eyes widened and he was instantly a hundred times more interested, if that was even possible. He glanced to Marlene, sharing a look of astonishment with her.

Terra nodded with a smile, his expression turning mischievous. "That's not all. The world we went to turned her into a dragon but it also turned me into a _tiger_." He faked a growl and suddenly seized the boy and turned him over in his arms, playfully pretending to eat him.

Eraqus howled with laughter, causing the other two kids to jerk away from Terra's sudden movements with a start. Marlene had squeaked with surprise but quickly recovered once Terra relented his "attack" and Denzel relaxed once he resumed the story. Eraqus continued to giggle and pawed his father's face away playfully. "We got captured by the people in that world because dragons are rare creatures there," Terra continued, adding as an afterthought, "or anywhere actually."

"I can't believe Mom was a dragon!" Eraqus exclaimed, sitting up again and bouncing somewhat in his father's lap as he gazed up expectantly. "What did she look like?"

Terra put his hands on the boy's head to still him and gave him a pointed look. "I'll tell you, but only if you listen quietly."

Eraqus covered his mouth with both hands and nodded furiously. "Good." Terra smiled, amused. He tapped his chin for a moment, thoughtful. "Let's see, I guess she looked a lot like a big lizard since she didn't have any wings-" he silenced his son with another look when he was about to inquire but quickly replaced his hands over his mouth again. "She had a long snout, her scales were blue and she had blue fur from the top of her head all the way down her back and to the tip of her long tail." He paused for an instant, thinking his rendering of Aqua's dragon form was sufficient for the children. He knew they had seen various creatures in books and fairy tales so he didn't bother explaining what his tiger form looked like, since there weren't any variations to them.

"Now like I said, we got captured by these soldiers. Originally we thought they were bad people, but they didn't hurt us, so we didn't fight back." Terra conveniently avoided the part where he had lunged at a soldier for getting too close and had been admonished by Aqua for his misplaced aggression. "We were taken to a prison where we met this boy named Wentai..." The story continued for a long time, with all three children captivated by his voice until the final crescent of the sun peeked over the horizon.

Terra had reached the part in his story where they had met the Hero of China when he heard footfalls approaching nearby. His words died away as he watched Marlene suddenly launch herself off the bench and ran headlong into the arms of the blond newcomer. "Daddy!"

Without a word the blond swordsman lifted his daughter up and moved to plop down on the bench where she had been sitting previously. Terra nodded in acknowledgment. "Cloud."

Cloud's only response was a weary sigh as he leaned his head back dramatically. His daughter bounced around on his lap, her hyperactive mouth running a hundred questions a second, admittedly half of it was unintelligible.

Terra inclined his head sympathetically. He was suddenly very grateful for his son's generally calm demeanor, though he also wasn't so withdrawn like Denzel either. "You know," the dark haired man began carefully. "She's only like that around you."

Another sigh from the blond. "I know." He still wasn't answering the young girl's demanding questions which continued to spill from her mouth at a rapid rate.

"She only wants your attention," Terra offered, watching as the girl was desperately trying to get her father to interact with her.

"I know." Cloud still refused to raise his head, glazed eyes aimed at the darkening blue sky above.

Terra chuckled with a shake of his head. There was just no helping some people. He looked up to see that Lea had approached silently and stood in front of the bench for a moment, eying his contemporaries and their spawn with a passive gaze. How he managed to sneak up on virtually everyone was a mystery that Terra had long since given up on. "Daddy!" Denzel exclaimed, a rare expression of joy split the chubby toddler's face and he reached out to his father eagerly.

Terra watched with amused interest as Lea's blank expression suddenly lit up with a smile of his own. "Heya Kiddo!" The fiery haired man lifted his son into the air and spun him around a few times before collapsing onto the bench on Terra's other side. Denzel giggling and snuggling up to his father contentedly. "Yo," Lea greeted his peers with a wave before looking back down to his passive son and rigorously ruffling his hair as though he were trying to get him riled up. To no avail, the boy simply clung tighter to his father's shirt and chuckled happily.

Terra nodded and blinked at him. He looked from Lea and Denzel to Cloud and Marlene, the characteristic contrast between child and parent was truly astonishing.

The sun had finally set, only its residual light remained in the air while the first of the stars began appearing in the darkening sky. All three men sat there for a moment longer with their respective child in their lap, a common thought passing between them without words; being a father was tiring.

"My turn tomorrow," Cloud announced in a monotone as he finally lifted his head and ruffled Marlene's hair with a grin. The girl giggled at the fond gesture but pushed his hand away, her seemingly endless string of questions ceasing as she leaned into her father with a smile.

Terra and Lea nodded before all three men stood up at once, as if in response to a silent prompt, each child beginning to doze in their father's arms.

As they went their separate ways upon reaching the residential wing of the Academy, Terra found himself sighing with relief. He'd finally get a day off from babysitting tomorrow. Ever since he and Aqua had returned from their journey to multiple worlds, the Keyblade Academy had adopted an apprentice system from one such world. Every master, Keyblade wielder or not could take on one apprentice at a time, from the age of nine until they showed the signs for the mark of mastery, where they would then be tested for their Keyblade wielding compatibility.

Both he and Ventus had finally become masters a few years ago and could thus take on an apprentice if they so desired. But neither had as of yet, each for different reasons. Ven didn't feel experienced enough to teach yet, for one, and was waiting for the right apprentice to come along for another. Terra, on the other hand, simply just wanted to spend more time with his son, as Aqua was constantly busy with other matters. Both she and Sora were the Academy's Grand Masters, another term adopted by the same world as before, and as such they had many responsibilities. They shared the task of training and preparing the youngest students, from the age of six to nine, or until they found a master to be apprenticed to.

Cloud, Lea and their respective wives had all taken on an apprentice awhile ago, thus leaving Terra to watch the three children most days while their parents were off training the future Keyblade Guardians. Even on his rare days off though, Terra opted to keep Eraqus with him, as he had no excuse not to, and he enjoyed giving him one on one time without the other two around. Terra thought about that for a moment, wondering if maybe that was why Eraqus had such a stable demeanor. More often than not, he had his father's attention whenever he wanted it.

As if his thoughts had roused the boy, Eraqus peeked up at his father through sleepy blue slits. "Will I get to see Mom tonight?"

Terra's stride faltered for an instant but he quickly recovered and hushed the boy gently in an attempt to forestall a question that he wasn't entirely capable of answering. He fought off a visible cringe when Eraqus opened his eyes a little wider, his sleepiness waring off in light of his concern. "Dad?" he whimpered sadly, on the verge of tears.

Terra met his son's blue gaze with his own and sighed in defeat. "I don't know Eraq, maybe, but you know how busy she is." He knew it was unreasonable to make a five year old understand that his mother was too busy for him, but he also knew Eraqus was smart enough to know his mother was an important person. At the same time, he just couldn't find it in his heart to expect his son to be selfless about the matter and willingly share his mother with the world.

The boy said nothing in reply and gripped his father's shirt in a tight fist, burying his face in the same fabric out of frustration and sadness. Terra frowned deeply and instinctively held him tighter as he stepped up to their quarters and entered after shifting the boy a bit to open the door.

Eraqus gave the dark apartment a quick scan and let his eyes drop to the floor with a sob. "She's not here."

Terra groaned. This was Eraqus' one emotional downfall compared to the other kids. Though he really couldn't blame him. He was only five; it was natural for him to want his mother. At least the other two kids would always go home to both parents every night.

Terra was lucky though, since Eraqus knew better than to throw a fit or bawl his lungs out. He simply clung to his shirt and sobbed pathetically, his cries hampered down to a whimpering. Terra smiled sadly at the boy and moved to the kitchen, flicking on lights as he went. "Hey, how about a snack?"

Eraqus sniffed and nodded, rubbing at his eyes in vain as tears continued to run, though his mite cries lessened somewhat. Terra sat him down on the kitchen counter and opened the freezer nearby before fishing out a couple sticks with blue colored ice cream. The boy's eyes lit up and his whining faded, replaced by a hitched breath followed by a hiccup as he reached out for the sweet treat, licking the frozen liquid contentedly. Terra took a bite out of his own ice cream, leaned down and touched his forehead to his son's. "Feel better?"

Eraqus nodded against his father's head and offered a placated smile, though his eyes still betrayed a tormented longing. Terra stepped back and watched the boy devour his unlikely dinner. They were both half done with their bedtime snack when they heard the front door open and close. "Mom's home!" Eraqus perked up instantly and looked to the doorway expectantly while Terra visibly cringed at the sound. Not good, not good! He turned just in time to see Aqua step into the kitchen with a heavy weariness in her eyes. Though she was not so delirious to ignore the crime so blatantly held in both her boy's hands.

"Terra," she sighed in exasperation, one hand massaging her forehead as though she had suddenly contracted a headache. "What have you done?"

* * *

_AN: So, just to clarify, Eraq is pronounced like Eric for all intents and purposes. And for anyone who wondered, yes, Cloud is dead inside... I would be too, if I had a hyperactive daughter like that... But I don't, so I get to torture him. Heheh._


	2. of Repose

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

**Chapter Two – of Repose**

* * *

Aqua allowed a groan to rumble in her throat as she poured over various papers on the desk in front of her. She adjusted the lamp nearby and glanced out her office window to see that darkness had enveloped the day. With a frown she turned back to the grueling paperwork at her fingertips and buried her hands into her azure colored hair, which she had grown out to just below her shoulder blades. She was grading essays written by her older students on the subject of diplomacy in the field. Granted, it was an advanced subject for nine year old children, but she and Terra had been taught such things at that age and she felt there was no reason they couldn't begin their lessons just as early.

Her vision blurred as she focused back on the words scratched on the page currently in front of her and she pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to ward off an impending headache. Resigning herself for the day, Aqua stood up and leaned on her desk for a moment, gauging how much work she still had to do before retiring. Really, there was nothing more she could accomplish if she couldn't even keep the words from hopping off the page in her exhaustion.

With a weary sigh she straightened and smoothed out her sleeveless white coat, which reached down to her hips and effectively covered her back and shoulders as well as the perfectly round scar that adorned itself under her left shoulder blade; an old wound that would sometimes flare to life in her dreams. She still wore her black halter top underneath, though she had traded her blue and white sashes for a billowing blue cape-like attachment which was anchored at the top left shoulder of her coat; a mark of her Grand Master status. Her silver-blue pauldrens were still present on her arms and were mounted on her white sleeves on either arm. Her black shorts were somewhat longer and more modest while she had exchanged her short black boots and leggings for knee high black boots instead, leaving only her lower thigh skin exposed. She liked to think her new attire was more dignified for her role as teacher and co-leader of the Academy.

With a hand pressed to her head tiredly, she crossed to exit her small office and headed toward the residential wing. She hoped the short walk home would release the tension in her neck and ease the throbbing that had set in behind her eyes, though she suspected the latter was due to sleep deprivation. She also hoped she'd get to see Eraqus before he fell asleep, since more often than not, she couldn't finish her work and make it home before his bedtime. If she calculated right, Terra would be feeding him dinner about now and she would get to at least tuck the boy in bed for once.

She sighed and frowned as a deep sadness pooled in her sky blue eyes. She longed to spend more time with her family but she couldn't just ignore her responsibilities to the Academy either. The worlds depended on its success should another crisis arise. In her mind, she knew she was making the right decision, but even so, the aching regret in her heart pricked every time she sacrificed time away from her son, not to mention her husband, who was a diligent and loving father.

Sometimes Aqua wished she could step down from her position and let someone else take her place for awhile, but no one had yet to volunteer, and she couldn't just up and quit, because in all reality, the Keyblade's Chosen was not at all cut out for the particulars of leadership. Sora could certainly teach and lead by example, especially since everyone believed in him, but when it came to paperwork and decision making he was sorely lacking. He _could_ be serious and responsible when he chose to be but he was still goofy and aloof at times, something Aqua was sure would never change.

Then there was Riku, the third and last Grand Master. Though absent, he demonstrated many of the qualities a good leader needed; caring, confident, resolute and most importantly, serious. Aqua felt that she could easily step down from her position if he and Sora were leading together. The only problem being that Riku had departed on a solo journey shortly after the Grand Master and Apprentice system had been established. He had been concerned about the state of the worlds and left to investigate for any unusual disturbances, and had yet to return. Almost everyone gave up hope that he ever would, everyone but Sora and Kairi that is. His best friends had faith that he would return one day, so Aqua would too. Then maybe she could finally spend time with her family...

So caught up in her thoughts, Aqua hardly noticed when she had halted just outside her and Terra's quarters. She shook her head briefly, shedding her light daze and opened the door and walked in, following the lights into the kitchen and pausing mid-step as she beheld the scene in front of her.

Eraqus sat on the kitchen counter with Terra standing only a foot away, both of them holding a bright blue ice cream in their hands. She met Terra's startled gaze and knew instantly that he hadn't expected her home so soon.

"Terra," she sighed in exasperation, one hand massaging her forehead as her headache had returned tenfold. "What have you done?"

Terra visibly gulped. Busted.

"Eh?" was his lame response and he was not at all ignorant to Eraqus' clever ploy at handing over his ice cream as though it were a plague before climbing off the counter in a scramble to greet his mother. Plugged with both pieces of evidence, Terra stood accused and guilty, red handed- er, blue handed as the ice cream had started melting in his grasp. Meeting Aqua's annoyed gaze bravely he tried to explain himself with a sheepish, lopsided grin. "He was upset, so I thought a little snack before dinner might help." He promptly dropped the sweets in the sink and wiped his hands with a rag.

Aqua knelt down to embrace her son and sighed again, though any fight she had left in her was feeble and she merely murmured over the boy in her arms. "He'll be up all night at this rate."

"Nah," Terra waved a hand dismissively. "He usually goes right to sleep."

Aqua pinned her husband with a withered glare. "Are you saying this has become a habit?"

"Uh- n-no," Terra sputtered, hand flying to his head nervously and attempting to look at anything but her, his eyes suddenly finding an intense interest in the ceiling. "Well, maybe like once a week..."

"Terra," Aqua groaned with disapproval, though she found she couldn't resist a content smile as Eraqus laughed happily in her arms.

She looked up with something akin to surprise when she heard Terra grunt from where he stood, his arms crossed and his tone bothered. "I don't know what you expect me to do. He gets upset when your not here. He misses you." He hesitated for a moment, his dark blue eyes shown with longing as they shifted back to meet hers. "_I_ miss you."

"Terra," Aqua began again, pleading and weak this time. "We've been over this. We can't be selfish-"

"Tell him that," Terra spat with irritation, gesturing to the boy with a frustrated scowl, his tone harsher than he had intended. "See if he understands."

Aqua frowned and looked down to Eraqus as he whimpered worriedly under her arms, stealing a glance between her and his father. Although Eraqus didn't understand everything they were saying, he could certainly tell when his parents were arguing and could feel the uncomfortable vibes rolling off both of them as though he were a direct link between them.

He may not know what they were fighting about but he knew he didn't like it. He sniffed and felt a constricting tightness in his throat as he buried his face in the crook of his mother's neck. "I want to go to bed," he sobbed and clutched at her white coat despondently.

Aqua nodded against him and kissed his head reassuringly as she shared a look with Terra, his expression softening with both regret and sorrow. Aqua lifted the boy as she stood and closed the gap between her and her husband, pausing at his side long enough for him to touch the boy's head apologetically. "We can talk about this later."

Terra nodded as she moved away and headed for the boy's bedroom. He watched her go and noted with a wretched ache in his chest that their son's ragged breaths huffed miserably against his mother's chest. He regretted causing the boy distress, but _something_ had to give, and soon. Aqua might be one of the highest ranking people in the Academy, but he was her husband, and that meant he had at least some semblance of authority, right? That meant he could put is foot down every once in awhile... Right?

He blew out a breath of tension, deflated. Aqua had turned out to be the dominant one between them and he the passive, most of the time. Though every now and then he felt the need to assert himself, and now was one of those times. He would wait for a more appropriate moment though, since she seemed too exhausted to deal with the situation.

With his new resolve, he followed her to Eraqus' room and leaned against the door frame, watching as she had curled up next to the boy on the edge of his small bed and hummed a soft lullaby. Terra stood there for awhile, closing his eyes and listening to her soothing melody until it faded. He looked up to see she had dozed off along with their son, though he knew if she merely twitched she'd end up falling out of the tiny bed. With a sympathetic smile he crossed the room and retrieved his wife, lifting her up bridal style and exited the room swiftly and silently.

"Terra," she jerked awake by the motion but made no move to resist his hold as he carried her to their bedroom, her mind rebounding on their former argument. "About Eraq-"

"Shhh," he hushed her gently as he set her on the bed and moved to change into his nightwear. "Tomorrow."

Aqua nodded and yawned as she sat up to remove her coat and boots but was simply too tired to bother changing into her own sleepwear. She dropped back to the bed, her head hitting her pillow with a thump. It wouldn't be the first time she slept in her usual clothes and she was suddenly very grateful that Terra had adjourned their discussion, for it seemed like her words had sunk into a deep well, and she hadn't the strength left to heft them out. Her eyelids eased closed and she felt the bed shift as her husband drew beside her and pulled the covers over her, since she hadn't even managed to do that herself. Her lips formed a worn smile when he pulled her closer, his arms wrapped about her waist as he kissed the crown of her head affectionately.

"I'm sorry," Terra breathed, his voice muffled by her soft sapphire hair. Even though his argument had been justified, he still felt a prickling guilt for upsetting their son and he never wanted to fall asleep feeling a weighty tension with his wife.

"Me too," Aqua murmured weakly in reply, not even able to open her heavy eyelids to look at him, instead she leaned into his warmth and sighed contentedly. She could feel her consciousness slipping pleasantly, her mind relaxing as though his embrace fended off all the stresses and concerns of the day, and suddenly all was right in the world.

She was sure she hadn't been asleep very long when she forced her eyelids open with a great effort. Terra was already in a deep sleep, his steady breathes puffing gently into her hair. She blinked in her delirium, wondering idly what had woken her. "Mom?" Eraqus whimpered from the doorway and Aqua realized that nothing short of her son's voice would have been able to wake her, her mother's instinct kicking in and overriding her exhaustion. She turned around in the bed with difficulty to regard the boy, Terra's arms holding her in place.

Eraqus stood obediently at the boundary of the doorway, awaiting permission. "Nightmare?" Aqua slurred in her half-asleep state, her tongue just barely performing its required function. The boy nodded confirmation but still hesitated until his mother reached out to him with one arm and lifted the covers with the other. Eraqus would have rightly leaped into the bed if Aqua hadn't shushed him at the last second, causing him to offer a sheepish smile and crawl in between his parents with special care not to disturb his father.

Careful as he was, wedging himself between them was bound to have an effect of some kind. But Terra merely grunted in his sleep and turned onto his back, unaware of the disturbance beside him, pulling out of his hold on Aqua and falling into an even deeper slumber.

Eraqus sniggered and nuzzled closer to his mother, whispering into her neck. "Dad's silly."

Aqua smiled weakly and embraced the boy without a reply, once again feeling the cocoon of unconsciousness wrap around her.

* * *

Terra grumbled and frowned against the piercing morning rays spilling in from the veiled windows. There was something heavy on his chest and it was making it hard for him to breathe. Annoyed, he growled and forced his eyes open enough to scrutinize the offender currently perched on his chest. An ebony furred cat stared right back, his copper-yellow eyes seeming to peer into the keybearer's soul ominously.

Terra squinted harder, trying desperately to discern the creature's intent but failing miserably. "Aqua," he croaked, not caring if his wife was sound asleep or not.

"Hm?" Aqua groaned in reply, not bothering to open her eyes.

"I think we should have named your cat Xehanort."

"Why?" the woman asked groggily through another groan, her mind not yet wrapping around his words completely as she inched her eyes open slightly.

"Because he's looking at me like he wants to possess my body and take over the world."

Aqua let out a gentle string of laughter and Terra was suddenly aware of a small body stirring beside him. He glanced over to see that it wasn't Aqua because she wasn't close enough and as an afterthought he wondered _why_ she wasn't close enough. That is until his son's head poked out from under the covers. The boy's drowsy blue eyes slowly drew to the tenebrous feline still perched on his father's chest and he smiled widely as he reached out to grab the creature. "Kupo!" Eraqus exclaimed but frowned when the cat scampered off in a panic. The boy's face quickly brightened and he chuckled in amusement when his father yelped due to the cat digging in his claws in his hasty escape from the child.

"See!" Terra sat up and clutched at his chest whilst making a wild gesture. "He's after my heart, there's your proof, Kupo is just Xehanort's reincarnated form."

"Terra," Aqua sniggered. "Kupo isn't after your heart."

"He was just saying good morning, Dad." Eraqus beamed at his father with a grin that was far too vibrant for such an early hour.

"And just how did you end up in here?" Terra questioned accusingly, though he smirked and poked the boy's side, eliciting a yelp and a recoil from him.

"Nightmare," Aqua supplied through a yawn, smiling fondly at the mischief in Terra's eyes as he honed in on the boy.

"Nightmare eh?" Terra chuckled devilishly and Eraqus seemed to curl in on himself with a squeak, expectant of the impending attack. "I'll give you a nightmare." The boy howled with laughter and writhed in his attempts to escape as Terra began tickling him relentlessly.

The assault didn't cease for some time, and Aqua had to sit up to avoid getting caught in the mayhem of it. "Mom-hah!" Eraq pleaded with a desperate huff whilst reaching for her dramatically. "Help-"

Aqua merely smiled down at the boy sympathetically, knowing better than to intervene in Terra's game of torture unless she wanted a part in it. The boy's constant laughter filled the room and seemed to light it up along with the growing morning light from the two windows along one wall. Terra finally halted his attack and the boy gasped for breathe and rolled away to clutch at his mother's shirt, desperately seeking protection while his laughter subsided into residual huffs.

Aqua's smile deepened as she looked down to rest a hand on his messy charcoal hair before looking up to meet Terra's gaze. He wore a complacent smirk with a contentment resting in his cobalt blue eyes. An unspoken moment of bliss passed between them, Eraqus puffing nearby, before it was abruptly broken. "Take the day off, just this once?" Terra asked, his expression pleading. "For Eraq?"

Aqua sighed sadly and dropped her gaze, their tranquil moment shattered. "I can't."

"Aqua-" Terra's protest was mild but she cut him off anyway.

"You know I can't," she told him a little more firmly, determination flashing in her eyes as she met his gaze again briefly. "But I'll try and make arrangements for another day."

Terra sighed in defeat, his eyes and countenance plummeting; he recognized a losing battle when he seen one. So much for putting his foot down. He frowned, suddenly disgusted with himself. Some husband he was.

"Hey," Aqua said, seeming to sense his distress. She drew his attention by reaching over to ease his head up and closed the space between them to place a fleeting kiss on his lips. "I promise, ok?"

With their faces still only inches apart, Terra nodded and pressed his forehead to hers with a placated smile. Any further exchange they might have had was dashed by an insistent shoving. They both looked down to see Eraqus was pushing weakly against Aqua's side to get her attention, that or to interrupt the moment, apparently he was becoming embarrassed by his parents' displays of affection for each other. "Breakfast Mom, I'm hungry!" He looked up pointedly, his sky blue orbs meeting hers.

"Alright," Aqua replied, touching his head again and smiling fondly at him. "Go do your chores and I'll get breakfast started."

With a broad smile of his own, the boy leaped off the bed and headed off to make his own bed and feed Kupo, a chore he took very seriously. With the child out of the way, Aqua leaned into her husband for one last moment together, and felt his strong arms wrap around her in response. She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly, relishing in his warmth and trying not to think about their separation for another long day.

* * *

Terra dozed lightly in and out of a nap as he lay on a bed of soft green grass in the middle of a small glade. The sun beamed lazily through the trees and pooled here and there in the grassy clearing. The sounds of Eraqus playing nearby kept the man as close to consciousness as he felt was appropriate. After all, the boy was enthralled with chasing various bugs around the peaceful clearing and honestly, what trouble could he get into from that?

Terra was about to find out.

He frowned in his light slumber, sensing something was off. Eraqus was suddenly too quiet. He blinked his eyes open only seconds before a panicked scream split the serene silence. Terra was on his feet and scanning the surroundings for his son, but he was nowhere in sight. He quickly honed in on the boy's wailing that was coming from the thin line of trees surrounding the area and bolted for him.

He found Eraqus sitting at the base of a warped and stunted tree with gnarled branches suspiciously close to the base of the trunk. The boy was clutching his right hand close to his chest as it bled profusely, tears streaming down his face as he wailed but quickly hampered his voice upon seeing his father. "Eraq," Terra said, somewhere between a gasp of worry and a sigh of exasperation as he knelt down to inspect the injury. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry Dad," the boy whined desperately, knowing he was in trouble and stifled his cries to sobs as his father provided a healing. "I saw a grasshopper and then there was a really colorful bird and it landed on a branch-"

Terra pressed a finger on the boy's mouth to silence his rambling and pinned him with a stern look. He could easily make the assumption that the boy had tried and failed to climb the twisted tree, noting also the offending jagged rock nearby that the boy's hand had been slashed against upon landing. "If you had landed differently..." His words died away as an image of the boy's head against the rock flashed in his mind and he banished it with a shake of his head. "Never mind, just, try to listen when I tell you not to run off, alright?"

Eraqus nodded and sniffed one last time with a swipe at his nose. Terra smiled fondly and gave his son's chin a chuck. It wasn't that the boy was deliberately trying to disobey a rule, he just had an overwhelming curiosity and simply couldn't resist investigating new things. Ven's influence, Terra was sure. When in doubt, blame Ven.

"Hey," Terra prompted, prodding his son's stomach after checking the time. "You hungry yet? How about we go have lunch with your mom?"

Eraqus suddenly beamed up at his father and nodded fervently, the dull ache in his hand forgotten as it faded every moment after the wound had been sealed. "Yeah!"

Terra chuckled and was about to stand when Eraqus grabbed his arm and hopped around excitedly. "Carry me Dad, it'll be faster!"

Terra gave his head an amused tilt. "Is that so?" With a fluid motion, he scooped the boy up, dropped him on his shoulders, and ruffled his charcoal blue hair with one hand while the other held the boy's leg to stabilize his position. "Are you sure this is faster? I sure am distracted by all this weight on my back!"

Eraqus laughed happily and gripped his father's dark brown hair just enough to stay upright. "Come on Dad, I'm not _that_ heavy!"

Terra scoffed and set off through the thin line of trees. Eraqus hummed and chuckled lightly, resting his chin on his father's head contentedly, his former accident seemingly already forgotten.

Terra had to fight off frowning with worry as he walked. This wasn't the first time Eraqus had run off and gotten into trouble, and the boy always seemed pick the exact moment when Terra wasn't watching or was distracted with one thing or another. Absently, he wondered if this behavior was simply in his nature or if it had a direct link to the absence of his mother.

If the latter was the case, one single day off wasn't going to rectify anything. They needed more time together, simple as that. Terra scrutinized his path ahead, a plot blooming in his mind the closer he came to the huge, looming shape of the Academy building.

It was time for plan B.

* * *

Terra stood, arms crossed and leaning against the wall in a hallway just outside a classroom where his wife was currently teaching, while Eraqus sat on a bench beside him, kicking his legs in boredom. He could hear Aqua's steady, confident voice as she spoke to her class, pausing only when allowing a child to answer a question.

When a mild bell chimed inside the room, Aqua dismissed her class for lunch break and the door suddenly swung open, a wave of children pouring into the hall excitedly. Terra watched them all scatter in the direction of the mess hall without giving him or Eraqus a single glance. Aqua followed sometime after, pausing in the doorway to give her husband and son a calculated look.

"Lunch?" Terra asked through a lopsided, sheepish grin.

"What have you got planned?" Aqua scrutinized her husband. It wasn't unusual for him to suggest they have lunch together, but something in his eyes gave away a hidden intent that she had become all too familiar with over the years.

"Come on Mom," Eraqus urged and tugged at the hem of her white coat impatiently. "It's lunch time and I'm hungry!"

"Alright," Aqua complied with a smile, though her expression still held a hint of suspicion as she eyed her husband one last time before leading the way to the mess hall.

Upon reaching the large cafeteria they collected their food and chose a small, secluded table in a corner to sit at. Eraqus ate happily at Aqua's side, humming a childish tune as he listened to his parents talk even though he couldn't understand everything they were saying.

The place was a buzz of activity, with children, apprentices, and masters all mingling together, creating a din of noise that was not unpleasant. The atmosphere was positive and joyful, and it wasn't difficult to carry a conversation. Thus Aqua had no trouble hearing Terra's suggestion when he caught her gaze with a fiery determination in his deep blue orbs. "Let's take a vacation."

"Huh?" Aqua let her spoon ease back to her plate, her face turning up at him skeptically. "How long of a vacation?"

"A week."

Aqua sighed wearily; she knew he had been plotting something. "Terra, I can't." She glanced down at her food, wondering if it was even going to be touched with the way her stomach knotted uncomfortably. She already felt bad for neglecting her family, and she didn't need him pressuring her like this. "A day off is one thing, but an entire week is out of the question, this place would fall apart if I left Sora in charge alone."

"He won't be alone," Terra argued. "Leon could help him keep an eye on things."

It was true, if anyone could lead, it was Leon. The only problem was that he really had no interest in teaching the children. He seemed quite content with his patrol duties and security detail. "I think Leon would only be able to keep the walls from collapsing for a few days at best," she replied flatly and gave him a sorry look. "A week is too long Terra, I'm sorry."

Before Terra could continue the argument, a sudden clamor erupted near the mess hall entrance and Sora appeared there, his expression beaming and excited as he surveyed the tables carefully. He wore his usual black outfit with its yellow and red highlights, though it had been altered to allow for his further growth into adulthood. His Grand Master cape was attached at his right shoulder and shimmered a bright gold as it draped down his arm to his wrist. His brown hair was as spiky and unruly as ever and his brilliant blue eyes flashed with satisfaction as they caught sight of his quarry. "Aqua!" he puffed, all but leaping to their table, hands gesturing around wildly in excitement. "Guess who's back?"

Before Aqua or Terra could inquire they looked to see a silver haired man step through the doorway, apparently in Sora's wake. "Riku!" the couple chorused as the entire cafeteria seemed to explode into excited activity. Riku visibly cringed at the sudden attention but quickly covered his discomfort with a pleasant smile as his friends and acquaintances crowded around to greet him.

"Yep," Sora affirmed proudly, hands on hips and a goofy grin on his mouth. "He just got back a little while ago. Says he has some things to talk to us about."

Terra's eyes narrowed into a sly smile. He had a few things to say as well, though he doubted he would even be included in the discussion and wondered if the matter was privy only to the three Grand Masters.

"Mom?" Eraqus tugged on Aqua's sleeve, his voice and face curious. "Who is Riku?"

She turned to him, remembering absently that Riku had left shortly after Eraqus was born, so the boy naturally wouldn't remember him. Before she could work up a reply, Sora cut in, placing his hands on the table and leaning towards the boy with his toothy grin. "Riku's one of my best friends!"

"Oh," the boy replied, blinking and confused. "Why has he been gone? Don't best friends play together?"

Sora frowned, crestfallen as Terra and Aqua shared a laugh with Aqua managing to supply an answer in terms the boy could understand. "Riku's been gone for a long time, on a very important mission."

The crowd had begun dispersing around the third Grand Master and when Riku came forward to greet them, Aqua searched for any notable changes in the man, but found none, except for maybe a new glint of enlightenment in his aquamarine eyes. He still wore the same baggy blue-gray pants and sleeveless white vest with gold and black trim while his white-gray hair was as long and unkempt as always. The gleaming silver fabric of his mark of Grand Master was anchored on his left shoulder, much like Sora's and giving off a mirror effect as they stood side by side. "It's been awhile," he addressed with an easy smile, cringing slightly when Sora punched his arm playfully.

Terra and Aqua replied in like and Riku looked down in question when he felt a tugging on his pant leg. "Hi Riku!" Eraqus greeted eagerly, smiling timidly up at the white haired man. "I'm Eraq. Wow you're almost as tall as my Dad!"

"Your son, I take it?" Riku glanced from the boy, to Terra, Aqua, and back to the boy again when the pair nodded at his question. He knelt down and placed a hand on the boy's head. "Eraq huh? That short for Eraqus?" He knew who the boy was named after, since he had left after he was born, but felt it was necessary to humor him.

"Yep," Eraqus nodded fervently under the man's hand. "I'm named after my dad's dad!"

"Well," Riku highlighted, attempting to sound impressed and sharing an amused look with Sora and the boy's parents before turning back to him with a wry smile. "That sounds like a big responsibly, are you living up to it?"

Eraqus nodded at first, though his eyes drew away for an instant, remembering his most recent accident earlier. "Well, I'm trying!" Though he wasn't really sure what it meant to live up to a name exactly.

"Eraq," Aqua beckoned. "Come back and finish your lunch, Riku is probably hungry too." Eraqus obeyed while Riku and Sora left to retrieve their own lunch.

Aqua glanced up to see Terra staring at her objectively. "What?" She knew that look all too well. The look of a predator locked on to its prey.

"You know what."

"No," Aqua assured him. "I'm pretty sure I don't. Enlighten me."

"Riku's back."

"And?"

"Think about it."

Aqua sighed. As much as she tried to deny it, she knew exactly what he was getting at. Riku was back, and that meant he could pick up any slack Sora and Leon couldn't handle if she left for a week. But it still worried her. "Terra, we can't just dump this on him as soon as he gets back-"

"We can, and we will."

"But-"

"No buts," Terra told her, his tone unusually firm. "Eraqus needs this. _I_ need this. And whether you admit it or not, _you_ need this."

Aqua sighed again, feeling defeated and unable to argue with him about something he felt so strongly about. "I'll mention it tonight when Riku delivers his report." Surely everything would hold up for a week until she got back? "Where is this vacation of yours taking us?"

Terra smiled, his heart swelling with victory. "Disney Town."

* * *

_AN: Kupo originates from Nya which equals Aqua's cat's name. Anyway, cookies to whoever can guess the character I recycled Aqua's new outfit from. I love recycling, it saves the planet you know..._


	3. of Friends

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

_AN: Grats to troyboltonsgirl for guessing Aqua's new outfit! Yes, it is Lightning's from FF13. (Can you just imagine Aqua in Light's outfit? OMG the epicness!)... Read on and Enjoy!  
_

**Chapter Three – of Friends**

* * *

"Riku, you're really back!" Ventus exclaimed when he entered the council room. His blond hair was kept short as usual, and it still spiked upward in an uncanny swirl. His attire hadn't changed much over the years, although much like Sora's, his clothes had been altered to compensate for his final height change into adulthood. His blue eyes sparked with excitement as he approached the silver haired Grand Master and reached out for a handshake at the arm in a brotherly greeting. "You finally gonna tell us what you found out there?"

"Ven," Riku returned the greeting with a nod and met the blond's grip with his own. "I will, as soon as everyone assembles." The Grand Master gestured to the empty seat beside Terra, a silent suggestion for Ven to take his seat.

Ven offered an easy grin and did as he was bid, crossing to his seat with a sweep of the room. "Heh, glad I'm not the one holding us up."

Ven took his seat beside Terra at the long, rectangular table in the council room, with Aqua only a seat away beside her husband. The three friends spoke softly together as they waited for the rest of the masters to assemble. Apparently whatever Riku had to say was important enough, yet not so confidential that he could share it with the others. Riku and Sora sat on Aqua's other side, with Riku taking the head of the table, as he was taking charge of the meeting. Kairi soon entered and took a seat next to Sora, sharing fond smiles and a greeting with her two best friends.

"Well, I've got some good news and some bad news," Riku announced when the last of the masters filed in and took their seats, his gaze passing over all the people assembled. All the masters in the Academy were present, keybearers or not. "The good news is, all the worlds I visited seemed stable. The bad news is, I've recently been encountering Heartless."

There was a sudden, collective gasp and murmuring among those gathered. "There will always be Heartless," Leon said, arms crossed as his gaze drifted calmly. "Just as there will always be darkness. What we need to be aware of is another uprising."

"Right," Riku agreed, nodding to the older man respectfully even though he outranked him. "I don't think this is an uprising, but their numbers have been growing steadily this past year. There was a time when I didn't come across any, but lately it seemed like every world I visited, I encountered at least five."

"Hardly n' uprising," Cid muttered. "But a concern t'be sure."

Everyone else nodded their agreement. Cid wasn't a master, but his seniority and input were both respected as if he were one. Riku looked up to Sora and then Aqua. "I'm not sure what we should do about this for now. Other than continue to monitor their numbers and wait."

"Are you kidding?" Yuffie howled with excitement from her place across the table. "This is the perfect opportunity for us to take our apprentices out in the field! Nothing better than hands on training, nothing at all!"

"Yuffie," Lea groaned and pulled her back to her seat as apparently she had stood up in her exclamation. "Sit down."

Yuffie hissed at him but folded her arms and harrumphed with a pout.

"I agree with Yuffie," Tifa announced, giving the ninja a sly smile to which Yuffie returned before obstinately sticking her tongue out at her red-headed husband. "We should take advantage of any opportunity to train our future Guardians in case a crisis does arise soon."

"Agreed," both Cloud and Leon echoed.

This continued as everyone voted in favor until it came to Lea's turn and all eyes turned to him. He groaned, loudly, and eyed his dark haired wife incorrigibly. "There won't be any talking to her after this..."

"Your vote, Lea," Riku pressed; it wasn't a question.

"Yeah, yeah, I agree already," Lea groaned again, waved a bother hand and glared when his wife all but laughed in his face.

Terra watched the exchange with a wry smile, thinking that if Lea had cat ears they would be switched back in aggravation, matching his fierce, cat-like green eyes. Terra often wondered how the two ever managed to get along long enough to-

"We're in an accord then," Riku announced firmly, rightly cutting into Terra's suggestive thoughts. "We'll start assembling teams right away, and decide how many should be deployed at any given time. We should also synchronize check in times, so we know if the teams run into trouble."

With another furtive glance to Yuffie and Lea, Terra noticed they were no longer listening to the discussion. In fact Yuffie seemed to be making a snide comment of some kind and prodded Lea in the ribs in a challenge and he in turn looked about ready to pounce on her and tear her into tiny little pieces. It suddenly occurred to Terra that perhaps they never actually did get along, and that was how they-

"Shouldn't we setup some kind of tracking system on the Gummi ships?" Sora interjected suddenly, once again shattering Terra's questionable thought pattern. "If a team does run into trouble, how will we find them?"

"That will take some time to program," Cid replied, sharing a look with Leon. "But I think Tron might be able to rig something up for us."

"Good idea," Riku agreed with a nod and stood up, a silent signal for the meeting to be adjourned. Which was a good thing, because there was no telling how much longer there would be peace in the small room with the way a certain couple had started bickering... loudly. "We start planning tomorrow then," Riku added with a heightened volume, though his tone implied he didn't care to acknowledge the couple's disturbance, and neither did anyone else for that matter.

Everyone except Aqua stood up to leave and she held out a hand to Riku and Sora. "I need to speak with both of you for a minute."

"Hm?" Sora turned to her, his shining blue eyes curious. "What's up Aqua?" Riku turned to her as well, a silent and steady patience in his expression.

Aqua shifted on her feet uncomfortably and crossed her arms to mask the feeling; this wasn't going to be easy, especially in light of the meeting just now. She caught and held Terra's gaze for an instant as he followed the other masters out of the room. Sky blue uncertainty met with cobalt determination and Aqua suddenly knew without question that she would have to follow through with her request. She had told her husband she would at least mention it, and she was a woman of her word. She did feel a prickle of guilt though, knowing Sora and Riku were both so selfless and caring that they would by no means deny her request, and she felt like she was taking advantage of their kindness.

"What is it, Aqua?" Riku finally prodded gently, his patience seeming to ebb somewhat. Aqua regarded her fellow leaders objectively as Terra shut the door behind him.

* * *

"Hey Cid," Terra called as he caught up to the older man with a few hasty strides. "Got a moment?"

"Eh?" was Cid's grumpy reply. He hunched his shoulders as he walked, his hands jammed into his pockets while twitching his toothpick around in his mouth. "Maybe." The blond man sized Terra up before refocusing on his path, not pausing his steps for an instant. "Talk fast, I got work to do."

"Well, the thing is," Terra began hesitantly, knowing his request was rather dubious. "I need a ship. A ship with enough room for five people."

"Five?" Cid rumbled, his question rhetorical. "Most of my ships are two or four seaters," he said, scrutinizing. "Why in the world would you need room for five?"

"Come on Cid, I know you've got at least one ship like that," Terra replied, neatly sidestepping the older man's question. "You've got one of everything when it comes to Gummi ships."

"Yeah I got one," Cid grumbled, though he rolled his shoulders and chucked a thumb across his nose arrogantly. "When do you need it? I may not be able to install the tracking system until I have Tron work up a program for it. That could take days for all I know."

"That's fine," Terra said, clapping a hand on the blond's back appreciatively. "We should be leaving tomorrow, and we won't be going anywhere dangerous, so we don't need the tracking system."

Cid hummed suspiciously and watched the keybearer from a sidelong glance, chewing his toothpick for a moment before shrugging his shoulders indifferently. "I'll hav'er fired up and ready for ya by tomorrow then." He shook a pointed finger at the dark haired man. "But bring 'er back in one piece, got it?"

Terra held up his hands defensively and offered a sheepish smile. "Yeah, got it, not a scratch."

With one final grumble, Cid waved a dismissive hand and carried on to his beloved Gummi ship hanger, leaving Terra to backtrack and retrieve his son.

Aerith's emerald eyes looked up and she smiled warmly as Terra entered the small room that served as a daycare which was stationed just down the hall from the council room. "Eraq has been waiting for you," she told him, turning her smile to the boy in turn. "Very patiently I might add."

"Thanks for watching him, Aerith," Terra replied with an appreciative smile as Eraq ran up and dove into his father's arms. "I'm not sure how well our council meeting would have went with the three of them running loose in there." He noted idly that Marlene and Denzel were already gone, Cloud apparently picked them up to continue his role as babysitter for the day.

The woman waved a lazy hand at him. "It's no trouble at all, they're all very well behaved. Especially Eraq," she told him, coming forward to poke at the boy's nose. "He wants nothing more than to make me smile." She stepped back and placed both hands on her hips plaintively. "In fact I wish you'd let me babysit more often, he really brightens up my day!"

"Is that so?" Terra blinked at the normally passive, gentle woman before him. Seeing her even somewhat miffed was a rarity for him. He let a grin slip and hefted his son slightly. "You hear that Eraq? You're a valuable commodity around here." Suddenly bashful, the boy buried his face in his father's shirt in an attempt to hide.

"Yes," Aerith laughed lightly. "Something tells me he's going to be a real heart-breaker when he grows up."

Terra chuckled along with her for a moment until Eraq started bouncing in his arms impatiently. "C'mon Dad, let's _go_ already!"

"Ok, ok," Terra complied and ruffled the boy's already messy hair before looking to the woman again. "Say, Aerith, did Ven happen to pass by after the meeting?"

"Well, yes, actually." Aerith tapped her chin thoughtfully. "He stopped here briefly to say hi to the kids and then he said something about the training room and ran off."

"Training room, great, thanks again Aerith," Terra replied and departed from the small room after shifting his son to ride on his shoulders for the second time that day.

Upon reaching the large training room, Terra singled out his blond friend among the many apprentices and students present. A good portion of them observed Ven's movements in awe and perhaps a touch of envy as he flowed through his strikes and feints flawlessly against his imaginary enemy, Wayward Wind a whirling blur of black and gold in his grasp. "Hey Ven," Terra called and waved to get his friend's attention when he had finished his most recent routine. "Stop showing off and c'mere a minute."

Ven's scowling response didn't last long as he approached obediently. "I'm not showing off," he grumbled as they both sat down on one of the many benches that lined the perimeter of the vast room. "It's like this no matter where I train."

"Whatever," Terra replied, eased his son down off his shoulders and shoved at his friend teasingly, to which Ven automatically shoved back with a smirk. "I've got a proposition for you."

"Yeah?" Ven wondered and watched absently as Eraqus ran up to a small group of older children and quickly integrated with them. "Make it quick, I've got a lot of training to catch up on."

Terra smirked complacently. "Something tells me you'll forget all about training when you hear what I've got planned."

Ven rolled his eyes and gave his friend a long suffering look."Terra, we've got the beginnings of a crisis on our hands and you think just anything will sidetrack me from-" Ven's mouth hung ajar in that instant as Terra brandished a handful of Disney Town passes he'd acquired from that oddball duck in the marketplace, the same duck that sold Eraqus' favorite blue ice cream. "What are you?-"

"Wanna come?" Terra waved the cards around in a tantalizing gesture that he was certain Ven wouldn't be able to resist.

"You guys are going to Disney Town?" Ven whined, his bright blue eyes glimmering with hope as his inner child burst forth, regardless of the countless walls and barriers he had built in his mind over the years to contain it. "And I'm invited?"

Terra hummed thoughtfully for an instant and cast a brief glance in Eraqus' direction, who was currently interacting with the older children in the area. "That depends..."

"Oh," Ven huffed, his eyes shining with a sudden realization. "So you just want me along so I can babysit for you!"

"Only sometimes," Terra admitted with a lopsided grin. "And you won't be watching him alone. We'll be picking up an old friend beforehand."

"And who might that be?"

Terra smirked. "You'll find out."

"But I wanna know now!" Ven complained, his tone and expression reminiscent to what it had been in his teen years so long ago.

* * *

"Eraq, stop wiggling and hold still already," Terra grumbled at his son as he fussed with the boy's seat buckle. Once he had the contraption latched, Terra stepped back and surveyed the expansive cockpit of their provided Gummi ship. There were six seats, even though he had only asked for five; apparently Cid had a thing for even numbers. The bolted-down chairs were arrayed in three rows of two and the control console nearby blinked and beeped with various colors as it waited in a dormant, standby state.

Aqua stepped in beside him and deposited a small travel bag in a compartment on the wall before inspecting Terra's handiwork on their son's seat belt and that the boy's new attire wasn't causing him any discomfort. Although his usual clothes were fine for home, he needed something a little more appropriate for travel. He still wore a simple black T-shirt but Aqua had fitted him with a black and red sleeveless vest as well which would provide somewhat more protection for his torso. Instead of his tan shorts he wore a pair of thick, dark brown pants to better protect his legs and his black shoes were swapped out for a pair of brown boots that reached up to better support his ankles.

Aqua nodded her approval and she and Terra shared a mild smile together. Just as they had both anticipated, Sora and Riku had wished them well on their vacation and assured Aqua that they would hold down the fort until she returned. She and Terra had spent an hour before bed last night discussing their trip and carefully considered how many days they would be able to spend between travel time and the one other stop they had to make to pick up their "old friend" before they reached their destination.

"Mom," Eraqus demanded worriedly as he fidgeted under the uncomfortable pressure of the strap across his chest. "What about Kupo?" Aqua drew her attention to the boy and she met his gaze attentively.

"Don't worry about him, Eraq," she told him gently. "Aerith said she'd look after him while we're gone."

"Oh good," the boy sighed with a puff of relief and a wide smile. "She's good at babysitting." This roused a round of laughter from both his parents and the boy's smile only widened; he liked it a lot better when they weren't arguing about things he couldn't understand.

A noisy clamor trotted up the ship's ramp and Ven suddenly appeared in the cockpit, an excited, wild look about him as he dropped his own travel bag unceremoniously on the floor. "This is it then? We're really going to Disney Town? All of us? Together?" His voice was so full of disbelief even though both his friends nodded their heads pointedly every time he punctuated a question. "I can't believe it, after all these years, we finally get to go together!"

"Yeah," Aqua agreed and beamed at him fondly before sweeping a glance over Eraqus. "Only, there's four of us this time."

"Soon to be the five of us," Terra put in as he took his place in the pilot's seat and proceeded in pushing various buttons and controls.

"I still wish you'd tell me who that will be," Ven grumbled.

"Nope," Terra replied stubbornly and without a glance to the blond as he studied the console. "You'll find out when we get there."

Ven growled and scratched at his head with both hands with intense aggravation before walking over and plopping down in the co-pilot's seat beside Terra. "Well hurry up! So I can find out!"

Aqua's smile remained and she couldn't withhold a breath of laughter at their antics before she sat down in the seat directly behind Ven and beside Eraqus. She looked to the boy, who was currently looking from Ven to Terra and then to her with a happy expression. "Eraq, the ship is going to shake a bit, but you don't need to be scared, I'm right here, alright?" Their seats were only a couple feet apart and she was able to reach out and grasp his small hand easily.

Eraqus blinked blankly at her but nodded his head anyway. He yelped with surprise a few seconds later when the ship hummed and roared to life. The floor and walls around them rumbled violently as the aircraft pulsed and hovered over its landing pad in the Gummi hanger. The roof of the hanger opened wide for their departure and Eraqus instinctively gripped his mother's hand more tightly and closed his eyes as the ship rose into the sky above. He whimpered as an uncomfortable rising sensation pulled at the back of his neck and stomach; he wasn't sure he liked this flying thing.

"Eraq," Aqua cooed at him as gently as she could amongst the noise of the ship's engines. "It's ok, you'll get used to it pretty soon."

She was right, after a few more minutes of that unpleasant pulling sensation it faded and was soon altogether gone. Eraqus finally opened his eyes again to see the cockpit had changed. Well, it hadn't really changed, but it was completely dark outside, and the only light in the room glowed strangely from the ceiling. "Where are we, Mom?" he asked, his eyes shining with wonder as shimmering white dots flashed by his window at a blinding speed.

Aqua smiled fondly at his curious question, though she was somewhat at a loss as to how to answer. "That's hard to explain."

Eraqus turned away from the window to gaze up at her in both awe and confusion. There wasn't very many things his mom couldn't explain to him. "But you said we were going to visit another world, so where is it?"

"We're in the space between worlds right now. There's a lot of open space between our world and the others."

"Oh," Eraqus hummed contemplatively. "How long will it take us to get there?"

Aqua's smile never faded as she eased her head back against her seat's headrest and closed her eyes contently. "Not long."

* * *

Six years later and Olympus Coliseum still hadn't changed much. Aside from that enormous, gold and gaudy statue of Hercules standing in a proud and arrogant pose in the middle of the town square... That certainly hadn't been there before. The three friends plus child stared up at the giant construct with a mixture of astonishment and perplexity.

Ven was the first to break out of the collective stupor. "_Well_," he announced, one hand on his hip as he gestured grandly at the statue with the other. "Looks like _someone_ became a hero after all this time."

The town square was noisy and there were people coming and going with every known kind of urgency. Though no one else seemed to be paying the ridiculous statue any kind of tribute. Aqua frowned up at it. Unlike their Master's memorial statue at home, which was half as big and much more regal looking and spoke quietly of all his achievements, this monstrosity before her screamed 'I saved the town, now worship my muscles!'. Though truthfully, she knew that couldn't have been Hercules' intent, if he had even condoned such a statue to be erected in the first place.

A sudden excited shouting erupted in the area and Aqua instinctively pulled Eraqus closer, though she relaxed when she seen who was causing the ruckus.

"Aqua, Terra, Ven!" Zack howled with glee and approached at a gallop with a huge grin on his face. "I can't believe it!"

Ven and Terra both instantly moved to greet the newcomer and Aqua hung back with Eraqus to observe the man curiously, since he certainly wasn't a teenager anymore. He was so much taller now, even rivaling Terra's impressive height, if not slightly taller. He had also grown quite handsome with his facial features exuding a noble gentleness somehow while his dark bangs were longer and cloaked his eyes from the side, both attributes sharing an uncanny similarity with her husband. His outfit had changed dramatically. Instead of his one piece of armor, he wore a sleeveless dark blue shirt made of some kind of protective mesh under his two shoulder pauldrons which appeared to be attached to two leather straps that reached down his chest and connected to another piece of armor that covered his abdomen. He still wore blue pants but they were the same dark shade as his shirt and he had traded his leather sandals for sturdy black boots that reached a few inches above his ankles. An imposing, and somewhat familiar, large sword hung behind his back and it only took Aqua a moment to recognize it as a weapon almost identical to Cloud's buster sword.

Zack's exuberant smile faded into a curious question as his gaze drifted from Terra and Ven to Aqua and the boy at her side. It took him a few seconds, but realization finally hit and his blue eyes lit up as he turned from the boy to Terra and back again; the resemblance between the two was simply just too similar to mistake. "No way! You guys already have a kid?"

"Already?" Terra objected incredulously. "It's been six years."

"Terra," Ven interjected with a condescending tone that matched his expression. "Don't make him do the math, he doesn't need to know how soon you and Aqua-" The blond's comment was promptly thrown off when Terra whacked him upside the head. "-got married!" Ven mended furiously as he clutched his head protectively.

"That's what I thought." Terra smirked complacently, though he soon frowned soberly when Ven turned on him and yowled like a wild animal. Soon they were both grappling and arguing back and forth as if they had reverted to their apprentice years and had completely forgotten about Zack.

Zack on the other hand ignored their debate as it turned into brotherly bickering and he focused on Aqua and the boy with charcoal blue hair. He crossed the short distance to them with such astonishing speed that it startled Eraqus and he jerked back to hide behind Aqua with a yelp. "Mom?" he called up to her worriedly, gripping her blue cape attachment nervously.

"It's okay Eraq," Aqua spoke softly to her son. "This is Zack, he's a friend." She stroked the boy's head reassuringly and tried to ease him back around gently. "Don't be rude, say hello."

Eraqus made a tiny whimpering noise but obeyed and poked his head out from behind his mother's cape; he didn't want to be rude. "Hi Zack," he greeted with a timid smile and a curious gaze.

"Well hey there," Zack responded as he crouched down to the boy's level and offered his trademark grin and a friendly gesture. "What's your name, kid?"

"Eraqus," the boy replied instantly as he drew closer and out of hiding; the man's gentle voice and expression reassuring him almost as much as his mother's touch. "Eraq for short," he specified proudly, as though it were a very important piece of information.

"Hey, that's like Ventus going by Ven all the time!" Zack chuckled and shot a sly look over his shoulder toward the blond as he added in a whisper to the boy, "yours is way cooler though."

Eraqus giggled, amused and moved closer, his apprehension toward to the man seeming to dissipate completely. "You're funny Zack."

"Am I?" Zack asked, his eyes closed and his smile turned into a lopsided grin as he ruffled the boy's dark hair playfully. "But I was being completely serious there."

Eraqus' laughter quickly died as he wondered for the umpteenth time why every adult felt the need to assault the hair on his head; he wasn't a puppy! He didn't mind it when his dad did so, but that was Dad, it was just different. He wanted to shout his displeasure to the world, but he knew better than to be disrespectful, so he endured the demeaning gesture with little more than a frown and a grumble.

"It's good to see you Zack," Aqua said, smiling fondly and drawing the man's attention up to her.

"Yeah," Zack replied and stood up, relenting his attack on the boy's dark mane. "So, you're a mom now, what's that like?"

Eraqus, thankful his head was left alone, watched Zack curiously as he talked to his mom. Zack had one hand on his side while his other hand scratched his neck, and Eraqus thought that meant he was nervous for some reason, since that's what Dad did when he was nervous about something. But, he wondered why Zack was nervous; after all, Mom wasn't scary.

"It's demanding," Aqua answered honestly, though her eyes softened as she glanced down to Eraqus affectionately. "But worth it."

Zack nodded soberly in understanding as he crossed his arms contemplatively, a comfortable smile on his lips. "So what brings you guys to Olympus?"

"We're on a vacation, and we actually came to pick you up," Aqua explained with a wry smile. "We were also hoping you would come with us to Radiant Garden and join the Keyblade Academy."

"Vacation?" Zack howled excitedly. "Keyblade Academy? I don't know what that is exactly but it sounds amazing!" He started squatting exuberantly, as though it were a mannerism he couldn't control when he got excited. "Let's go then!"

"Well that was fast," Terra remarked as he and Ven finally joined the trio, their hair mussed up from their tussle. "Already got him recruited?"

"I can be very persuasive," Aqua replied and attempted to right her husband's chaotic mane when he drew beside her.

"So just what were you doing outside the coliseum?" Ven asked Zack offhandedly. "You're usually always so focused on training."

"Oh," Zack said, seeming like he suddenly remembered something. "Well, I was with a friend."

"A friend?" Ven questioned, genuinely curious as he looked around the area in search of said friend.

Zack nodded, his gaze drifting across the town square to a side street that led to the marketplace where a woman sat patiently on a bench. "Yeah, you see, there's a girl here, her name is Rinoa. Her world was destroyed a long time ago and I think she might actually like to come with us." He waved at the woman across the square to get her attention and even made a few odd gestures for her to join them.

"Oh?" Terra smirked, a sly glint in his eyes as he nudged Zack's shoulder. "You finally got your own girlfriend?"

"Huh?" Zack scratched his head again, slightly embarrassed though he quickly shrugged it off. "Nah, I don't think I'm her type, though I can't say I didn't try!" He looked up to gaze at the woman in question wistfully as she approached, though his eyes held a platonic fondness. "I think she's looking for someone."

Aqua all but rolled her eyes. Boys. She looked down when she felt the little hand in her grasp tug slightly as Eraqus grew restless. Aqua dreaded the day her innocent little boy got old enough to chase after girls, or rather, they chased after him; because frankly, he was the cutest thing on two legs. She paled a little at the thought, feeling completely unprepared for the stress of it all and yet oddly comforted by the fact that she wouldn't need to worry about it for quite awhile yet.

Attempting to distract herself from the thought, Aqua watched as Zack's friend came closer and noted idly that a good sized, brown dog trotted along at her side. The woman's hair was long and black, with what seemed like brown highlights. Her clothes were interesting, though not really extraordinary. She wore a dark blue skirt over black shorts of modest length and a black tank top under a sleeveless light blue, robe-like garment that was tied together below her chest and draped all the way down to her black boots. She also wore a pair of arm warmers of the same light blue shade that reached from her elbows to her wrists. When she drew close enough, Aqua could see her eyes were like rich, dark brown pools, though they glinted with a rare, fiery brilliance as she swept them over the travelers. "Hey Zack, who are your friends?"

"Hey Rin," Zack welcomed casually and gestured to each person as he spoke."Meet Aqua, Terra and Ven," he introduced pleasantly and they each nodded in turn. "They all helped save the worlds, they're true heroes!"

"It's nice to meet all of you," Rinoa met happily, her smile radiating a contagious cheer. "It's not every day I get to meet a hero," she said dramatically and sent Zack a coy look, to which he slumped his shoulders into a deflated posture.

"Awww! Low blow!" Zack whined pathetically, his sky blue eyes peering at her as though she had just kicked a puppy.

"So," Ven started, rightly ignoring Zack's obvious suffering beside him. "Is it Rinoa or Rin?"

Rinoa offered an easy grin. "Call me Rin." Her attention was quickly averted downward when something tugged at the sleeve of her arm warmer and her eyes lit up with adoration at the sight before her.

"I'm Eraq," the boy announced, refusing to be overlooked as he peered up at her plaintively, as if he were offended for not being included in the introductions.

"Well hi there!" the woman chirped, bending down slightly with hands on knees as she regarded the boy with a pleasant smile. "Aren't you just a little cutie pie!"

Eraqus giggled at her compliment. "You're really pretty," he told her with a cute tilt of his head, unaware that his mother cringed beside him.

Aqua gaped, her gaze flitting from Rinoa to Eraqus and back again. He was far too young to be infatuated with anyone... wasn't he? She sighed with a strangled relief when the boy looked up to her, smiled and added innocently, "not as pretty as Mom though."

Zack chuckled, his eyes lighting on Terra briefly. "A clever one, he's got both bases covered there."

"He doesn't get it from me," Terra admitted outright.

"That's for sure!" Ven agreed with a grin, earning him a sharp look from Terra and dodging an indignant swipe from the man. "Boy, you sure have gotten slow!"

Terra growled at the blond, contemplating chasing him down and giving him a good torture session. It didn't matter to him that his friend was a grown man, he was still hopelessly susceptible to tickling, though Terra resisted the notion. For one thing, Ven was right in a sense and he doubted he could even catch him anymore. "I'm not slower, you're just _faster_."

"It's the same thing, Terra," Ven argued.

"No," Terra insisted. "It's not."

"How about we make this a competition then?" Zack offered, his attention had been switching between them as they argued but now his eyes lit up excitedly. "Really see how far we've come?"

"Well we're sure in the right place," Terra said, though he wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea, he also wasn't about to back down. "Let's just get it over with so we can leave." Granted, he didn't train as often or as hard as Ven, but he had still managed to stay fit and combat ready.

"To the coliseum!" Ven shouted excitedly and he and Zack raced off toward the imposing stadium, a competition in and of itself as Terra trailed behind with the two women and Eraqus, grumbling along about hyperactive grown men.

Rinoa sighed with aversion as she followed beside Aqua. "I really don't like that place," she remarked with a sour look, as though the mere thought of the building brought a bad taste to her mouth. "It's just an excuse for thick-headed brutes to show off their muscles. No offense, Terra," she mended when she remembered he would be participating as well.

"None taken," the dark haired man replied with a shrug. "I'm only in on it because they would have pestered me until I agreed."

"We don't have to go with them," Aqua ventured to Rinoa. "And I don't think I want Eraq exposed to that environment yet."

"Aww, but Mom, I wanna go with Dad," Eraq whined up at her, his hand tugging in her grasp as he reached plaintively for Terra.

Aqua opened her mouth to argue but Terra beat her to it as he drew close to rustle the boy's hair. "You're mother's right, Eraq, you wouldn't like it anyway." The boy dropped his gaze in a pout but nodded his head compliantly as his father stepped away. "Meet back by the statue?" Terra asked, catching Aqua's gaze before he was out of earshot.

"Sure." Aqua smirked after him, one hand on her hip as she gave her head a sly tilt. "If you can still walk, that is."

"Ha-ha," Terra feigned laughter sarcastically with a bothered wave and a grumble. "No respect these days, none at all."

Aqua watched him trudge along toward the coliseum in Zack and Ven's wake for a moment until she heard Eraq yelp and flinch beside her. She looked down to see that brown dog had suddenly drawn very close and was trying to get close enough to sniff at Eraq's head. Aqua instinctively pulled the boy closer, though he was already clutching at her leg fearfully.

"Oh sorry," Rinoa said, her attention drawn to the dog as well. "That's just Angelo, it's ok, she's just curious." She knelt down and called the dog to her and Angelo whined happily as she scratched her head. "No need to be afraid, Eraq, in fact, I think she likes you."

"R-really?" Eraqus asked, drawing away from his mother slightly as he steadily became more and more interested in the canine.

Rinoa grinned at him and gave her dog a look as she pointed at Eraqus. "Angelo, kiss." The dog gave an obedient whine and before Aqua or Eraqus could object, Angelo hopped over to the boy and gave his cheek a thorough licking. Eraqus yelped with surprise at first but then quickly recovered and laughed as he threw his arms around the dog's neck.

"Look Mom, Angelo likes me!" Eraqus called back excitedly, though he had yet to release his hold on the beast. Angelo sat down and whined, as she couldn't maneuver very well with the child latched onto her neck, though she endured the boy's affection with a wag of her tail.

Aqua smiled at the exchange; they were quite the pair with their heads almost exactly the same height. She was glad the boy was distracted from not getting his way earlier. "Is there anything we can do while we wait for the 'muscle-heads'?" she asked, her gaze drifting over to Rinoa.

"Well, we could go shopping!" Rinoa offered excitedly. "Zack is fun to hang out with and all, but he's definitely not a shopper..."

Aqua didn't think of herself as much of a shopper either, but it was definitely better than standing around doing nothing. As they set out toward the marketplace, she hazarded one last glance back at the looming coliseum and hoped the guys would be responsible enough not to injure each other too badly, especially since she wouldn't be nearby to heal them...

* * *

_AN: Well, I hope I did ok with this one, I'm not good at juggling so many characters... And here I am adding more... But I love Zack! And Rin should be in KH already! She's awesome and completely overlooked!... Anyway, please review, I will give you a hug?  
_


	4. of Rivalry

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

_AN: I would like to thank **istoleyourcheesecake** and **HeartofFyrwinde** for their constructive suggestions and ideas in past reviews and PM's, as I am trying to address those issues in this chapter and those to come. And while I'm at it, a big thanks to all my regular reviewers! Love you guys, you keep me inspired!_

**Chapter Four – of Rivalry**

* * *

Terra staggered back with a labored gasp of breath, his keyblade biting into the ground as he leaned on it for support. Zack had just knocked him away with that monstrous sword of his and Ven had promptly lunged at the swordsman, unintentionally giving Terra a much needed respite. The threesome had decided on a three-way free for all, since orchestrating three separate matches would have taken too long. So far, Terra felt like he was falling behind. He scowled with frustration; the other two were just too damn fast!

As though his thoughts had caught their attention, Ven and Zack broke off from their clash and homed in on the earthen warrior. Terra pulled himself to a defensive stance and prepared to fend them off. He just barely managed to block Ven's swift strikes and when Zack came in from the side with a horizontal slash aimed for both his foes, Terra had to leap over the thick slab of metal with a tight back-flip. Ven too, had to jump out of the way of the lethal strike, causing a momentary rift to settle between the three men, all of them either wheezing or gasping for breath out of excursion.

This gave Terra enough time to assess the situation. So far, it seemed like he and Zack were on a level playing field, with neither able to gain a substantial advantage over the other. When they were able to face off alone, Zack's speed would overtake him, but that cumbersome sword of his slowed him down just enough for Terra to catch him with a few powerful blows, which matched any marks Zack was able to breech Terra's nigh impenetrable defense.

It was Ven that was the real problem. He was just too fast and Terra hadn't even scored a single hit on the blond, whereas Ven had already adorned Terra's arms and armor with countless nicks and cuts, and though minor, they added up.

Zack, on the other hand, was able to keep up with Ven's outrageous speed, and had an advantage with that huge blade. It would only take one good strike... An idea blossomed in Terra's mind when the fight resumed, he parried Zack's most recent slash and turned on Ven with a battle cry. Startled, Ven leaped away while Zack tried to slow Terra's advance with a sweep at his feet but Terra blocked the blow with little effort and continued his pursuit of the blond. Once he finally had Ven cornered between himself, Zack, and the arena's wall, Terra fell back into his strongest defensive stance and prepared himself for the grueling task of wearing Ven down.

After fending off both Ven and Zack for a time, the two finally turned on each other and Terra hung back to let them at it. If he could just remove Ven from the equation, then he might stand a chance against Zack alone. He smirked; his plan was working.

Ven managed to dodge and parry most of Zack's strikes, but the blond didn't have Terra's strength to redirect the force when Zack's buster sword came down in a powerful vertical smash against his keyblade. The swordsman pinned the keybearer to the ground, their weapons screeching against each other in their struggle. They both held intense determined expressions as they glared at each other over the clashing metal between them, both warriors knowing that one of them was about to go down.

In a desperate bid, Ven angled his weapon that sent Zack's careening into the ground just inches away from his head. Ven rolled and leaped to his feet, apparently thinking his stunt would buy him some time to recover, but Zack hadn't recoiled like he obviously should have and instead used the impact to propel him in Ven's direction. The blond didn't have a chance to bring his weapon to bear and Zack struck, graciously using the blunt end of his weapon to slam into Ven's torso and flinging him across the arena, dirt and grit flying up in his wake as he finally made contact with a wall in an impressive explosion of debris.

"Ven?" Terra called after his friend and went to check on him as the dust settled. The blond was sitting against the cracked stone wall, still conscious, but his keyblade had left him; he was done.

Ven looked up to Terra, his eyes were unfocused but he could obviously tell who was standing over him and he raised a weak hand towards the other figure only a short distance away. "Get 'im Terra!"

Terra nodded and patted his friend's shoulder. He felt bad plotting against him but it was the only way he stood a chance. If the fight had been drawn out too long he'd have been worn down by their onslaught of quick strikes, even if he _was_ able to block the brunt of the damage. He stood up and faced Zack, who was holding his position some ten feet away and breathing heavily. Ven had taken his toll on both of them and now they would have to fight each other with what little reserves they had left.

Terra kicked off against the dusty ground and launched into a series of aggressive angled strikes, forcing Zack into a defensive retreat as he parried each blow.

With a grunt of effort, Zack shoved Terra's final strike away and used the small window to side step around him and made a wide, horizontal swing with his sword. He blinked with surprise as Terra neatly planted one hand on the flat expanse of the revolving blade and lifted his body up and over the deadly swing. He further utilized his momentum to mark Zack's shoulder, Earthshaker biting into the man's pauldron and chipping a piece of it away.

The two men retreated a step to size each other up. Zack scowled and Terra smirked. He had just proved he could land substantial hits and now Zack would become a little more desperate and would be more prone to making a mistake. He just didn't realize how desperate. "I won't lose again!" the black haired swordsman shouted fervently and lunged with a blinding speed that Terra was sure could not be tracked even at his best.

And he was not currently at his best.

Zack struck viciously against Terra's keyblade and Terra staggered back from the powerful blow, gasping with the effort as his boots bit into the ground from the sheer force of the assault. When Terra was finally able to match Zack's strength with his own, Zack gave a wild snarl of frustration and shifted his force upward with a jerk, causing Earthshaker to spin out of Terra's grasp and lodge itself deep into the ground some twenty feet away. Terra didn't have time to wonder in astonishment as to how Zack had managed to disarm him as he was promptly thrust by the flat length of the buster sword and launched into the same wall Ven had met with earlier. Although Terra had more endurance and was able to stand after such an attack, he knew by the way his legs shook and the ragged breaths entering his burning lungs that he was about to go down and only had a matter of seconds to finish this. He looked to his keyblade where it had landed unceremoniously on the ground and it disappeared in a flash, reappearing in his hand as Zack charged once again. Terra leaped skyward as high as his powerful legs would allow and kicked off from the stone wall in an angled trajectory toward his opponent, weapon poised.

With a blinding flash the final blows rang out between a screech of metal and the two warriors both fell to a knee with their backs to each other and only a few feet between them.

There was a tense moment of complete and utter silence, the swirling dirt and grit settling around them. They had been completely unaware of the crowd in the bleachers until they erupted in a deafening cheer as both Terra and Zack collapsed backward, their heads coming to rest mere inches apart and parallel as they stared up at the clear blue sky above, their heaving breaths coming through as wheezes and gasps. "A tie," Zack puffed with great effort. "I can live with."

Terra tried to nod but wasn't sure how successful the movement was. "Same here."

They both tried to look up as unsteady footsteps approached and Terra could see Ven standing above them, one arm clutching his ribs as though they were either badly bruised or broken. "You guys look terrible," the blond deadpanned ironically, for he had to have known he didn't look much better.

_Speak for yourself!_ Terra wanted to retort but his lungs wouldn't allow it, so he settled for waving a hand dismissively at his friend. Soon enough an attendant ran out to administer an elixir to each of them and then quickly retreated back to the vestibule without a word.

With their strength returning steadily every passing second, both Zack and Terra sat up. "Let's go find Aqua, hopefully she'll be willing to patch us up." The three friends helped each other up and staggered to the exit, the crowd giving one last explosive cheer for their performance. The trio were unaware of a curious, dark puff of smoke among the audience.

* * *

Angelo howled plaintively and gave her entire body an uncomfortable shake. "Oh stop fussing Angelo," Rinoa admonished, giving the dog's head a reassuring pat. "You'll get used to it." The dog whined and barked in response as she glanced back at the contraption strapped to her back and tried to scratch at it with her hind legs.

The threesome plus dog had returned to the statue after about an hour of perusing the marketplace and were waiting for the guys to meet them as planned. Among their shopping, Rinoa had found an attachment for Angelo that she thought was both adorable and functional. It was a small brown saddle that looked like it had been designed specifically for a canine, with a strap that wrapped around the fore of her sternum and another snaking down under her ribcage.

"I wanna ride Angelo now!" Eraqus howled excitedly and tried to dart to the dog but Aqua caught him and pulled him back to her.

"Hang on Eraq," she told him gently. "Let her get used to it first." When the idea of Eraqus riding the poor dog first came up, Aqua had her doubts the beast would even be able to support the boy's weight, but Rinoa assured her that Angelo was a sturdy critter and she was about as eager to see the pair trotting along as much as the boy was.

Aqua sat on the edge of the statue's pedestal and pulled Eraqus onto her lap. She watched as Rinoa knelt down beside Angelo a short distance away and offered her a treat, stroking her fur to help her cope. "Rin," Aqua called, a spark of curiosity flashing in her eyes. "Zack said you were looking for someone..."

"Hm?" Rinoa raised her head to meet Aqua's inquisitive gaze. "Oh, well, I guess you could say I am. But to be honest, I always sort of thought he'd end up finding me..."

"He?" the blue haired woman pressed with a cant of her head.

"Yep." Rinoa chuckled and looked up at the sky, as though she were pulling her thoughts from the clouds. "He can be pretty moody, and you can never really tell what he's thinking for sure, but he's always worried about his friends," she paused and her eyes seemed to darken as she dropped them to the ground as though a painful memory passed over her. "And he's always trying to protect them."

Aqua scrutinized the dark haired woman carefully, head shifting to the side thoughtfully; this guy was starting to sound awfully familiar... "What's his name?"

"Huh?" Rinoa looked up to Aqua with a startled expression, almost as if she had just woken up from a bad dream. She seemed dazed and it took her a moment to blink the glazed look out of her eyes. When she finally seemed ready to answer the question, Eraqus started wiggling and fussing in Aqua's hold furiously until he finally managed to extract himself from her and ran straight into his father's arms.

"Hey Dad, did you win?" the boy questioned as Terra scooped him up and continued toward the women with Zack and Ven trailing behind him tiredly.

"Nah," Terra answered and ruffled the boy's head affectionately. "It was a tie."

Aqua smirked up at her husband when he drew beside her. "All that trouble and none of you won?"

"Well, Ven _lost_," Zack offered as he nudged the blond's arm. "Does that count?"

"I didn't _lose_," Ven defended with a grumble. "I was just the first to go down."

"So," Zack said, prolonging the syllable as much as possible. "You lost."

Ven let out a dangerous growl and lunged at the swordsman, but Zack dodged and Ven leaped after him again, instigating a chase that Zack led over to Rinoa. He skirted around her and Ven slid on the dusty earth, nearly face planting on the tight turn around the woman as he continued his pursuit. Angelo barked excitedly and joined the chase, to which both men ignored. "Zack!" Ven howled, trying to sound furious, though his voice betrayed amusement and he couldn't hide his smile completely. "Take it back!"

"Never!" Zack called over his shoulder with a jovial grin as he completed his circuit and rounded on Terra and Aqua, to which the brunet and Eraqus watched with a passive interest. Aqua merely rolled her eyes.

"Come on guys," Terra complained after awhile and set his son down to move and intervene when Angelo suddenly halted mid-stride and looked over towards Aqua, her throat emitting a low, menacing growl.

Hades emerged from his smoky portal and Aqua was on her feet and reaching for her son within a matter of seconds. "Well, well, well, _what_ do we have here?" the devilish god crooned as he held out his arms grandly. "My favorite heroes, all in one place."

"Hades!" Rinoa spat and stood up, looking like she was ready to leap at him and tear him limb from limb.

Hades flashed over to her in a blink and leaned on her shoulder, smiling deviously. "Hey babe, you know my offer is still on the table, just say the word and I'll get you in touch with that moody lover boy of yours." Rinoa hissed and shrugged him off but made no move to attack him, no doubt knowing it wouldn't do any good. "It must really irk you, knowing he was running around with another girl for so long, eh?"

"Your fabrications don't interest me, Hades." The dark haired woman stood her ground and raised her chin stubbornly.

"Fabrications?" Hades cried incredulously, his hands spread outward as if pleading. "Why does everyone always assume I'm lying? It's the truth you know, and you could ask him yourself if you just consent to an itty-bitty little contract."

A shadow of doubt flickered in Rinoa's brown orbs and she made no reply but let her gaze drop dismally and moved to stand behind Zack as he came to her aid and placed himself between her and the dark lord, one hand pulled back to grip the hilt of his sword warningly. "Back off, Hades!"

"Alright, alright! Calm down Fido." Hades complied, hands raised innocently, as though he had never meant to cause any trouble. "Can't blame a guy for recruiting, I'm short on hot dames at the moment." He ignored Zack's indignant retort at the demeaning nickname and his malicious gaze soon drifted back to Aqua, where Ven and Terra had drawn close with their own protective stances as though they were trying to cloak something... The god's sickly, yellow eyes narrowed suspiciously until he caught sight of the child attempting to hide behind them. "Well would you look at that!" He disappeared and reappeared behind Aqua and the boy, and examined him closely as his three guardians all made various threatening noises in response to the god's proximity. "It's a little tyke, a little runt, a little mudpie!" He looked up expectantly for any sign of humor in his audience as he added, "who'd have thought earth and water could make something so cuddly?"

Terra only glared in response and moved even closer to his family, his keyblade shining into existence by his side.

"Oh come on! It was a joke!..." Hades paused amid his warped laughter when Terra and Aqua shared a confused glance, and he blinked with a sudden realization. "Wait just a millisecond!... _You two_," the god paused for dramatic flare as he gestured his hands parallel in front of him. "Have a kid...?" Once again he was met with a tense silence and he threw his head back as though he were about to convulse into another fit of laughter. "This!" He chuckled darkly, his jagged teeth gleaming. "Oh _this_ I can use!" He patted his robe as though he were looking for something. "Now, what did I do with that communication thingy? Gotta be here somewhere-"

"What are you getting at Hades?" Aqua questioned irritably, fed up with his mindless banter and becoming more and more agitated as Eraqus trembled with terror against her.

"Well now," Hades said slyly and ran one decaying blue finger across Aqua's jaw suggestively. "Wouldn't _you_ like to know, my little blue bird?"

Aqua sneered with disgust and swiped her free hand at the god as Terra snarled and lunged, though both displays were futile as Hades dematerialized and reappeared a safe distance away. "I don't see how it's possible, but I do believe the chickenheart has gotten slower," he drawled in a bored tone, his pale eyes trained on the earthen keybearer. "Have you gotten dumber too, I wonder? By the way, how's that darkness holdin' up?"

"I think it's time for you to leave," Terra ground out, his dark gaze intensifying as he crouched for another lunge.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Hades replied with a shrug and a dismissive wave. "Hey, keep an eye on that little mudpie, will ya? I'd sure hate to see something _happen_ to him! Anyway, it's been a slice, ciao."

That was it, Terra leaped at the dark lord but he only managed to slash at the residual dark smoke that remained in his wake, his maniacal laughter echoing ominously in the air. Terra muffled a curse as the others converged to comfort Eraqus as he was whimpering in fear in Aqua's arms.

"Terra," Aqua called and he was by her side in an instant. She looked up at him, distressed and frightened as she held their son close to her chest. "We should leave."

Terra felt stunned by her expression, his breath hitching for a moment. He hadn't seen her this shaken in... in so very long. He finally managed to nod and held out a hand to help her up from her kneeling position over Eraqus. "Right." He looked to the others when his wife was standing with their son in her arms. "Is everyone ready?"

Ven, Zack and Rinoa all nodded, concerned and watching Aqua and Eraqus carefully while Angelo yipped and whined up at the boy, trying to comfort him in her own way.

Terra pulled a small device from his pocket and pushed a button and within a minute their black and red Gummi ship appeared from the sky and touched down in the open space of the square. Onlookers and passerby yelped with surprise and skirted around the huge contraption but no one seemed to panic. Terra winced, knowing they were disrupting things and that normally they would have made their way to someplace secluded to board the ship, but this was an urgent matter and he wasn't willing to risk his family's safety at the moment.

Terra was the last to file inside the ship and Eraqus fussed and wailed loudly when Aqua meant to set him down in his seat. She knelt down as the boy clung to her desperately and she gave Terra a defeated look as he drew close. He gestured to her seat and nodded as he knelt down by the boy, signaling to let him handle it. Reluctantly, Aqua extracted herself from the child's grip and moved away to her own seat, allowing her husband to take over as she was at a loss as to how to comfort her son when she herself had been shaken so deeply. She clamped her eyes shut when the boy shrieked in response to being wrenched away from her contact and was promptly buckled down by his father.

"Eraq," Terra tried to calm him but Eraqus cried and writhed against the restraints of his seat in an obvious state of panic. He wanted Mom and that was that! "Hey," Terra spoke more firmly and placed a hand on the boy's head to gather his attention. Eraqus stilled for a moment and he met his father's gaze with a plaintive whine. "I would _never_ let anyone hurt you, understand?" he spoke slowly, hoping to get his point across and waited for the boy to respond but he only sniffed, making no attempt to reply, though he calmed down substantially. "I _promise_, ok?"

Eraqus nodded at that and made a frustrated swipe at his nose before Terra leaned in to place a comforting kiss on his charcoal crown. When he moved to the pilot's seat, Angelo padded up and started licking the boy's face affectionately, whining and yipping in an attempt to cheer him up. Eraqus sniffed again and offered a weak smile as he gave the dog a pat on the head, the boy's distress fading with the distraction.

Aqua watched her son from her seat, her heart aching to comfort and hold him close, but she knew he needed to learn that he was safe without having to cling to either parent. She suddenly felt so useless. As his mother she should have been able to calm him, but it was his father that had provided the solution, with a steady reassurance and a firm resolve. She couldn't help but wonder, was this the price she had to pay for neglecting him? Originally, she had reasoned that he would be six years old soon and he would then be integrated into the Academy system where she'd be able to see him much more often, but now she had to wonder, would that be too late? What other things would she miss out on until then? The Grand Master's brooding thoughts faded as the noise of her companions rose around her.

"Angelo," Rinoa called from her seat behind Aqua and the dog went to jump in her lap obediently. Although she was far too big to be considered a lap dog, they couldn't exactly have a loose dog floating around in the cockpit, so Rinoa wrapped her arms around her to keep him from slamming into the console at their first sign of turbulence.

Zack occupied the seat behind Eraqus and was still struggling with his seat buckle when the ship roared to life. He grinned sheepishly when he finally got the thing to click. "First time flyer here, er..." He looked around the cockpit dubiously. "I don't suppose we have any bags for-"

"Nope," Ven answered from the front as he turned in his seat with a wicked grin. "You'll have to hold it in."

Zack seemed to visibly pale at the notion as the ship rumbled and bucked into the sky. "Oh not fair!"

* * *

_AN: Pun intended! Oh Zack, I'm going to have so much fun with you! XD I hope I did ok with the fight scene and the Hades scene because I really struggled with both...  
_


	5. of Revelry

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

**Chapter Five – of Revelry**

* * *

As soon as the ship touched down at their destination Zack leaned his head back with a grateful sigh. "That wasn't so bad!"

Angelo gave an argumentative woof and wiggled free from Rinoa's hold in order to worm her way between the row of seats to the front of the cockpit where Terra was finishing up with the shut down sequence and Ven was waking from a light doze. The brown dog reared up on her hind legs to get a better view out the window, careful not to place her paws on the dash where there were countless buttons and switches. She barked excitedly and the men on either side of her suddenly tensed and looked to her as though they were both just then noticing the canine. "And just who are you?" Terra questioned, eying Angelo suspiciously.

Aqua rolled her eyes, her own doze wearing off as she sat forward. "Terra, don't tell me you're just now noticing the dog?"

Terra turned in his seat to glare at his wife, though his sour look didn't last long and his expression softened. "Things have been kind of chaotic." He had felt torn and guilty for not offering her any reassurance when she had seemed so shaken, but at the time their son had needed the comfort more. He held her gaze for a silent exchange and Aqua answered his concerned inquiry with a steady nod of her head, her sky blue eyes clear and bright. Terra smirked and nodded back, knowing his wife was fine, although it didn't surprise him, after all, she had been through much more trying events in the past. His attention was drawn back to the dog as Ven had begun laughing and writhing in his chair when Angelo assaulted the blond's face with a vigorous round of licks as though the keyblade master had been dunked in gravy.

"Her name's Angelo, Dad," Eraqus informed his father matter-of-factly while attempting to lean forward against his seat strap and reaching for the dog earnestly. "She's really friendly!"

Terra raised a dubious brow as he watched the dog maul his friend. "Is that what you call it?" He thought he heard Rinoa and Aqua stifle a round of laughter but he didn't spare them a glance when he found himself face to face with the dog, and Terra had an uncomfortable moment as dark brown eyes studied him carefully. "Stay back, I don't need a bath."

Angelo tipped her head with a whine and sat down to stare at the dark haired man as though waiting patiently. Ven was beginning to recover from his hysterical laughter and had proceeded in attempting to wipe away a generous amount of slobber from his person. "Dad," Eraqus admonished from behind and leaned around his mother as she worked at unfastening his seat belt. "She wants you to pet her, don't be rude!"

Aqua chuckled at the boy's wording and Terra raised a brow, barely taking his eyes off the creature currently staring him down. "Is it even possible to be rude to a dog?" As if in answer, Angelo placed one demanding paw on the armrest of Terra's chair and woofed softly, her brown tail wagging expectantly. "No licking." Terra charged her firmly and aimed a pointed finger at her before hesitantly moving his hand to give the canine a quick pat on the head.

As soon as Terra retracted his hand Angelo barked happily and darted back through the cockpit to Rinoa. "Don't worry Terra, she's only like that with certain... personalities," the dark haired woman told him, sending Ven a suggestive glance and a giggle. "Apparently Ven is one of those."

"_Great_," the blond muttered as he was still working at ridding himself of the slime. "Can we get going already? I've got things to do, places to be!" With one glance out the window at the countless rides and attractions it was quite possible he was contemplating plowing everyone down in his path to get outside.

"Then let's go!" Zack howled excitedly and was the first to disembark since he and Rinoa were the closest to the exit. She and Angelo trailed behind him at a more sedate pace and Aqua moved out of the way to allow Ven passage. She had learned long ago to stay out of his way when he felt like he was getting left behind. When she and Eraqus finally made their way out of the ship, with Terra following right behind as he pushed one final button on the hull to close up the ramp, Aqua noted with a wry smile that Zack and Ven had already run off to the nearest attraction with all the bottled up exuberance of their inner teenagers.

Rinoa and Angelo were still nearby, both of them peering around at the chaotic mess of vibrant colors, music and noises of the surrounding town which had been converted into a constant festival year round. Aqua took stock of the area as well. Things had certainly changed since the last time she visited. There were so many more attractions and rides, not to mention some of them were just plain _big,_ and there was no way her son was getting on any of those monstrosities. She instinctively pulled Eraqus closer, though she looked down in question when she realized he had already been abnormally close. He was looking around at all the colorful activity with a reserved apprehension when he should have been beaming with excitement and tugging at her arm with an intent to run in every direction at once.

Frowning, Aqua knelt down to inquire. "Eraq, what's wrong?"

The boy took one more paranoid look around before turning his eyes on his mother. "What if _he_ comes back?"

Aqua tipped her head in question but realization quickly dawned and she looked up to Terra briefly. "You mean Hades?" The boy shrugged and nodded and Aqua smiled reassuringly. "It's alright Eraq, we're in a different world now. It's safe here and he won't follow us."

Eraqus kept his gaze locked on his mother, his mind absorbing her words though his expression didn't relax until his father knelt down and placed a hand on his head. "She's right Eraq, and I already told you, I won't let anyone hurt you, alright?" The boy nodded and his hold on his mother's hand relaxed as Rinoa and Angelo drew near.

"I think Angelo's ready for a passenger," Rinoa announced and gave the dog a silent command, to which Angelo woofed and lowered her front end in a play bow, her tail wagging excitedly. "Hop on Eraq!"

Aqua released her hold on him and Eraqus instantly moved to engage the offer but he hesitated and turned back to his mother for permission. "Can I?"

She smiled and nodded, making a dismissive gesture, though she frowned as soon as he turned his back. Once again she felt a pang of frustration that her words alone hadn't been enough to placate her son's worries, that once again he required his father's reassurance in the end.

She hugged her torso and watched longingly as Eraqus left her side. He was still so vulnerable..., and small. He still wasn't even three feet tall yet and couldn't weigh more than thirty pounds. She wondered how it was even possible for him to still be so small, especially considering who his father was. But both she and Terra had debated the matter and decided that he still just needed some time before he shot up like a weed. For the moment though, his small size was a boon, for otherwise his canine mount wouldn't be able to bear his weight.

The boy was currently listening to Rinoa's instructions before he tentatively threw one leg over the brown saddle and gently took two fistfuls of the dog's neck fur in his hands as purchase. He shrieked with delight when Angelo barked and stood up from her bow, hefting the small boy without too much trouble. Eraqus laughed and clung tightly as his canine mount began trotting and romping around, circling Rinoa excitedly.

The sight brought a small smile to Aqua's lips, though her thoughts were still bothered, her countenance still dwindling, something that did not go unnoticed by her husband. She felt his tentative touch at her elbow and turned to see his concerned, cerulean orbs were watching her carefully. "What's wrong?"

She offered him another half-hearted smile and shook her head. "It's nothing, I'm fine." She didn't really think that would deter him but she couldn't exactly tell him how she was jealous of the confidence their son had in him, or that she resented the rift of such confidence that had opened up between her and the boy when she wasn't looking.

Terra looked like he was about to pursue the matter when Rinoa objectively cleared her throat nearby, the boy and the dog making all manner of noise behind her as Angelo tried to twist around to lick her rider's face. "Angelo and I can watch him for awhile if you want," Rinoa offered, giving the parents a sympathetic look. "You two seem like you need some time alone."

Aqua shared a look with Terra and they both nodded their compliance, though she was more hesitant. She was sure he would try and wheedle an answer out of her but at the same time she felt that maybe a little time away from her son would give her some time to think and clarify her frustrations. "Eraq, be good," she called after the departing trio. "And listen to Rin." She wasn't sure if the boy heard her as the noise of the attractions probably muffled her voice but she wasn't especially worried about him, since he was generally always obedient without having to be told beforehand.

"It's not nothing," Terra said, pulling her attention back to him. His arms were crossed over his chest stubbornly and his concerned gaze had melded with a curious determination. "Something's bothering you."

Aqua sighed in defeat and dropped her gaze from him momentarily; she would have to tell him something. She decided on a matter that had been nagging at the back of her mind, something she had yet to ponder over completely. "It's Hades," she half-lied, already feeling guilty and yet she wasn't ready to voice her concerns about Eraqus yet. "Why would he threaten Eraq if he knew he couldn't follow us?"

Terra was silent for a moment, watching his wife closely, almost as if he had detected her façade for an instant. "I'm not so certain that was even a threat. I think he just likes to get under people's skin. He's demented like that. Besides, there's no way he could have followed us here."

Aqua nodded compliantly. It was true, out of all the many worlds, there was no way Hades would have guessed their destination. And even then, that was assuming he actually had been plotting something. Even Rinoa and Zack had brushed off the notion, and they had spent much more time in the god's presence over the years. She shook her head to clear it of any negativity. She'd had enough drama for one day. Fronting the brightest smile she could muster, Aqua reached out for her husband's hand and looked around briefly. "Where to first?" She felt a warm contentment flutter in her chest and wondered how long it had been since they had spent any alone time together.

Terra responded in like and grasped her hand with a grateful smile on his face, glad that his wife had finally retreated from her brooding thoughts. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving!" He promptly led the way to what he hoped was the food court. "And then I want to take Eraq on some rides. Especially that big one on that network of tracks over there."

Aqua thought for sure she felt herself pale visibly as her dark haired husband gestured toward the big metal monstrosity she had been cringing at earlier. "Oh no, Eraq isn't going anywhere near that death trap," she insisted firmly and pinned him with the most serious look she was capable of when he turned to her with a pout. "You know it will only scare him."

"Alright." Terra sighed in defeat and let his shoulders droop dramatically. What good was having a son if you weren't allowed to traumatize him every now and then? His eyes suddenly lit up with a sly glint. He would just have to settle for the next best thing. "I'll just have to take Ven and Zack then."

* * *

With a bright blue ice cream in one hand and Rinoa holding onto the other, Eraqus walked along beside her, happily licking his treat as they perused by the many booths and games on either side of their path. Angelo trotted along with them, taking a much needed break from carrying the extra weight of the boy on her back.

They had spent a lot of time exploring and trying out various rides, but the one Eraqus was especially fond of consisted of carts and crashing. He liked the carts and he liked the crashing, but most of all he liked being able to control the thing, although he didn't care for that uncomfortable helmet they made him wear... Now, as they made their way down the lane of booths, Eraq decided Rin was one of his new favorite people. She wasn't bossy like most grown ups and she even acted like a kid herself half the time. In fact, she reminded him a lot of Aerith back home, not to mention she had the greatest dog in the whole world! A thought suddenly occurred to him and he peered up to the dark haired woman with a hopeful expression. "Hey Rin?"

"Hm?" the woman responded distractedly and looked down to the boy with a smile. "What's up?"

"When we go back home, are you and Angelo going to live there from now on too?"

The boy's bright blue eyes glowed with sincere concern and Rin tipped her head, feeling her smile widen into a grin at his adorable expression. "I don't know yet. Maybe."

"Oh," Eraqus said, head drooping and dejected as his ice cream was all but forgotten in his hand. "I'll be sad if you and Angelo leave."

"Well!" Rin said suddenly, released his hand and bent down at the waist, hands on hips in an expressive display. "We can't have you sad, now can we?"

Now at eye level with the woman, Eraqus only managed to gape at her in confusion, which for some reason caused her to make an odd screeching noise before he found himself being scooped up into a tight hug. "You are just too cute!" Rinoa exclaimed to the world, causing Angelo to bark excitedly in response to her quick movements and high volume. "I might have to stay with you guys just because of you!" She grinned at him and promptly set him back down, hands replaced to her hips as she waited for his response.

Eraqus had to be honest, he liked Rin, he really did, but he could do without the cuddling. Come to think of it, Aerith did that too! But for some reason, it only felt right when Mom or Dad did those sort of things. Suddenly feeling embarrassed, the boy looked around for a distraction and found a huge, lumbering figure up ahead. "Woah!" He took off toward the figure, causing his babysitter to blanch and nearly fall over with surprise.

"Hey, hang on a second Eraq," Rinoa called after him and gave chase, giving Angelo a pointed look. "Angelo, intercept." With a yip the dog pulled away to catch the boy but he was already standing a few feet away from the looming figure and staring up at him in awe. Rinoa scrutinized the large form as he turned to regard the boy with a bothered glance, his facial features resembling a cat, or was it a dog? Rinoa tipped her head, confused. It was really hard to tell, though he did have small, pointed ears, a definite cat-like feature. His face was drawn and chunky, and if one had to be completely honest, he was just plain _ugly_. He stood upright on two legs and he seemed to be busy tending to the garbage cans nearby. Rinoa smirked at that; leave it to Eraqus to find an interest in the janitor and not the countless attractions surrounding them.

The cat-like person flinched back when Angelo drew beside the boy and barked at him for running off but Eraqus ignored her and continued to peer up at the giant before him. "Wow Mister, you're really big!" he all but shouted in amazement, causing the cat-person to raise a brow and Rinoa to cringe as she knelt down beside the boy.

"Eraq," she spoke carefully, sparing an apologetic glance up at the janitor. "That's not always a compliment. You should apologize."

"Huh? Oh n-no, that's not necessary," the cat-person said nervously, his voice deep as he took a few steps back and waved his huge, gloved hands in front of him as though he suddenly remembered something. "No harm done."

Eraqus looked to Rinoa for an instant with a look of disbelief and confusion. "But why? Being big is a good thing!" He looked back to the cat with an earnest expression. "I bet nobody picks on you huh? My dad's big too and _nobody_ messes with Dad!" He paused for a short few seconds, long enough for the huge cat to blink and Rinoa to close her eyes in a nervous smile. Eraqus was generally pretty quiet, but boy, once he got the notion to ramble, he certainly let it all out. "Hey, are you working? I bet you're hungry! Here, you can have this!" The boy reached up to hand over his stick with the half-eaten ice cream melting down its length and the cat-person hesitantly reached out to accept it. "You look like you work hard. My mom works hard too!"

The huge cat blinked again, unable to work up a reply of any kind in response to the child's aimless speech, though he seemed somewhat fascinated by the attention and the gift, even if it was a sloppy, though friendly gesture.

Rinoa gave her charge a nudge. "Eraq, he looks busy, we should let him get back to work, ok?"

Eraqus frowned at her but nodded obediently and turned back to the giant cat one last time and waved goodbye. "Sorry to bother you Mister!" And with that, the boy was off and running again, with Angelo yipping along at his heels, leaving Rinoa to trail after them.

Before she set off she cast one more apologetic glance over to the cat-janitor but he was gazing off in the boy's direction with what seemed like a sad expression and what appeared to be a single tear streak down his long face. Rinoa tipped her head curiously at that. Did this creature not have any friends? Was he so lonely that a simple friendly gesture from an innocent little child actually touched his heart? She shook her head, discarding the thought; she had just imagined it, surely.

* * *

Along with the new attractions and expansions, Aqua had noticed one other variance once she and Terra had traversed the town a bit. For one thing there were a few more inhabitants... A lot more actually. Aside from some familiar faces from her last visit, such as the unusual, though equally endearing animal-people, the rest of the populace seemed to be composed of moogles, all of them either tending to the countless booths or providing maintenance on the various rides roundabout the town.

Ven and Zack were off gallivanting around somewhere, no doubt stirring up all kinds of trouble for the moogles while Eraq was in good hands being entertained by Rinoa and Angelo. And at the moment, well, Aqua wasn't exactly sure where Terra was leading her but in all honesty she really didn't care. It was nice to simply walk along at his side, her right hand interlocked with his left and just be with him for once. It had been so long since they'd had a chance to just talk about nothing in particular and cast aside all the worries and concerns from their responsibilities back home.

She smiled up at him contentedly and gave his hand a slight squeeze, which prompted him to meet her gaze with a content smirk of his own, their mutual thoughts exchanged wordlessly between them. Aqua had forgotten how much she enjoyed being with her husband, and although Eraq's absence seemed foreign to her, it was a nice respite from the day to day trials of parenthood. Not to say she didn't already miss him after only a couple hours of separation, but her time with Terra alone just seemed special somehow. Neither variance was better than the other, just different. She could only liken it to when she would instruct her class in the keyblade arts using Master Keeper. She loved equipping her late master's keyblade because it made her feel confident and safe, as though he were still watching over her somehow. On the other hand, she would always revert back to Rainfell when not training the children. There was just something special about her old partner, something familiar and soothing... Like her time with Terra right now.

She was so lost in thought that she almost didn't hear the call from a side-street. "Aqua and Terra? Is that you?"

Aqua glanced over to see a familiar little mouse, fully dressed in her royal garb and crown as she approached. "Your Majesty, it's so nice to see you again!" she exclaimed with delight, a warm fondness washing over her as the queen drew before them. "What brings you from the castle?"

"Oh, I like to take a walk through town once a day just to check up on how everyone is doing." Minnie tipped her head up at them curiously. "What about you? What brings you two to the kingdom?"

"We're on vacation," Aqua said after sharing a pleasant look with her husband. "And this seemed like the safest place to bring our son."

"Your son?" Minnie seemed genuinely surprised for an instant before noting their interlocked hands. "Oh! That's right, Mickey told me that you two got married and had a son. I'm very happy for you both!" She looked around briefly in question. "But where is he?"

"He's with a friend," Terra provided, though he trailed his own survey of the area. "Speaking of Mickey though, where is his Majesty? He hasn't come to visit Radiant Garden for a long time."

Minnie's delicate eyebrows drew together in a serious expression. "Well, a few days ago, Riku stopped by to deliver his report on the other worlds. And after he left to tell all of you at Radiant Garden, Mickey departed to make his own investigations concerning the other worlds."

Aqua shared another look with Terra, one of concern. "You must be worried."

Minnie shook her head and offered up a brave smile. "Not really, he's always come back from his adventures and the situation isn't nearly as dangerous as things have been in the past."

There was a moment of silence as Aqua nodded and Terra seemed deep in thought until a loud bell chimed once from a large clock tower near the castle, signaling the top of the hour. "Oh!" Minnie nearly startled herself. "I have to go back, I've already been away too long." She looked up to both keybearers in earnest. "It was so good to see you both again. Do say hello to Ventus for me?"

"Sure will," Aqua replied with a fond smile. "Take care your Majesty."

"We haven't had any sightings of heartless here yet, but do be careful, both of you?" Minnie was already hasting off toward the castle, her question rhetorical as she had already turned her attention away from them.

Aqua watched the little queen depart for a moment before she felt Terra tug at her arm, once again leading her down the street. "Terra, just where are you taking me?" She still couldn't say she cared that much, but she was becoming rather curious with how determined he was to get there, wherever _there_ was.

"That," Terra told her, pointing to a large, obnoxious banner that hung from poles on each side of the street.

Aqua scrutinized the sign with a dubious expression. In big, bold, and brightly colored letters it read:_ Big Race, Bring Munny, Win Prizes!_ And she could only assume a Moogle designed the sign. She regarded her husband with a sour look. "Racing doesn't really interest me."

"Oh?" Terra turned to her and brought his other hand up to her chin, his eyes and tone flaring enticingly. "Would you rather do something else?"

"Terra," she warned, purposely drawing out the last syllable, though she couldn't help smiling wryly at his suggestive offer. "Behave."

He merely scoffed at her admonition and released her chin to continue pulling her along with him down the street. "Then we race, unless you can think of something better to do."

Aqua chose to keep any more objections to herself after that.

* * *

When Rinoa and Eraqus finally met up with the others in the games and rides section of town, Aqua was sitting on a bench and the three men were standing around as if they were waiting for them. "There they are!" Ven announced and waved at the approaching trio.

With her charge running off from her side again, Rinoa breathed out a tired sigh, grateful that she didn't have to chase after him anymore. Eraqus trotted up to his parents and tugged at his father's pant leg excitedly. "Hey Dad, guess what? I met this really big cat-guy and he looked hungry, so I gave him my ice-cream, but he didn't talk much, so I don't know if he liked it."

Terra tried to follow his son's ramblings but he found himself tipping his head to the side and raising a puzzled brow before kneeling down and ruffling the boy's already messy charcoal blue hair. "And just what was this big-cat's name?"

Eraqus frowned at the inquiry, his excitement fading like a light-switch. "Oh, I don't know his name."

"Eraq," his father groaned with a stern expression. "If you make a friend, you have to know their name."

Eraqus nodded solemnly, eyes downcast for an instant before rebounding like a jackrabbit and peering back to his father in earnest. "I'll do better next time!"

"I'm sure you will." Terra chuckled lightly, sharing an amused look with his wife before giving his son's jaw a gentle chuck. He stood and glanced up at the sky, assessing the time of day before regarding his wife again. "Meet up at the hotel in two hours?"

Aqua nodded in agreement and the three men moved off towards the huge, screeching contraption that they intended to ride, Ven and Zack posturing the whole way. Eraqus was about to follow after them but Angelo grabbed him by the scruff of his thick vest and trotted over to deposit him at Aqua's feet. The boy frowned and watched his father depart before turning a pout on his mother. "Aww, I wanted to go with Dad." Granted, he loved spending time with Mom, but the ride looked like a lot of fun...

Before the boy's mood could plummet any further, Aqua held out a handful of gold orbs and pushed them into his small hands. "Go play some games Eraq," she told him whilst giving Rinoa a sympathetic glance. "I think Rin needs to rest, it looks like you wore her out."

As if to prove the point, Rin flopped down beside Aqua with a huff and a grin. "Could hardly keep up with him!"

Aqua smirked as she watched her son's eyes light up at the heap of munny in is hands. Thankfully the gold orbs were the currency in Disney Town, so she didn't have to synthesize it into anything specific. "Go, have fun," she told him when he seemed to hesitate. At her prompt however he took off like a flash, munny orbs spilling in his wake.

Aqua smiled after him, shaking her head at his careless exuberance. Angelo whined and paced nearby, seeming bothered and confused. "Go with him Angelo," Rinoa ordered, giving the poor dog some mental relief, as she apparently had been torn between staying with her master or following after the wayward child. Angelo barked gratefully and padded after him, even attempting to pick up a few stray munny orbs in her maw along the way.

Both women sighed exasperatedly as the dynamic duo of boy and dog reached the first game booth. "It's strange," Rinoa started, catching Aqua's attentive gaze. "He's the most adorable, well mannered little boy I've ever met, and yet, I've only watched him for half a day and I'm more than ready to give him back."

Aqua nodded and her smile twisted a bit. "I've come to realize that's precisely why a child has two parents, not because it's a requirement but rather for the sake of sanity."

Rinoa turned to her blue haired companion with a curious attention. "Terra seems to handle him really well, though. It's almost as if he would spend every minute with him if he could. In fact, I got the feeling he would have liked to take him on that suicidal motor monster if he could have."

"I'd say you've got him pegged pretty well," Aqua admitted vaguely. Although she could have explained that Terra did just so, spending almost every waking moment with the boy back home, she knew if she started down that train of thought she was going to plummet straight back into that mire of depression again. Instead, she decided to steer the conversation in another direction. "Rin, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Hm?" The dark haired woman turned to her with a curious attention, smiling as she had been watching Eraqus use Angelo as a ladder to get into the seat of a game.

"When you confronted Hades before, it seemed like you had a personal grudge against him." Aqua gave her head a cant, regarding her companion gently. "May I ask why?"

"He-" Rinoa's words hitched in her throat and she scowled with determination before trying again. "He hurt someone dear to me."

Aqua nodded solemnly and took a thoughtful moment before replying. "Was it the same person you're looking for?"

"No," Rinoa answered. "The person he hurt, will never come back."

"I'm sorry," Aqua said softly, her own voice cracking as she thought of her old master. After a sincere moment of silence Aqua looked to Rinoa curiously. "But the person you're searching for, what's his name?"

Rinoa smiled at the question, her mood quickly lifting as she raised her eyes skyward. "His name is Squall."

"Squall?" Aqua repeated, a question more to herself than anything. That name sounded really familiar and she was sure someone back at the Academy would say it periodically, but she honestly never paid too much attention when they did. It was aggravating, really. If only she could remember who said it, and more importantly, to whom they said it to.

"Do you know him?" Rinoa asked, her brown orbs shining with hope as she searched for any recognition in Aqua's face.

"I'm not sure," Aqua answered hesitantly. "I recognize the name, but I can't remember who it belongs to." She offered the dark haired woman a sheepish smile. "You'll just have to come with us and look for him yourself."

The two women sat and talked for awhile and watched as Eraqus darted from one game booth to another, Angelo barking happily and trailing after him. Aqua related the Academy's way of life and its various goals and main purpose, and explained its different aspects, like the master-apprentice system. She was expressing her concern for Eraqus and how she worried about who would end up being his master once he turned nine, when the boy came running up to them in that moment, Angelo panting along at his heels. "Mom!" he huffed excitedly as he halted in front of her and held out a stuffed animal for her to see. "Look what I won!" Aqua eyed the object with a dubious tilt. It looked just like a moogle but it was black, and she was almost positive all moogles were white, at least, all the ones she had seen were white. "I'm gonna name him Kupo!" the boy announced with the biggest grin as he brought the plush toy back to hug tightly.

"Is that so?" Aqua cooed at him, amused. "You don't think that'll be confusing when we go home?"

Eraqus frowned for an instant and held his new toy out to inspect it more closely, quirking up an odd expression before turning back to his mother. "That's silly Mom, my Kupo doesn't look _anything_ like your Kupo."

"Oh," Aqua scoffed dramatically and turned a playful look to Rinoa, to which the other woman giggled. "You're right, how silly of me."

With his point made clear, Eraqus clutched at his new toy and tugged at his mother's sleeve. "Mom, can we eat now? I'm _hungry_!"

Aqua smiled down at him then, watching as his bright blue eyes peered into her own with an earnest plea. She decided in that instant that even though he required his father's reassurance along with hers, he still looked to her for everything else. As his mother, she knew she would be forced to eventually come to terms with the fact that he would always need to take away specific elements from both parents, so really, there was no sense in moping about the subject any longer. "It's that time already is it?" she asked him rhetorically as she glanced up at the darkening sky. "Let's get you something to eat, and then it's bedtime for you." She and Rinoa stood up from their bench and Aqua reached out to take her son's hand as they headed off to find dinner.

"Aww, but I'm not even tired yet!" the boy whined with a plaintive frown aimed up to his mother as he teetered along beside her, apparently unaware that his legs were giving out from all his running around throughout the day.

Aqua and Rin shared a knowing look as they both turned a smirk down to him. "We'll see if you still feel that way after dinner."

* * *

Apparently the guys had been thinking the same thing after their little adventure together, because they all met up to eat together. Zack didn't look like he was too enthused about eating after he had left his stomach on one of those ridiculous death traps, whereas Ven and Terra seemed no worse for wear and dug right into their food as though it were a competition.

After the party had finished eating they headed for the Disney Town hotel at a lazy pace. Ven and Zack were arguing about something insignificant, Rinoa was gazing up at the dark sky, seemingly lost in her own thoughts while Eraqus' head was drooping as he rode along on Angelo. Terra caught Aqua's hand in his and she leaned in to rest her head on his shoulder as they walked. "This was a good idea. Everyone's had so much fun already."

"And you?"

Aqua cast a sly look up at him, somehow knowing exactly when his mind derailed into the inappropriate realm. "I'm content. Leave it at that."

Terra chuckled softly, though Aqua still felt the reverberations pass through his chest and across to his shoulder where her head rested. "What, you don't want to hear what I have in mind?"

"Not especially, no." The blue haired woman raised her head when she heard the others talking about their rooming arrangements for the night. Naturally, she, Terra and Eraqus would be sharing a room but it sounded like Rinoa had just agreed to share a room with the two bachelors. Of course, they would each have their own separate beds but Aqua still couldn't say she approved of the situation. Not that she had any right to say anything really, since she and Terra had traversed the worlds together completely unchaperoned for almost a month before they got married... She still didn't like it though. "Are you really ok sharing a room with these guys?" she finally piped up, and stepped away from Terra's warmth to sweep a suggestive glance over Ven and Zack, which caused both men to yawp in response, taking her question like a direct insult to their outstanding chivalric record. "Terra could always bunk with them if you'd be more comfortable with me and Eraq." She tried to ignore the frown-turned-glare that popped onto her husband's face but was unsuccessful when she felt his grip around her hand tighten ever so slightly.

"I'll be fine," Rinoa assured her. "Zack knows better than to try anything, and as for Ven," she paused, smirking. "Well, Angelo will eat him if he tries anything funny."

Ven seemed affronted on multiple levels at those implications. "Rin, I really don't think Angelo is big enough to-" he gasped when he suddenly felt the dog's powerful maw clamp down on his forearm with a gentle though firm pressure, tail wagging playfully. "Ok, _ok_, I take it back! You're in charge, Angelo."

Angelo released her hold and gave a dominant woof before trotting onward while giving the boy on her back an affectionate nudge in an attempt to keep him awake.

Eraqus yawned grandly, his body drooping as he was nearly parallel with the dog's neck and head. "Mom, can Angelo sleep in our room tonight?"

Before Aqua or Terra could reply, Rinoa bent down at the waist and poked the boy's cheek playfully. "Hey buddy, Angelo only sleeps with me, but," she stretched out the last syllable as she looked up to the boy's parents. "You can sleep over with us if Mom and Dad say its ok."

Eraqus perked up at that, seeming to dispel his sleepiness somewhat as he turned to peer up at his parents, hopeful. "Can I?"

They in turn shared a contemplative look and Terra merely shrugged indifferently, leaving Aqua to hesitate with apprehension. They had already reached their destination and entered the fancy building as Zack headed to the front desk to procure the rooms. "I suppose."

She had barely got the words out when Eraqus threw his arms straight up in joy and bent back down to hug his new best friend around the neck. "Yay! I get to stay with Angelo tonight!"

Rinoa chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm, placed one hand on her hip and made a lazy gesture with the other. "This kid is way too easy to please."

"I don't know," Zack muttered to her as he led the way down a hallway with their rooms paid for and keys in hand. "He just met you today and already you're letting him sleep with you. I'd say he's pretty clever." He flinched and cowered when the dark haired woman elbowed him in the gut and pinned him with a glare. "Ow, ow, ow!"

"What was that?"

"Nothing! I didn't say anything!"

"Thought so."

Zack scrutinized the woman mutinously though they both knew he didn't have a vengeful bone in his body. He stopped in front of two doors, one across from the other in the small corridor, and opened one to see three medium sized beds lined up against one wall along with a small bathroom to the side. He handed Terra the other key and yawned as he was the first to step into the open room. "I'm going straight to bed, and I think my stomach hates me for life." Those intense rides were a bad idea and Rinoa's recent assault on his abdomen wasn't helping either.

Rinoa filed in after him but Angelo, who still had Eraq on his back, paused when Aqua knelt beside them while Ven drew beside Terra with a sly look on his face. The blond's mouth popped open to surely utter something inappropriate but Terra clipped him with a swift swat across the head. Ven in turn shoved at him but Terra caught him in a sleeper hold, they struggled back and forth for a moment yet neither uttered a single word.

Aqua ignored them, focusing on her son once again. "You sure you'll be ok? We'll just be in the room right across the hall if you need us." She knew she was being overprotective, but she felt especially on edge after their encounter with Hades. However unlikely, even if he did find a way to follow them here, Ven and Zack would be close by in the same room with Eraq, and Angelo seemed to have been able to sense the dark lord even before he materialized. Honestly, the boy couldn't be in a safer presence and she was determined to accept that fact. Still, there was a residual nagging in the back of her mind but she could only guess that it was related to Eraq's new desire to be independent from them, although that was largely due to his new attachment to Angelo.

Eraqus nodded fervently and hugged the canine around the neck. "I'll be ok, I've got Angelo." The dog in turn whined happily and twisted around to give the child a lick.

Aqua couldn't help but smile warmly at the exchange; the pair seemed truly inseparable. "Alright, be good for Rin.., and Angelo," she mended after the dog yapped at her pointedly. She padded into the room, reached around to catch her passenger by his vest and dropped him on one of the three beds, yipping and licking the boy affectionately as though he were her own pup in a human's body.

Aqua had to swiftly step out of the way when Ven was unceremoniously shoved through the doorway. "I regret nothing!" he announced, his wild hair mussed up more than usual.

"Ven," Aqua sighed out. "You didn't say anything."

"Didn't I?" the blond seemed thoroughly confused for an instant before shutting the door with a final exclamation to his dark haired peer. "We finish this tomorrow!"

Aqua shook her head with another weary sigh; she didn't even want to begin to understand the complexities of Ven and Terra's arguments or the reasoning's behind their ridiculous horseplay. "Everything is changing," she remarked as she waited for her husband to unlock the door to their room.

"Aqua," Terra admonished with a tilt of his head. "He's one room away, it's no different than our apartment back home."

"That's not what I mean." She frowned, chancing a glance back at the other door with a longing ache in her heart. "He's growing up right in front of me but I feel like I've fallen behind somewhere along the way. Like I'll wake up one day and he'll be gone."

Terra breathed out a soft chuckle as he stepped into their temporary bedroom, his wife trailing in behind him. "Aqua, he's five, he won't be going anywhere for a long time. Besides, once he turns six you're going to see him more than I will."

"But that's not good enough," the woman snapped, her temper flaring, not at her husband but at the topic. "He needs me to be his mother, not just his teacher."

"Hey," Terra spoke softly and placed both hands on her shoulders to hold her attention. "We'll worry about the future when we get back home. But for right now..," he paused for an instant, his voice turning sly as he brought one hand to lift her chin and dismal gaze up to meet his. "You're all _mine_."

"I'm not sure I care for that tone."

He angled his head down to kiss her briefly, his lips curling into a devious smirk against hers. "And just what are you gonna do about it?"

* * *

_AN: I feel like my writing is becoming dry...And I'm fighting with a writer's block. So in an attempt to spice things up, whoever reviews, can you please drop me a fun word for me to incorporate in the next chapter? (It has to be either an unusual or an interesting word, something not used very often, ya know?) I will do my very best to use every word I am given._


	6. of Adventure

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

_AN: One of the scenes here was inspired by the Kings of the Past scene from The Lion King. (Love that scene so much! Oh the feels!) I also used a line from Avatar: Legend of Korra. (which I DO NOT OWN.) The highest of fives to whoever picks it out._

**Chapter Six – of Adventure**

* * *

It was dark. Why was it so dark? It was cold too. It was never this cold before.

Eraqus screeched with fright when he heard something snarl in the distance. He hugged his arms and backed up to a wall. Dad always said, if you can't see your enemy then make sure it can't sneak up behind you. He tried to stay calm and remember more of Dad's lessons but his ragged breaths came out in panicked gasps and he couldn't concentrate. Where was Mom and Dad anyway? He was so scared, and they were always there to protect him, so where were they?

He let out a mite whimper, his wild gaze shifting back and forth down the frigid hall. He couldn't withhold the yelp that escaped his trembling lips when a black shape lurked in his direction, its round, glowing yellow eyes swaying as it drew ever closer. Its movements were lithe and careful, as though it were stalking him and didn't want to startle him into flight.

He felt his irregular breathing hitch in his throat and his whole body froze up in terror when more of the monsters appeared behind the first, some of them emitting a low, barely audible growl. It was so dark, how could the things be darker than the dark? Deeply disturbed, Eraqus broke out of his momentary paralysis and bolted away from them, crying out when they snarled and darted after him. He was already breaking Dad's first rule, but he couldn't fight them, he was too little!

He ran as hard as he could, gasping for breath that was insufficient for the task when his throat threatened to close up with wracking sobs. He staggered, his steps heavier as he felt an uncomfortable pressure in his head. He could hear the dark creatures howling behind him and they were so close! When he felt like he couldn't breath and could run no more, one of the monsters tackled him from behind and pinned him face-first to the floor. It growled menacingly as it turned the boy over and held him there with one large hand-paw on his chest. The rest of the monsters gathered around, all of them hissing and snapping at each other as his captor's glowing, malevolent eyes peered into him.

Eraqus wanted to cry out, but he couldn't breath, so he did the only thing he could, he closed his eyes and let out a silent, desperate wail.

And then there was nothing.

* * *

Aqua woke with a start, jerking a bit in Terra's loose hold. It took her a moment to orient herself as she had forgotten they were staying in a hotel and not their apartment back home. She felt uneasy, as there were very few things that could wake her from such a deep sleep. She reluctantly pulled herself away from Terra's comfortable warmth and out of bed in order to dress herself appropriately for the other room's inhabitants.

"Where are you going?" Terra asked groggily, his tone wasn't demanding but curious.

"To get Eraq. Something's wrong."

"Probably just another nightmare."

"He needs me then."

"Aqua," he sighed out as he raised himself on one elbow and massaged his forehead tiredly. Even in the darkness he met her stubborn gaze and blew out a puff of frustration before dropping back down to his pillow in defeat. "Never mind, go get him then."

She knew very well what he wanted to say. _He'll never learn to deal with his fears if we coddle him forever._ Yes, she knew, but she didn't really care either. She hadn't even made it to the door when there was a hesitant knock on the other side. She switched on a light and upon opening the door, one of her legs was suddenly enveloped by a small, trembling body. She instantly knelt down to pull her son to her chest protectively, cooing at him soothingly. She looked up and offered an apologetic smile to a yawning and bleary-eyed Rinoa standing at the door's threshold. "Sorry Rin, this tends to happen now and then."

Rinoa waved a dismissive hand and yawned again. "No problem, but if he's good now, I'm going back to bed." The dark haired woman didn't wait for confirmation as she turned back to the room she shared with Ven and Zack, not bothering to stifle another yawn when she shut the door behind her.

Eraqus sobbed violently against her as he clutched desperately to the coat she had thrown on only a moment earlier. "Please," he cried weakly. "Don't leave me alone again."

"Eraq," Aqua murmured, stroking his head with one hand. "I didn't leave you alone, you had Rin and-"

"Yes you did!" the boy howled suddenly, pulling back from his mother's embrace enough to stare up at her with gleaming, frantic blue eyes. "I was back home and there were monsters everywhere and I couldn't find you!" He took a deep, ragged breath and finished with a sob. "You or Dad."

"It was just a bad dream." Aqua's brows were knit together worriedly as she hushed him and pulled him back to her, his face pressed into the crook of her neck as he shuddered. "I'm here now." Either these nightmares were getting worse or Hades' visit had more of an effect on him than anyone would have anticipated. She had never seen Eraq this distraught from a mere nightmare before, upset maybe, but not terrified. Not like he was now. "You're safe now." He had been perfectly safe before, but at this point she was willing to say whatever it was he wanted to hear if it made him feel better.

When he had finally calmed down, Aqua picked him up and carried him over to deposit him on the bed. She noted idly that her husband had also donned more appropriate clothing in response to having their son sleep with them. "I'll be right back," she told Eraq and placed a tender kiss above his ear before giving Terra a pointed look. "It was a bad one this time, take it easy on him, ok?" Terra didn't reply as his eyes tracked her when she crossed to the bathroom and shut the door behind her, momentarily leaving father and son alone.

"Hey runt," his father greeted in something of a grumble. It was a nickname he only ever used when he was slightly annoyed, but he was neither angry, nor was he going to reward the boy's behavior. He firmly believed nightmares were something you had to overcome on your own. _I would know, _he thought bitterly, _I've had the worst kind._ But he hardly ever had the chance to confront his son on the matter, since he usually always slept through the transition and woke up after the fact to see the boy cuddled up with his mother. At that point it was always too late to address the issue. Now though, he had his son right where he wanted him, and Eraq seemed to sense his father's annoyance.

"I'm sorry, Dad." The little boy shivered, though whether he was actually cold or just nervous was unclear.

With a weary sigh, Terra once again raised himself on one elbow and ran his other hand through his brown hair in frustration; it was so hard playing the stern parent sometimes. "You have to face your fears Eraq, or they'll chase you forever."

"But I can't," the boy whimpered and squirmed. "I'm not brave like you, Dad."

"I'm not asking you to be like me." Terra reached out to place a steady hand on the side of Eraq's head, the same side his mother had kissed only a moment ago. "Though you may not understand it now, always remember Eraq, when we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change."

Eraq tipped his head and made a face. "You're right Dad, I don't understand."

"You will someday." Terra smiled fondly. "Until then, just promise me you'll do your best next time."

"I- I promise, Dad."

Terra nodded his approval and lifted the covers in a silent invitation, to which the boy instantly moved to accept. He leaned in against his father's torso but remained upright, no doubt opting to wait for his mother to snuggle up to.

As if his thoughts had summoned her, Aqua reappeared from the bathroom. Properly dressed in nightwear, she stood beside the bed with a hand on hip and a lopsided smirk on her face. "Shortest lecture ever?"

"His powers of persuasion are even more advanced than yours," Terra deadpanned while Eraq wiggled beside him with anticipation.

When Aqua finally crawled back into bed she was hardly able to get situated before the boy had moved to curl up beside her. Suddenly overwhelmed by a swell of affection for him, Aqua wrapped her arms around his tiny body and nuzzled his dark hair. She clamped her eyes shut but was unable to prevent a single tear from sliding down her cheek, though no sob escaped her lips and no shudder wracked her body. Ironically, she couldn't even decipher her jumbled emotions in that instant, rather, succeeding in only naming them.

There was joy, because she loved him so much the way he was. Sadness, because he was growing up too fast. Trepidation, because she had no control over the change. And finally, pride, because she knew he would become a strong, sincere young man someday, like his father...

"Mom, Dad?" Aqua's breath hitched but she relaxed when she realized her son was completely unaware of her mental struggle. And his next words somehow eased her chaotic mind more than he would ever know. "I love you."

* * *

Terra yawned, a long and unhindered breath that pinched his nose and squeezed moisture from the corners of his eyes. He leaned his head on one fist propped against the table and was currently not very interested in the food set before him. Whose idea was it to even be up this early? They were on vacation after all... A content little voice hummed along to a childish melody and he glanced down at his side to see Eraq happily munching down on his breakfast. _Oh_, Terra remembered with a drowsy smirk, _that's why. _Offspring required regular feedings or they tended not to grow. He looked up to Aqua, who was seated on the other side of the boy. She was picking at her breakfast with less exuberance than their son but she seemed much more awake than her husband.

They all sat at a table in the hotel's cafeteria. With his family beside him and their friends lined up on the other side, Terra tried to ignore Zack and Ven's competitive snarfing across from him while a glance to Rinoa brought a smile to his face. She seemed to be contemplating the same thing as he, with her head cradled on the heel of one hand and her sleepy attention drawn to the two men beside her with a lazy interest. She was also not very enthused about eating and she looked to be as thrilled to be awake as Terra felt. _Finally_, someone he could relate to. Honestly, he was surrounded by morning people and it tended to get aggravating at times. Although his wife wasn't the cheery morning type, she could certainly handle it better than he could and she usually tended not to have any sympathy for him.

"Done!" Zack nearly choked out suddenly as he simultaneously slapped a victorious hand on the table. The announcement actually drew the rapt attention of everyone at the table, especially Ven, who turned to gape at the swordsman in astonishment, which was rather disgusting since his mouth was still full.

"Impressive," Aqua said. "Not very many people can best Ven when it comes to breakfast."

"Not very many have tried," Terra deadpanned.

Zack merely smiled smugly, his stomach no doubt too full to allow for a reply. Ven was still speechless. Rinoa had an amused smile on her lips but was otherwise unaffected by the development. Eraq was giggling softly at his uncle Ven's dumbfounded expression.

The other adults all raised a dubious brow when Ven finally swallowed his mouthful and gave Zack a defeated glare before enunciating very carefully, "super-cali-fragilistic-expiali-docious!"

"Huh?" was Zack's only reply, since he was obviously either too dumbstruck or too full to formulate anything else.

"Ven," Aqua started, her tone amused. "I don't think that's a word."

"Sure it is," Ven insisted, turning to her. "Sora said he learned it on another world."

"Then what's it mean?" Terra interjected, his tone dull, though his mind was gradually coming to terms with being awake.

"Um, well," Ven hesitated and crossed his arms contemplatively. "I'm not sure, Sora said you just say it when you have nothing else to say."

"So," Terra started again, his tone unchanging. "It's not a word."

"Is so!" Ven argued back, a playful glint in his eyes even though he was obviously still flustered from losing to Zack.

"If it doesn't mean anything," Terra returned lazily with one eye closed and his chin still propped up on a fist. "Then it's not a word."

"Just because you don't understand it, doesn't mean it's not a word."

"Maybe it does have a meaning from the world it came from," Aqua intervened gently when the discussion seemed to take an affronted turn. "So technically it is a word, but if we don't really know its meaning then its a moot point."

Ven frowned at the reasonable explanation, though he nodded compliantly when Terra shrugged indifferently. "Speaking of other worlds..." Ven suddenly bounced back, his expression held a bit of mischief as he shared a look with Zack. "Aqua."

"Hm?" Aqua gave the blond her full attention, curious, though somewhat suspicious due to the look in his bright azure eyes. "What is it Ven?"

"Well, Zack and I were wondering something." Ven glanced down at his nearly empty plate for an instant before looking back up to Aqua with a hopeful grin. "Disney Town is great and all, but we'd like to go and see a few more worlds before our vacation is over."

"Ven-"

"Just hear me out," Ven cut off any objections that she might have had. "We'll only go to the worlds Sora told me about, the ones he's already scouted and determined were safe."

"I don't know Ven..." In Aqua's opinion, there was no such thing as a "safe" world. There were always dangers. Although, if that was her argument, then it wasn't safe even back home at the Academy, or even here, in Disney Town, where everything was bright, cheerful, and festive. On one hand, she had Eraq's safety to think about, but on the other, she didn't want to be so overprotective that she seemed unreasonable. She looked to her husband to see how he felt about the matter and right away she could already judge by the look on his face that he was much more open to the suggestion than she.

"There _is_ five of us to watch out for him, er _six_," Terra mended with a wince when Angelo gave a plaintive, high pitched bark. "And even if we do happen to run into heartless, any one of us could easily deal with four or five on our own." He shrugged indifferently. "It's up to you though, I don't care either way."

Her husband's reassurance should have been enough to ease her worries; his words made sense. Even so, Aqua still felt a nagging trepidation in the back of her mind. Though with all the reasonable logic stacked against her, she couldn't really come up with an argument to object. Instead choosing to look to Rin as a last resort. "What about you, is this ok with you?"

Rin had been quiet through the debate, choosing to listen curiously from the side. "I've waited this long to see him, I can wait a little longer." Her words were a bit downcast but her sudden smile made up for it. "Besides, visiting a few more worlds sounds like fun."

Aqua released a defeated sigh; now everyone but her had consented. She let a few tense seconds pass by before breaking a smirk in the blond's direction. "Alright, Ven, you win."

With a sudden explosive whoop Ven was on his feet and shared a high five with Zack, both of them grinning victoriously. "Told you," said the swordsman. "My puppy-dog look works _every_ time."

Ven swatted at Zack's shoulder with a playful indignation. "She didn't even look at you!"

"She didn't need to! That's just how well it works!" Zack's grin was arrogant, causing Rin to roll her eyes, Aqua to chuckle and Terra to grunt.

"Whatever." Ven scoffed and threw around an excited gesture. "Come on then, let's get going right away. We've only got a few days left and I wanna visit as many worlds as possible!"

He was off and running before Terra or Aqua could reply and Zack was promptly right after him. "Aw yeah, adventure and grandeur await the hero!"

Rinoa sighed as she stood up to follow at a more respectable pace, the two men's energy seeming to wear her out and the day had barely started. "I don't understand how they can move so fast after eating so much."

"That boy has always been on the move," Terra remarked fondly. "And some things just never change." He and Aqua stood from their places as well, since everyone had either finished eating or in Terra and Rinoa's case, hadn't felt like eating to begin with.

Angelo drew beside Eraq with a woof and the boy happily pulled himself onto the saddle mounted on her back. The dog trotted after her master, leaving Terra and Aqua to follow along in their wake.

Now that Ven and Eraq weren't watching, Aqua allowed her brave mask to falter and she frowned at the floor as though it were the source of her worries.

"Hey." Aqua felt Terra's hand encompass her own and she looked up to see him offer a reassuring smile. "Don't worry so much. Do I have to tell you the same thing I told Eraq? I won't let anything happen to ether of you."

"I know that's what he needed to hear," she told him and at least attempted to smile back. "But I also know how unreasonable a promise it is."

"It's not unreasonable," he replied, his gaze and tone insistent and serious. "As his father its expected of me." He gave her hand a meaningful squeeze. "And as your husband, well, it's in the vows."

"Terra," Aqua sighed out, suddenly feeling a dark, portentous cloud grip at her heart. "You and I both know how impossible it is to protect someone when destiny calls."

"Well," Terra remarked plainly and made an expressive gesture with his free hand. "If things are so predestined like you say, then what's the point in worrying about it?"

"It's my job to worry," she replied with a slight pout. "It always has been."

* * *

_Shadows. Darkness. Emptiness. All three were things he was not unfamiliar with. Nor was that voice foreign to him, _her_ voice. Cold and commanding. It used to frighten him into blind obedience. It still unnerved him, shook him to his core actually, but even cowards had their limits, right?_

"_I have a task for you."_

"_Not interested."_

"_You will listen to my demands you great, lazy oaf!"_

_He fought off a visible flinch. "Listening." _Not doing_, he added silently. That cold voice continued, explaining the purpose of this covert visit in the darkness. He listened until he felt a fiery rage burn in his chest, an emotion he hadn't felt in quite awhile. "Leave him alone, he ain't done nothin' to anyone!"_

"_I won't hurt him... Much. Besides, don't you want revenge on his parents?"_

_He shook his head. "I'm through with revenge. Go find someone else to do your dirty work."_

_That female voice suddenly screeched at him with frustration. "Useless! You've always been useless!" And with that, she was gone, sweeping the vast darkness and eternal emptiness along with her, but the shadows remained, they always did._

Useless_, he repeated silently. That sounded pretty accurate. But then, what if-? No, nobody would believe him. That only left him with one option: Chip and Dale's Gummi Hanger. What was one more theft added to a long list of criminal history anyway?_

* * *

_AN: I don't know why I go to such lengths to keep that guy a mystery when I'm sure everyone already knows who he is and who he's talking to... Anyway my thanks to everyone that gave me words.(I used them all) Feel free to give me more! It was fun trying to incorporate them. Also, I had to keep this K+ so I apologize to anyone that was expecting something... more..._


End file.
