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...  
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_**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...**_

_Rating change: _I recently changed the rating for this story to T, sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

**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.

The boy's 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 late 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.

Eraq'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 Eraq again. "Look, 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 Eraq, seeming genuinely concerned.

"Hurt," Denzel said simply and hesitantly held out a tentative hand to touch Eraq's 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.

Eraq 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," Eraq 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 Eraq's side objectively. "Well, actually, _you're_ mother got turned into a dragon once."

"Mom did?" Eraq's 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.

Eraq 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. Eraq 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!" Eraq 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."

Eraq 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, mentoring that one from the age of nine until they turned thirteen, or were otherwise mature enough, where they would then be tested for their Keyblade wielding compatibility. Their training would then intensify until they showed signs for the Mark of Mastery exams.

Both Terra 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 Eraq 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 Eraq 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, Eraq 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 Eraq 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 Eraq 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.

Eraq 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 Eraq's 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 Eraq 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?"

Eraq 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?"

Eraq 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!" Eraq 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?"

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_AN: So, just to clarify, Eraq is pronounced like Eric for all intents and purposes._


	2. of Repose

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

**Chapter Two – of Repose**

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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 Eraq 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.

Eraq 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; he knew he was busted.

"Eh?" was his lame response and he was not at all ignorant to Eraq's 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 Eraq 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 Eraq as he whimpered worriedly under her arms, stealing a glance between her and his father. Although Eraq 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 Eraq's 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?" Eraq 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.

Eraq 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. Eraq 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.

Eraq snickered 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!" Eraq 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 snickered. "Kupo isn't after your heart."

"He was just saying good morning, Dad." Eraq 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 Eraq 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 brighten it 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, Eraq 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 Eraq 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 Eraq 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. Eraq 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 Eraq 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?"

Eraq 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?"

Eraq 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 Eraq 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!"

Eraq 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. Eraq 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 Eraq had run off and gotten into trouble, and the boy always seemed to 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 Eraq 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 Eraq 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," Eraq 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. Eraq 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?" Eraq 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 Eraq 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!" Eraq 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," Eraq 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?"

Eraq 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." Eraq 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. "Eraq 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.  
_


	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 bothered 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 Eraq 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 Eraq's 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 Eraq's 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," Eraq 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 Eraq. "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 Eraq. 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.

Eraq 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 Eraq 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. Eraq 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."

Eraq 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," Eraq 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 Eraq 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 Eraq to observe the man curiously, since he certainly wasn't a teenager anymore.

Zack 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.

Lastly, 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 Eraq 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."

Eraq 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."

Eraq giggled, amused and moved closer, his apprehension toward 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."

Eraq's 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?"

Eraq, 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 Eraq 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 Eraq 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 our Guardian Academy."

"Vacation?" Zack howled excitedly. "Guardian 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 Eraq 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!"

Eraq 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 Eraq 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 Eraq, 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?" Eraq 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 Eraq. "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!" Eraq 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...


	4. of Rivalry

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

**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 exertion.

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!" Eraq 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 Eraq 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 Eraq 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, Eraq 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 Eraq 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 Eraq 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 Eraq 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 Eraq. "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 Eraq 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 Eraq 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 Eraq 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. Eraq 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?"

Eraq 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. Eraq 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 Eraq 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!"


	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," Eraq 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," Eraq 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 Eraq 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 Eraq 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."

Eraq 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 Eraq 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 Eraq 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. Eraq 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 Eraq 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, Eraq 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 Eraq 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," Eraq 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, Eraq 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.

Eraq 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 Eraq 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 Eraq 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."

Eraq 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. Eraq 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?"

Eraq 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 Eraq 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. Eraq 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?"

Eraq 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."

Eraq 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. Eraq 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 Eraq 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 Eraq 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 Eraq 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?"

Eraq 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, Eraq 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 Eraq's 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 Eraq 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.

Eraq 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."

Eraq 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 Eraq 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.

Eraq 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?"


	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.

Eraq 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, Eraq 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.

Eraq 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.

Eraq 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?_


	7. of a Scamp

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

_AN: If you're not familiar with the movie here, then feel free to look up the characters on the Disney Wikia as I introduce them.  
_

**Chapter Seven – of a Scamp**

* * *

Why was it, _every_ time they went to a world that changed their forms it had to present them with a glorious flash of light, a fantastic little coma and a fully loaded splitting headache? Terra had to ponder this as he stared at two dark brown paws splayed out in front of his face-...er... snout. He hadn't even bothered to raise his head from off the ground to inspect his new form. He simply lay there and accepted the change without a fuss and tried not to make his nagging headache any worse, though the bright sunlight above wasn't helping, nor was the high-pitched birdsong in the trees. The last thing he remembered on the ship was arguing with his blond co-pilot about his lousy choice for their first world.

Although Terra could readily accept the change, he honestly didn't care for worlds that altered his form. Whereas it was sometimes fun to romp around in an animal body, it could also be really inconvenient at times. Ven, on the other hand, seemed to have the opposite opinion on the matter and actually enjoyed running around in another form. Speaking of Ven, where was that little (well he wasn't exactly little anymore) hooligan anyway? Slowly raising his head so as not to aggravate the ache further, Terra surveyed the area for his blond companion as he had a few choice imprecations to direct his way.

After glancing around for a moment, Terra quickly realized it would prove harder to recognize his friend than he originally thought. He lay in the middle of a grassy yard, with bushes and fences all around as well as a house and a stone path leading from its threshold to a metal gate that was currently ajar. There were a few furry bodies lying around and Terra assumed they were his companions, still sleeping off their forced "coma". He felt his ears tug forward when one of the bodies stirred and groaned.

Maybe it had just been a really long time since he had been turned into an animal, but his ears felt unusually large. Terra idly pondered the matter as he moved closer to his waking companion. He knew it was Ven by the sight of his golden fur and shoulder armor, which made him aware of the cold weight on his own left shoulder.

While waiting for his friend to waken completely, Terra inspected the other pelted bodies more closely and did a headcount. With an odd tip of his head and a twist around to scrutinize his own person, Terra realized they were all dogs, even Angelo, which, well, wasn't really surprising. The only other two bodies began to stir as well, both of them with black fur, whom Terra guessed were Rinoa and Zack. That left Aqua and Eraq unaccounted for, but they couldn't be far, he reasoned, and he could feel no darkness or dread in the area. He'd set out to find them as soon as the others were on their feet- er paws.

Terra sat down and aimed a pointed glare down at his friend when Ven finally raised his head to regard him fully. "That you, Terra?"

"Ven," Terra growled with annoyance. "Didn't I ask you: 'this isn't one of _those_ worlds is it?' and you said 'Oh no Terra, I would never bring Eraq to one like that.'?"

"Oh," Ven said with a sheepish grin. "I thought you meant something else."

"What in the world did you _think_ I meant?" Zack and Rin were sitting up now, their curious attention drawn to the bickering friends.

"I-it doesn't matter now, does it? We're here now, so let's have some fun!" Ven was on his paws and raring to go as if he wasn't suffering from any headache whatsoever.

"Doesn't matter?" Terra nearly snarled, indignant. "Ven, when I get a hold of you-!"

"Hey Dad! Look at me! I'm a dog!" a little voice suddenly exclaimed from the direction of the open gate. Terra looked up just in time to see a tiny, charcoal-blue body scamper in his direction before said body tumbled right into his forelegs. Terra's ire evaporated in that instant and he smirked down at his son.

"Not quite, Eraq," Terra replied as the pup sat back to try and shake off his unceremonious impact. "Look at you, more of a runt than in your human form." He leaned down and nosed the little scrap fondly.

"Aww, Dad, don't be mean!" Eraq whined and reared up to place both forepaws on his father's snout, eliciting a deep, throaty chuckle out of him.

Terra looked up again to see Aqua appear through the gate, well, it was a dog he assumed to be Aqua since she too donned both armor pieces. She had distinctive blue fur with white-blue markings and she followed in Eraq's wake with a curious attention to all the canines that she no doubt guessed were her companions. Her ears were triangular and erect and her tail curled curiously over her back, much unlike the rest of them, although with a glance down to their son, his tail seemed to be doing the same thing as it waved back and forth excitedly.

She drew beside him and sat down with a curious tip of her head. "Terra?" she questioned and failed to stifle a snigger when he nodded. "Your ears, they're so big."

Terra only sneered at her in response. He tried to find something awry about her new form in turn but honestly, she looked rather striking. Although Terra had never really been fond of canines, he had to admit that Aqua's dog form was rather pretty, though he insisted to himself that it was due to her blue fur, originating from her blue hair that he adored so much. He was still working up a reply when a noisy, high-pitched yapping erupted from the house, and he felt every hair on his body tense up.

Terra whipped his head around to see a small black dog emerge from a flap in the door as it continued to bark indignantly at all the dogs in its yard. It halted on the porch to survey the intruders before launching itself down the few steps to the path and then promptly, fearlessly, marched right up to Terra with a dutiful expression.

Everyone blinked with surprise when the little black fur-ball, who was about the same size as Eraq, began to speak in a most demanding, thickly accented, male tone. "Now just what are ya all doin' in me yard? I've halv'a mind to run you all out!"

Terra was taken back, surprised by how the little dog addressed him and his friends, most of whom were ten times his size. He was left speechless, his maw hanging open and his ears switched back as though he had just been admonished like a child. Thankfully, his wife stepped in, her diplomatic charisma always a boon. "I'm very sorry sir, we meant no disrespect. You see, we're traveling and only stopped here to rest for a moment."

The little dog turned to her, his eyes seeming to light up at her words. Apparently all it took to placate his flustered rant were a few respectful words. "Ah, that's how it 'tis then?" He marched around a bit, glanced over the odd group and turned back to Aqua and Terra with a stern expression. "I'll be having some proper introductions then! The name is Jock, I'm a Scottish Terrier. Now I'll be havin' all of you line up."

Terra cocked his head with a mix of confusion and surprise when the others all did as they were bid, all lining up beside Aqua and sitting obediently like children attempting to appease a stern parent. He glanced to see Aqua smirking with amusement beside him and Eraq sitting between them with the most curious expression Terra thought he had ever seen him with.

Jock trotted back over to Terra, obviously choosing to begin with him. "Alright sonny, we'll start with you."

"Um, Terra," he replied hesitantly, feeling oddly uncomfortable under the little dog's scrutiny.

"Aye, a German Shepherd ye are," Jock responded, eying Terra warily and carried on as though he were some sort of expert on the various breeds of dogs. "Strong, and fearless. Though easily provoked and prone to recklessness."

Terra had raised his head proudly at the first comment, but lowered quickly with the last, his ears switched back as Aqua and the others sniggered beside him. Not paying the disturbance any mind, Jock promptly moved on to Aqua, somehow overlooking the small pup sitting between his parents. "My name is Aqua," the blue dog answered when Jock peered up at her in question.

"A fitting name for a Siberian Husky, lassie. Intelligent and headstrong. A leader you are. And might I add, very beautiful?"

Aqua grinned sheepishly and glanced with a shrug at her husband; all of her traits seemed positive. "What about me!" the pup between them piped up. "I'm Eraq."

Jock gasped grandly, obviously only just then noting the youngster. "Why, you've got a bonnie little cub!" he exclaimed and shot both Aqua and Terra a knowing look before returning his intent gaze back down to Eraq. "Aye laddie, you be a... well, you be a..." He seemed at loss as to how to proceed and glanced up to his parents for assistance on the matter, but they merely shrugged. "Well," the terrier cleared his throat. "You're a bit of both. Nothin' to be ashamed of though, some of the best dogs I know are mixed breeds."

Jock hurriedly moved on to the next introduction, leaving Aqua and Terra to share a smirk as Eraq waved his fluffy black-blue tail happily; he was one of the best dogs!

"Ventus," the blond one greeted pleasantly. "But you can call me Ven, Mister."

"It's just "Jock" laddie," the terrier corrected with an easy smile. "And Ven, I believe ye'r a Golden Retriever. Energetic, friendly, extremely loyal and always on the move."

Ven raised his head with a contemplative tip as his tail wagged slowly. He could live with that deduction.

Jock moved on. "Angelo," the brown and white dog said, her silky, kind voice drawing everyone's apt attention, especially Rin's as she had never heard her dog talk before and it was naturally unnerving for her. "Can we hurry this along gramps? I've got business with the cub."

Jock sputtered in response, his eyes seeming to glow indignantly. "Now see here lassie! Just because you're an Australian Shepherd doesn't mean you can get snippy with me! Highly intelligent, but no patience! None at all!" Jock huffed and moved on.

Rinoa was still speechless when Jock halted in front of her, expecting the introduction, but she simply stared at Angelo with her jaw hanging open in surprise. Sure, she had always bragged about how smart her Angelo was, but hearing her speak, and speak fluently, was just amazing, and rather disconcerting if she thought about it for too long. "Uh, um, I'm Rinoa... Rin for short," she finally answered after Jock had objectively cleared his throat.

"Well then lassie, a pretty Belgian Sheepdog you are. Determined, amiable, and a good head on your shoul-" Jock's monolog abruptly cut off when he glanced in Zack's direction. "You-you're a-a..."

The terrier's stuttering didn't seem to phase Zack as he took it as a sign that it was his turn and held himself erect and proud, taking Jock's pause as a cue to fill in the blanks himself. "Charming? Handsome? Heroic?"

"A wolf!" Jock barked with terror as he scuttled backward and cowered behind Terra. "That's a wolf! Why would you ever allow a wild savage like that into your pack? Eat you alive he will!"

"Zack?" Terra snorted. "He's harmless." He couldn't understand what the fuss was about. To him, Zack looked no different from Rin really, aside from their obvious size difference that is.

"Oh come on!" Zack whined in protest and Rin sniggered beside him. "I'm not harmless, I'm a hero!"

"Hero?" Jock repeated mockingly, though he peered around Terra's forelegs warily. "Wolves aren't heroes, they're monsters!"

"Now hang on a minute!" Zack snapped and moved closer, sitting back down again when Jock looked ready to dart away in terror. "I may be a beastly stud with amazing fighting skills, but I'm no monster!" The wolf looked up to each of his friends pleadingly. "Come on guys, tell him I'm not gonna eat him."

"Alright Zack, lie down and hold still," Terra told him and bent down to whisper into his son's ear.

Zack tipped his head curiously but did as he was bid and lay down, waiting. He watched as Eraq nodded and darted for the wolf with a wild mischief, causing Jock to sputter in horror. "Wh-what are you doin'? Are ye mad, sendin' you're pup off to certain death?"

Terra merely smirked down at the ranting little dog before turning back to the humorous scene as Zack proceeded to endure the abuse of the little black-blue furball that was Eraq. The pup had launched himself onto Zack's shoulders and was currently tugging at the wolf's big, black ears. Zack winced and whined and tried to twist around to mouth at the youngster but made no real attempt at retaliation, causing Jock to pull out of hiding in wonderment. "He's- he's not tearing him to pieces!"

"You didn't really think I'd send my son off to get shredded did you?" Terra questioned. "Zack is a friend, wolf or not, he wouldn't hurt anyone unless they threatened us."

Zack had rolled over onto his side and was trying to fend off Eraq's boisterous assault as the little pup leaped from ribcage to head and back again. "Aye, laddie, you've made your point well enough," Jock admitted with a nod and a wiry smile.

"My turn next," Angelo grumbled in Zack's direction, her head and ears pressed down as the jealousy rolled off her in waves at seeing Eraq play with another dog.

The two continued to romp around, unaffected by their audience until a shrill voice split the air. "Jock! Oh Jock!" Ears switched back and heads turned toward the open gate as a small ocher colored dog burst into the yard with a sense of urgency in her voice and expression. She was slightly bigger than Jock, with tan markings on her muzzle and chest while her trailing, fluffy ears were a light brown that matched her eyes.

"Why Lady, what's the matter?" Jock was on all fours in that instant, looking like he was ready to bolt in any direction if the newcomer asked him to.

Lady briefly glanced around at the others curiously but quickly focused back on the little Scottish Terrier in front of her. Her troubles obviously too important to bother with proper introductions. "It's Scamp, he's run off and we can't find him!"

"What's that?" Jock tipped his head intently. "Your little rascal's gone missing? Well let's be off then! I'll round up Trusty and we'll head out immediately!"

Before the two house pets headed for the gate, Aqua stepped toward them, her ears flipped forward with interest. "Are you looking for your son?" The question was more or less rhetorical, as it really didn't take a genius to deduce who they were talking about, especially for a mother. Like some sort of universal wisdom, she could recognize the look of panic in Lady's eyes. "We could help you search for him."

Lady's attention snapped to Aqua, then to her companions, surprised, as if she were just then truly noticing them. "Who are you?"

"We're just travelers passing through town, and Jock was nice enough to share his yard for us to rest," Aqua explained, deciding not to delve into introductions as the others all moved to line up beside her.

Lady hesitated in her answer, glancing to Jock for reassurance. The little terrier gave a confident nod and smiled, a silent confirmation that he trusted this ragtag pack of dogs. Lady turned back to offer Aqua a pleasant though frazzled smile. "Yes, please, I need all the help I can get."

Terra turned to Aqua. "We should split into pairs then. We can cover more ground that way." He looked up to the sky, assessing the morning sun's location. "Let's meet back here when the sun is at its highest point."

Lady and Jock both nodded in agreement, as though they regularly used the sun's location to determine the time of day. "What's he look like?" Eraq suddenly questioned as he leaped in front of Lady with a curious expression.

Lady's head snapped back with surprise at the pup's appearance but her expression quickly softened and she answered. "He's about your size, with gray fur, floppy ears and a blue collar."

"Right, got it," Terra said as he started for the gate. "Let's go Aqua."

Aqua huffed but followed after him, shooting over her shoulder at the frantic Cocker. "Don't worry, we'll find him." She halted at the gate and waited for Eraq to catch up as Terra trotted onward down the street.

Lady and Jock padded after them. "Watch out for wild dogs, there's a lot of them in the city!"

Rinoa moved to follow suit, looking at Ven and Zack pointedly. "You two go together, I'll search with Angelo."

They both nodded in agreement. "Come on then wolf," Ven teased and lopped through the gate behind Rin. "Try to keep up!"

"Hey, hey, I have a name you know!" Zack barked back excitedly and ran at the retriever's tail.

"Whatever you say, "hero"." Ven rolled his eyes and tipped his head up, sniffing the air as he turned down the only street the others hadn't taken.

"That's right," Zack replied, head and tail erect as he trotted along arrogantly. "Finding lost kid's, totally heroic."

* * *

Terra sniffed the air in an attempt to pick up the lost pup's scent, or any dog smell for that matter. For one thing, he wasn't used to sifting out smells with a snout that could pick up virtually everything in existence, and secondly, he had no clue what the lost pup smelled like. Sighing with frustration, he sat back onto his haunches on the sidewalk and gave Aqua a defeated look. "What's he look like again?"

Before she could reply Eraq yipped up at them impatiently. "Dad, he's gray and he's got floppy ears!"

"Oh, right," Terra said with a chuckle and ruffled his son's head with one paw. "Good thing you're here to remember the details, runt."

Eraq growled irritably in response but playfully grabbed the offending paw in his mouth, tugging with a gentle pressure. "Aww come on Dad, we got work to do!"

Huffing at their antics, though unable to fight back a smile, Aqua turned her attention elsewhere, ears perked, black nose twitching as she scanned the opposite sidewalk. It was hard to smell anything past the thick, acrid stench of the black pavement neatly cutting its way between the sidewalks, where various large vehicles stormed by at a brisk pace, they too spitting out foul air. She and Terra had quickly given Eraq a lecture about such dangers, strictly charging him to stay nearby at all times and as far away from those huge metal contraptions as possible.

Aqua filtered out any further bickering her husband and son were engaged in while her blue eyes were drawn to another dog across the street. It was a scraggly thing as it wandered around, and any human passerby gave it a wide berth and an unhindered look of contempt. "Maybe he's seen Scamp. You two wait here, I'll go ask him."

Before Terra could argue with her, she had already padded down the walkway to a spot where a woman and her child looked like they were waiting to cross. As Aqua guessed, the thrumming vehicles halted to allow woman and child safe passage across the street. She followed right behind them, keeping out of their sight and hopped onto the curb on the other side without a problem. Terra watched intently as she approached the stray warily, but he wasn't particularly worried; Aqua could take care of herself.

He had been so keen on making sure she got across the black divide however, that he failed to notice when Eraq wandered away from his side. Aqua was thoroughly engrossed in conversation with the stray when she absently glanced across to Terra, a look of shock and dread overcame her features as her gaze moved further on down the road. She barked a sudden call of alarm to Terra as she frantically searched for a quick way to cross the traffic again.

He couldn't hear what she said over the hum of the cars, but he didn't need to. His own eyes went wide when he realized what had her so upset. Eraq was nowhere in his line of vision and there were suddenly many more people coming and going on the sidewalk, the traffic in the street also swelled and the world seemed to grow more temperamental. "Eraq!" Terra barked out, panic starting to take hold. He didn't care that a number of people jumped away with a start while others stopped to stare at him.

He could faintly hear Aqua barking again, no doubt desperately trying to get back across again. He tried to block it out and closed his eyes for an instant, taking a deep breath to calm his frantic mind. Trying to find someone else's kid was one thing, losing your own was quite another. A moment of clarity peaked through the chaotic adrenalin racing through his veins and he lowered his snout to the pavement. Eraq's scent was fresh and he could follow it even though there was an endless crowd of people he had to sift through. "Eraq!" Terra wailed as he took off in pursuit, dodging one person after another, his pace quickening.

He wasn't sure where Aqua was anymore, if she had found a way to cross then she would catch up eventually. Eraq was his priority, if he wandered into the street... Well, he didn't want to think about it. For the moment the pup's scent trail stayed on the path of the sidewalk, weaving in and out and around countless pedestrians.

Terra had lost count how many times the people he nearly tumbled over yelled and muttered at him, but he didn't care. They were merely obstacles in his path, Eraq's scent trail as visible to him as a trail of green smoke. It was an absent thought, but he also noticed another scent along the trail and he pictured it to be red in his mind, though it seemed unimportant and he dismissed it as he leaped around a large crowd of people, unintentionally stepping into the street and causing a car to swerve slightly with a screech, followed by the driver's irate shouting. Terra merely flipped his ears back in reply, pressing headlong back into his pursuit.

He was panting now, whether due to stress or exhaustion he wasn't sure, and he was amazed that his son could even maintain such a healthy lead. When they left Jock's yard, Eraq had nearly tripped over his own paws but after a bit of practice he was able to keep up with them easily enough so long as his parents kept their gait to a mild trot. Terra was feeling both perplexed and astonished. How could such a small pup move so fast? Then suddenly, realization clicked in his mind. This was Eraq's first time changed into an animal, and unless one is warned or trained beforehand, the animal's instincts tend to take over. The red scent trail suddenly took on a new meaning.

Eraq was chasing something.

Terra surged forward with a heightened sense of urgency. He had to catch up before it was too late. Relief flooded his mind when he noticed a disturbance in the crowd further up, a sign that he was catching up. Desperate to reach his son, he started barking frantically, causing the crowd to split and move out of his way. It worked, but his blood froze when he caught a glimpse of the small black-blue bundle. Eraq was chasing an orange cat, hot on its heels and yapping incessantly, both of them heading straight for a busy intersection.

* * *

"Hey, Angelo, do you know where you're going?" Rinoa asked as she followed her faithful companion through what appeared, and smelled, like a food court, with various tables and chairs placed all around like a maze.

Angelo lifted her head briefly to reply before returning to her task of attempting to track their target. "I think so, but it's hard to know for sure, since I don't really know his scent."

Rin staggered a bit in her trot. She wasn't sure if she could ever get used to having Angelo answer her directly. The act of asking her faithful friend a question wasn't unheard of or even unusual, she did so often actually. It was receiving a coherent reply that unnerved her the most. "So, all this time, you could understand everything I was saying? I mean, I knew you were smart, but-"

Angelo halted in her stride and gave her mistress an intent look. "Most dogs don't understand human words, but some of us can learn patterns, and eventually we don't even need to hear what you're saying. In my case, I can sense your feelings and simply guess what your saying for the most part. If I guess right, people say I'm smart and praise me, if I guess wrong..." She shrugged. "Well, I'm just dog after all, and in the end I still get a pat on the head."

"I see," Rin replied with a smile and a light chuckle.

"Come on," Angelo prompted and headed onward once more. "The sooner we find this "Scamp" the sooner I can get back to my cub."

Rin followed, her head tipped in a curious amusement. "What is with you and Eraq anyway? You know he's not really _your _cub."

Angelo's pace faltered but she didn't meet her master's gaze. "He's a lot like you. He has a rare, unhindered love for people, but is far too trusting." Her gaze darkened as she trotted onward. "He needs to be protected. Always."

Rinoa cocked her head, confused by her familiar's cryptic words. She wanted to inquire further but Angelo sped into a run and it was all Rin could do to keep up.

* * *

A horrible screeching noise erupted behind him, followed by a crash or two and frankly, Terra didn't want to look back to see what sort of damage he had just caused. The furious shouting in his wake made him feel bad enough.

Somehow, against all odds, both his son and the cat he chased had crossed the busy intersection in the very instant all the cars seemed to pause. Even though he was only a short distance behind them, the vehicles began to move when he had reached the edge of the sidewalk. Regardless of the danger, Terra had launched himself into the fray and now he could only imagine the chaotic destruction his recklessness had caused.

He pelted onward, never looking back, and watched as his son turned down a narrow alley in pursuit of his feline quarry. Terra burst through the alley and skidded to a halt on the other side.

The orange tabby could be seen scrambling up a tall wooden fence while Eraq stood stock still in the middle of a deserted dirt road. Terra's eyes widened when he seen what had his son so paralyzed. A monstrous dog, ugly as sin, stood before the pup, glaring down at him like he was about to swallow him whole. "Eraq!" Terra called and padded closer warily, relieved when his voice seemed to pull the pup out of his frozen state.

"Dad!" Eraq tumbled straight to the safety of his father's paws, trembling and weak with exhaustion. "I'm sorry Dad," he whimpered. "I don't know what happened, I saw the cat, and everything went fuzzy after that."

"It's ok Eraq, you're safe now." Terra lowered his head to nuzzle the cub reassuringly and smirked when Eraq leaned against one of his forepaws heavily.

"That you're whelp?" the huge dog thundered angrily as he stepped closer. "I've half a mind to shred him, the way he came charging into _my_ territory!"

"Then let's just be glad you don't have a whole mind," Terra muttered, earning a snicker from his son.

"What was that?" the massive dog barked, eyes seething.

"Nothing," Terra lied, clearing his throat. "I apologize for my son's intrusion. But he's still young and doesn't know about boundaries yet."

The other dog moved even closer, his stinking, short muzzle a mere whisker from Terra's. "_Every_ dog should know about boundaries, especially mine! No one crosses Reggie's territory without paying some sort of price!"

Terra recoiled a bit, his upper lip pulled back in disgust at the foul breath in his face. He assumed this monstrosity was speaking in third-person because he wasn't all that bright. And, although he didn't think it would do any good, he tried again to reason with him. "But like I said, he didn't know, and I can assure you, he won't do it again."

"You're right!" Reggie snarled viciously. "I'll make sure he doesn't!"

Terra was ready for the assault when it came, he crouched, grabbed Eraq by the scruff and leaped back in one fluid motion. Since Reggie had been aiming his snapping maw at the pup, he overcompensated and when Eraq was no longer there, the giant dog's jaw snapped empty air and crashed with the ground.

Terra landed lightly on all fours and gently set his trembling son down. He was surprised to see Aqua burst out of the alley and onto the dirt road nearby. "Eraq!" she howled with relief and was at Terra's side in an instant, proceeding to bathe the pup in a furious round of licks and whines. "Don't you ever wander off like that again!"

"I'm sorry Mom!" he cried while trying to endure the punishment of her tongue in more ways than one. "I didn't mean to."

Terra stepped away from their reunion, his attention drawn back to Reggie as the huge dog had recovered and was watching the three of them with piercing red eyes. His lips were pulled back in a horrific snarl, his hulking shoulders bunched and prepped for a lunge. He was about to unleash an all out attack and Terra stepped forth to meet the challenge.

* * *

"Come on Zack! Keep up, or I'll leave you behind!" Ven howled as he raced down a deserted street at a breakneck pace, Zack pounding the earth only a stride or two behind him.

"Whatever Ven, I haven't even started yet!"

Somehow, they had momentarily forgotten about their mission, rather they had turned it into a competition. One thing was certain though, they were covering a lot of ground.

Zack put on an extra burst of speed and pulled ahead and grinned arrogantly, causing Ven to growl in frustration. So consumed by their posturing Zack barely noticed a black streak cross their path up ahead and he darted for it without thinking, his unfamiliar animal instincts taking over. "Cat!"

"Huh?" Ven faltered but recovered quickly in order to keep pace with his friend. "H-hang on a second Zack! You shouldn't-" His words died away as they dashed into a small, dead-end corridor and both had to skid to a halt to keep from slamming into a row of trash cans. Countless, glaring eyes turned to them in that instant, causing Ven to take a wary step backward. "Um, we uh, probably shouldn't bother them."

Zack gulped and began his slow retreat as well when a menacing hiss resonated from all the hostile felines at once. A furious scrapping startled the cats and they all looked up to see an orange tabby emerge from the other side of the dead-end fence. He was panting and looked thoroughly frazzled. He took one look at the dogs and let loose an unearthly yowl of rage, causing both Ven and Zack to turn tail and scramble back out of the alley, nearly tripping over each other in the process. There was a universal clamor of yowling and hissing as the entirety of the alley erupted and cats poured out as if a jar of jelly beans had just been tipped over.

"Why are we running from cats?!" Zack screeched to the wind and running like mad.

"Because there's an army of them, and you did something to offend them!" Ven howled back, his tone a mixture of panic and hilarity.

Zack wasn't sure how long they had been running, but a glance back and he found a new incentive to run a bit faster. The horde of cats were still in pursuit and they were gaining, not to mention furious. "Cats are scary!" he nearly cried.

"Then why did you chase one?" Ven admonished, his eyes laughing.

"I don't know!" Zack howled. "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time!"

They were reaching a more populated area of the city, and Zack noticed that some of the cats were giving up, but the more determined kept on gaining. Pretty soon they'd be clawing his tail to shreds, he just knew it!

"What are you two doing?!" Rin's voice was like a soothing salvation even though she sounded angry. Her and Angelo appeared further down the street, but if Zack expected them to save his sorry hide, he was wrong. The furious felines only seemed to grow more enraged by the sight of more dogs.

Rin and Angelo joined the retreating ranks and ran at Zack and Ven's side as more cats seemed to seep out of every nook and cranny in town. "What have you done?" Angelo questioned, her ears pricked as her eyes scanned around at the situation quizzically.

"I chased _one_ cat into an alley and they _all_ freaked out!" Zack explained with a whine and scowled at Ven when the blond dog started laughing uncontrollably.

"Zack," Rin sighed and shook her head dismally as she ran. "When will you ever learn?"

"I'm sorry!" the wolf whined. "I couldn't help myself!"

"I don't think this is Zack's fault," Angelo mused as she pelted beside her mistress. "I think he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"You think so?" Rin wondered dubiously with a glance back at the raging mass of fur, claws and teeth behind them. "Some kind of feline revolution then?"

Angelo didn't answer but she was the first to act when Ven suddenly howled in pain as a cat had finally caught up and latched itself to the Golden Retriever's flank. Without breaking stride, Angelo leaped, pulled the cat off and nudged Ven back to a trot all in enough time to keep them ahead of the main horde.

"Nice job Angelo!" Rin praised as Zack laughed at Ven's expense, only to yelp when another cat caught one of his black paws with its dagger-like claws. Rin ignored their antics and tried to focus on running for her life.

She noticed with a wry humor that they were entering a much more populated area than before, and every person in the vicinity had to stop what they were doing to watch the unbelievable scene passing right in front of them. Cars had to screech to a halt and some people even pulled out their shiny gadgets to record the frenzied parade.

"How are we getting out of this one?" Rin asked, her panting breath beginning to come out in labored gasps.

"We'll have to lose as many as possible, then turn and fight," Angelo told her. "That or find some reinforcements."

"Reinforcements? You mean Terra and Aqua?"

Angelo offered a sidelong glance. "Any dogs will do."

"Then let's find some!" Rin gasped. "I don't think I'll have any breath left to fight."

* * *

Terra heard a furious caterwaul some distance away but he flicked his big brown ears dismissively, focusing rather on the opponent he faced.

Reggie's stance shifted and he lunged, his huge, deadly maw snapped over nothing but air as Terra practically danced around him.

Although Terra was tall by human standards, this massive tan canine towered over his dog form. However, after only a few moments going head to head with the monstrosity, he was grateful for the size difference. Reggie was all bulk and was as big and clumsy as he was stupid, his fighting skills untrained and unrefined. Apparently, most dogs must have submitted to him without a fight, his size alone enough to scare them off.

But Terra knew different. He had learned long ago that size alone was not enough to defeat a skilled opponent. He didn't bother to summon his keyblade; he could easily topple this beast without it.

Reggie roared furiously and stomped around, hoping to intimidate his adversary with his thunderous footfalls. But Terra didn't flinch, instead, he swung around and nipped at the massive dog's left rear leg, causing him to howl in irritation more than pain. Reggie whipped around and snapped his trap-like jaw in Terra's direction but missed again.

Terra was already on his other side and threw his shoulder into the beast's flank, confusing him more than actually causing any damage. When Reggie turned to snap once again, Terra bolted around, nipping the same heel as before. He repeated this process over and over again and Reggie never seemed to catch on, he simply kept on blindly striking out, hoping to get lucky.

Finally, his weakened rear leg buckled under his own weight and he howled in agony. Terra finished with a fierce tackle and Reggie collapsed to the ground in a cloud of dirt and grit, no doubt with a few broken ribs and a fractured leg.

Terra felt a sudden pang of guilt in his chest. Not because he had defeated his antagonist but because he had exposed Eraq to the violent scene. His son was already shaken, after witnessing the fight he was no doubt terrified. But when Terra turned to glance in their direction, Eraq was simply watching with a bright interest as he leaned against his mother's foreleg. He supposed he shouldn't really be surprised though, in Eraq's young mind, his father was a hero and his mother's presence signified an unbreakable protection.

Terra turned back to the crippled Reggie, who was emitting a low menacing growl. "Again, I'm sorry for trespassing," he told him, once more attempting to be diplomatic. "But you must have known I'd do whatever it took to protect my family."

Reggie didn't reply, his glare just grew sharper, his growling more intense until he was snarling with an incoherent rage.

Terra retreat a few steps and frowned deeply. There was simply no reasoning with a creature so base and angry. His head snapped up to attention when his sensitive ears picked up a muffled padding of countless paws on the dirt road.

"Hey! Who said you could waltz in here and thrash my second in command?" A tall, well toned black dog with brown markings and a stub for a tail trotted over to Reggie and gave him a sniff. Terra retreated even more when he seen what else had approached. He counted at least a dozen or more of what appeared to be a pack of wild dogs and they all halted some distance away, awaiting their leader's command.

Terra raised his head and tail high, hoping to feign a display of confidence. "I didn't know I needed a reason to defend myself. He attacked me."

"What?" The black dog's head snapped up, quick as a snake. He obviously wasn't used to being disrespected. "You must be new around here, stranger."

"Get him Buster!" Reggie snarled as he attempted to stand but collapsed back to the ground in pain. "Shred him!"

Buster didn't even give his Second another glance, instead, his eyes had locked on to Terra as though he had spotted new prey. "This is my territory, and you're invading. My dogs have every right to attack you."

Terra continued his retreat, not due to intimidation, but rather, he was growing increasingly more uncomfortable with the wild pack's proximity and the distance separating him from Eraq and Aqua. Buster advanced and matched him step for step, his dark head lowered to strike at any moment, his erect, triangular ears switched back aggressively while emitting a threatening growl.

Terra's blood ran cold when Buster suddenly perked up, all aggression seeming to evaporate as he switched targets and trotted over to Aqua with his head raised arrogantly. "Well would you look at this? A hot dame just waiting to be picked up." He offered her a devilish grin, neatly overlooking the pup at her paws. "Couldn't have come at a better time, since my best girl up and left awhile ago."

Terra moved to intercept but Buster kept moving, making it impossible for him to place himself between his family and danger. "I'm afraid she's spoken for." He knew Aqua didn't approve of being talked about like a piece of property, but he felt like the situation called for it since she couldn't exactly launch herself into combat with Eraq needing her protection at the moment. Terra felt the hair along his spine lift unintentionally, his lips drawn back in a sneer. "Move on, friend."

"Friend?" Buster snorted and half-circled Aqua and Eraq menacingly. "I think you need to take a look around, stranger. There are no friends here."

"It's called being diplomatic," Terra growled a warning, his upper lip curling even more to show his gleaming white daggers. "I promised someone I'd try it out, doesn't seem to be working though." He chanced a glance to his wife, surprised by how _un_diplomatic she appeared at the moment. Her head had lowered closer to Eraq, her ears were switched back and she hummed a dangerous growl as her eyes followed Buster's every move. It wasn't just her demeanor though, rather, it puzzled him as to how there didn't seem to be even a single flake remaining of the outstanding peacekeeper his wife was known for. Terra flicked his ears dismissively. He guessed she was just fighting with those animal instincts as well as her normal protective nature for Eraq.

"Diplomacy!" Buster laughed, jerking Terra's attention back to the arrogant antagonist. "Since I'm feeling generous today, I tell you what. I'll give you two options. Leave you're pretty little husky with us and I'll let you and your mongrel go unharmed. Or, We kill both of you and take her anyway."

Terra took a moment to scrutinized him. So he had noticed Eraq. This was an intelligent, crafty animal, not like Reggie at all, and it was easy to see why he was the leader in the territory. But Terra could already sense his weakness; the arrogance in his heart was practically tangible, and it would be his downfall. The problem though, was Buster's pack of wild dogs loitering nearby, and was it his imagination or had they moved closer?

"Ah-ah," Buster sounded, shaking his head as though admonishing an unruly pup. Apparently he took Terra's roving gaze as a sign he was planning to run. "Don't bother, my dogs will have you pinned before you reach the alley."

Before Terra could reply that he was by no means such a coward, a sudden commotion exploded onto the scene a few hundred feet down the street. "Terra!" Ven howled frantically, prolonging the last syllable as was his habit when excited. He was headed in their direction, pelting headlong as though his life depended on it.

Every dog turned in Ven's direction as Zack, Rin and Angelo all slid onto the dirt road behind him. Needless to say, no one was expecting to see a legion of felines tumble out afterward, all of them yowling and spitting furiously.

Terra was genuinely surprised when Buster's pack, as if by some unspoken, absolute alliance, launched themselves toward the oncoming army of cats, all of them barking and howling a battle cry.

Buster himself held back, glaring at the disturbance and watching as though it were below him to participate.

The cats were thrown into a writhing mass of confusion when Buster's pack thrust themselves into the swath of fur and claws. Ven and the others turned and joined in, turning the tide and forcing the army of felines to retreat with a collective hiss. "Good riddance!" Zack huffed. "That'll teach you to mess with a hero!" He followed the others as they congregated around Aqua, unwittingly forcing Buster to move away. They were completely oblivious to the tense situation they just walked in on, though Angelo was studying the hostile postures with a wary eye.

"Hey, thanks for your help guys, I thought those awful cats were gonna chase us _forever,_" Ven said, giving the pack of wild dogs a grateful nod. None of them said anything in return, rather, they lined up in a half-circle, blocking off the closest alley. "Er." Ven cringed, and muttered to Zack, "Am I missing something? Didn't they just help us?" Zack shrugged without an answer, his eyes popping around as he tried to understand the situation as well.

Terra looked up to Buster, his confidence renewed tenfold. With the arrival of his friends, even though they appeared exhausted, their chances of escaping unharmed had increased dramatically. "This is my pack," he began, head and tail held high. "We are traveling, and we're willing to leave without bloodshed."

"Hah!" Buster scoffed. "You seem to be confused. A few reinforcements won't help you. You're still outnumbered."

"I think you're the one who's confused," Terra retorted as he turned to Zack and placed a paw on one of his shoulders. "I have a blood-thirsty wolf on my side."

Buster's eyes widened slightly at that, and there was a collective gasp among his ranks as they all looked to one another for reassurance. At first, Zack gave an incredulously innocent pout, but when Terra nodded suggestively, Zack fell into the act of the vicious animal he was thought to be. Lips drawn back, head low, hackles flaring, throat vibrating with a snarl. Even Terra took a step back in apprehension.

Buster's dogs began murmuring and cowered when Zack turned on them with his savage portrayal. "So. Who do I get to taste first?"

Terra, Ven and Rin all shared a slight look of embarrassment but remained silent as Zack continued his attempt to intimidate the other dogs. Aqua and Angelo were too busy guarding Eraq to pay him any mind.

Terra looked back to Buster, expectant, but the black-tan dog was merely watching the display with a hard scrutiny. He didn't seem to be falling for the bluff very well.

In the end, it didn't matter though, because every canine suddenly looked to the alleyway that connected to that busy intersection from before. There were numerous sirens wailing among a clamor of other commotion, consisting of doors slamming and people shouting indignantly. "It's the dog-catcher!" one of Buster's dogs cried in panic, causing his peers to grow even more agitated than before.

"Alright fine!" Buster barked with a sneer. "Everyone, fall back." To Terra he said, "as for you, you're off the hook this time. But the next time you step into my territory, you're _all_ dead." His eyes pointedly passed over Aqua briefly before turning to lead his pack away.

Angelo paced nervously as the noise in the alley grew louder. "We should leave now as well, before we're caught."

Terra nodded and surveyed his companions' condition. They all looked exhausted and he could feel his own legs shaking, his paws tingling tiredly, but he had to lead them back to Jock's yard, back to someplace safe. He looked to Eraq and Aqua. "Can you carry him for now?" There was more clatter in the alley; they had to move fast and Eraq looked too shaken to keep up.

Aqua made no reply but bent down and to clamp her maw around the pup's shoulders. He made no attempt to complain except for a tiny yelp of surprise when she lifted him and took off down the street.

Terra bolted to run along side while the others quickly moved to flank them. He hoped the noise erupting from the alleyway didn't follow them, but he wasn't about to turn and find out.

* * *

Terra dozed on the grass, enjoying the evening breeze and Aqua's rhythmic breathing beside him. She lay there, pressed against him with Eraq curled into a neat little ball between her forelegs, his head pressing into her chest fur for warmth.

The rest of their companions lay exhausted and sprawled on the grass as well, all of them either dozing like himself or in Zack's case, snoring quite obnoxiously.

They had returned to Jock's yard only to find out that Scamp had returned home, followed by his cute little girlfriend named Angel.

Terra and the others hadn't stayed to witness the reunion. They were all just too tired, though equally relieved that Lady's son had returned safely.

They had all decided to rest and relax on a secluded hilltop nearby, waiting for the Gummi ship to make one of its routine landings. Since Terra didn't have a pocket for the remote to call it, they had to rely on the ship's programing to hone in on their biological signatures before they could leave.

No one complained one bit though. They were all so drained that when the camouflaged ship finally did touch down, no one was popping up to leave.

Terra yawned and leaned closer to Aqua's warmth, his ears twitching when she muttered something under her breath. "Aqua?" he murmured curiously, keeping his voice low so as not wake their son. "You ok?"

"Too close," she whispered as if to the night air and not his prompt.

"Hey." Terra nudged her head with his own. "Talk to me. What's too close?"

Aqua scowled at the question but turned to him with a sudden anxious expression. "It was too close today. We nearly lost him."

"Oh." Terra frowned. He knew exactly where she was going with this.

"I think we should cut our vacation short. Eraq is still to young and the world's are too dangerous."

Terra studied her for a moment. Her eyes were sad, as though it pained her to break this to him, but at the same time her tone was stern. He had a feeling she was going to be stubborn about the matter, but he at least had to try and persuade her differently. "If you're talking about those wild dogs-"

"I seen the wreckage Terra." She looked him straight in the eyes with a cold, severe reality. "I know what had nearly crushed him."

"Actually..," Terra hesitated and let out a shameful breath. "That mess was my doing. Eraq crossed without a hitch. I was the reckless one."

Aqua tipped her head at that. "Even so, it's what could have happened that worries me. He's just, so _small_." In that instant Eraq seemed to stir in response to his parents' hushed voices. They both halted their conversation and watched as the pup looked up with bleary eyes to make sure they were both still there before curling up again and nuzzling back into his mother's fur once more, asleep almost instantly.

"Look at him Aqua," Terra murmured. "He's so happy, having both of us, all the time."

"Terra," Aqua's tone had faded from demanding to a warning plea.

"I'm not ready for things to go back to the way they were. Neither is Eraq."

"I'm not either," Aqua replied truthfully, her tone desperate and broken. "But it's our job to keep him safe. The things that happened today-"

"Look," Terra interjected, his tone gentle and optimistic as he reached out to her with one paw. "Today was my fault. I took my eyes off him for less than a minute. I promise, it won't happen again. Just please, don't make us go back yet."

Aqua sighed in defeat, her resolve melting in his dark, hopeful pools. Honestly, he was like a little kid- no, he was even worse than Eraq when he wanted something. She didn't even need to voice her answer. Her decision was obvious enough in her gaze and Terra nudged her head triumphantly. "I'd kiss you, but, well you know."

Aqua practically rolled her eyes. He gloated like a kid too. "Let's hope Ven picks a more normal world next time."

"I'd like that," he whispered in her ear seductively and before she could snap at him not to get any ideas, he seemed to shift gears on a dime, turned and yawned grandly. "But I have my doubts."

* * *

_AN: I found some neat pics of these guys, the links are on my profile.  
_


	8. of a Guard

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

_AN: So, originally, this was slated to be Aristocats, but after I heard about Disney's plans for a certain TV series, well I just couldn't help myself. Note that pretty much everything I wrote about here was purely speculation and I honestly have no clue how they will utilize the new characters._

**Chapter Eight – of a Guard**

* * *

Terra frowned in his sleep and grumbled at the weight bouncing around on his chest. He had decided to take a nap after they arrived at their newest, though familiar, vacation world. He grumbled again and turned over, attempting to dissuade the disturbance on his person. Even in his half-asleep state he could guess at the offender's identity, but a proper rebuke required him to wake up and he honestly didn't feel like doing so yet. For whatever reason, his current form always seemed to make him feel lazy and just all around unmotivated. Maybe it was the beast's metabolism, programed to conserve energy. Maybe it was the already warm morning sun in the sky, causing his body to relax and feel sluggish. Then again, maybe he was just simply enjoying a moment of peace, that is, up until a few moments ago.

Because, unfortunately, his son had no such deficiency in the energy department and every intention of sharing it. "_Dad_, come on Dad, are you gonna sleep _all day_?"

That was the idea, Terra thought as he eased his eyes open to mere slits and let out an enormous yawn which phased into a lazy roar. He raised his heavily maned head to give Eraq a thoroughly annoyed look before rightly shoving him off his torso, earning a startled yowl from the youngster. "Get off," he muttered grumpily before dropping his head back to the grassy ground. He sighed in exasperation when the cub began tugging at one of his brown ears persistently.

"Come on Dad," Eraq whined with his father's thick-furred ear between his teeth. "We're lions! We should be hunting stuff!"

Terra sighed and turned over to his other side, causing the cub to release his hold and step back so as not to be squished. "Sorry runt," he told him and placed a giant paw on him, pinning his tiny body to the ground with little to no effort. "Hunting is for girls in this world."

"Aww Dad!" Eraq growled, half frustrated and half playful as he struggled to escape his father's hold, his teal-black hair tuft fluffed out and messy. "Lemme go already!"

Terra ignored his young son's yowls and his struggle to escape. He looked up to see Aqua lying a few feet away, her lioness form once again blue and powerful looking. She didn't appear to be effected by their noisy tussle in the slightest. In fact, she looked serene, with her head held up and her eyes closed, as though she were enjoying the light breeze passing over their grassy hilltop.

His gaze drifted briefly to see that Ven and Zack were off a good distance so as not to disturb his nap, both of them tumbling around sparring and testing out their powerful new bodies. Their pelts perfectly reflected their normal human hair color as usual, with Ven being a brilliant golden yellow and Zack a striking ebony on the landscape, both of them sporting magnificent, flowing manes.

Rin and Angelo sat close by the dueling duo, apparently finding the activity entertaining. Rin's lioness form was just as dark as Zack's, though she naturally lacked his bulk and the crown of a mane. Angelo once again hadn't been graced with an alteration and remained in her dog form, though oddly enough, they could all still communicate with her as in the previous world.

Tiny, sharp daggers yanked Terra's thoughts back to his son as his paw recoiled automatically, releasing the cub. "You bit me!" Terra growled, trying to sound indignant though his breath hitched with a stifled chuckle.

"Sorry Dad, but you wouldn't let me go!" Eraq defended quickly, a pensive, wild look about him as his tail snapped around.

"You'd better run!" Terra roared playfully, his shoulder muscles bunching as he prepared to stand. He couldn't hold back a bark of laughter when his son's eyes went wide before darting off to flee. But Terra was too fast and even with all his bulk he managed to pin the cub in one leap. "Got you!" he chuckled maniacally. "Now for the punishment to fit the crime."

"No!" Eraq practically howled in desperation and squirmed in his father's hold, for he knew what would follow. "Not that, please!"

Terra ignored the pathetic pleas and commenced his tickle torture, nuzzling the cub's stomach and bathing his head in licks that produced a crazed laughter out of him. "Mom-" he puffed between a quick breath. "Help!"

Terra scoffed at his son's call for a rescue and proceeded with his torture mercilessly; Aqua never interfered with- "Oof! What the?" He suddenly felt his breath knocked out of his lungs as he was promptly shoved a good five feet away. He looked up to see Aqua standing over Eraq, checking him as he recovered from his forced laughter session. She met Terra's confused, gaping gaze with her own, though hers was arrogant and tipped slightly to the side, her blue tail flicking playfully.

Terra blinked at her. Had he just been challenged, by his own wife? He felt his maw tug into a wicked smirk as he dropped into a crouch. "Challenge accepted."

Aqua crouched low as well, prepared to meet his assault with her own. "Get him Mom!" Eraq cheered as he sat up, his breathing still slightly labored from laughing.

As if the cub's words were a signal, Terra lunged and Aqua met his charge, both rearing and striking gently, with claws safely sheathed and teeth careful not to wound as they tumbled and rounded on each other.

Aqua grappled his thick mane and threw her weight masterfully, making him tip forward, unbalanced and headfirst. Not wasting an instant, she leaped over him as he rolled, batting his head as she went. Terra growled low in irritation but launched himself at her in retaliation, resuming their tussle.

It was times like these when Terra could truly reminisce and appreciate how far they had come together. Every time they sparred, with keyblades or otherwise, he felt himself drifting back to days when life with her was so blissful and simple. When neither of them were masters, and all that mattered was matching strike for strike, dodging in order to counter. They were simply just Terra and Aqua, with nothing in between, moving to and fro with the rhythm of their duel as if keeping perfectly in tune with an elaborate dance. Their dance. It would always be their dance, and no one else would ever know the steps.

Suddenly overcome by a fierce wave of emotion, Terra missed a step, staggering and Aqua took full advantage of his hesitation. She once again grabbed at his neck and flipped him, pinning him to the ground, to which he relented with a huff and a gentle bat to her head. "I hope you've learned your lesson," he puffed. "To never interfere with Eraq's punishment again."

Aqua collapsed onto his heaving chest, panting herself as she sneered down at him. "Well, I have learned one thing," she told him smugly. "It seems I can do as I please without consequence."

"Is that so?" Terra rumbled and raised his head slightly, as though picking up another challenge. And just like that, they had once again eased back into their fixed alignment of husband and wife. It was a flawless transition and he had to marvel at it, if only for an instant. "Maybe this is what I had planned from the beginning?"

Aqua scoffed and looked away, as though she couldn't handle listening to his pathetic excuses for losing any longer. Her attention caught on something and Terra found himself glancing in that direction as well. It seemed that somewhere amidst their tussle Eraq had grown bored and wandered away, towards the crest of the large hill their group occupied. "Eraq, be careful, don't get too close to the edge," she called to him and sat up, preparing to retrieve him if he didn't listen.

Terra sighed dismally, their intimate moment shattered as usual. He forced himself to sit up as well and noticed curiously that Eraq's tail was whipping around like crazy and his mouth was wide open in an excited expression. "Hey Mom, Dad, there's another cub like me coming this way. Can I go say hi?"

"What?" both Terra and Aqua questioned dubiously, though it was Aqua that provided an answer. "No, stay there Eraq." They padded over to him quickly, with the others moving closer as well. It seemed that throughout their "duel" their friends had wisely decided to keep their distance, but they too approached Eraq's position, wondering what the disturbance was all about.

Eraq failed to mention what else was coming their way. Although even seeing the animals approaching with his own eyes, Terra still found it hard to believe. The lion cub that Eraq mention was indeed headed their way with an intent gaze, but he was flanked by four unusual creatures. Padding along on his left was a cheetah and a badger and on his right lumbered a bulky hippo with a gangly white egret gliding overhead, and frankly, it just looked unnatural, not to mention ridiculous.

What surprised Terra the most though, was how much confidence the young cub flaunted. He couldn't be too much older than Eraq, since he was only slightly bigger, yet he eyed each intruder as though he owned every single blade of grass they stood on. Terra didn't even need to make an exchange to know for a certainty that this was a prince, born and bred. But neither he nor Aqua had the chance to form a pleasant greeting before the cub delved strait to the point upon reaching a comfortable speaking distance.

"Who are you and why are you trespassing?" The cub demanded. "The Pridelands belong to my father." His fur was a bright golden hue, even lighter than Ven's, while the sweeping tuft of hair on his head almost burned red as it was tugged by a light breeze. His orange eyes shined grandly and his black rimmed ears were slightly flipped backward in agitation. There was also an odd patch of tan spots on his left shoulder that resembled a paw print.

So he is a prince, Terra mused to himself. But was he Kovu and Kiara's cub? Was Simba still alive? Were they even in the same era as the last time they visited? He promptly forgot that the cub had presented them with a question, leaving Aqua to answer it herself. "I'm Aqua. We're sorry for trespassing," she began and tipped her head to him respectfully, introducing everyone in turn. "We're just visiting. You see, we met King Simba some seasons ago and we were just passing through to see how he was doing."

Terra once again found himself grateful for his wife's quick thinking and proficiency at placating a potentially hostile situation. In all reality, the cub had every right to be worried; the sight of so many male lions must have immediately set off some red flags, as they no doubt appeared as an invasion force.

The cub took a moment to ponder Aqua's answer, shifting on his paws and glancing over the newcomers suspiciously. He seemed to have a surprising amount of insight for someone so young. "My name is Kion," he finally said. "Son of Simba, and prince of the Pridelands."

Terra blinked in a momentary stupor. For whatever reason, he hadn't even thought of Simba having another cub besides Kiara. He glanced down to Eraq with an internal cringe. His opinion that one child was certainly enough must have been effecting his subconsciousness, and he didn't want to imagine the chaos of having to chase down another runt all the time. Absently, he noticed Eraq was watching the whole scene intently, though he looked thoroughly confused and was probably wondering why the other cub wasn't offering to play.

"This is Fuli." Kion turned to the young female cheetah at his side and Terra tipped his head curiously towards her, since she too had that odd pattern of a paw print on her torso. In fact, with a quick glance, all four of Kion's companions had the mark. "Bunga," Kion continued as he nodded to the male badger that stood beside Fuli. "Beshte," he said and turned to the female hippo at his other side and then finally to the male egret perched on the huge creature. "And Ono."

"Forgive my insolence, your majesty," Ven started out respectfully, though he eyed the odd assortment of animals dubiously. "But aren't lions supposed to hunt with other lions?"

"We aren't hunting," Kion answered directly. "This is my Guard, my task force. We patrol and protect the Pridelands from scavengers." He cast a pointed glance over the newcomers. "And invaders."

"Enough of this," the cheetah beside him huffed impatiently. "Let's just decide what to do with them already."

Terra could hardly hold back a scoff of laughter; what did this young, ragtag team of animals think they could do to five fully grown lions? The only real muscle they had was the hippo, although badgers were known for their scrappy nature and even though Bunga looked young and docile, Terra didn't really want to find out how scrappy he was.

"Hm, your right." Kion nodded at Fuli contemplatively and looked to Aqua and Terra. "Well, I'd better take you to see Dad then. He'll decide if you can stay or not."

"We don't plan on staying," Aqua put in. "But it would be nice to see Kovu and Kiara again."

"Oh, so you know my sister?" Kion tipped his head curiously. "Odd that she's never mentioned you before."

"We only met briefly a long time ago."

"Well, in any case, my dad will know what to do," Kion said. "Follow me."

The party's trek towards the huge rock formation in the distance led them over vast plains and lush undergrowth. And, although the journey was long, it was somewhat enjoyable as Kion and the members of his "Guard" talked and explained various things about the Pridelands. It didn't take long for Terra to determine the different personalities between Kion and his friends.

Kion himself seemed ambitious and domineering. Fuli the cheetah was the voice of reason for the most part, though at the same time impetuous. Bunga the badger, as if to contradict the nature of his species, was a constant goofball, grinning and rolling around as though he were hyperactive. Beshte the hippo was quiet, speaking only when spoken to, and though she was the biggest creature in the area, she seemed to be the most gentle. Ono the egret was loud and obnoxious, flying overhead and squawking down to Kion about every little thought that crossed his mind.

Terra smiled at Eraq's attempts to befriend the odd group. The cub even tried trotting along beside the prince and the cheetah for awhile, earnestly wanting to be acknowledged. "Hey, do you guys ever go hunting? Dad says hunting is for girls, is that true?"

Kion offered the smaller cub a sidelong glance but made no move to halt his march. "Like I said, we don't hunt, we patrol. And yes, the lioness' do most the hunting for the pride."

"Oh," Eraq said, his excited demeanor and gaze suddenly plummeting with disappointment.

Kion shared an inquisitive look with Fuli and she smirked back with a shrug. "We do go fishing sometimes though."

"Really?" Eraq chirped up with a sudden, gleaming smile.

"If my dad says you can stay," Kion started with a bit of hesitation. "We could teach you how to catch fish if you want."

Eraq nodded exuberantly in answer but his ears switched back as though remembering something and he looked back to his parents with a frown. "Mom might not let me though."

"Not a problem," Kion told him with a sudden, wicked grin. "I've got a plan that works every time." The two cubs brought their heads closer together as they padded along, Kion whispered and Eraq nodded.

Terra couldn't hear what the cubs were talking about over Ven and Zack's usual chatter, the egret's squawking and the badger's excessive clamor. It didn't really matter though, he was glad Eraq was making new friends. Absently, he hoped Simba wouldn't run them off straight away, especially since the cubs seemed to be hitting it off so well.

* * *

Upon reaching the base of what Kion deemed "Pride Rock", the prince told them to wait while he left to retrieve his father. Meanwhile, Eraq was bouncing around his parents' paws, looking like he had a secret he knew they would just die to hear about. "What are you up to Eraq?" Aqua pressed with a hint of suspicion.

"Oh, nothing," the cub replied mischievously, though he grinned up at her innocently.

"Unlikely," Aqua replied flatly, though her eyes smiled fondly as she bent down and nudged his rump with her head. "Behave yourself when we talk to Simba."

Eraq nodded and used the momentum from her push to scamper over to Angelo with a playful crouch, to which the dog responded with her own play bow.

Terra ignored his son's antics and looked around, noting curiously how there were a number of lionesses roaming around. Apparently none of them brave enough to approach the newcomers until their king deemed it safe to do so, though they were all watching cautiously.

"Who are these trespassers?" came a ferocious snarl from beneath an overhanging boulder. Simba trotted out from the shadows with a wild look in his eyes, his grand mane shifting as he moved.

"Dad, I told you not to worry, their friendly," Kion tried to reason with his father, padding along beside him, while a cream colored lioness trailed after them both, presumably his mother.

Simba halted only a few feet away, a pensive look about him as he noted the three male lions standing before him. His gaze fell and remained on Terra and Aqua though and he studied them with a curious tip of his head. "You two look familiar."

"Terra and Aqua, your majesty," Aqua supplied and dipped her head to him submissively. "We passed through your territory a long time ago."

Realization dawned on Simba's face and he smiled with a nod. "Yes, I remember you. Sora's friends, right?" He cast another glance over their companions, his eyes catching on the cub at Angelo's paws. "So you really did go on to start your own pride," Simba noted amiably. "Impressive."

Aqua just knew she was blushing furiously. Did he really think that Zack, Ven and Rin were their adult cubs? She scowled when she heard Ven snickering, though he had turned to bury his snout in Zack's mane in the hopes of stifling his laughter. To which Zack scowled and tried to inch away without making the blond's laughter too obvious.

"Is that a hyena?" Simba questioned, causing Rin to cringe as his eyes locked onto Angelo beside her. "Hyena's were banished long ago."

"Uh, no, Angelo's a dog," Rin tried to explain, though she frowned when she realized he wouldn't know what a dog was. "She won't cause any trouble though."

"I'm just here to protect the cub," Angelo supplied in a bored tone. Eraq had been pouncing around at her paws but abruptly halted to gape up at Simba; he was even bigger than his dad!

"You're the cub's guardian then?" Simba questioned and Angelo shrugged with a nod. It seemed that as long as the dog had a purpose, he didn't have a problem with her presence. He turned back to Terra. "You and your pride can stay with us for the day, but I'll have to ask you to leave by nightfall. Otherwise some of the lionesses will get anxious."

"Understood, your majesty," Terra said, bowing his head respectfully. "We'll leave before sunset."

Simba nodded once in approval before turning to his pride and nodding to them as well, a silent signal that it was safe to move around again. All at once, as if a looming entity had been holding its breath and suddenly released it, the pride of lionesses dispersed and the area was immersed into a buzz of activity.

Eraq slipped away from Angelo and had his head pressed close to Kion's as the prince seemed to be giving him some sort of instruction in an undertone.

Ven seemed to have overcome his laughing fit and stepped forward, bowing slightly to Simba. "Your majesty, let me just say that it's an honor to finally meet you! My name is Ven and Sora has told me so much about you and how you helped him on his journey."

Simba's expression perked up. "Oh? Sora still talks about me? I haven't seen him in so long. I wonder if he's grown any since the last time he visited?"

"Oh yeah, Sora's much older now." Ven seemed to be at a loss as to how he should explain that Sora was actually a leader back home. "He's still the hero we all know and love though," he said with a grin, hoping that would be enough to sate Simba's curiosity.

"Hey come on, he's not the only hero you know!" Zack put in as he thrust his shoulder into Ven's, earning him a glare from the blond. The two dismissed themselves from Simba and moved on to mingle with the rest of the pride, Rin followed after them, leaving Angelo to loiter around on the border of all the activity, no doubt feeling uncomfortable around all the big cats.

"Is that Terra and Aqua?" a lioness called as she descended from the stone path, a dark maned male padding along behind her.

"Kiara, Kovu," Aqua greeted fondly as she moved to meet them.

Terra would have been right behind her but he felt tiny paws press against his chest and looked down to see Eraq demanding his attention. "Hey Dad, can I go with Kion? He says he'll teach me how to fish!" For whatever reason the cub was keeping his voice low, but Terra dismissed the matter distractedly.

"I don't know Eraq, I promised I'd keep an eye on you."

"Aww come on Dad, please? You won't take me hunting so I want to catch a fish instead!"

Terra sighed in exasperation. "The water hole isn't far," Kion put in. "And my Guard will go with us."

Terra carefully looked from the two hopeful cubs to Aqua, who was currently conversing with Kovu and Kiara. "Alright Eraq. But listen to Kion, and be careful." The smaller cub whooped and hopped around happily as Terra turned to Angelo nearby. "Can you go with him?"

The dog nodded as though she were happy to get away from so many big cats and followed right after the cubs when they scampered off, the four members of the Guard trailing behind.

Terra managed to withhold a cringe as he stepped over to Aqua's side. He hoped she wouldn't notice Eraq's absence until he formulated a good explanation for himself. He decided to try and distract her for the moment by delving into their conversation. "Kovu, Kiara, you're both looking well," he said as they both greeted him in turn. He made a point to look around curiously before adding blatantly, "no cubs of your own yet?"

"Terra!" Aqua scolded and both Kovu and Kiara traded looks of embarrassment. "Don't be rude."

Terra merely snickered and smirked at her admonition; he couldn't understand how his comment was rude when they stood in a world ruled by lions. "It's alright," Kiara said to Aqua through a sheepish smile. "No cubs yet, but we both feel that one cub in the family is enough right now." Her voice and expression darkened suddenly. "And rivalries run deep in my family."

Terra and Aqua shared a concerned, confused look but were afraid to pry. Fortunately Kovu sensed the tension and gave his mate a comforting nudge before turning to the couple in front of him with a positive tone. "What about you two? I see you've got a pride of your own now."

"Ah, but only Eraq is ours," Aqua piped up quickly, eager to set the matter straight that the other grown lions in their group were by no means her offspring.

There was nothing Terra could do about the cringe this time as it crawled along his spine, up to his ears and down his face when Aqua began looking around for their son. "Where _is_ Eraq?"

"Oh, about that," Terra started, attempting to sound nonchalant but wondered how successful he was. "He went with Kion for a bit."

"Went where?" The anxiety in Aqua's voice spiked and she looked like she was ready to run off and retrieve him if only she knew which way to go. "Terra, it's not safe for him to be alone."

"They went to catch some fish. And he's not alone," Terra defended while both he and Aqua were completely oblivious to Kovu and Kiara shuffling away, sensing an impending argument. "I sent Angelo with him and Kion has his guard."

"That isn't enough," Aqua snapped and darted after Eraq's tracks. "One of us should be with him."

"Aqua, calm down," Terra murmured after intercepting and blocking her path. "He just wants to make some friends. We should give him the chance."

"But there are dangers out there, Terra. You know that." She looked like she was prepared to make him move if she had to. "I _need_ to protect him."

Terra was surprised by the severity in her voice and expression and he couldn't help but feel like she was overreacting about the whole situation. Granted, they'd had a close call in the previous world. But that was a completely different scenario, in a world with too much chaotic energy. The current world had a wild nature to it but it was much more controlled. Something Aqua wasn't seeing, or wanted to see, in this case. She seemed so blinded by her need to keep Eraq safe that everything around her posed a threat.

Realizing there would be no point in trying to reason with her further, Terra was seriously considering moving out of her way when Simba cleared his throat objectively nearby. He and his mate were sitting in the shade only a few feet away, apparently having heard the entire argument. "I can assure you that the Pridelands are perfectly safe. The water hole is especially safe, since it's at the center of our territory." Aqua listened to the king's words, though she lowered her head as if she felt teamed up on. "But if you'd like," Simba continued amiably. "You're welcome to watch the cubs from the crest of Pride Rock. You should be able to see them from up there."

Terra watched with an ache in his chest as Aqua didn't so much as offer him another glance, nodded to Simba with a muttered "thank you" and slunk away towards the summit. He let out a hapless sigh, knowing he would have to follow after her and somehow patch things up. He just couldn't understand what was going on with her. This was almost worse than when she was pregnant with Eraq, when she would lash out at him for no apparent reason and then end up apologizing five minutes later. At least at that time he knew _why_ she was acting that way and he could just let her outbursts roll off his back.

Now though. Now she just seemed so distant and distracted. He understood that the incident in the previous world had terrified her, it scared him too, but they had dealt with such things with Ven a long time ago. Sure, things were a little different when the kid was your own but still, with everything they had been through in their lives, it shouldn't be that hard to move on and learn from such things. Where was the woman he admired and spared with only a short time ago? That brilliant warrior so confident in her abilities, whereas this angry, bitter creature had stood before him instead.

A forlorn sigh broke him away from his thoughts and he looked up to see Simba turn to his mate in question. "I wasn't really _that_ bad, was I?"

"No," she replied with a smirk. "You were worse."

"Nala," Simba groaned at his mate. "How was I worse?"

"Well," she began, a hint of laughter in her tone. "I recall there were spies involved."

"Timon and Pumba are hardly spies," Simba defended grumpily.

"Wait, what do you mean "worse"?" Terra asked curiously, ears flipped forward.

Simba looked like he was about to explain himself but Nala cut him off with a playful twinkle in her eye. "Simba was extremely overprotective of Kiara when she was younger. Couldn't go anywhere without an escort. No hunting, not _ever_. Ordered to stay where he could keep an eye on her. Shall I go on?"

"Please don't." Simba groaned, his head and ears lowered miserably, as though he had just been drenched by a sudden downpour.

Terra chuckled at the king's expense. Perhaps Aqua's behavior wasn't so unusual after all. And if Simba could act in such a way in the past but now seemed completely relaxed in the same aspect, then there was hope that maybe Aqua would get over this phase of hers as well. Suddenly feeling much more optimistic, he pounced up the rise after his, no doubt brooding, wife.

* * *

Ven was starting to feel uncomfortable. Zack and Rin had followed him when he went to talk with some of the lionesses in Simba's pride and they were having some interesting conversations at first. Things started going sour, however, when Rin was somehow separated from them. It was a subtle shift, but both he and Zack had noticed the change in the atmosphere, where Rin was kept at a distance talking with a couple lionesses whose job it seemed was to distract her while the larger part of the pride was gathered around the two bachelors.

Yes, Ven was feeling very uncomfortable now. Especially when he noticed Aqua and Terra seemed to have abandoned him and Zack by scaling the huge stone above. _Great, thanks guys._

"Simba never lets strange lions into the territory," one of the lionesses remarked. "The dark one is so handsome," another one giggled. There was an awful lot of girlish giggling going on actually, and was it just his nerves or had they gotten a lot closer? This was not at all how he imagined a visit to Simba's pride.

"Zack," he whined in desperation.

"I know," Zack huffed back, his breathing had intensified as though he were feeling the stress of the situation as well. "What do we do? I like girls but this is just too weird!"

Before Ven could reply he was distracted by more murmuring while the mass of bodies closed in even more, if that was even possible. "Who will they pick?" one wondered. "Will Simba even allow it?" another replied. "He said they have to leave tonight."

Ven swallowed thickly. Panic was starting to crawl down his spine and to his legs. This was not what he thought of when Simba said the lionesses would get anxious...

Rin's "attendants" had left to join the rest of the mob and she was left to her own devices under the shade of a bushy tree, which included rolling around on the ground as she laughed hysterically at their unusual predicament. "You guys are so popular today!" she hollered at them in between a fit. Some of the lionesses sneered at her but she was too consumed with humor to notice.

"Not helping Rin," Zack growled.

Rin didn't seemed to hear him as she pounded the earth with one paw as though the laughter was killing her. "Maybe you should fight to see who gets first pick!" she barely choked out before another fitful round assaulted her lungs.

An idea suddenly blossomed on Ven's features and he gave Zack a determined look before whispering to him. "That's it! Zack, Let's pretend we're fighting for... attention. That should buy us some time to work up another plan."

"Attention!" Zack hissed incredulously. "The only attention I want from this crowd is the kind that gets lost!"

"Zack," Ven sighed out as he retreated a step back, though that only brought him closer to the females behind him. "That doesn't even make any sense."

"It does to me!" Zack cried back, not even bothering to keep his voice low anymore. The lionesses were closing in, as if on a kill and Zack's nerves were spiking higher than the hair on his mane when he suddenly rounded on his male counterpart. "Fine, lets do this thing!"

"Woah!" Ven let out a startled roar when Zack grappled onto his golden mane, but he quickly returned the sudden attack with a shove, causing the line of lionesses to ripple outward in response. Ven was relieved to see the plan was having its desired effect, as the females all seemed to be backing away in light of the sudden disturbance.

The two males were soon a writhing mass of golden ebony as they tussled and lunged at each other, throwing in a few growls and snarls for added effect. Rin was still lying on the ground some distance away but instead of laughing she was watching with a surprised interest as though she had never expected them to take her words seriously, though at the same time equally entertained by the whole scene. The audience of lionesses were just as intrigued, though for entirely different reasons.

"Ven," Zack rumbled as he batted the golden lion's ears. "What do we do when one of us "wins"?"

"No idea." Ven swatted back at him. "Hadn't thought that far ahead."

"I say we make a run for it," Zack said, shoving Ven aside in order to take quick glance around for an escape route. "The others will just have to find us later."

"What are you saying Zack?" Ven lunged, grappled his black mane and spun, effectively flipping and throwing Zack a few feet away. "Heroes don't run away!"

"In a case like this I'm willing to make concessions!"

To their audience they just seemed like they were roaring at each other fervently, Rin being the only one that knew what they were truly arguing about.

"What is going on here?" a thunderous voice boomed and in that instant, all eyes flashed to see Simba suddenly standing between the two feuding males. "If you two are fighting over one of my lionesses then we have a serious problem here." His stare was dangerous as it switched between them and his tone was a resonating growl.

There was a tense silence for an instant but Ven quickly piped up with the only thing he could think of to explain their actions, though the repercussions of his comment weren't exactly thought through completely. "Er, no your majesty. We were fighting over Rin, actually."

Rin's face split into a vicious snarl from her place not far away. It seemed that their fight had eased them closer to her.

"Huh?" was Zack's automatic response, but Ven promptly stepped closer to slam a hind-paw on his objectively. "Oh right, yes. Yes we were," he said with a strained face and voice, a pained tear squeezing out of one squinting eye. "That Rin, gotta love her."

Simba's gaze traveled over to the dark lioness in question with a disbelieving scrutiny. "She doesn't seem to be too happy about the idea."

"Oh, well," Ven started and offered a nervous laugh. "That's just Rin for you. R-right Zack?"

"Eh," Zack cringed but nodded. "You have no idea."

"Well then," Simba said, throwing his head in Rin's direction. "You can spend the rest of the day over there with her." He turned to his pride with a piercing reproof, his tail whipping with authority. "The rest of you, back to your duties."

The lionesses dispersed in that instant, though not without a good amount of grumbling. "Simba," one of the lionesses complained. "We weren't going to _leave_ with them."

"Yes your majesty, we'll just do that," Ven answered as Simba departed.

"Thank you Simba!" Zack called as well before turning to Ven with a grin. "Now that guy right there is a hero."

Ven scoffed as the two made their way over to their female companion as they were ordered. "Ow!" he howled when Rin suddenly boxed him and Zack over the head, which produced a similar proclamation from the black lion.

"We're sorry Rin," Zack whined as he applied a tender paw to his ringing ear. "Geez, you know we weren't serious!"

"It's fine, we're even now." Rin was looking rather smug as she noted with amusement how these two males, both of whom greatly outweighed her, cowered and submitted to her ire. "But it looks like we've been banished for the day."

"That's just fine," Ven said with a sigh of relief as he plopped down by the tree. "I'm too tired to fight off another mob of females."

"Same here," Zack admitted as he too dropped to lay on the other side of trunk. "I'll be having nightmares for sure."

Ven closed his eyes and heard Rin chuckling at their expense but he didn't care. He was just grateful they had a nice, shady tree to doze under. After all that excitement, he was _so_ ready for a nap.

* * *

Terra sat at the bottom of the great, jutting rock, watching Aqua as she lay at the top with her maw resting between her paws, no doubt moping and watching their son as closely as she could. Although he was feeling much better regarding her behavior, he still needed to think about his approach carefully. No use trying to make things better if he was just going to end up making things worse in the end.

He had been faintly aware of some disturbance down below, but after noting that it involved Ven and Zack he promptly dismissed the matter as trivial. Those two were always causing trouble together, thus everything was right in the world.

Taking a deep breath for bravery, he stepped forth and upon drawing beside his wife, nudged her gently to alert her of his presence, if she hadn't been aware of him already. "Hey."

Aqua raised her head and regarded him placidly for an instant before returning her head to the cold stone.

"What's wrong with me, Terra?" she sighed wearily. "He's having so much fun down there. How could I have ever thought to deny him that?"

"You just worry about him, and I don't fault you for that," Terra told her tenderly. "That's why I'm here to help balance you. We temper each other, remember?"

His words earned him a smile and she lifted her head to him once more. "Light needs Darkness, or it blinds. And Darkness needs Light, or it wounds." She turned to look at the horizon as she finished reciting one of the new academy teachings. "You can't have one without the other. There must always be balance."

The water hole could clearly be seen in the distance, a small stream flowed into it while another flowed out on the far side. Eraq and Kion were mere dots on the landscape as they darted around the edge of the water. Angelo and three of the guards seemed to be loitering around watching while Beshte, the hippo guard, floated on the surface of the reservoir, no doubt serving as a safeguard in case one of the cubs fell in.

"Hey." Terra gave her head a nudge, his focus once again on his wife. "Are we ok?"

"Of course," she replied, leaning her head into his and purring. "You know I can't stay mad."

Their intimate moment didn't last long though, as their ears twitched at a heavy padding behind them. "Terra, Aqua," came Simba's approaching voice. "I'm sorry, but I'll need you and your friends to leave as soon as your son returns." He glanced back the way he had come with a scowl. "You're friends have caused an uproar in my pride."

* * *

"Ven, what have you done this time?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Ven cried defensively. "Honest!"

"It's true," Rin added with a bemused smirk. "Ven and Zack are actually the victim's here."

"See?" Ven exclaimed while Zack merely nodded in agreement.

"Though I suppose if they're guilty of anything it's appearing too handsome to the locals." Rin was enjoying herself too much and she conveniently ignored Ven and Zack's death glares.

Terra looked from Rin, to Zack, then to Ven and back again as though he were trying to piece all the information together before shaking his head dismissively. "That's enough, I don't want to know anymore."

Aqua looked from their companions to Terra, her curiosity piqued. "Well I do!" she announced as she crossed over to Rin's side to have her relate the incident, much to Ven and Zack's chagrin and Rin's amusement.

Terra felt a smile tug at his maw at seeing Aqua laugh at whatever Rin had just said. He was just happy, and thankful, to see his wife in high spirits again.

As Rin seemed to be finishing her story, with Ven and Zack adding a detail every now and then, Terra looked up when he heard some scuffling paws nearby, only to be tackled by a small body an instant later, a small, wet body to be exact. "Dad! Dad, guess what!?"

"You caught a fish?" Terra deadpanned as he regarded his son's excited expression.

"No," the midnight-blue cub said with a frown, though his face brightened again. "But I _saw_ a bunch of em! And Kion caught a really big one!"

"You mean to tell me, that you got completely drenched and you didn't catch a single fish?" Terra prodded his son playfully.

"No," Eraq repeated. "But I tried!"

"And that's all that really matters," Aqua told him as she appeared by Terra's side and nosed the cub affectionately.

At that, Terra bent down to whisper in her ear, though he was sure Eraq could hear him too. "Don't tell him lies Aqua."

"Look, I've had about enough out of you for one day," Aqua growled at her husband and pounced on him, pinning him for the second time that day as a brilliant humor lit up her tone and features.

Once again, however, Terra was unable to enjoy his moment with her. Simba cleared his throat objectively as he approached, and Terra noted idly that Kion was keeping his distance, still sitting at the base of the rock; apparently no one was allowed to approach the visitors anymore.

"It's been nice too see friends again, but I have to ask you to leave so I can reclaim some semblance of order in pride again."

"Right," Terra conceded as Aqua moved to let him stand. "Thank you for allowing us to visit, and we're sorry if we've caused any problems." Simba merely nodded at the apology and Terra looked down to Eraq with a wistful expression. "Say goodbye to your friends Eraq, we have to leave now."

Eraq looked up to his parents with a pout but Aqua gave him a nudge and he pattered away to Kion and his guard for a final farewell. When they finally started their trek across the plains in order to wait for the Gummi ship to pick them up, Terra turned back to see that Kovu and Kiara had joined Simba, along with Kion and Nala. It seemed that the royal family had lined up to watch them depart.

He couldn't help but wonder if they would ever be welcome in the Pridelands again. He didn't blame Simba for expending them, after all it was his job to keep the peace in his pride, what constituted his family. Terra understood that completely. Besides, as peacekeepers themselves, they weren't supposed to interfere with the worlds' affairs. If he was to guess though, probably only Sora himself would be welcome back here again.

With a weary sigh, Terra trudged on beside his companions. Being a lion had its ups but it definitely had it downs too. He was so ready to be back in human skin and clothes. With that thought he turned on Ven with a sudden, intense energy. "Ven, you had better pick a normal world next time!"

"Aww, but Terra, I had this one I really wanted to go check out. It's really cool!"

"No!" Terra growled and pounced after his blond friend, teeth baring in a way that no one could determine if he was playing or dead serious.

"But it's the last one, I promise!" Ven yowled as he leaped away from Terra's grasp in a mad panic.

"No!" Terra snarled out again. "No more animals!"

The chase ensued for awhile longer, and the others simply sat down to watch. Rin and Zack even chose to make a bet out of it. "An ice cream says Ven gets his way?"

Zack held out a paw for Rin to swat and seal the bet. "You're on."


	9. of a Brother

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

_AN: Just a bit of trivia here. I actually pulled some inspiration for this chapter from an **old** cartoon called BraveStarr. If you know anything at all about that show, you will quickly see the connection in this chapter. If not, meh, you're not missing out on anything, trust me._

**Chapter Nine – of a Brother**

* * *

Terra woke up with another splitting headache and groaned as he applied a paw to his head. A huge brown paw. He sighed. An animal, again. Not like he was surprised though. It was his own fault for agreeing to give Ven one last, ridiculous world. In the previous world he had been so determined not to let this happen, but then Ven had used the secret weapon and hid behind Eraq and pleaded with him to convince his father to let them go to another "awesome" animal world. Of course, Eraq had agreed with the blond and practically begged Terra until he caved in. Seriously though, who could say no to that face?

He blinked a few times to clear his foggy vision and noticed first that the air was thick with the scent of foliage and he could hear various birds chirping noisily above. He looked up to see countless, green trees surrounding the area that framed a clear blue sky with the midday sun already hanging directly overhead. They appeared to have landed in the middle of a forest. There also seemed to be a slight chill in the air, which told him they must be pretty high up on a mountain somewhere or it was winter in this world.

He felt his ears twitch as he sat up. There was some groaning nearby and he looked around to see a pitch black pelt of fur that looked awfully familiar. There was another ebony toned body but much, much larger. A blond pelt that Terra could only scowl at, and finally there was Angelo's familiar tri-colored body. He didn't see Aqua or Eraq among the group as the others slithered to wakefulness. He wasn't worried though, they'd show up in a moment, he knew.

"Woah, is that you Terra?" Zack marveled up at him, being the first to witness his giant, brown body. "You're a bear! That's so cool!"

Terra took a second to examine his body, from his hulking brown shoulders to the stubby little tail on his rump. He turned back to Zack with a bored tone. "And you're a wolf again."

"Eh?" Zack turned in a circle though he didn't accomplish much. "Guess it's just meant to be?" He grinned and then turned as Rin clambered into a standing position beside him. "Hey, cool! Rin you're a horse!"

"Well," Rin said as she shook her head as it no doubt ached. "_That's_ different." She laughed and looked back curiously as she switched her long, flowing tail experimentally.

"You all look ridiculous," Angelo barked candidly as Ven stirred beside her.

The blond sat up and regarded all the animals around him as though he were still dreaming. He blinked and looked down at his golden-yellow paws before immediately twisting around to see what he was. "Hey," he whined plaintively. "I'm no different here than in the Pridelands!"

"Actually Ven," Terra snickered. "You don't have a mane this time."

"Ahw man!" Ven cried pathetically as he tried to twist around again and see the mane that wasn't there. "That was the coolest part of being a lion!"

"I wonder why we're all different this time?" Terra wondered allowed, ignoring Ven's complaints as he gazed around at his companions.

"Not us Dad!" Eraq called out to him from the branch of a tree. "We're the same."

Terra reached up and plucked the little dark-blue bear cub from the tree and held him up to inspect closely. "Actually Eraq, I think we're a little different somehow."

"What do you mean?" Ven snorted. "He's a bear, you're a bear, same thing! What I don't get is, why is Aqua an eagle?"

"What?" Terra looked up just in time to see a brilliant blue feathered eagle light on the same tree Eraq had been perched in. She screeched at him wordlessly, as though testing out her odd, new vocal cords. Terra stared at her in disbelief and it took him longer to react then it should have but he eventually set Eraq down slowly, as if he were participating in some sort of complicated ritual. "I can't do this," he deadpanned. "We're leaving." He promptly turned for the ship but was quick to realize that neither he nor Rin would be able to fit through the entrance to the cockpit... "Ven."

"...Yeah?"

"I hate you."

The blond mountain cat only grinned in reply while Aqua glided down to land on Terra's bulky shoulder. "We'll have to see if there's a way to change you back to human."

"Is that even possible?" Zack wanted to know as he observed Rin's towering form above him. "It's really weird to be smaller than you by the way."

"Don't know," Aqua answered with a shrug of her wings. "But it's worth checking at least. Otherwise we'll have to leave Terra and Rin here and try to come back with a bigger ship. If Cid even has one."

Terra sighed dramatically as he nosed a button on the hull of the ship, causing the hatch to close and the camouflage to engage. "This world is gonna be a lot of trouble. I can see it already."

"Now who's moping?" Aqua teased as she preened at his head playfully.

Terra gave her a withered look. "My wife is an eagle. I have every right to mope."

"Wow, this is so cool!" Eraq exclaimed brightly as he tumbled in the leaves and undergrowth. It took three of his tiny steps just to cross from one of Terra's massive forepaws to the other as he lopped around, zigzagging between them in all his excitement. "Wait til I tell Marlene and Denzel I got to be a dog, a lion _and_ a bear!"

"Yeah well, enjoy it while it lasts," he told his son and ruffled the fur on his head. "This is the last time."

"But Daaaad," Eraq whined and peered up at his father with the most adorable, sad and pleading face he could manage.

But Terra steeled himself and batted a gentle paw at the cub's muzzle. "Nope. Won't work this time runt." That face may have swayed him in the previous world, but this animal business was getting way out of hand. He and Aqua weren't even the same species anymore, and frankly, he was really getting tired of not being able to... interact with her properly. Heck, this was even worse then the time they had been transformed into a tiger and a dragon, respectively.

"Don't worry Eraq," Ven encouraged as he padded over to give the bear cub a nudge with his muzzle. "The next world I have planned is so cool you don't have to be an animal to enjoy it."

"We won't have time for another world if we don't find a way to get Terra and Rin back to normal pretty soon," Aqua commented and idly examined the bright blue sky as if she could see something the others couldn't.

"Does anyone else hear that?" All eyes turned to Angelo as she tipped her head curiously, ears twitching. Everyone was silent for a moment as they listened attentively and soon a faint call passed through their clearing, the voice calling more frequently as it grew closer. It was a male voice and it was quickly joined by another one, a feminine one, as they both continued to cry out the same word or name over and over again.

Terra was the first to hone in on the sounds and he halted at the edge of a rocky bluff that overlooked a huge clearing, where a mighty river flowed along a pebbly shore that gradually gave way to grass and then was finally rimmed by the forest. Walking in their direction on the bank of the river were two brown bears like himself, a male and a female. Their cries were riddled with distressed and their heads were darting to and fro, searching.

He would know that expression anywhere, and he was sure Aqua, who was still perched on his shoulder, knew it too. Before Terra could even suggest that they offer to help the pair, Aqua launched herself into the air and glided down to them. Her flight was a bit choppy at first, as she adjusted to the use of her new wings, but she quickly caught on and latched onto the branch of a tree as close to the bears as she could get. Same old Aqua. Eager to help out but still wary of the danger that the bears might pose. She was only an eagle after all.

With a shake of his head and an exasperated sigh, Terra led the others toward a safe path down the bluff. "Come on guys. Looks like we've got a new mission."

* * *

Aqua's arrival did not go unnoticed by the two bears and the male gasped up at her suddenly. "Sitka?" Upon closer scrutiny however, his face fell in disappointment. She was obviously not who he had originally thought.

Aqua guessed that there weren't very many blue feathered eagles in the world, if any. "My name is Aqua," she introduced herself. "My friends and I could hear you shouting. Are you looking for someone?"

"Oh, well yeah, my little brother. He's about yeh big," the male explained and held his paw up to his chest to define how tall the missing cub was. "He's obnoxious and talks way too much for his own good."

"Kenai," the female beside him scolded gently before turning back to Aqua, hopeful. "He's a good little cub and he wouldn't hurt anyone. Have you seen him?"

Before Aqua could make out an answer there was an abrupt crashing in the forest nearby and Terra burst into the clearing. Leaves and twigs clung to his fur in haphazard clumps as he approached the pair of bears and Aqua's tree. He sent up an annoyed glare. "You know, you could have waited for us. It was a lot more trouble to get down here on foot."

Aqua couldn't help but chuckle at the disheveled sight of him, though the sound came out as an eagle's chirping. Eraq tumbled out after him while the others all trailed along behind him, looking much the same, with various articles of forest attached to their bodies. "And miss out on a sight like this?" She tried to fight off the humor in her voice but was failing miserably. "Besides, I was just scouting the situation."

Terra grumbled a number of incoherent comments about scouting but moved to sit down next to her tree. The others all lined up beside him, all of them either too dazed from the hasty trip down the bluff or too distracted by ridding the debris from their fur.

The bear called Kenai appeared thoroughly confused as he looked from one odd creature to the next before finally pulling his gaze back up to Aqua. "Wait a second. You mean _these_ are your friends?"

Aqua floated down to once again perch on Terra's shoulder, earning another grumble from him as her sharp talons grazed his thick fur. "We must seem strange to you," Aqua replied, realizing that so many different animals traveling together would look ridiculous to most people and wildlife.

"Not really. I'm just surprised to see that I'm not the only one with weird friends," Kenai commented with a shrug. "A couple of moose, one of my older brothers died and is now an eagle spirit, and my other brother is still a man back in my old village."

"_Still_ a man?" Terra leaned forward; he was suddenly very interested in the conversation. "Wait, you mean that you used to be human?"

"Well, It's a long story, but the short version would be that both Nita and I," Kenai explained while making a short gesture with his head to the female beside him. "We were turned into bears by the great spirits so that we could take care of Koda. But, it seems like we're not doing a very good job with that at the moment."

"Koda," Ven repeated before stepping forward curiously. "That's the name you were calling out before."

"My little brother." Kenai gave a somber nod. "That's who we've been searching for all morning."

"What's he look like?" Eraq asked excitedly as he tumbled over to Kenai, as eager to help out as his mother. Aqua smiled warmly as she watched him stagger a bit, his body still adjusting to the anatomy of a bear instead of a lion.

Kenai marveled down at the tiny charcoal bear cub and tipped his head in amusement. "Well, he looks a lot like you, except he's a little bigger with brown fur and a white snout."

"We could help you look for him," Ven finally offered for the group. "Where were you guys headed before he went missing? Maybe he just wanted to show you that he could make it there on his own?" he ventured, speaking from experience of course.

Kenai looked up, thoughtful for a moment. "We were on our way to Crowberry Ridge for the berry season but when we woke up this morning, he was gone."

"Can you think of any reason he might have run off?" Aqua felt like she was interrogating the poor grizzly, though he didn't seem to mind at all. It was actually Terra that growled impatiently, no doubt hoping to find out more about the spirits and changing back to human.

"Well, he has been acting sort of jealous lately," Kenai admitted, sharing a guilty look with Nita. "But I thought he had gotten over that phase awhile ago."

"Like Ven said, we're willing to help you find him," Terra cut in gently, though his tone was determined. "But could you tell us a little more about how you were changed into a bear?"

Kenai raised a brow and tipped his head as he drew his gaze over each of Aqua's friends curiously. "What, did the spirits change all of you into animals too?"

"You could say that."

"Wow, the spirits sure are busy these days." Kenai chuckled at his own joke but cleared his throat abruptly when Nita nudged him a warning. Aqua noted that Kenai didn't seem as worried about his brother than Nita was, though he was still concerned. "Anyway, the only way I know of to change back to human is to go to the mountain where the lights touch the earth. There, the spirits _might_ decide to change you back." He paused to share a glance with Nita and then turned back to Terra and Aqua. "If you help us find Koda, we can take you there."

"But weren't you headed for that that berry ridge place?" Ven wondered.

"Crowberry Ridge is actually on the way to the mountain," Nita explained kindly. "So it would be no trouble for us to show you the way."

* * *

After some proper introductions, they decided that in order to cover more ground they would split into two search parties. Learning from their experience two worlds ago, they decided not to split up as much this time and since Kenai and Nita knew the territory best, they were the leaders of both teams. Kenai led the first team, with Terra, Aqua, Eraq and Ven, while Nita led Rin, Angelo and Zack. After the problems they caused in the Pridelands, Terra thought it was best if they separate the two troublemakers this time.

Before the two groups parted, they headed back to the place where Kenai, Nita and Koda had spent the night and then set out towards Crowberry Ridge. From there they headed upstream, the opposite direction Kenai and Nita had been searching initially. They would be skirting the current mountain on either side, with one team taking the left and the other taking the right, then meeting back up on the far side again. It was going to be a long trip to get to the specified mountain, Kenai had told them. Easily a day's journey, and that was without too many delays.

That was about four hours ago, and Terra's mood was plummeting rapidly as he trudged through the forest, the damp undergrowth soaking his paws. The nice weather from earlier had shifted and now a thin drizzle fell from the cloudy sky to coat his fur with a cold, wet film.

Although Aqua was technically part of Kenai's party, she would often fly up, high above the trees in order to keep tabs on the other group's location, just in case something happened and the other team needed to know about it. She was perched on Terra's shoulders when she wasn't checking on the other team, and it made sense for her to ride, since she couldn't exactly fly constantly with so much moisture in the air. Normally he wouldn't have cared, in fact he was happy to carry her, except that her dagger-like talons grazed his backside with every step he took, and although his fur was thick and warded off any actual wound, it was still an added irritant to a growing list.

To top it all off, Eraq was darting around like a maniac, doing his best to find every possible puddle of water to splash through and nearly colliding with his father's paws more than once. "Eraq, would you calm down?" Terra grumbled after the cub had nearly tripped him for the umpteenth time.

"But Dad," Eraq whined plaintively. "You told me to enjoy this while it lasts."

Terra sighed in utter defeat. There was no arguing with that sort of logic. "Why are you so grumpy?" Aqua chortled at him, and he could just hear the smile in her tone. "Did you use up all your good humor trying to cheer me up yesterday?" When he didn't answer but merely grumbled incoherently she leaned forward to preen his head to pester a reply out of him.

He merely turned enough to mouth at her with his massive jaw in a mixture of annoyance and affection, refusing to answer. Although her claws were a constant irritation, he wasn't about to tell her to find another ride. They continued their feud of beak and maw until they heard a frantic scratching noise and both their heads shot up to see that Eraq had scaled a tree and was currently clinging to a high branch. His expression was a comedic blend of satisfaction and trepidation in that he was happy he made it up so high but wasn't entirely sure how he would get back down.

"Eraq, get down before you break your neck," Aqua fussed at him worriedly and fidgeted on Terra's back as though she were about to take wing and rescue him.

"What are you so worried about?" Kenai asked, incredulous. He looked up from his scrupulous task of tracking Koda, which was nigh impossible with all the moisture in the air. "He's a bear cub, they're practically born in the trees."

"Well, Eraq certainly wasn't born in a tree," Aqua muttered but sighed with relief as Eraq was carefully crawling his way back down the trunk, rump first as his sturdy claws dug into the bark for traction. "Now do as your father says and try to calm down."

"Ok Mom," the cub complied with an exaggerated sigh. "I just thought I might be able to see Koda from up there."

"You won't need to," Kenai suddenly told him, his nose scanning the wet soil by the river. "I've found his tracks."

* * *

Aqua soared high over the treetops, scanning the mountainside for her other companions. She could feel the moisture from the damp air collecting on her feathers and it made it harder to flap her wings, though not impossible. She had to admit, being an eagle was an amazing experience. Out of the three animals she had been turned into the past few days, this was definitely her favorite. And it wasn't that she hated being a dog or a lion, she didn't really care either way, but being able to fly by her own power was exhilarating, not to mention that with the simplest amount of focus she could hone in on the tiniest object down below.

It didn't take long to spot Rin's large equestrian form on the landscape, with Zack and Angelo padding along beside her and Nita in the lead. She chirped down at them as she closed in for a landing, noting idly that Nita had halted to study the ground intently. The others loitered around and waited patiently as they looked up to see Aqua perch on a nearby tree with a sturdy branche that could bear her weight. "I came to tell you," Aqua puffed before anyone could greet her. "Kenai has found some of Koda's tracks and we're following them. He seemed to be headed to Crowberry Ridge like we thought."

Nita perked up at the news, but her expression was still very tense as she looked from Aqua and back to the ground again. "I've found some tracks too," she said soberly. "_Hunter_ tracks."

"Hunter?" Aqua tipped her feathered head curiously, though the intensity in Nita's tone concerned her. "You mean like other wild animals?"

"No," the female grizzly answered firmly. "Human hunters." She frowned down at the many tracks in the soft, wet earth. "But what worries me is that they're not from my village, and I don't think they're from Kenai's village either. Which means, they don't know about us, and probably don't care, even if they did know we used to be human."

At that, Aqua's instincts flared up with alarm and she immediately spread her grand wings for takeoff. It didn't matter that she was still tired from her previous flight; she had to get back and warn Terra of the danger. With the way Eraq had been wandering off lately, it worried her that he might get snatched up right from under Terra's watch. "You're almost to the rendezvous point, so we should meet up as soon as possible," she told the others as she started flapping her wings, her role as a leader kicking in without even thinking about it. "I'll head back and warn the others."

* * *

Terra didn't like it. He trailed along behind Kenai and Ven as they followed Koda's scent and wandering pawprints. But his tracks completely vanished and were replaced by at least a dozen or more very different, yet familiar footprints. Human footprints, Terra knew, and he didn't like it one bit. The fact that Koda's tracks had disappeared without a trace, the obvious evidence of a struggle, and the cub's scent still on the wind, all pointed to one dreaded, inescapable conclusion. Koda had been captured.

Terra looked up to see that Kenai was staring down at the evidence on the ground as though his whole world had just been torn apart. His eyes darted around at the strewn leaves and twigs and the scattered prints marring the soft earth. His breathing had intensified and his maw opened and closed as though he were fighting off fresh sobs.

It was then that Terra realized that Kenai hadn't been especially worried about Koda's absence until now. Sure, he had wanted to find him, but now that he knew the cub had been captured, or maybe worse, his entire outlook on the matter shattered, and he didn't seem to know how to handle it.

"Hey," Ven said gently as he drew beside the distraught brown bear. "It's ok, we'll find him. I'm sure he's fine, and all we have to do is follow these tracks, right?"

Terra let Ven handle the matter for now and turned to find his own wayward cub, wary of this new danger in the forest. He didn't need to worry though, as Eraq was only a little ways off, digging around for a mouse he just seen scurry into the roots of a tree. The tiny charcoal cub had been oblivious to the dire revelation, and Terra was grateful for that. "Eraq, come here."

"Aww, but Dad, I'm hungry!" the cub whined but obeyed as he tumbled over to his father.

"Well you're not eating a mouse, that's for sure." He drew the cub closer with one giant, protective paw. Aqua would throttle him for sure if she found out he had let their son eat a mouse. "We'll find you some berries pretty soon, but for now we're gonna play a game, alright?" He smiled warmly when his son's expression lit up with excitement. "I need you to pay attention to the rules, or the game won't work." Eraq nodded exuberantly and Terra went on to explain. "Pretend that you're my shadow, Eraq. When I move, you move, ok?"

Eraq's eyes went as wide as saucers. "But Dad, you're shadow is _huge_!"

"Eraq." Terra sighed. "Keyword, _pretend_."

"Oh." Eraq thought carefully for a moment before turning up a confident grin. "I can do that Dad."

"Good," Terra said and gave his son an affectionate nudge with his snout. "Now stay between my paws, got it?"

Eraq nodded again and then beamed suddenly as he caught sight of his mother's silent approach. "Mom's back!"

Even with the warning, Aqua's unannounced landing on his back startled him but he quickly shook it off when he noticed her labored breathing. Did she fly back without resting first? "That was fast. Is everything alright on their end?"

"Their fine," Aqua panted out. "But they found some human hunter tracks."

"So did we," Terra told her. "We think they took Koda." He paused for an instant, not knowing if she would agree with a pursuit. "We were planning on following the hunters in order to rescue him."

Before Aqua could so much as take a breath to answer him, Eraq cut in, as though he had been waiting for a lull in their conversation. "Hey Mom, guess what?" he called up to her but didn't wait for a reply. "We're playing a game and I'm Dad's shadow!"

Aqua shared a confused look with Terra but it only took a fraction of a second for her to realize that this was Terra's way of keeping their son close and safe. "That sounds like a fun game," she replied brightly in an attempt to mask the severity of the situation, her breath finally returning to a normal rate. "That might be hard though, are you sure you can keep up?" She hoped that a bit of prodding might make him stick to the "game" a little more seriously.

And Eraq took to the bait instantly as he peered up at her stubbornly. "I can keep up, Mom!"

"Terra, Aqua," Ven called to them as Kenai lumbered away, a purpose in his gait as he followed the footprints. "We're heading after the hunters now."

Terra looked back up to Aqua to see the trepidation in her eyes. He had his doubts that she would agree to the plan, so he was surprised when she met his gaze and nodded her consent. He was glad to see that she finally felt confident in his ability to keep them safe. She had to know that he would fight off as many hunters as it took in order to protect them. He looked down to a bored looking cub. "Ok shadow, you ready to get moving?"

"Dad." Eraq rolled his eyes in a childish display. "Shadows can't talk."

"Oh really? I don't know who keeps telling you these lies, because my shadow just talked." There was some giggling below but it was cut off abruptly when Terra charged into a trot in order to catch up with Kenai and Ven's healthy head start, causing Eraq to scramble to keep up on his tiny legs. But he was determined, and after awhile he was able to keep pace with his father, slowing in tandem when they caught up to the others.

After about an hour of tracking the hunters though, Terra could tell that his son was growing bored of the game, and maybe even getting a little tired too, not to mention still hungry. He was starting to think about suggesting they rest and search for food soon when Kenai suddenly halted at the fore. The forest seemed to end where he stood, making way for an expansive, valley-like clearing down below, since they were at the top of a steep, grassy rise.

As he moved to stand beside Ven and Kenai, Terra noted that the sun had begun its descent on the far off horizon and the weather had cleared awhile ago, with only a wet tang left in the air. He peered down into the valley and froze, surprised by the scene before them.

There were about two dozen tents erected on the valley floor below, with countless people coming and going, in and out of the tents. All of them either carrying weapons or animal skins. There was a constant hum of their odd dialect and idly, he noted that they all appeared to be men with no women to be seen. His eyes were drawn to a particular large tent, one that was easily three times the size of the others. That was the one with the most activity, with the majority of the hunters hovering around it.

Terra turned to gaze around at the others beside him and noticed they were all silent, no doubt still trying to dissect the situation in their minds. Before he could make any kind of suggestion though there was a raspy, desperate cry and Kenai jerked forward instinctively, though he managed to reign himself back in before doing anything rash. "That's Koda!" His gaze was intently drawn to the large tent, the source of the cry. "So they did catch him."

"If we want a chance to rescue him," Ven offered gently. "We should wait for the others, then come up with some kind of plan."

Kenai nodded in agreement but began pacing back and forth, obviously distressed by Koda's cries.

Terra watched him and had to wonder, if it had been Eraq down there instead, would he have had the self-control not to charge down there right then and wreak havoc? He had his doubts, but being an external element in the situation as he was, he could clearly see the logic in Ven's suggestion. It would also help if they waited for the sky to darken a bit more so that there chances of sneaking in and sneaking back out would be all the better. Though with all the activity hovering around that tent, he wondered if they'd even be able to get within ten meters of it without being spotted. They needed a good plan.

His thoughts were pulled up to Aqua when she started chattering in her eagle voice. "I'll go tell the others that we found Koda and lead them here. They shouldn't be far, since this is pretty close to our rendezvous."

She was in the air and flapping her powerful wings before anyone could reply. Kenai turned to Terra, his attention distracted between the camp below and concern for his new friends. "Aren't you afraid a hunter might shoot her down with an arrow?"

Eraq, who had been leaning against his father's foreleg tiredly, suddenly gasped and shot up in fear for his mother. "Dad, that wouldn't really happen, would it?"

Terra's breath hitched from the question. It couldn't be good for the boy to be so concerned about something so serious at his young age. In order to quell his fears, Terra leaned down with a confident smirk and whispered into the cub's ear. "Don't you remember Eraq? Your mother is one of the Grand Masters back home. She's too fast and too clever to get shot down by some dumb hunter."

Eraq's features brightened tenfold and he nodded fervently. "Oh yeah, I forgot. Mom can beat anybody. Even you, huh Dad?" He reared up and tipped his head curiously as he planted both forepaws on his father's chest.

"Hm," Terra grumbled out. His tone and expression a blend of amusement and resentment. He was glad his son was feeling better about the matter but this was just getting humiliating. Feeling somewhat inferior to his wife was one thing, but the fact that their own son sensed it was almost like a blow to the gut. Still, he couldn't exactly contradict his former statement by explaining that their fighting prowess was actually equal when sparring seriously. "She's the strongest person I know." He wasn't talking about physical strength, but Eraq didn't need to know that.

The cub seemed satisfied with that and his eyes caught on a line of bushes with tiny red orbs before darting over to them excitedly. Terra followed more sedately, mildly amused that Eraq had forgotten about his shadow game. "Can I eat them Dad?"

Terra sniffed at the crimson berries carefully. He was wary of the danger certain berries posed but wasn't exactly an expert on the subject, though his trepidation must have been obvious. "Those are whortleberries," Kenai called from his place near the treeline. "They're safe."

With such a confident answer, Terra didn't question it further and nodded down to his son, lifting him on his broad head in order to reach the produce higher up. It didn't take them long to make short work of the first bush and then they were on to the next. Once they had finally reached their fill, Terra led a dozing Eraq back over to Ven and Kenai, where they sat talking over their plan of attack.

"That should work," Ven was saying. "If what you say is true, and it distracts most of them, then we shouldn't have a problem getting in and out unnoticed."

"It should work fine," Kenai reassured him. "There aren't many horses in this region."

Terra had been about to inquire the details of their plan when Kenai suddenly gasped in horror, his eyes trained on a different tent down below. "Did you see all those weapons?" he asked, turning to Ven and Terra in shock. "I knew something was strange about them. This isn't just a hunting party, it's an invasion force!"

Terra shared a wide eyed look with Ven; this wasn't something they could get involved in. Saving a single cub from poachers was once thing. Helping to sway a war was quite another. But before either of them could explain any of this to Kenai, Aqua returned with a muffled chirp so as not to alert the hunters to their presence. "They're almost here."

"Good," Kenai said, his eyes averted back to the camp below. "Koda sounds scared, but I don't think he's hurt."

Aqua had landed on the ground by Terra's paws and Eraq's drowsy body in order to nuzzle his head gently. "Someone looks tired." The cub's only reply was a yawn. With his belly full, he was no doubt ready to pass out for the night.

The sun was beginning to sink below the far off tree line on the horizon when Nita and the others finally joined them. They were breathless but alert. "Where's Koda?" Nita questioned instantly.

"Down there," Kenai threw his head in the direction of the camp. "But listen Nita. These aren't just hunters, they're invaders. We have to warn our villages."

"But we have to save Koda!" she nearly shouted at him.

"We will," Kenai told her calmly. "But I think you should be the one to warn the shaman in your village, then she can warn mine. Meanwhile, we'll save Koda and meet up with you at Crowberry Ridge."

"You have a plan, don't you?" Nita asked him, somewhat dubious. "Aqua will come get me if things go wrong?"

"Yes, I'll send for help if we run into trouble. But if things go as planned, we'll be long gone before any hunter even knows we were there."

As Kenai and Nita said their farewells Ven turned to everyone else. "Here's the plan. Someone has to stay and protect Eraq, but the rest of us have to storm the camp just in case we're spotted. Rin, if you're up for it, we need you to be the distraction. Kenai says the hunters will focus on you to catch you, since horses are rare here."

Rin nodded bravely. "I just have to run around and stay out of their reach until you guys get away, right?"

Angelo moved over to give Eraq an affectionate lick. "I'll stay and protect the cub."

"I'll stay as well," Aqua said. "There's not really anything I can do to help with the raid anyway."

Ven nodded at them and turned to each person as he named them. "That leaves me, Kenai, Terra, and Zack to the task of finding Koda while Rin distracts the hunters."

"Are we ready?" Kenai asked as Nita could be seen padding off into the brush with her new mission. Everyone turned to him and nodded their affirmation. "Then let's go rescue my brother."

Terra watched with anticipation as Rin pranced down to the human camp. Since it was nearly dusk her dark coat blended in with the scenery and she went entirely unnoticed until she was practically at their gate, that is, if they had one. Once someone did notice her though, it only took an instant for the entire camp to erupt into action, with everyone dashing around for ropes and blankets in order to box her in and catch her. Terra was relieved to see that none of the hunters carried spears or any other weapon for that matter. It seemed that they had no intention whatsoever to harm her; she was too rare to risk wounding her.

"Let's go," Kenai said and launched forward down the steep slope. The others followed right behind him and soon enough they had to slow their approach so as not to alert anyone of their presence. There were only a couple of hunters remaining to guard the large tent where Koda was being held, but even they were looking rather anxious about the capture of the horse. As Terra and the others drew closer, they could hear the guards arguing about something, but he couldn't understand their strange language. He looked to see Kenai listening intently, obviously understanding them. He gave them a signal for silence and waited patiently just around the corner of the tent and out of sight of the bickering guards.

Rin was doing a marvelous job at keeping the majority of the hunters busy. She was a clever one, letting them get just close enough to think they had her and then she would leap away from their ropes and nicker at them. When they tried using the blankets to box her in closer to the ropes she would simply charge through the soft barricade, which to any wild horse would have seemed impenetrable or harmful. The men were getting frustrated but kept at it, determined to capture their prize.

Kenai's patience finally paid off, and the guards were called to help with the capture, thus leaving the large tent completely vulnerable to infiltration. The foursome slipped in silently and they all gaped in surprise at the sight of so many caged animals. "Kenai!" Koda called from one of the cages and Kenai rushed over to him. Terra took stock of the situation quickly as Ven and Zack remained at the entrance to watch their backs. The interior would have been dark if not for the lone torch flickering at the center, with one wall lined with wooden cages while the other side was heaped with countless furry pelts. Terra eyed the latter sadly; there was nothing they could do for them.

As for all the caged animals however, he could do something. He moved to join Kenai just as the other grizzly crushed Koda's wooden prison with his powerful forearms. "You two run ahead and join Aqua. We'll stay and release the other animals."

Kenai looked like he wanted to do just that, but he hesitated for an instant. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Terra confirmed with a nod. "We'll be right behind you, now go!"

Kenai didn't need to be told twice as he nudged Koda into a run and they both trampled out the tent flap. Terra turned back to the line of cages and opened his maw into a snarl. Earthshaker flashed into existence and with one blinding sweep, every single cage vanished into fading fragments of light, leaving every trapped animal in a state of confusion for an instant before they all started darting in every possible direction. Chaos was what he wanted and chaos is what he got as the creatures spilled out of the exit, making Ven and Zack step back in alarm. "Time to go!" Terra told them as he charged by. They followed at his heels and he roared to Rin, signaling her to escape as well.

She leaped after them, dodging a rope that came a little too close to her head and nearly collided with another hunter that jumped in her way as a last ditch effort to stop her. After she had finally threaded her way through the mob of hunters she galloped headlong back up the rise and met up with the others where Aqua and Angelo had been waiting with Eraq.

Confusion and disorder thundered to life in the camp, while some men were shouting orders, others were either scrambling for torches in the fading light or chasing the various loose animals darting around for an escape.

Terra panted as his companions all grouped together and he did a quick head count, relieved to see everyone was safe and accounted for. "We need to get out of here, before they hunt us down."

Everyone nodded there agreement, and although they were already tired, their adrenalin seemed to kick in and they followed after Kenai as he lead them through the woods to safety. Terra scooped up Eraq by the scruff and pounded along, while Aqua took to the sky to scout ahead for any dangers. They didn't stop until they reached the base of another mountain, everyone panting and exhausted. It wasn't until then that Terra noticed a large satchel hanging from Kenai's muzzle. He tossed it to him as Terra set a sleepy Eraq down and looked at the bag quizzically. "Blankets, I snatched them from one of the tents," Kenai explained as he looked up to the peak of the mountain. "It's cold at the top, and if the spirits do change you back, then you'll all be naked."

Just as Kenai had mention when they first met him, Koda was extremely talkative. He had been chattering away almost constantly on their mad dash to escape and now he burst into another series of questions to which Kenai didn't even bother to keep up with. No doubt his endless curiosity was never sated.

Terra followed Kenai's gaze briefly. He hadn't realized they'd stopped at the very mountain they needed. "Thank you for all your help," Kenai told them with a smile. "But we have to get going. Nita is probably worried."

"We're glad to help," Aqua spoke for the others as she lighted once again on Terra's shoulders. "And thank you for showing us the way here."

Kenai nodded and turned to leave. "Come on Koda."

"Aww, but Kenai, you still haven't told me anything about these guys!" Koda tumbled after his brother in a blather of rebukes. "And what took you so long?"

Their voices faded into the night as they headed down a well worn path, as if it were a main thoroughfare for bears.

After resting for a bit Terra was the first to stand. "Well, the sooner we get to the top, the sooner we can leave."

Everyone was dead on their feet by the time they reached the frigid summit, but after trekking upward for most the night they had finally made it. There was snow everywhere except for one isolated area where the lights danced brilliantly in every imaginable color above and spilled forth a transparent, insubstantial waterfall onto the flat stone which appeared to be the very apex of the mountain, and possibly the entire world.

They all donned the blankets in preparation for the change and balked at the strange phenomenon before them, everyone except Terra, for he was determined.

He stepped warily toward the strange water that flowed from practically nowhere and pooled only to a certain point above his paws, never expanding its reach past the patch of stone or overflowing into the snow at its borders. There was an ancient magic here, or at least something else very powerful and omnipotent. His instincts told him there was no danger though, so with a wide eyed Eraq hanging from his jaw and an awestruck Aqua on his back, he stepped into the spirit water.

* * *

Terra sighed contentedly. All in all, the day had been one great big annoyance, but he wasn't about to complain about the end results. He was the only one still awake as he sat upright and held Aqua close with one arm, his _human_ arm, wrapped around her waist. She in turn cradled Eraq in her lap with both arms around him to keep him warm.

The change had been blinding and disorienting at first and unfortunately he, and everyone else for that matter, was naked after the transformation. He was eternally grateful for Kenai's foresight in giving them that bag of blankets, at least, until the Gummi ship landed to pick them up and they were able to take turns changing into their spare clothes in the ship. Afterward though, no one made the suggestion to leave, but rather they all collapsed onto the cold stone, wrapped themselves with the blankets and rightly passed out.

He felt Aqua shift in his hold, her head lifting from his chest as she looked up at him and smiled inquisitively. "Happy now?"

Terra didn't reply at first, his eyes drawn up at the rainbow of ethereal lights that continued to play above their heads, rising and falling like a chaotic, yet eternally beautiful dance. A moment later though, he turned his contented gaze to her and leaned in to place a gentle kiss on her lips just as the far off sun broke the horizon. "Very."


	10. of a Son

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

_AN: Well, I hope you're all ready for the biggest chapter ever! (over 12k) Also, towards the end of this chapter I suggest listening to "Man of the World" (from the Naruto soundtrack)... Fair warning though, you will probably cry. (I hope you cry... I cried...)_

**Chapter Ten – of a Son**

* * *

The air was stifling and muggy, with a rich, heavy scent while there was a seemingly ever present birdsong high overhead. _Really_ high overhead, was Terra's first coherent thought as he eased into consciousness. He blinked his bleary eyes to clear them in his delirium. After staying up to watch over his family and friends the night before, it stood to reason that he was currently dead tired.

He wasn't at all prepared for a huge, dark, and furry animal face to be the first thing he opened his eyes to. With a startled yelp, that by no means reflected his respected master status, he jerked away from the creature, though he wasn't going to get very far crabcrawling backward.

"Ven!" He felt his temper flare up after the initial shock had faded. Another animal world? After he had specifically demanded otherwise? "I'll kill him!" he shouted, without really taking stock of his surroundings.

In response to his outburst, the large, tenebrous creature that woke him up moved back cautiously and offered a few grunts in concern. "Calm down friend," a foreign, male voice told him followed by a man that appeared at his side seemingly out of nowhere. "You're scaring Terk," the stranger added as he crouched by Terra's side, a little _too_ close for comfort in the keybearer's mind, especially since the guy was practically naked except for a tattered loincloth. His green eyes were curious but careful and his long, brown hair was unkempt and hung like tendrils on either side of his face.

The grayish-black creature from before moved closer and gave the strange man a seemingly contemptuous shove followed by a few more grunts, as though it resented his comment or intended to argue the matter.

"Look who decided to wake up," Aqua's smooth, deep voice called out to him with a good amount of humor lining her tone. Terra looked up, both surprised and relieved to see that she was still in her human form. She was sitting on the ground some distance away, with even more of the same, dark pelted animals scattered around the area.

Terra raised his hands, his _human_ hands, in front of his face and then patted at his head, feeling familiar dark brown locks thread between his fingers. He smiled sheepishly at no one in particular. He had overreacted and jumped to the conclusion that just because his first sight was an animal he automatically assumed he was one. He looked back to see Eraq wasn't far from his mother and was tumbling around on the ground with three tiny, dusky bundles attached to his person. Upon closer scrutiny he could see that the bundles were just smaller versions of the various dark creatures supervising the youngsters nearby. Gorillas, he finally remembered after wracking his brain for a moment.

"What were you saying earlier?" Terra scowled. He could practically hear Ven's arrogant smirk as the blond appeared on his right, the nearly naked stranger and his animal friend still bickering on his left. The earthen warrior had to wonder, was he the only one that fell into a coma after their arrival?

"Oh, nothing," Terra replied through a nonchalant façade before quickly throwing an arm around his friend's neck and proceeded to ruffle up his blond hair with the other. "Just a little of this!"

"Hey," Ven yelped and squirmed in his friend's steel grip as his messy blond hair was violated into a static hazard. "_Hey!_" He finally managed to shove Terra away but that was mostly because he already released his hold. "This is the thanks I get for picking a normal world?"

Terra stood up, hands on hips as he sent Ven a satisfied smirk before turning a dubious gaze to their surroundings. "You call this normal?" He raised his eyes skyward but the only blue he could see was dappled through the thick leaves above, _high_ above. The trees and foliage were so dense and tall that he nearly got dizzy trying to find where it all peaked. There were vines all around, hanging from enormous trunks, with walls of bamboo shoots sprouting from the earth in random placements. In every literal term, it was a jungle.

"Ven," came the throaty voice of the male native. "What is your friend's name?"

"Oh right," Ven said as he stood up to dust himself off and attempt to right his wrought hair. "Terra, this is Tarzan. Tarzan, Terra." He frowned distractedly when his blond locks wouldn't cooperate before making a gesture to the big gray ape beside the wild man. "You already met Terk."

Terk proceeded to give Terra a friendly slug on the shoulder in greeting, his _unarmored_ shoulder. "That's some arm he's got." He had meant the comment to be a compliment as he rubbed the offended limb sorely, but the ape quickly took offense and snarled at him.

The two keybearers cringed but only Ven seemed to sense the problem. "Uh, Terk is a girl."

Terra could only gape at his friend, speechless. How was he to know the difference? The gorillas all looked alike to him.

"Now Terk, take it easy," Tarzan tried to sooth. "It's a simple mistake." But the ape threw her arms up in the air in a huff and stalked off. "Don't worry, she'll get over it," Tarzan told Terra with a amiable smirk. "Are you also Sora's friend?"

"Huh?" Terra balked for an instant, but turned to Ven when he was elbowed in the ribs.

"It's ok," the blond told him. "Sora came here a long time ago. Saved the world and all that."

"A good friend," Tarzan added with a smile and a nod. "Sora's friends are my friends."

"Tarzan is the leader of the gorillas here," Ven explained. "So we can relax and have fun for once."

"Wait, what?" Terra tipped his head at Tarzan in confusion. "How are you their leader? How can a human lead apes?" Granted, it was obvious the jungle man could communicate with the beasts, but surely being their leader was a joke?

"Kerchak named me leader when he died," Tarzan answered and bowed his head solemnly. "He was a good leader. And a good father."

Terra was afraid to ask anymore questions and simply decided to just start accepting things blindly. He even convinced himself that if the apes began talking coherently then he wouldn't even blink twice. They didn't, of course, but boy was he ready if they did!

Both Terra and Ven remained silent for a bit, allowing a moment for Tarzan's remembrance to pass. "Hey Tarzan," Ven finally piped up energetically. "Can you show me how you slid down that tree one more time? I think I almost got the hang of it."

"Of course I can Ven," Tarzan replied with a grin, his former sadness discarded as he turned to Terra in question. "Does Terra want to learn tree gliding as well?"

"Er, no thanks, Tarzan," Terra answered with an awkward scratch at his neck and a glance in Aqua's direction. "I've got a different objective at the moment."

With an indifferent shrug and a leap, Tarzan was in a tree and scaling it quickly, leaving Ven to scramble after him. "We'll be back soon."

Terra gave his surroundings another careful sweep and noticed Zack was a fair distance away and was, for whatever reason, wrestling with a large adolescent gorilla. It was safe to say that the swordsman was losing, but he was providing a captive entertainment for their circled audience, the majority of which was other apes, but also included Rin and Angelo. Though from Terra's vantage point he could tell that the dog was pouting, with longing glances shot over in Eraq's direction as he played with the infant gorillas.

Terra focused back on his wife and crept toward her, feeling his stealth come surprisingly easy over the leaf riddled jungle floor. He kept a wary eye on the various gorillas in the area, including the one that sat right at Aqua's side. Their backs were facing him and they were distracted by the youngsters playing in front of them. As he made his slow, predatory approach he noted curiously how Aqua and the ape beside her seemed to be getting along really well. The blue haired keyblade master even appeared to be talking to the huge dark-brown creature, regardless of the obvious language-species barrier. It suited him fine though, since that just meant his wife was all the more distracted.

He crouched only a few feet away, careful not to disturb the undergrowth beneath his shoes. He eyed his prey with intent concentration. His assault would be glorious; he'd get a good laugh and Aqua would be furious with him for all but ten seconds before joining him in his twisted humor. With a confident smirk, he lunged, hooked her waist with one arm, tackled her to the jungle floor and proceeded to tower over her with a victorious chuckle, all of which earned him a yelp of surprise from her and a screech of alarm from the ape nearby.

He had expected to startle the both of them, with the shock fading an instant later and Aqua's retaliation following soon after, but he hadn't expected what actually came to pass. Now, Terra considered himself a well-toned, imposing individual, his main strengths being that of raw power and sturdiness. But when he was suddenly pulled off his wife by one leg, lifted into the air as if without effort and then promptly slammed back to the ground an instant later, he was made clearly aware of how inescapably powerless he could feel when faced with a creature of such abnormal bulk.

Terra was currently laying on his back, and though the leaf-strewn debris had padded his collision with the ground, the wind had still been knocked out of him. This left him with the only option of contemplating his mistake and attempting to process the whole transpiration. The gorilla's reaction had been instinctive, with everything happening within the fragments of an instant. Terra had been deemed a threat and was being properly dealt with. He was coming to accept the fact that he was not meant to hit it off with the locals like the rest of his companions seemed to be doing with flying colors.

The lumbering beast roared at him for good measure before lifting its arms for another attack. Just how many of these apes were out to kill him anyway? And where was Tarzan? He really needed an interpreter about now."Wait!" Thankfully, before he was pounded flat with the earth, his wife stepped in to hover over him protectively, causing the furious ape to freeze with its dangerous limbs hanging in the air. "It's alright Kala," Aqua soothed, one hand stretched out to halt the animal while she used the other to pull Terra up to a sitting position beside her. "He's with me, and he's an idiot."

"Hey!" Terra puffed at her indignantly, only to straighten up when the ape snarled a warning at him. "Idiot, yes that's me." His lungs were still recovering and he wasn't too keen on being lifted into the air again and thrown about like a rag-doll.

"This is Kala," Aqua explained to her husband. "She's especially protective right now because of her new baby." She turned to the mother gorilla with an apologetic expression. "Kala, I'm sorry Terra startled you. He didn't mean any harm."

Terra was genuinely surprised when Kala's own expression softened and she chuffed softly in reply. Could these primates really understand human speech? He froze up when Kala carefully extended one forearm in his direction, her knuckles brushing the leafy earth. He looked to Aqua for any insight on the gesture, only then realizing he had wrapped a protective arm around her. "I think she's trying to apologize," Aqua told him and nudged his free hand down to touch Kala's. "You should too."

"Er, right," Terra said as he reached out and touched the ape's knuckles with his own. "I'm sorry for scaring you." The action felt strange at first, but he soon realized he was experiencing some sort of ancient exchange, as if a window of understanding was suddenly opened to him. The moment of clarity was quickly shattered though, as a clumsy body clambered into his lap and he looked down to see Eraq's tousled hair and dirty face peering up between him and the gorilla.

"What was _that _all about Dad?" the boy asked, his exuberance practically sizzling the air around him.

Terra sighed and ruffled his son's already messy hair. "Oh, you know Eraq, just making friends everywhere I go."

"Oh," Eraq replied brightly, not at all catching his father's sarcasm. "Just like me and Mom."

As if in direct response to his statement, Kala cooed and grunted softly as she reached out and snatched the boy from his father's lap. "Uh..." Terra was at a loss as to how to react. He glanced to see that Aqua didn't look worried at all, and Eraq didn't seem frightened either, rather he molded to the gorilla's embrace with a childish giggle.

"I think Eraq must remind her of when Tarzan was that age," Aqua commented with a fond smile. When Terra gave her an odd look she proceeded to explain the matter to him. "Kala raised Tarzan from a baby when his real parents died. That's why he can communicate with all the gorillas and why they can understand our speech... Well, mostly anyway."

Terra blinked at her. Seriously, just how long was he out for? Some excited screeching and laughter drew their attention back to Eraq. He had scaled Kala's shoulders in an attempt to escape the pursuit of his earlier playmates as they were also attempting to climb up Kala's arms as if she were the local jungle gym. She grunted at the youngsters fondly and nudged one in particular with an added affection, no doubt her own, as it scrambled up her arm, undeterred. She was a loving mother, through and through.

"Aww, Mom," Eraq called down from his vantage point atop the gorilla's arching back. "You dropped Kupo," he berated, sounding as though his mother had committed some great badness. He crawled down off of his perch, ignoring the baby apes barking for his attention.

"Oh. Sorry Eraq. I'm not to be trusted with him," she deadpanned as she picked up the doll and dusted it off before handing it to him. "You'd better keep track of him yourself, or he might run off on my watch."

Eraq took his beloved plushie from her and hugged it tightly, howling a protest when his playmates gathered around him to grab at it for themselves. He quickly grew anxious as his former playmates suddenly turned into unlikely enemies. In an attempt to escape the onslaught he climbed back into Terra's lap, but when that didn't work he tried climbing higher much like he had on Kala, only, his father was less inclined to hold his weight and fend off the infant apes at the moment. "Ack, hey Eraq, take it easy, they're just playing."

"But they'll hurt Kupo!" the boy insisted as he anxiously held up his toy as high out of reach as possible.

"Hey, watch it," Terra grumbled. He tried to hold his son up with one arm and fend off the "army" with the other, but more than once he nearly had a foot in his mouth and a finger in his eye and he was growing very tired of the ordeal. Aqua on the other hand was not doing much at all to mask her amusement, and even less to assist him as she tittered with a hand over her mouth. "Thanks for the help," he told her, his tone as dull as he could manage. "I'll be sure to return the favor later." He really couldn't blame her for laughing though, since the scene must look pretty ridiculous, what, with Eraq teetering on one arm, an ape scrambling on his head, another latched to his fending arm and still another on his shoulder closest to Eraq.

Eraq's cries had grown into a more desperate, unintelligible whining and before Terra or Aqua could comfort or berate him the chaotic mess came to an abrupt halt and the babies all dropped at once. Kala had barked an order at them and the threesome instantly backed away, all of them cooing and chirping innocence as they moved to their babysitter and or mother obediently. She in turn led them away to what probably constituted as a nap.

"Thank you!" Terra sighed out dramatically as he unceremoniously dropped to his side while easing Eraq down beside him, all the while the boy clung tight to his moogle with a contented smile. Well, at least he was happy. Crisis averted. Terra glanced up to meet Aqua's gaze and had to scrutinize darkly in response to that annoyingly beautiful smirk of hers. "Don't think I'll forget about that favor later."

"What favor?" Zack wondered from behind him. Terra wasn't sure when he and Rin had approached but he suddenly felt much more reassured with them close by. After nearly getting mauled by two full-grown female gorillas and three miniature ones, he'd had his fill of the creatures and desired nothing more than his usual companions company for the rest of the day. "You been causing a ruckus over here Terra?"

"You have no idea," that was Aqua's humor-laced voice and Terra found that he could hardly pull his gaze away from her brilliant smile, even if it was at his expense. Meanwhile Eraq started giggling when Angelo snaked her way over to him and began licking his face.

"What about you?" Terra grumbled at Zack, trying to feign annoyance though he was pretty sure his wife could see through his act. "You win your contest of "all brawn and no brains" over there?"

"Er, what contest?" The dark haired swordsman raised his hands in question. "I don't know what you're talking about. That ape didn't stand a chance."

"That's right." Rin scrutinized him knowingly. "You sure showed him." She expounded her statement by lightly tapping his shoulder which elicited a strangled cry from him.

"Argh, come on Rin, that's my bad arm."

"Oh, of course. My mistake." She promptly corrected herself and moved to tap his other shoulder, only to reduce the man to a pathetic howl as he slid down to his knees in agony, all the while gripping his stomach with both arms.

"Zack," Terra began, his tone dubious as he watch the display. "Why are you holding your stomach when she hit your arm?"

Zack could only whimper in pain as he slowly lowered his head to the ground. "That's just how badly his opponent whooped him. His body is all messed up," Rin explained for him with a sympathetic shake of her head though she had a sardonic twist on her mouth. "I haven't seen him this beat up since he got trampled by Pegasus after he stole that apple from him."

"Rin," Zack groaned painfully. "I told you, that event was never to be mentioned."

"Uh-hu," Rin replied with a roll of her eyes. "And I suppose this is another one of those events?"

"I would appreciate that, yes," Zack wheezed pathetically.

Aqua chuckled lightly at the exchange but moved to kneel by Zack's side mercifully. "Sit up Zack, I'll see if I can heal you up a bit."

"That would be awesome!" Zack cried with relief and did as he was bid, wincing as he sat up. "Terra, you married the goddess of kindness."

The male keybearer merely snorted in reply, though if asked he would have agreed with that statement. Aqua hushed them both so she could concentrate on Zack's sore muscles and torn tissue in order to properly apply the cure spell.

Everyone remained silent for a few moments as she worked and she had nearly finished the treatment when a wild howling split the peaceful silence of the jungle around them. Terra tipped his head and raised a bewildered brow. It was a sound like nothing he'd ever heard before. Everyone looked up in response, expecting to see the strange creature emerge from the tree tops any second. Instead, there was a quick patter of movement nearby and Tarzan could be seen swinging around a large trunk. He landed beside Terra in an almost silent approach and a whirling spray of leaves in his wake.

Ven was only seconds behind him, though his chest was heaving a bit more than the jungle man's was. "This guy knows how to get around!" he exclaimed with a puff and plopped down on the ground close to Zack and Aqua and considered them curiously. "Something happen while I was gone?"

Zack seemed absolutely miserable and opened his mouth to reply only to have Rin cut him off. "Not really. Just some unnecessary horseplay." Zack looked like he wanted to debate the matter but Aqua had started working on his bruised ribs and it was all he could do to keep breathing without screeching. He and Aqua were the only ones that didn't turn toward a rustling in the undergrowth nearby.

Twigs were snapping, followed by a clamor of frustrated undertones along with a thunderous crashing... Were those footsteps? If they were, it was sure to be an enormous animal. The sounds finally drew Zack's painful gaze and Aqua's concentration broke in order to watch for the creature as well. Everyone was growing a bit concerned about the situation except for Tarzan, as he actually grunted with excitement and _approached_ the source of the tremors.

A huge, red beast stomped out of the brush an instant later, its ridiculously long nose trumpeting its arrival and perhaps that of its companion? It thundered onward, noting the curious newcomers on its way over to the troop of gorillas. Terra could only guess blindly as to what in the world an elephant was doing socializing with a bunch of gorillas, but he was by no means surprised at this point.

"Tarzan, what's all the hullabaloo about?" One bamboo wall parted to reveal the other source of the previous noise. A slight, disheveled woman parted the sturdy stocks with one thin hand and stepped into the clearing to meet Tarzan where he halted in front of her. She was barefoot and wore a green skirt, with her hazelnut colored hair draping over a yellow top. She cradled a carefully wrapped bundle in her other arm, to which Tarzan was currently peering at closely, like a cat, fascinated by a twirling fish in a pond. "There you are, love. I've been looking all over for you, you know."

"Friends." Tarzan hummed at her excitedly before taking her free hand and leading her over to everyone. "Sora's friends came to visit."

The woman's green eyes flashed with genuine surprise when she first noticed the visitors, but her astonishment quickly shifted to excitement at hearing his explanation. "Oh wonderful! It's so rare that we ever get visitors way out here in the jungle."

By the time everyone had been properly introduced, Aqua had finished up her healing on Zack and he could finally sit up straight without wincing. Worn out from her search for Tarzan, Jane collapsed onto a patch of soft moss, her seemingly precious cargo tucked in the crook of one arm. If everyone hadn't already assumed it, Jane was Tarzan's wife, and that tiny bundle in her arms was their newborn son.

"Wow," Eraq marveled as he approached the mother and child curiously. "He's even smaller than Denzel back home! How old is he, and what's his name?"

Jane giggled at the boy, as well as at her husband since he was fidgeting and hooting in response, too excited even to answer. "He's about two weeks old, and his name his Korak," she told him, her soft green eyes turned down at the baby in her arms, who was currently cooing and sputtering bubbles at her.

"Ko-rak," Eraq repeated slowly, making sure to enunciate the name properly. "That's a nice name," he chirped up at her politely. "Would it be ok if I held him for a minute?"

When Jane hesitated for an instant, Eraq turned to his parents for permission as well. Terra balked at the question. The notion made him a bit nervous, since playing with Denzel back home was one thing; he was older by about two years and not nearly as fragile as this newborn in question. He was relieved when Aqua seemed to have a solution and moved to sit with Eraq in her lap. "Only if I help you, and if Jane says its ok." Eraq nodded and handed his moogle to her, so that she had one arm wrapped around him and held the plush in the other.

"Of course you can hold him dear. I could use a break, let me tell you!" Jane bent down and carefully handed over the cooing baby to Eraq, with Aqua there to coach and instruct proper support for the infant's head. Jane stood up with hands on hips and an approving smile on her face. "Well, if you don't mind watching him for a bit then, I could really use a nice bath. Tarzan, be a love and take me to the river? I think Tantor could use a break from guard duty."

"Guard duty?" Aqua's ears perked up at that and Terra could practically hear the worry in her mind. Was there some sort of danger around? Naturally they both knew there was always some form of danger or another in every world.

"Oh yes. Didn't Tarzan tell you about the leopards?" Jane wondered, giving her husband a disapproving look, to which he merely shrugged indifferently. "Not to worry though. They don't attack groups, only single or weak targets."

"They know better then to attack me or Tantor," Tarzan grunted almost arrogantly.

Terra nodded at the explanation. That explained Jane's elephant escort earlier. Can't have a new mother running around the jungle with her newborn all by herself and hungry predators on the prowl.

"Anyway," Jane waved a dismissive hand. "You'll be fine, especially with the gorillas around, and we won't be gone long."

Korak gurgled curiously within his new perspective in Eraq and Aqua's arms. His bright, emerald eyes studied them intently while his tiny hands reached and waved around aimlessly. "He thinks he's a bird." Eraq giggled down at the baby which caused him to smile widely and giggle in return.

Jane and Tarzan took the distraction as an opportunity to make their exit. Though they did not go unnoticed and Terra watched them go almost longingly. A moment alone with his wife; that sounded like a really great idea right about now. But how to orchestrate such a setting? He smirked mischievously as the gears started turning in his divisive mind.

Rin had been sitting nearby for the whole exchange but gradually sidled over so she was close enough to watch the infant's expression with a curious intrigue. "My turn next Eraq," she told him cheerfully, as if she were his young peer and they were taking turns with a new toy.

The boy smiled up at her brightly to agree but suddenly frowned when Korak started whining unpleasantly. "You can have him now." With Aqua's help he turned the newborn over to a now unsure and apprehensive Rin.

The transfer didn't seem to have an effect on the child's temperament, in fact he was growing more and more agitated, almost as though he could sense how his parents drew farther away by the second. "Oh," Rin deadpanned. It wasn't that she had come to a grand realization or anything, she just had to accept the fact that she was simply stuck with an unhappy child and "Oh." seemed like the correct response.

To his credit, Eraq tried to cheer him up by waving his moogle around and making odd noises to entertain him but that only seemed to make the infant cry louder. Aqua graciously pulled the boy back and offered Rin a knowing smile. "It might help if you walk around with him."

"Er, maybe you should just take him back," Rin replied nervously over the wailing of the child that seemed to catch the vibe that he was suddenly unwanted by all.

Aqua would have happily obliged but Terra cut her off and suddenly grabbed her right hand and tugged her up to stand beside him. "Oh no. She's busy. _You_ asked for the kid, so _you're_ stuck with him."

"Terra," Aqua admonished with a disapproving look, both of which were ignored completely as he turned to Zack.

"Pawn him off on Zack if you want."

"Huh?" The swordsman nearly fell over from his place by a tree he and his sword were leaning against. He had unhitched the massive weapon when they arrived in order to interact with the gorillas without injuring them. "But I didn't do anything!"

Terra was dead set on his goal now and was thus deaf to any and all complaints. He turned to Ven next. "And as payment for me putting up with all these animal worlds, you get to watch Eraq for awhile."

Ven shrugged at the task. "That's fine, Eraq's easy." The blond grinned and knelt down to the boy's level. "We could go explore this awesome tree maze that Tarzan showed me."

The boy's eyes lit up at that and he proceeded to bounce around with excitement, his exuberance only hampered by his mother's warning tone. "Ven. What about the leopards? If you lose sight of him for even an instant..."

"Come on Aqua, I'm a Keyblade master now." Ven gave his head a pert tip. "No stupid leopard is gonna bother us. And if it does, I'll send it running with its tail between its legs."

"He's got a point." Terra nodded, though he wasn't about to pressure his wife into agreeing that their five year old son go on a sojourn through a perilous jungle with only one guardian, Keyblade master or not.

"I'd still feel better if someone else went with you," the Grand Master insisted.

"Don't look at me," Zack told them, arms crossed in a pout and a cringe aimed at the wailing child in Rin's arms. "I'm the back-up babysitter, apparently."

"Well, how about Angelo?" Ven suggested with a glance down to the dog sitting nearby. "I bet she could smell a leopard from a mile away. And protecting Eraq is like her hobby or something." The dog yipped up at him as though in response and wagged her tail fervently before hopping over to give the boy in question a vigorous lick. "See! Case and point."

"I suppose." The blue haired woman was still not entirely convinced, though she couldn't argue that the dog _was_ extremely protective of the boy. And even if Ven did happen to lose track of him for a moment, Angelo would no doubt stick to Eraq like glue no matter what. "Alright Eraq," she finally gave in with a deflated smile aimed down at her son's impossibly adorable and hopeful cerulean gaze. "But promise me you'll listen to Ven and _don't_ wander off. Understand?"

Eraq's charcoal mane bobbed eagerly and he threw his arms, including his moogle, in the air triumphantly. "Yay!" He turned to a kneeling, grinning Ven and clapped a victorious high five with him.

"_Eraqus_," his mother warned with his full name and that universal tone that all children knew better than to ignore. "What did I just say?" Granted, the boy had a short attention span, but Aqua knew he was old enough to focus on the important things.

"Uhm," Eraq stalled, his eyes aimed skyward in thought. "Don't run off and do what Ven says?"

"_And_?" Aqua pressed expectantly, though both she and Terra wore amused expressions as their son appeared to be wracking his brain for the answer.

Eraq frowned for a moment, but his expression suddenly lit up and he answered with a proud, wide grin. "I promise!"

"Good," his mother replied with a warm smile and bent down to run a hand through his dark, cinder locks and cupped his ear and chin with a tender affection. "Now go have fun."

With his mother's approval, the boy howled, Angelo barked, and Ven whooped in response, their clamor dwarfing Korak's continuous wailing nearby, or perhaps the child was simply quieting slightly due to Rin's attempts to soothe him. Either way, the trio's exodus was loud and obnoxious and caught the stares of various apes in the process. "Then we're off!" Ven announced as he lopped away into the brush, with the boy and the dog hot on his trail.

"Be careful!" Aqua fussed after them with a sudden, worried frown when she lost sight of Eraq's dusky blue head among the green foliage.

"They'll be fine." Terra rolled his eyes and gave her hand another tug, adding quietly so only she could hear, "but I can't say the same for you."

"Terra!" she scolded and swatted at his shoulder.

"I'm kidding, _kidding_!" He cringed at the rebuke but refused to relent his tugging as he led her away. "But I think I do deserve some time with you. _Alone_." With that last word he threw over his shoulder and aimed a pointed look at their two remaining companions. To which Zack raised his hands defensively and shook his head, as though he wanted nothing to do with whatever they had planned together. And poor Rin was pacing around, still just focused on trying to placate the unhappy infant in her arms.

Aqua could only huff at her husband in answer, knowing better than to argue with him when he was this stubborn about something. She looked over to give Rin an apologetic look. "You might try bouncing him as you walk around," she offered as a final bit of advice before Terra led her out of the clearing completely.

* * *

_A nap?_ All that trouble to get her alone and he just wanted to take _a nap?_ The azure keybearer sat up and glared down at her tenebrous counterpart as he slept, though her eyes betrayed a soft amusement as she leaned beside him on one hand and fondly stroked his chestnut brown hair with the other.

Although he had made such a big deal over something so mundane as lounging about, Aqua wasn't about to complain. Far from it really, since their little jungle getaway was calm and peaceful aside from the colorful ensemble of birdsong high in the trees. In fact it would almost be a sin not to take advantage of the warm tranquility seeping in like that one ray of lazy, afternoon sunshine from a gape in the leafy canopy above.

They hadn't traveled very far from their original clearing when they found their current nest of soft moss and huge leaves, but Aqua could no longer hear Korak's wailing in the background. Whether that meant his cries were blending with that of the chirping birds or that he had simply calmed down, she couldn't know. Although the threat of those prowling leopards worried her, even with Zack and his monstrous sword nearby. In the off chance that something had happened, the Grand Master quietly got up to check on the situation, seeing as her husband was sound asleep and more than likely wouldn't notice her momentary absence.

When she returned to the clearing she was both relieved and surprised to see, and hear, that all was peaceful there as well. The herd of apes had all moved off a ways and were either foraging or napping themselves, though they could still be seen among the trees and were a constant, reassuring presence in the background.

Rin was sitting on the ground with her back propped against the opposite side of the tree Zack was leaning on, his massive weapon resting between them. The ebony headed woman was rocking the infant in her arms back and forth gently and Aqua had to smile at the sight. It seemed Rin's maternal instincts had figured things out automatically, in fact, if Aqua wasn't mistaken, she looked like she was quite enjoying her time with the child now that he was quiet.

As she cautiously moved closer to the trio so as not to spook them, Aqua noted how seriously Zack seemed to be taking his guard duty, with arms crossed and his wary gaze sweeping their surroundings carefully before landing on her approach with recognition and a nod. It was a curious thing really, how the pair could so easily fall into the roles of a couple yet they both vehemently denied the matter. It made her wonder if they both truly did have a significant other out there somewhere.

Rin certainly insisted now and again about that Squall character that Aqua still for the life of her could not match a face to. And then Zack never actually mentioned anyone but somehow, wordlessly he conveyed that he too was waiting for someone, even though he liked to portray his philandering ways every chance he got.

When she finally drew close enough to peer at the infant, Rin looked up and raised her free hand and a finger to her lips as sign for silence, to which Aqua nodded with a smile and a stifled laugh. Korak was sleeping so quietly, it was hard to believe he had ever been upset.

"Well, I do say, there's nothing quite like a good wash!" came Jane's voice from across the clearing as she fussed with her damp hair, causing the trio by the tree to chorus a hiss in her direction. "Oh dear," the brunette whispered in response. "Is he sleeping? Sorry, wasn't expecting that." She chuckled lightly as she and Tarzan approached carefully, both of them marveling down at their son, who shifted in his sleep but thankfully didn't wake up. "Would you look at that!" Jane exclaimed in a hushed tone and eyed Rin curiously. "He usually only goes to sleep for me."

Rin offered up a sheepish grin and a slight shrug so as not to jostle the slumbering baby. "I'd like to hold on to him until he wakes up, if that's alright? He just got to sleep a little bit ago."

Jane smiled widely at that. "That's fine by me, only, we should be heading back to the house now. It's getting a bit late. But you're more then welcome to come with us if you like."

"You guys have a house out here?" Zack asked in an undertone and pushed off from the trunk, suddenly genuinely interested.

Tarzan grunted softly in response. "Tree house."

"A tree house!?" Zack nearly blurted and promptly clapped his hands over his mouth before adding more quietly, "that's so cool! I want to see it!"

Tarzan hooted with just as much excitement but the three women all fought off similar bouts of laughter. "Zack," Aqua said between a chortle. "You are such a kid sometimes."

"Er, well," he coughed objectively and made a gesture at the dark haired woman beside him. "Naturally, I'm going mostly so Rin doesn't have to come back alone, in the dark. Leopards on the loose and all."

"Naturally," Aqua replied, both her and Rin giving him an amused smirk.

"Let's be on our way then," Jane said as she carefully helped Rin to her feet without disturbing a sleeping Korak. "Only a few hours before it gets dark out here."

Aqua blinked as Rin, Jane and Zack headed out of the clearing, the thought of darkness only just now entering her mind. She hoped Ven would bring Eraq and Angelo back soon. She didn't want to have to worry about them much longer. Apparently Tarzan was wondering something similar, as he had remained behind to survey the area. "Where are the others?"

"Oh," said the blue haired peacekeeper. "Ven and Eraq went exploring and I'm hoping they'll be back soon. And Terra is taking a nap." She cringed at the thought of her slumbering husband; hopefully he wasn't awake and fuming that she had left him there alone.

"If I see Ven, I'll send him back right away," Tarzan told her before heading off after the others and adding back over his shoulder, "the jungle is a dangerous place at night."

The wild man's words did nothing to soothe her worries, in fact, now she had a very different reason to worry about leaving Terra alone. As powerful as he was, it didn't matter if he was attacked unawares in his sleep. Honestly, why did everyone insist on splitting up like this? It was too hard on her nerves to have to worry about each group separately.

* * *

Eraq thought it took _forever_ to find the place Uncle Ven had been talking about, but once they finally made it, the boy stared up at what just _had_ to be the most ginormous tree ever! And then, as if it was so big it needed help to stay upright, there were hundreds of other, smaller trees reaching up to help keep the big tree's branches in the air. And thus, a literal maze of trees was born.

"Well?" Ven called to him with a wave of his hand. "Come on Eraq, catch me if you can!"

"What? No fair Uncle Ven, you're way faster than me!" the boy whined, though he kicked off in pursuit of his guardian anyway. Angelo ran at his side, barking playfully as she kept a wary eye on their surroundings.

"Lesson number five: It takes more than speed to succeed," Ven recited as he quickly disappeared behind the trees. "You gotta use your head kiddo!"

Eraq halted smack dab in the middle of the countless trunks, near the huge expanse of the giant tree. "But Mom said I was supposed to stay close to you," he whined out. This adventure wasn't turning out to be as much fun as he thought.

"She also said to listen to me," Ven's voice pointed out from somewhere nearby and Eraq looked in that direction. "Don't worry bud, I'll stay close, and all you gotta do is find me."

It sounded easy enough, only his voice kept changing direction and it was confusing, especially since every tree looked the same. "Uncle Ven, I don't wanna play this game anymore, I'm scared." He instinctively held his moogle tighter with one hand while his other hand reached out to grasp a handful of Angelo's fur. "You'll stay with me, right Angelo?"

The dog licked his face in response but her attention was drawn away distractedly. Her ears switched around before she crept away, out of his desperate grasp, and she too disappeared an instant later. "No, don't leave me!" the boy whimpered after her. "Angelo, Uncle Ven!"

He could still hear some faint rustling nearby but Uncle Ven just wouldn't reply to any of his pleas. With nothing left but his black plushie, Eraq clutched at it in fright and plopped down on the soft earth. This was too much like his nightmares. He was all alone again. "Please don't leave me," he repeated with a frightened sob.

* * *

Upon reaching their private abode, Aqua instantly had a bad feeling crawl up her spine. Terra lay where she left him, still sleeping peacefully, but something was definitely off. The birds above had grown abnormally quiet, as though they too sensed something and were afraid to draw attention to themselves, that or they were awaiting the coiled tension down below to spring loose before making their escape.

The Grand Master summoned her keyblade and examined the treeline suspiciously as she strategically drew right beside her husband. There was something moving cautiously in the vegetation around them, though she could not place it among the various colors of plant life and splayed sunlight all along the jungle floor. One thing was absolutely certain though, a heinous, raw, killing intent permeated the air, and it felt eerily familiar.

"It's been there since you left," Terra informed her quietly, though her senses had been so attuned that she nearly jumped out of her skin when he spoke. "Didn't think I'd notice?"

She sighed down at him with a hand at her pounding heart, noting how he regarded her with one eye cracked and very little concern considering the danger presently stalking them. "You knew it was there this whole time and didn't do anything about it?"

The dark haired warrior raised his hands in a shrug before he sat up. "Better that they tail us then tail Eraq and Ven right?"

Aqua frowned at his wording and turned back to the hidden threat. "They? You mean there's more than one?"

Terra nodded and moved to stand beside her, his gaze drawn toward the beasts' last known trajectory, though the prowling shadows were harder to locate then he originally thought.

Initially, when the lithe creatures bolted in retreat as black streaks behind the flora, the keybearers simply figured they had been spooked by Terra's stance and the fact that it was no longer a single target that the predators would have to deal with. But after noting the direction they fled, and wondering why they hadn't done so sooner, like when Aqua first appeared or when Terra first sat up, something definitely seemed odd, almost as though something had called out to them.

"Terra, I have a bad feeling."

"Yeah," Terra murmured distractedly. "We should probably go find-"

They both froze, only their heads turned to meet each others petrified gazes. Aqua felt an icy wave pass through her limbs in a cold sweat of panic at the sudden, horrible darkness that she both remembered yet had tried desperately to forget as it materialized somewhere in the distance. "No," was the only thing she could gasp out of her suddenly disobedient lungs. It was suddenly even a challenge just to maintain a steady breath.

"Go now!" Terra must have been shouting at her for a few seconds, because it took a gentle shove from him to get her attention and snapped out of her frozen shock. "We'll split up and find them!"

Aqua nodded fervently with quick, sharp breaths as the panic slowly faded to an adrenalin rush. She felt, more than directed, as her legs started moving and she darted off in one direction toward the darkness while Terra split off in another, parallel path. As she pounded past the startled gorillas, she couldn't help but wonder, _were those really just leopards?_

* * *

The rustling was getting closer, but Eraq was too frightened to get up from his place on the floor to see if it was Angelo or Uncle Ven. He didn't care anymore though. They both left him. Now all he wanted was either Mom or Dad. "I want to go home now," he wailed at the air.

He hugged his moogle even tighter when the rustling sounded just beyond a tree on his left and he looked up expectantly. A low growling greeted him and he crept backward fearfully. But when Angelo's snout emerged a second later he beamed and leaped toward her gratefully. He didn't care what he thought a minute ago, he _did_ want her and Uncle Ven to come back.

Before he could embrace the canine however, she started barking and growling frantically in what seemed like every direction at once, and Eraq stumbled back in fright. He couldn't understand what was wrong with her, since she had never reacted like that before. "Angelo," he cried and tried to cover his ears with one hand and his moogle with the other. "You're scaring me!"

The dog paused in her crazed barking in order to whine at him in apology but she quickly reverted back to her previous actions, only she snarled this time and actually lunged at something behind a number of trees. "No Angelo, come back!" the boy wailed and tried to follow, but before he could see what she was tussling with he was thrown to the ground from something ramming his back.

There was a heavy thud behind him followed by a horrible shriek but unlike in his nightmare, there was no pressure pinning him to the ground, he had simply been knocked down. Terrified, he turned over to see Uncle Ven standing over him. He smiled suddenly as his fear subsided but he noticed with a frown that his blond guardian had drawn his keyblade, and a creepy, black fog was dispersing around it.

Ven's eyes were distracted, like Angelo had been, before he suddenly shot an intense gaze down to the boy. "Eraq, run, find a safe place to hide!"

"B-but, Mom said-"

"I know, but you need to do what I say and go hide," Ven told him with more seriousness than Eraq had ever heard in his uncle's voice. Angelo suddenly yelped and cried out painfully, causing Ven to leap in her direction. "Go now Eraq!"

The boy nodded bravely and clutched at Kupo as he looked for a place to hide. He could do this. After all, Uncle Ven and Angelo were the ones fighting the monsters, and all he had to do was hide, right?

He forced his little legs to run as he headed straight for the big tree trunk, but he was once again knocked back, only this time onto his rump. He felt his entire body freeze up as he stared, wide eyed at the monster snarling before him. It was almost exactly like the shadows from his nightmares, only it was bigger, the size of Angelo, and it was more like a cat. But those eyes. Those glowing, yellow eyes were what paralyzed him, he was sure.

The shadow cat roared at him but before it could attack again there was a furious snarling and Eraq couldn't even turn to see what it was when Angelo suddenly lunged and latched onto the big cat's throat, causing it to writhe and screech.

Eraq cried at the dog incoherently as she rolled and fought with the cat in a blinding mass. He wanted to help her but he just couldn't. He was too small, and not nearly brave enough. So once he got to his feet again, he made another break for the other side of the huge tree trunk, where he thought he might be able to hide like Uncle Ven told him to. He just hoped that both his uncle and Angelo would be ok if he actually made it there and waited for them.

He could hear the many shrieks and howls raging on behind him but he refused to look back, and the only reason he didn't clamp his eyes shut in fear was because he had to watch where he was going. His chest was heaving by the time he reached the other side of the enormous trunk, but thankfully the horrible noises had faded and he collapsed to the forest floor, though he still somehow held Kupo after his mad dash.

As the noises receded a slight glimmer of hope rose in his mind and he hugged his black plush a little tighter, as it was his only form of comfort left. He was beginning to think he was safe and that Uncle Ven and Angelo would be running around the big tree any second but he whimpered frightfully when a small black creature emerged from a nearby bush from the opposite direction. "S-stay back!"

He tried crawling backward but his back bumped into the trunk and the little creature padded over to him without a sound, inspecting him curiously with its yellow eyes. He thought it looked a lot like a cat as well, but it had a longer nose, like a dog's but still not quite the same, and its tail was all bushy, neither like a cat or a dog. And he was not at all expecting the thing to actually start speaking to him, nor was he expecting it to be a gentle, female voice. "Oh my, what ever is wrong child? You seem so frightened."

"M-monsters!" Eraq blurted, again trying to back further into the trunk in vain. "They're everywhere, and you're one of them... Aren't you?" He was so confused, first the monsters wanted to attack him, now this one wanted to talk to him? But monsters didn't talk did they? And neither did animals unless you were one of them, right? After all, Angelo didn't talk in this world.

"Monster?" the little black cat-thing repeated incredulous. "I should think not, dear."

"Th-then, what are you? And how are you able to talk to me?"

"Well I'm a fox of course," answered the small animal with a flash of mischief. "Didn't your parents ever tell you about us? We have special powers you know."

"Special powers? Like what?" the boy wanted to know, though he still felt a twinge of fear toward the little creature, even if she was being nice.

"Well, I can talk to you for one," she told him as she padded closer and half-circled around him playfully. "I can also put up a barrier around us to keep the monsters away, if you like."

"Could you really do that?" the boy asked, hopeful.

"Why, of course my dear," the fox told him in an almost sickly sweet voice before she started howling a chant of foreign words that made absolutely no sense to him. An instant later a silvery wall rose from the ground around them and domed a short distance above his head. "There, no more monsters. Feel better?"

"Yes thank you very much-" Eraq bobbed his head as he replied but he stopped abruptly as he remembered a certain rule he had just broken and hugged his moogle tighter. "Oh, um, thank you but I forgot. I'm not supposed to talk to strangers unless Mom or Dad are around."

"Is that so?" the fox wondered aloud and sat down on her haunches as she looked up at the barrier casually. "Well then, perhaps your parents don't care about you as much as you think they do. Because the way I see it, without me, the monsters will get you."

Eraq blinked at her carefully before replying, something she said didn't sound right. "My parents love me."

"Oh but of course they do, my dear." The fox backtracked a bit but quickly rebounded with a cute tip of her head. "But you know. Love is so relative. For example. Why haven't they come to help you yet? And didn't they want to get rid of you earlier?"

"Dad_ did_ want Uncle Ven to watch me for awhile," Eraq frowned but quickly recovered, though he failed to notice that the animal had much more information than she should have had. "But _Mom_ didn't want me to go at first."

"Ah yes, well perhaps they do still love you. But did you know, they didn't always love _each other_?"

Eraq blinked with genuine confusion. What was she talking about? Mom and Dad loved each other since forever! That was why they were Mom and Dad! "How do you know that?"

He wasn't sure he liked the sinister way the fox smirked at him but he was quickly swept up with a number of different concerns when she swished her fluffy black tail and a swirl of black smoke rose around them like a blanket. "Relax my dear," the fox's voice soothed from beside him, although he could no longer see her. He started to panic regardless of her words as the darkness engulfed him and he could no longer even see the moogle wrapped tightly in his arms.

He felt his breathing intensify out of his control but before he could whimper or complain a dull, gray backdrop appeared and curved above his head, where he guessed the barrier was. Somewhat comforted by the sparse amount of light, he felt his breathing steady and glanced over to barely see the fox's silhouette among the blackness. "Look up and watch, child."

Eraq complied, but only because he wanted to make her happy so she'd hurry up and turn the lights back on. He was sorry he did though, because the scene unfolding before him was surely something that would haunt him forever.

"Mom, Dad!" he cried out to their ethereal forms on the foggy dome above but neither seemed to have heard him at all. In fact, there was something really strange about them. Dad looked really different somehow, but that _was_ his dad right? And then that was definitely Mom, he knew that without a doubt, but why was Dad hurting her? Dad _never_ hurt Mom. Never!

The person that portrayed his dad was holding Mom up by the throat with one hand, and stranger still, Mom wasn't fighting back! "Dad, what are you doing? You're hurting Mom!" he shouted at the illusion but once again his parents were deaf to his calls.

"They can't hear you, child," the fox told him gently. "This is simply a vision from the past." She swished her tail once more just as the male in the vision had raised his Keyblade threateningly and Eraq nearly ducked under his moogle before the smoky atmosphere vanished all at once, taking its horrific images with it. "So now you see. You're father is not who you think he is."

Eraq's young mind was racing. He didn't want to believe those images. He couldn't! "You're lying!" he snapped at the little creature. "Dad would never do something like that. Especially not to Mom!"

The fox merely tipped her head at the boy. "No reason to get upset with me, child. I can assure you, the visions I conjure are the truth. I can't create them. I can only pull them from the past."

He wanted to object more, but she sounded so confident in her answer and he didn't have the mental capacity to argue with her. She spoke like an adult. Like a really scary adult. And he was sure that there was something not right with the vision she showed him. Still, there was no way he would be able to get that image out of his head any time soon. Why would Dad ever even think of hurting Mom? It didn't make any sense!

He felt like crying again. Like curling up into a tight little ball and waiting for someone to rescue him. Sure, the fox was protecting him from the monsters, but he felt like he was being tormented in a way that was almost worse than those viscous shrieks.

Shrieks. Shouting. Eraq raised his head, unaware that he had dropped it in his despair. It was faint, but he could hear someone calling his name, and some barking too! "Uncle Ven? Angelo?" He called out to them and ran outside of the barrier without a second thought, phasing right through it as the fox followed after him.

"Be careful dear, it might be a trap," she warned him. "Those monsters have been known to imitate people."

The boy looked down at the small fox with a frown. He wasn't sure if he should believe her or not. She had upset him a lot, but she _did_ protect him when he had needed it most, and that wasn't something he would soon forget. "Eraq!" someone called his name again, but it wasn't Uncle Ven this time... It was Dad! And he sounded really close, not to mention worried.

"That's my dad!" the boy exclaimed happily to his small companion before calling out to his father. "I'm over here Dad!"

"Indeed," the black fox replied with a frightened look as she stepped back. "I've seen what he's capable of."

"But Dad's not like that," he tried to assure her.

"Isn't he? I'd rather not find out." She stepped back a bit more and watched as the boy turned back toward his father's voice, his expression a little more anxious than before. He did not see her sly smirk before she noiselessly swished her tail and disappeared inside a pitch black gate that loomed only a footstep behind him.

Eraq whimpered in his delirium. He was happy that Dad had found him, truly he was. So why was he also scared? He didn't believe those false visions, so why did he feel so frightened all of a sudden? Just then, his father tore out from a wall of greenery, vines and leaves flying everywhere in his frenzied wake. His dark eyes went wide when he locked on to Eraq's position. "Eraq!" he called desperately, though to the boy, he sounded angry.

"Dad, I didn't mean to run off, there were monsters and-" the charcoal haired boy whimpered and took an unintentional step back, feeling for the first time the cold lick of darkness against his skin. It felt angry, and empty, and it pulled at the rest of his body as if it wanted to eat him whole. "Dad?" If he hadn't been panicking before, he sure was now. He felt his breathing come in short wisps, his heart pounded faster than ever, and there were white spots all over the place, wherever he looked, so much so that he almost couldn't see anything anymore. He could see his dad running for him though, Dad would save him. And with that last thought, he succumbed to the complete white, and then, to the infinite black.

* * *

Terra could not believe his eyes. After practically exploding from the undergrowth he had been frozen with shock and terror by the sight of a dark portal only inches away behind his son. The boy seemed to be frozen in place as well. "Eraq!" he cried out, desperate to warn him of the impending danger behind him. He was downright horrified when the action seemed to have the opposite result, causing the boy to take a deadly step backward. And was that fear in his eyes? Fear, towards him? His own father? The expression was not foreign to him, but the direction it was aimed at certainly was.

Terra felt as though the breath had just been sucked out of his body. He had never done anything to make Eraq fear him in such a way. Sure, he had administered discipline many times, but never in a way that warranted such a morbid fear as this. Surely there was a valid explanation for it, but for now all that mattered was getting him to safety and the _hell _away from that portal!

The boy was whimpering something, but Terra couldn't decipher it as he was still too far away. He was worried that a rushed advance might spook him more, so he approached at a steady, calm pace, one hand held out to his son in a welcoming gesture. "Eraq, calm down. Just come to me. That's all you need to do."

But the boy didn't seem to hear him, his bright blue eyes were glazing over with pure terror as he peered at the swirling dark matter behind him. He was losing consciousness and the portal was drawing him in. "Eraq!" Terra howled desperately and in a final bid to save his son he launched himself toward the portal, but he was still too far away and it was already closing around his small body.

Despair threatened to choke him as the reality of the situation kicked in. He wasn't going to make it. But suddenly, from around the huge trunk Ven appeared beside the closing portal with Angelo by his side, the both of them panting and bloody, but Terra paid that no mind. "Ven! The portal! Eraq fell in!"

The blond didn't even waste the instant it would have taken to nod his understanding, but rather he leaped straight into the dark pool without a second thought, with Angelo barking frantically and leaping right after him.

And then there was nothing. The darkness vanished with a hiss, and Terra was left panting at its former location, only a few seconds too late. He dropped to his knees with a strangled cry. Instantly, thoughts of denial started racing through his frantic mind. This was nothing but a nightmare. He would wake up soon to Eraq pouncing on his stomach, telling him all about his adventures with Ven and he would then proceed to tickle him relentlessly as the usual punishment for waking him up prematurely.

Unfortunately, reality was all to quick at presenting itself to him.

He could sense her approach from behind him more than heard her. Aqua's fear and denial was even more apparent to him than his own. "Terra?" Her emotions rolled off her being in waves, and he struggled to turn his body to face her. "Where is he?"

The female keybearer gazed around the area with a dazed expression, her breaths coming in gasps though she didn't seem to notice. She was far too calm for the situation and it worried him. A disaster like this would surely break her.

He stood on shaken legs to face her fully but he found that he could not bring his gaze up to meet hers. "There was a," he paused, his breath hitching disobediently. "A dark portal behind him, and he- he-"

"What?" Aqua insisted and moved to place both hands on his broad, slouched shoulders, shaking him desperately. "What happened? Terra, tell me!"

"He fell in," the words were a mere breath, but he knew she had heard him, because her hands fell away limply and she staggered back in shock. "Ven and Angelo jumped in after him. I was too late to follow."

"No," she cried feebly, her panting fading to wracking sobs as she kept backing away in horror. "Not again. Terra, I can't do this again!" she shouted, and although he knew her words weren't directed at him, he could still feel their sting.

"Aqua, try to stay calm." He reached for her in an attempt to reassure her but she only backed away even more. "Ven is with him. We can figure something out."

But she wasn't listening anymore. She was shaking her head back and forth, but whether that was directed at his words or the calamity was unclear, probably both. Before he could make any further attempt at stabilizing her emotional avalanche she suddenly spun around and darted out of his reach.

"Aqua wait!" he called after her in vain and wanted badly to chase her down and make her understand that things weren't as bad as she was making them out to be. It wasn't like Eraq was _dead_. They w_ould _find him. He'd make sure of that. He needed to tell her these things, but he had given that desperate, final sprint for Eraq everything he had, leaving him with absolutely nothing left to go after her. Not that he could catch her anyway; she had always been faster than him and unless she wanted to be caught, he didn't stand a chance.

Falling back to his knees out of exhaustion and frustration, he slammed his fists on the soft earth with yet another howling cry of anguish as guilt set in. He couldn't help but feel like the entire mess was his fault. Whose idea was it to go on this damned vacation anyway? Who was it that constantly jabbed at Aqua's fretting? She had every right to fret! She was right all along! He clenched his teeth in aggravation. If only he could go back in time and smack himself across the face he would gladly do it if it meant he could fix everything.

But who was he kidding? He had already been given a second chance in life, yet he was still making an utter mess of things! A second chance was unheard of. Why would he ever think he could get a third?

He unclenched his fists and stared at his open palms for a long moment. A brilliant clarity dawned in his muddled mind and he remembered the vow he had made a long time ago, before Eraq had even been born. To never again lose himself to despair.

He felt determination spread like fire in his body and he rose to his full height, his legs were warning him to rest more but he ignored them and stalked forward in pursuit of those he was meant to follow.

* * *

Aqua ran. She ran so hard and fast that her body was giving her all the obvious signals that she should stop, but she didn't listen, she couldn't, not yet. The sobs and the river of tears flowing down her cheeks wouldn't stop but she didn't fight them either. She could feel her emotions roiling around inside her like a chaotic storm and she wasn't even sure what she was feeling anymore.

Anguish, loss, anger, emptiness, confusion, grief, but those were only words. Words that couldn't begin to describe her tears. She felt an all too familiar agony in her chest, like her heart was being torn in two for the second time in her life. Losing her master, Ven, Terra and even herself all in the same tragedy had caused her enough anguish for one lifetime and she didn't know how she would live through another.

How does one even begin to accept the loss of a child anyway? Sure, she knew Eraq wasn't dead, Terra had a point when he said Ven was with him. But that didn't mean she would see him again! A dark portal meant he had possibly fallen into another world. A single world, a single star in an ocean of stars. She scoffed bitterly between sobs. What were the odds of finding him, really?

She knew she had given up without even trying, but the situation was just too overwhelming, too impossible for her to contemplate in her state of grief.

She felt a thin prick of guilt gnaw its way into her already aching heart. She didn't blame Terra, but she was sure she made him feel that way. She knew because he wasn't coming after her. He was no doubt wallowing in his own grief and guilt and had no way of overcoming it just as she didn't. She allowed another bitter laugh to escape her throat with a sob. It was such a sad irony. The moment when they needed each others reassurance the most, and they denied it from one another. It didn't matter though. No words would mend her broken heart.

Without realizing it, she was back in the clearing with the gorillas and her body continued to move on its own, as if she were drawn to a source of comfort that her mind had forgotten.

Her legs halted finally, her entire body trembling and wracked by misery as she stared down at Kala, the gorilla she had befriended earlier in the day. The female primate hooted at her worriedly but Aqua merely answered in a dead monotone, "he's gone." She didn't know why, but she all of a sudden succumbed to her exhaustion and intense grief fully, collapsing beside the familiar ape with a cry. "Eraq's gone." She wrapped her abdomen with both arms and doubled over as she proceeded to wail over and over so loud that she was sure her own eardrums were about to burst.

Kala cooed at her gently, pulled her closer and pressed her worn knuckles to Aqua's torso, where her heart was. The woman gasped in surprise between her grief stricken cries. Somehow, she had understood what Kala was trying to communicate, as if from one mother to another, heedless of the numerous barriers between them.

_You will find a way to cope._

* * *

_AN: In regards to this chapter, I have a couple of video links on my profile under the "Links" section.  
_


	11. of Sorrow

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

_**Minor-Pairing note:** I ask that my readers please be patient with this chapter, as I am giving some minor-pairings a small window here. However, this should be the **only** chapter where this happens, as I am planning on starting a side-series for said pairings. I have to get them started here though, or it just wouldn't make sense._

**Chapter Eleven – of Sorrow**

* * *

One foot after the other. Terra repeated that phrase over and over in his head with a mounting urgency as he staggered through the foliage. The filtered daylight above was waning, giving way to an almost eerie darkness amid towering trees and looming vines. Aqua's agonized howling wove through the jungle like that of a vengeful banshee's shrieking straight out of a nightmare. Once again he had to convince himself that it was not his unconscious mind presenting him with such tragedies and horrors. Eraq _had _been taken, and Aqua's cries were _real_. He thus made every effort to hasten his stride even though his legs ached terribly and his lungs felt like they were ablaze in his chest.

A moment later and her wailing ceased abruptly, causing him to push through the thick brush all the more urgently. He spotted her upon reaching the clearing with the gorillas and slowed his pace, relieved to see she wasn't in any danger. She was facing him, though her head was bowed and her back was hunched forward as she clutched at her stomach miserably. After noting that the same female gorilla from before was sitting nearby, no doubt attempting to console the woman, Terra approached cautiously, not wanting to startle either of them.

After getting a bit closer he could clearly understand why Aqua had stopped crying out. Her whole body shuddered and the sound of her violent retching made him wince. Was a mother's grief so much worse than that of a father's? Or was he simply more positive about the matter? He had every confidence that they'd find both Eraq and Ven. It was just a matter of time really. He just had to somehow make her believe that as well.

Aqua still hadn't noticed him as he stepped closer, but she was suddenly distracted by Kala as the female gorilla nudged her and gently cooed at her, no doubt once again trying to console the despairing woman.

Terra cocked his head curiously, noting how his wife seemed stunned or awestruck as she stared at Kala, as if she could understand what the animal was trying to convey.

The blue haired Keybearer shook out of her daze when she finally heard his footfalls, turning up to regard him with a worn and far off gaze. "Hey," he started softly, his wheezing breath barely allowing him to speak, though his mind wasn't doing a very good job with words either. 'Are you alright?' certainly wasn't going to work. And 'What's wrong?' would be downright ignorant to ask. What _wasn't _wrong at this point? Still, he had to say _something_. "How are you holding up?"

"I feel like I'm _dying_, Terra." She gave him a withered look, though it was not bitter, just lost, and empty. "I feel like- Like some important organ was just ripped out of me."

Terra felt his chest tighten with an anguished pang. Was it really that bad? Was her body really turning on her to such an extent in response to the grief? He made it a point not to regard the soiled bush in front of her. He certainly felt confused and helpless at the moment but his body wasn't rejecting his existence, not yet anyway. "Hey, I told you, we'll get him back." He knelt down and carefully tucked her shoulder length blue tresses behind her ears in case she had another bout of nausea. "Besides, Ven and Angelo are with him. He'll be fine."

Terra tried not to cringe visibly as he remembered the state his blond friend was in before leaping headlong into that black abyss. Both he and the dog had been tagged by bloody splotches, though things had happened in such a blur that he couldn't tell if they were simply covered in superficial scrapes or if the injuries were actually serious. He thought it better not to mention that bit of information. Aqua was upset enough and she didn't need to hear anymore bad news.

Even though Ven was a Keyblade Master now, they both still worried about him. Old habits were hard to stamp out completely and Terra was beginning to feel rather guilty for not considering Ven's exhausted state sooner. Though he felt a little better knowing that whatever world they ended up in, Ven would be able to heal himself if he had to.

"But that's just it!" Aqua snapped suddenly, her blue eyes flaring with despair and frustration. "Not only is Eraq gone but we've lost Ven again too!" She sighed then, the fight leaving her as swiftly as she had summoned it. "And even though he has his armor and glider, Eraq doesn't, and Ven won't leave him, not even for a minute. You _know_ he won't."

Terra sighed as well, feeling defeated in so many ways. It was true, without a ship or armor for Eraq they were stuck on whatever world they landed in until someone found them. And who knows how long that would take... The more he thought about it the more things really did seem bleak. "I'm sorry Aqua," he said through a ragged breath. His lungs had finally recovered from his marathon through the jungle but now his emotions were bubbling up to his throat. "This- this is all my fault. If I could go back and change things-"

"I know _exactly_ who's to blame for this," Aqua snapped, her tone dangerous and low and chipped with ice. "I would know her darkness anywhere."

Terra was silent for a moment and studied his wife carefully. Revenge was not an expression he was used to seeing on her features. Her mouth was pulled up into a fierce scowl, and her eyes, her normally loving, bright, sky blue eyes, were bitter and... Dark.

He hesitated for an instant, but reached out a hand to her shoulder. He had to calm her down, for he knew too well that path leading to destruction. "Aqua, we'll find them-"

"Stop trying to _fix_ me, Terra." Aqua bristled and shrugged off his hand. "This isn't something you can fix. I need to feel these things, and I need to work through them."

"It's not that easy and you know it," he countered with more severity than he intended. Taking a deep, calming breath, he tried to tamp down the pang in his heart from her words and softened his own voice. "Let me help you."

He could see the memory of their ironic role reversal pass over her eyes like an unwelcome shadow. Her reluctance suddenly abated and she nodded agreement with a downward countenance. Though any reply she would have made was promptly cut off as a clamor drew their attention to the treeline behind them.

Zack and Rinoa emerged from the dark underbrush, both of them out of breath and looking around wildly until they spotted the two keybearers. "What's with all the screaming?"

* * *

The cockpit was quiet. Eerily quiet. Even the faint sounds of clothes rustling and buckles clicking were muffled as the foursome settled into their seats with heavy hearts.

Terra lingered in the ship's corridor as he watched his remaining companions find their seats. Rinoa and Zack had grown very silent after the situation had been explained. Perhaps they were still trying to wrap their minds around the tragedy, or maybe they just didn't know how to offer any comfort yet.

Not that Aqua was accepting it anyway. He guessed that Rinoa sensed that somehow as well, knowing that any comfort offered would instantly be rejected.

Terra wouldn't let that stop him from trying though. He couldn't, not when the woman he loved so fiercely was in such raw agony right in front of him. She was taking this loss as badly as he had anticipated and he knew the only way they would ever get through such a trial was to share the pain somehow. Honestly, he wished he could bear the brunt of it all, but ironically knew that the opposite was true with that vacant, lost look in his wife's eyes.

Aqua had just fastened her safety belt with a swift efficiency when Terra stepped to her side and met her empty gaze. "We'll find them," he said and leaned down to place a reassuring kiss to her forehead only to have her shift away from the gesture.

"Let's just go," she murmured, her foggy eyes aimed out the window away from him.

Terra could only sigh in defeat, his expression creased with worry. He suspected her mental state would either plummet continuously or eventually level out. He knew when to take a hint though, and the signals she was giving him now was to back off, but that didn't mean he was about to stop in his attempts to comfort her.

He felt like his legs were full of lead as he moved to the pilot's seat, his gaze taking in Rinoa and Zack and noting their own downward gazes. "I mean it guys," he told them earnestly and caught a miserable glance from both of them. "We _will_ find them."

_If it was the last thing he did._

* * *

Terra landed the ship on one of the large landing bays of Cid's enormous hanger and glanced around at his companions. The atmosphere of the cockpit hadn't changed much in the hours following their takeoff from the previous world.

Rinoa and Zack were slowly unlatching their belts almost solemnly as Terra stood and watched as the two passed Aqua in her seat, neither saying a word but both of them touched a comforting hand to her shoulder as they went. The blue haired woman merely turned to their gestures with a flicker of appreciation but said nothing and turned her eyes briefly up to meet Terra's, only to shift away almost instantly.

He sighed for the umpteenth time in the past few hours. Was that annoyance or anger in her expression? He couldn't decipher it, and she wasn't exactly giving off very clear signals. "Come on. We should tell the other masters what's happened."

"We shouldn't be wasting time here," she finally snapped, the blue fire in her eyes darting at him suddenly. "We should be out there, looking for them."

Terra blinked at her for a dumb moment. Did she really think that was a better idea than asking for help? Now he knew for sure she wasn't thinking clearly. The Aqua he knew would always choose the most efficient, intelligent option and not the hasty, radical one.

And that fierce, angry look she had him pinned with suddenly made a new realization dawn in his mind. She blamed him. She did. But it didn't effect him like he thought it should have. She had every right to blame this mess on him because it was his fault and he knew it.

They were alone in the cockpit now, Rinoa and Zack making themselves scarce promptly after Aqua's outburst. A long series of moments must have passed by, but Terra could only match her pointed stare with his own drawn and wounded one. "Forget it, let's just hurry up with this and get back out there," she said with a frustrated sigh and stood up beside him.

Aqua's miserable expression softened in that instant, giving him the jolt of resolve to confront the matter. "I know you have every right to hate me," he started and grasped her left hand in his right and gave a little tug to gain her full attention. "But that just isn't in you." His darker shade of blue pinned her own lighter ones. "You aren't capable of hate."

"Terra," Aqua breathed out miserably. "I don't hate you at all."

"Then why do I feel like you do?"

That was it. The last straw. He could see a fresh gleam flash in her eyes, her face contorted terribly and he watched painfully as the walls she had built up over the past hours crumbled in a matter of seconds. New tears carved their way down her cheeks while the sobs once again wracked her body and she finally reached out for him in her grief.

As she curled her fists into the fabric of his shirt, Terra in turn enveloped her shoulders with both arms, oddly relieved that she was now willing to accept some comfort. An important step that he knew was required in order to move forward if they intended to accomplish their goal of finding the wayward trio in the end.

"He'll be okay," Terra soothed into the crown of her head, closing his arms around her more firmly. "Ven will take care of him. He'll be okay," he repeated, as if the words were a magical chant that would somehow become reality.

"That's what I want to believe. But somehow, I just can't."

"You're his mom," Terra told her with a sincere smile as he pulled back from his embrace and placed both hands firmly on her shoulders. "If anyone should keep believing, it's _you_."

"I must be a horrible mother then." She sniffed stubbornly and turned away as she appeared to will her tears to stop.

"That's not what I meant." He moved one hand to bring her chin up so she would meet his concerned gaze. "Something else is bothering you." It wasn't a question but it might as well have been.

"I think," she started but hesitated, biting her lower lip as she dropped her gaze before trying again with a hitched breath. "I think I'm pregnant."

For the second time in his life, Terra absorbed those words with surprise. This time, however, he was at a loss as to how to react. "That's..." Any words his jumbled mind could throw at him were lost somewhere between his brain and his mouth. On one hand he felt like he should be happy about the news, but on the other, the timing was simply just too inappropriate. He dropped his hands from her shoulders slowly and looked away as well, suddenly feeling like she would resent his touch. "That... Complicates things."

"Yeah," Aqua bit out with something between a sob and a bitter laugh. Taking his withdraw the wrong way, she stepped back and hugged herself, her expression turning hard and angry as a lone tear slid down her face. "We're already," she said between a wretched sob, "replacing him."

"_No_," Terra ground out firmly, his eyes suddenly resolute as they shot up to pin hers. "Never." He advanced on her in one long stride and pulled her to him in a tight, desperate embrace. He was not about to allow her to entertain such thoughts, not now, not ever. "Aqua, we'll find him. We'll find him and he'll be safe and sound. We'll bring him home and our new baby is going to grow up with an overprotective older brother."

His words actually instigated a warmhearted chuckle from the woman among her irregular sobbing. "Like you and Ven."

"Yeah," Terra soothed. "Like me and Ven."

* * *

Rotors whirred and gears clicked as the hatch above the landing pad clamped shut with a resounding boom. Rinoa shifted uncomfortably next to Zack as they stood together in the landing bay, some distance from the ship's doorway in order to give their friends some time alone to talk.

The tension in the air almost seemed to spark tangibly and she could sense Zack's own anxiety as he was fidgeting while making those whining noises he always made when he was unsure of what to say. The number of times he opened and closed his mouth to say something was almost comical, and under normal circumstances she may have smiled at his expense.

"Look, Rin..," he finally managed while unclasping his crossed arms in order to reach out a tentative hand to her. "I know how important Angelo is to you-"

"I'm fine, Zack," she cut in gently and offered a sad smile after noting how his hand merely hovered near her shoulder. "It's Eraq and Ven we should be worried about. Besides, Angelo is smart. She's gotten out of tight spots before. She'll be fine."

She could tell that her fake smile wasn't working on him when his frown deepened as he studied her carefully. He looked about ready to reply when his attention was suddenly drawn to a metal door that apparently led out of the hanger. A few seconds later and Rinoa could hear the muffled footsteps as well, soon followed by a deep, yet somehow familiar voice as the door slid open with a hiss. "You guys are back early. I was on patrol and seen your ship land, so I thought I'd check-"

Rinoa and Zack must have been standing in the shadows of the ship, because the man that walked in had obviously mistaken them for Terra and Aqua. That is, until he took a few steps closer, and promptly froze mid-stride, all speech dying away from his mouth as it hung open awkwardly.

Rinoa had much the same expression as she studied the stranger in turn, though oddly enough, wasn't really a stranger, regardless of the changes in his appearance compared to the foggy image of him in her memory. Naturally he was taller than she remembered, and his brown hair was longer now. And that scar, still a fresh wound when they had been separated, cut a clean line between his eyes. Those same wild, blue eyes flashed with realization as he finally fought off the shock and cautiously stepped closer, as though he were afraid she'd disappear if he spooked her.

"S-S-" she tried in vain to say his name, but her mouth refused to perform its desired function, much like the rest of her body, paralyzed in its place. Zack was fidgeting again, but she couldn't spare him a glance and could only focus on the brunette some paces away.

The newcomer's steps halted abruptly as he came within a couple feet of her and face to face, both of them still unable to speak. Rinoa could feel her heart pounding fiercely in her chest. She was either going to start crying or laughing hysterically from the amount of emotions running rampant in her mind. What she _really_ wanted to do was throw her arms around him and start screaming unintelligibly. But the instant his hands came to rest on her shoulders, as if to stabilize her existence, he was suddenly shoved away, and she could only blink dumbly at the revelation.

"Woah, woah, _woah_!" Zack growled indignantly, forcing his way between them and gave the newcomer a sharp look. "Hands off pal."

Once again, Rinoa could only gawk wordlessly, though her eyes were instead drawn to her overprotective and self-appointed guardian. She could only assume that Zack had translated her lack of movement and speech as a sign of fear. Then, to her horror, she switched back to the other man as he scowled deeply and silently brought a cold brand of steel to bear, only for the blade to meet with a ringing clang when the familiar obstruction of a Buster Sword blocked the threat.

"Well hello to you, too!" Zack sneered from around his weapon and shoved back with a parry, prepared to carry out a counterattack when Rin yanked at one of his arms. She had finally fought off her shock-induced paralysis and came to stand between them, immediately halting all hostilities.

"Stop it, both of you!" she shouted at them. "Zack, this is Squall." She turned to the brunette, her expression softening extensively. "Squall, this is Zack. He's a friend."

"Huh? You mean this is-?" Zack promptly dropped his blade, noting as his opponent's weapon fell away as well in response to the female interception. "Oh." He sheathed his sword behind his back and scratched at his neck awkwardly. "Eh, I'm just gonna, be over there, somewhere..." He shuffled away, meeting the other man's gaze briefly with a sheepish grin before he made his exit. "Nice weapon by the way."

The brunette simply raised a curious brow at Zack's sudden retreat and set his Gunblade to its resting place before turning back to Rinoa with an odd expression. "I haven't heard anyone call me by that name in a long time." When she tipped her head in question, he added, "I go by Leon now."

Before she could even respond with a snarky comment she was distracted by one of his gloved hands reaching up, as if he wanted to touch her face. She noted how his hand was trembling slightly, hovering there, only inches away as if he were suddenly afraid to initiate contact. She wanted badly to just ease into his touch, but he started speaking again and she found herself entranced by the intensity in his voice and the pain in his eyes. "I don't understand. I thought you died that day."

Rinoa's expression saddened then, her gaze dropping away for an instant as she hugged her torso in hopes of stabilizing a sudden rush of heartache. "A man called Auron saved me. He took me to Olympus and taught me how to survive on my own."

"Olympus?" Leon snapped suddenly, causing the woman before him to flinch as he once again grasped her by the shoulders, the physical barrier broken. "But I was there, competing in the games! Where were you?" His eyes were wild and frenzied, as though he were frustrated with himself.

"I- I always steered clear of the arena." She looked up at him apologetically, noting absently how he was only half a head taller. "I had no idea that you'd show up there..."

"I would have looked everywhere for you!" he nearly cried, his voice wavering uncharacteristically and he seemed ready to collapse in a mix of despair and frustration but she reached out to steady him. "If I'd known you were alive-"

"I sent you a letter," Rinoa cut in matter-of-factually, hoping to turn the negative tide. "Did those fairies forget to deliver it? They said they'd seen you before, but I had to wonder..."

"I got the letter. But a part of me thought- I thought it was a prank. Those three never take anything seriously." He rolled his eyes, and Rinoa could imagine all to well how Yuna may have wagged a finger at him obnoxiously while attempting to tell him that the letter was legit. His gaze turned back to her, serious again, though it had lost the tint of anguish and now only a residual sadness remained. "I thought I'd lost you forever."

"I'm here now," she told him brightly, tipping her head cutely and offering a contented smile before finally giving in to the urge to hug him. His arms automatically shifted to envelop her in return and she could feel the strong thump of his heart when she set her head to his chest, relishing his warmth and an unmistakable sense of safety. They remained that way for awhile, both simply enjoying the silent moment; the reunion that they had both no doubt envisioned countless times.

The peaceful silence didn't last long though, as she felt a familiar mischief bubbling up in response to the way his long brown hair tickled her cheek. "So, why change your name?" It made sense to her now as to why Aqua didn't seem to recognize the name Squall. "Not that I don't like it." Rinoa pulled away enough to smile coyly at him and reached up to twine a lock of his long brown hair around her fingers. "It matches this mane you have going."

Leon offered a small grunt in response to the jab but smiled back nonetheless. "Well, actually once Radiant Garden returned to normal, I had planned on switching back to Squall, but Yuffie said that it would be really annoying since she was just getting used to calling me Leon..."

The dark haired woman perked up at that. "Yuffie's here too?"

"Of course," he told her with a rare, Leon grin. "So is Cid and Aerith, the whole gang, actually."

Rinoa would have delved into more questions about everyone but her attention was drawn to the sound of footsteps from the ship and she found herself frowning deeply. At the sight of Terra and Aqua's withered, tormented state, she suddenly felt a wash of guilt by how distracted she had gotten. "Oh no," she breathed out and dropped her gaze to the floor in shame as her grip on his shirt tightened. "How could I forget so easily?"

"Forget what?" Leon wondered, eyes averted to the two keybearers as well.

Rinoa couldn't bring herself to look at him, instead choosing to clamp her eyes shut as recent events flashed to the fore of her mind. "There's been a terrible accident."

* * *

Zack cursed his short attention span. He wanted to stick around and make sure Rin was safe, but he just got so _bored_ standing a ways off, just awkwardly watching her reunion with her "man". He wanted to give them their privacy too though, and the guy seemed capable enough. Somewhat trigger happy, but it was for the right reason, so Zack was ok with that.

The swordsman sighed as he walked along, hands folded behind his head and eyes aimed at the clear blue sky above. He had managed to navigate himself out of the hanger and wandered into a pleasant courtyard with flowerbeds and benches round about and a single water fountain at its center. The place was definitely pretty, but his mind swiveled back to Rinoa, his forehead creased in concentration. "Maybe its time I handed her off. I mean, she sure seems happy with the guy," he spoke softly to the sky, as if he were consulting an old friend, though he was merely contemplating out loud.

"Quick, catch him!" So engrossed in his musing, he was caught completely off guard by the sudden assault clawing its way up his person before everything went dark.

"What the-?" Zack yelped into what felt like thick, fluffy fur and whatever the creature was, it had its claws digging into his scalp. Startled, off balance and completely weirded out, he howled and fell backward, landing on his rump with a thud. Before he could utter another word though, the creature yowled and scrambled off his head, finally giving him a chance to see its lithe form and whipping tail. "A cat?" He placed a tentative hand to his offended head, watching quizzically as the animal scampered off. Seriously, did all cats hate his guts or something?

"Oh no, are you alright?" a melodious woman's voice called down to him. "Honestly, I think that cat is turning wild."

With the feline's assault to his head promptly forgotten, Zack gawked up at the woman, hoping to absorb her every detail. Her shining emerald eyes drew him in instantly, while her beautiful face and gentle expression was framed by thick, brown bangs. She was dressed in two shades of pink and her entire appearance left him in awe, in fact, he could have sworn that he had caught a glimpse of a pair of wings behind her. "An angel?"

"Not quite. I'm Aerith." She bent forward, hands on her knees as she tipped her head curiously. "I don't think I've seen you here before, are you new at the Academy?"

"Oh, I'm Zack," he replied with a sheepish smile. "Yep, I'm brand new here."

A few silent seconds passed as she returned a pleasant smile before frowning at something on the ground where he sat. "You're sitting on them..." She gestured at the flowerbed he had unceremoniously landed in, where he was surrounded by countless brilliant, yellow blossoms.

"Huh?" Looking down, Zack cringed at the damage he had wrought. To be honest, he had no special reservation towards the colorful flora, but he didn't want to offend the angel- er, Aerith. "Oh shoot, sorry about that." He stood up as carefully as possible so as not to crush more of the delicate plants.

"It's alright, don't worry about it."

"No, no..." he drawled mischievously. "I'll make up for this somehow." He took a few steps away, hand to chin in concentration before turning to her and snapping his fingers. "Aha, how about one date?"

"Huh?" Aerith blinked at him for a moment before turning away with a bashful smile and a chirp of amusement. "What are you saying? Don't be silly."

"Aww, I knew it." Humming in frustration, Zack threw both hands behind his head again and paced a bit. "You've already got a guy, am I right?"

With her hands clasped behind her back, Aerith seemed to contemplate the question for a bit, staring up at the sky. "Hm, no."

"Really?" Zack gaped at her, not really caring that he probably looked like a love-struck idiot. How could this beautiful angel not have a guy in her life already? It just didn't make any sense to him, but he wasn't about to argue with fate. Not when it was going in his favor, anyway.

He must have been zoned out for awhile, because the pink clad woman was studying him closely now, or rather, studying the huge sword at his back, to his great disappointment. "Zack, that weapon, it looks really familiar."

"Hm? Oh this? My mentor gave it to me after he saved me when my world was destroyed." The raven haired man grinned and hefted the huge blade for her to see. "I couldn't even lift it when he first gave it to me, so it spent a few years collecting dust. A shame, since it would've come in handy with my fight against Terra way back when."

The woman's green eyes sparked suddenly and she once again tipped her head curiously. "You know Terra?"

"Of course! It was Terra and Aqua that brought me here..." He felt a sudden stab of guilt in his gut at the mention of them. It had been a brief lapse, but he had definitely forgotten about the current crisis. "We uh, came to get help. Eraq and Ven fell into a dark portal and we don't know what world they ended up in."

"Oh no!" Aerith gasped and covered her mouth with both hands in horror. "That's terrible! Come on, we have to gather the council!"

"Woah!" Zack yelped as Aerith grabbed one of his arms and yanked him along with her. "R-right." He wasn't exactly sure why he was needed for such a task, but he was happy to lop along at her bidding. He felt like he would do just about anything in order to stay in her radiant presence a little longer.

* * *

Aqua wasn't sure how long she had been crying, but it must have been quite a while with how damp the front of Terra's haori was. This was why she hadn't wanted to confide in him in the first place, knowing that it would inevitably lead to an emotional collapse for her. Admitting her pregnancy aloud to him was almost like admitting it to herself, as if she hadn't really believed it until the words spilled out of her own mouth. She suddenly realized just how vulnerable and unbalanced she felt and allowed herself to be comforted by the fortress Terra's arms provided.

She knew that the crying was a stage in the grieving process, but she had to keep reminding herself that Eraq and Ven were just lost, and what was lost could be found again. She also had to remember that her hormones were most likely to blame for her heightened sense of anguish, but regardless of the reasons, in her mind it was just time wasted that could have been used searching for Eraq and Ven.

But no more. She made a silent vow to herself right then and there, not to cry again until they found them. And they would be only happy tears, just like when she, Terra and Ven had been reunited all those years ago.

She felt Terra's warm breath on her head as he nuzzled her hair, and felt his strong, steady heartbeats against the ear she had pressed to his chest. He was waiting for her cue, giving her as much time as she needed to come to terms with the situation, and she didn't doubt that he would wait an eternity if that's what it took.

When she finally pulled away from him, her tears had dried, the sobbing abated completely. She reluctantly met his saddened, darker shade of blue with her own, numbed and glazed orbs.

"Ready?"

Aqua nodded with a determined scowl before releasing him completely, turned and marched out of the cockpit and down the corridor to the exit of the ship. Once out in the hanger, she paused, sensing movement at the nose of the ship. She assumed it was Zack and Rinoa, waiting patiently for direction, but was surprised to see Leon instead of Zack, and in close proximity of Rinoa at that.

Mildly curious, Aqua blinked at the pair as they approached, hand in hand. Was Leon the guy she had been talking about? Serious and sometimes moody Leon? It was then that she suddenly remembered Yuffie slipping up once or twice, calling the man Squall instead. Honestly though, she just couldn't bring herself to show any interest on the matter and merely acknowledged them with a nod as they drew close.

"Rinoa filled me in on the situation," Leon began after a nod of his own toward the two keybearers. "No one's been deployed for the Heartless threat yet, so we can send out as many search parties as possible after we meet to discuss the plan."

Aqua nodded curtly, not even sparing a second to respond as she turned and headed for the hanger's exit. She knew she was being short and bordering rude, but she just didn't care anymore. Enough time had been wasted already, the adopted brother she had nearly raised and the boy she had birthed was out there somewhere and they needed her. It was time to _move_.

She didn't need to turn and see him to know Terra was offering the pair an apologetic look before following after her. He was just going to have to get used to picking up the pieces and cleaning up after her if that's what he intended to do, because she refused to tip toe around the situation. They simply didn't have time for dilly dallying in any form. She knew all too well the odds they faced. It could very well take years to search the worlds and she by no means believed in luck. Destiny, maybe, but you didn't find destiny, it found you.

And if destiny wasn't involving itself here, then she would just have to find her boys the old fashioned way, with stubborn determination and an unyielding endeavor.

So consumed and focused on the path in front of her, Aqua was startled to a halt when she felt a gentle impact of a smaller body while slender arms wrapped about her waist in a tight hug. She looked down to see a splash of vibrant, pink hair. "Master! I just heard what happened. I'm so sorry!"

"Huh?" Aqua cautiously pulled out of the person's grip to get a better look, though she could have guessed who it was easy enough. "Claire? What are you doing here?"

Claire stepped back as well and looked up to meet Aqua's gaze with her own pale blue eyes. Her pretty young face was framed by that rose colored hair in a style not unlike her own, in fact, the girl seemed to be using Aqua as a model, as her wardrobe consisted of a white vest very similar in the making. Although as young as she was, she was already heading down a tomboy's path, with baggy gray pants equipped with large pockets and long brown boots, both sections providing a practical use in her training at the Academy.

The girl frowned up at Aqua. Even though she was only eleven, she was still just a little over a head shorter than the blue haired Keybearer. "I told you, I heard what happened with Eraq. I came to tell you that the masters are gathering in the council room as we speak."

Aqua turned from the student and continued forward, a hard, determined look returning to her normally peaceful features. She could hear Terra's footfalls halt briefly where she had stood beside Claire, but she didn't see the frown he aimed in her direction, nor did she see him turn to the girl with a murmured apology and an encouraging pat on the head.

Aqua could see only one thing now, and that was the path that led her to her boys.

* * *

_AN: There are a couple pic's for this chapter, I have the links on my profile._


	12. of Patience

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

**Chapter Twelve – of Patience**

* * *

A repetitive crunching noise split the frigid air, followed by a muffled curse. There was some wild scuffling nearby and a loud clang rang out as something snarled and crashed, causing the ground to tremble.

Eraq tried to force his eyes open, but he just felt so weak. Weak and cold and scared. The sounds around him were so frightening, but even so, he still could only manage to lift his eyelids a fraction. Through what seemed like slits of blinding white light, he could make out some of the dark images that were making all the noise. He could hear his uncle Ven's distinct shouts and grunts as he fought off the monsters. Eraq guessed they were monsters, with the way they were growling they could be nothing else.

He wanted badly to cry out for his parents, to get up and run for safety while Uncle Ven killed all the monsters, anything except lie where he was on his side, unmoving and vulnerable. He felt his body shiver against the cold and was unable to remember when he had ever felt so cold before in his life! He was suddenly aware of something warm pressed up against his back and only realized what it was until it gave a familiar whine. "Angelo?" He was happily surprised when his voice actually worked and he was able to open his eyes a little more.

Eraq could see now that the blinding white from before was actually snow and it was everywhere! No wonder he was so cold, he was laying in the frosty powder. He could see Uncle Ven a little better now and watched in amazement how he fought off four enemies at once. Three of the monsters were the same as he remembered, big and cat-like, but the fourth was new, and it was huge! It sort of made him think of a horse, but it looked really weird and scary.

Ven never stopped moving for even a split second, he spun as the monsters converged on him and his Keyblade cut a path through one of the horse-thing's legs and curved on to strike the other three in a blinding arc. There was a universal cry of defeat as the beasts exploded into puffs of dark smoke and Ven collapsed to his knees an instant later, his breathing coming in labored gasps.

"Uncle Ven!" Eraq cried out feebly. His eyes were wide open now, but when he tried to get up, he could barely even move his arms. He could only watch as his blond guardian looked over to him in alarm, his gasping breath creating tiny clouds on the icy air.

Eraq could feel more than hear Angelo's growling at his back only seconds before he heard more snow crunching from somewhere behind him, and he realized that Uncle Ven hadn't been looking at him at all, but at what approached from behind him. Along with the numerous and noisy footsteps, he could hear a horse's snorting, and instantly assumed the worst. More monsters were coming for them, but poor Uncle Ven was exhausted! He couldn't fight off more of them!

The monster's noises came ever closer, and Ven still wasn't moving to intercept. Eraq understood that his uncle was too tired to protect him, but still hoped that he would somehow. His hopes were completely shattered and he watched in horror as his uncle's Keyblade disappear in a flash and his body fell forward into the snow and remained unmoving. With the monsters closing in and seeing that his uncle couldn't make it to his aid, the boy let out a frightened whimper.

He tried to take comfort in the pressure at his back; at least he had Angelo, though she was probably tired from fighting off the monsters too. Still, her steady growling only intensified by the second and made him feel a little safer. Maybe whatever was coming for him would think twice about eating him.

There were so many footsteps all around him now, crushing the packed snow noisily and he thought he heard shouting and voices but he was just too terrified to filter the speech into words. Monsters couldn't talk anyway, well, that fox talked but she wasn't really a monster right?

Just when he thought the heavy footsteps couldn't get any louder, two large hooves came to a halt in his field of vision and he looked up the slender, brown legs of the horse-monster to see that it was actually just a normal horse this time. Not a monster? It's pointed ears twitched and its long, brown snout lowered to sniff at his dark hair before snorting and losing interest.

"Hold," a distinctive voice said from somewhere above him and the countless footsteps were silenced in that instant. Eraq tried to look up but he still couldn't turn his head, making him panic even more; what was wrong with his body?

There was a shifting noise and he watched the horse brace itself as if a great weight was sliding off its back. Something landed heavily in the snow beside him and its footsteps crunched loudly as it moved into Eraq's field of vision. He felt instantly relieved that it wasn't a monster, but a man in thick clothing and partial armor. He wore a helmet that covered most of his head but Eraq could see that he had a friendly smile and a pair of concerned, pale-blue eyes as he studied the boy on the ground.

"It's ok, you don't need be afraid of us," the stranger said as he reached out a hand to him, only to pull back sharply when Angelo snarled and snapped at him, lunging and crouching protectively over Eraq's body. "Woah! Hey, take it easy. I'm here to help."

Angelo sniffed at the air, almost like she was checking the stranger's scent for corruption, before she snorted and moved off of Eraq, giving his face a lick and his head a comforting nudge with her snout.

The stranger took that as permission enough and looked up to make a gesture and then pointed over to Ven. There was an instant response as two men led another horse and crunched over the snow towards Ven, lifting him up between them and set him on the hoofed animal. The stranger then turned back to Eraq and reached out a second time, lifting the boy as he re-mounted the brown horse from earlier.

Admittedly, Eraq felt safer in the arms of this stranger than when he was lying helpless in the cold snow, and Angelo seemed to give her approval, so he must be an ok guy. "Angelo!" Eraq cried, suddenly concerned and tried to look around for her but he couldn't see past the horse's girth. "I can't leave her!"

The stranger looked at the boy, thoughtful, before turning and making another gesture. Another horse and rider drew beside them and a moment later, Angelo was draped behind the saddle of the other rider. The look on the dog's face was quite displeased but she didn't seem to have the energy to resist the humiliation.

"There, better?" the man questioned down at the boy nestled in one arm while his other held the horse's reins.

Eraq was happily surprised when he was finally able to turn his head. He had watched the men put Uncle Ven on a horse but he had to be sure. After finding his uncle's distinctive blond hair, he frowned at his limp body, still draped over the horse's back. He worried that he might be hurt, but at least he wasn't being left behind. Eraq looked up to the stranger and nodded weakly.

"Good." The man offered a gentle smile before making a clicking noise at his horse, causing it to lurch forward. "Rest easy kid, you're safe now."

* * *

"We'll meet you guys in the council room soon," Leon told Terra, since Aqua had already passed through the hanger's exit. "I need to talk to Cid first. Maybe we can narrow down a search pattern or something."

Terra nodded and turned to follow his wife, only to pause briefly and note with a twitch of amusement how Leon tugged Rinoa along with him towards Cid's workshop. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Claire was watching the pair as well, puzzled and curious. And although she didn't say anything, Terra could tell she was wondering why the quiet loner was suddenly making such a fond connection with the dark haired woman.

"Come on," Terra said, nudging the young student out of her silent query. "Aqua has already left us behind."

"Master Terra?" Claire had to jog to keep pace with his steady, long strides. "How can you stay so calm in this situation? Aren't you worried about Eraq?"

"What good will it do me if I panic?" He decided not to mention his initial reaction to the crisis and gave the girl a pained look. "Besides, Aqua needs me to be strong right now. This whole mess is really tearing her apart."

Claire frowned deeply and fell silent at that, no doubt wondering what she could possibly do to help out in the situation.

They were nearing the Master's hall when they had finally caught up with Aqua's marching pace. She hadn't paused nor did she slow down for them to catch up with her, Terra noted with an odd mixture of frustration and affection. This was just Aqua on a mission. Resolute, independent and stubborn when faced with adversity. It was true when he said that she needed him to be strong, but the irony of it all was that she so often relied on her own strength, forgetting altogether that she had other reserves to draw from.

He would need to make it a point to remind her later...

"...want to help... could take a long time..." Terra tipped his head in concentration when he heard a pair of familiar voices, their words clarifying as he got closer. "Someone has to stay."

As Aqua led the way around the final corner that led to the Master's hall, Terra could see that the voices belonged to Cloud and Tifa, as they stood just outside the small daycare a short distance from the council room. Their conversation died away quickly and they remained silent when they caught sight of the two Keybearers and waited solemnly as they approached.

Terra couldn't see Aqua's expression from his position slightly behind her, but he could guess she wore a constant, hard and focused look. A sharp contrast with her usual serene and gentle expression. It was both a testament to just how much she was suffering inside and a defensive mask, something to keep the tears at bay. Unfortunately for her though, such a pretense was built up in vain when faced with Tifa's piercing intuition, and without a word, the martial artist pulled Aqua into a fierce embrace.

Terra thought he heard his wife inhale sharply, a sign that she was either startled by the sudden gesture or struggling to keep her riling emotions in check. He was distracted from the curious exchange when he felt a firm hand clamp his right shoulder. He looked to see Cloud's steady gaze as he too was silent in the comfort he offered, though their message was clear enough. _We're here for you._

Terra nodded back and mirrored the gesture before he moved to follow Aqua once again. She had pulled away from Tifa with a murmur and headed straight for the council room, unperturbed and taking no note of the young voices bouncing out of the doorway that Cloud and Tifa guarded.

Terra on the other hand, paused at the council room doorway to see Claire kneel down and greet both Denzel and Marlene with a smile before turning up to the masters. "I can watch them while you join the meeting if you want."

Cloud and Tifa looked to one another for an instant before nodding down to the student gratefully and following Terra into the council room.

Aqua was headed for her seat beside Riku, who was already sitting at the head of the table, once again taking charge of the meeting apparently. Almost everyone was already there and in their seats, looking as if they were torn between staying where they were or getting up to offer comfort. The room became eerily silent with trepidation and the tension didn't relieve until Cloud and Tifa entered and she gave a "stand down" signal with a shake of her head.

The silence only managed to draw out even longer after Aqua and Terra took their seats. Sora, who sat right across from Aqua, took a careful breath as though he were about to speak, but Riku held up a hand to silence him. The brunette frowned at his best friend but clamped his mouth shut. Words of encouragement were his specialty, but that wasn't what Aqua needed at the moment, and thankfully, Riku seemed to sense that.

The silver-haired man cleared his throat objectively, drawing his worried gaze to Terra after prying it away from the dazed woman beside him, who seemed to have her own gaze locked onto a single point on the table. She was here, but she wasn't; her mind no doubt worlds away and searching. "We've been debriefed of the situation by your friend Zack."

Terra suddenly found himself far too aware of his surroundings, with the yawning, empty space beside him that was Ven's seat brought forth a terrible ache in his heart. What if something horrible happens and his friend never returns to take that seat again? That thought pattern was leading him down a dark path, and he forcefully turned away from it, trying instead to look toward the others around him.

Sad gazes met his and he was surprised to find Zack standing some ways down the table, behind Aerith of all people. She wasn't a master, much like Cid, but her skills were unquestioned, (though generally unseen) and she always had a place at the table.

"We can start assembling teams once Leon and Cid join us," Riku said, once again drawing everyone's attention. "I know everyone is eager to help with the search, but we can't leave our home completely unguarded." He paused long enough to scan all assembled. "I'll stay and watch over things, but I need at least two volunteers to stay and help out."

There was a short pause in the room, but Tifa's voice cut in gently. "Cloud and I are willing to stay behind and watch Marlene and Denzel. That way, Lea and Yuffie can join a team if they want."

Lea and Yuffie both agreed quietly, and Terra thought he heard the ninja exclaim something in a restrained whisper. It sounded like "freedom" but any humor she may have been attempting was a lost cause and promptly ignored as Riku continued. "Ok, with that settled, has everyone else resolved to join a team?"

At that, everyone except Cloud and Tifa raised their hand, even Aerith, which was surprising, as she had never once shown any interest in traveling to other worlds. But Eraq and Ven were important members of what she deemed her extended family, and when she was serious about doing something, well, everyone knew it was best to stay out of her way.

"I also think its a good idea for the teams to be at least three or four strong," Riku added after he had blinked numbly a few times at the pink clad woman.

Two things happened in the instant that followed. Leon, Rinoa and Cid finally entered the room, but their arrival was abruptly eclipsed by Aqua's interjection. Her voice, speaking for the first time during the meeting, was rough and strained, though stubbornly defiant. "Terra and I will be fine on our own."

Blue met blue as Riku turned to regard Aqua with a look something akin to surprise. There was an uncomfortable silence as the two Grand Masters faced each other, while Sora, as the third, could only blink from one of them to the other, befuddled and at a loss. It was unusual for Aqua to disagree or disrespect anyone so blatantly, much less her equal in leadership.

The uncomfortable moment seemed to stretch on forever, but Riku finally dropped the matter and turned to Cid and Leon. "We're about to assemble the teams. What do you have for us?"

Cid, his toothpick in place between his teeth, raised a dubious brow at Riku, then to Aqua before he shrugged indifferently and moved toward his seat only to remain standing. He pulled a rolled up chart from under his arm and spread it over the table. "As fer' as I can tell from the data we got from their ship, this is the world where the dark portal appeared." He didn't mince words or tip toe around the subject, but deftly pointed at different sections on the chart as he spoke. "I had Tron crunch some numbers, and we've narrowed down a few sectors that have a high probability of having a connection to that world."

"And if someone summoned the portal. What then?" Aqua's voice darkened with each syllable, and everyone turned to her in that instant, intent and alarmed. Terra had to resist the urge to place a steady hand to her shoulder, but he knew she would only resent his admonishment. She seemed to _want_ to dwell in her anger, and he felt utterly powerless to intervene.

"It would still be easier to summon one of these sectors than some random one. But I guess it's possible-" Cid scratched at his head in thought, his words dying away as Riku cut in.

"You think someone purposely opened this portal?" The question was directed at both of them, but Terra turned his eyes away, scowling as Aqua voiced her suspicions.

"We didn't see her. But for a short time, right before Ven and Eraq disappeared, I sensed Maleficent's darkness. I'm sure of it."

There was a collective murmuring in response, and Sora nearly jumped out of his seat as he screeched in disbelief. "There's no way that's possible! I made a truce with Maleficent a long time ago!"

"I know what I felt," Aqua hissed back, though her deadly tone was not directed at Sora. And only Terra could feel the way her anger reverted back on itself, as though it were confused and unfocused. It seemed odd to give an emotion like anger a personality, but that was the only way he could understand and piece apart the energies roiling around in his wife at that moment.

He hesitated, but could not hold back his need to calm her down, to absorb some of that negativity and channel it away. He reached for her hand and held tight, as if expecting her to snatch it away with a glare. But instead of rejecting his touch like he thought she would, she instantly relaxed, turned to him and blinked a few times, her foggy eyes clearing as though she had just woken from a bad dream.

"Regardless of who's to blame," Riku mended diplomatically as he drew his gaze over everyone in the room. "Ven and Eraq need our help. Let's assemble the teams and get moving."

A mild din of debate passed through the room as everyone worked out which search party they would join. To Terra, the noise was deafening, and he was only partially aware of Zack's desire to continue with him and Aqua, but expressed that if they didn't want him along then he was willing to go with whatever team would have him.

In the end, they were only able to form two teams of four, as they simply just didn't have the numbers to split into three teams of three, except for Terra and Aqua's, but no one was feeling brave enough to touch that subject again.

"Lea, Yuffie," Riku regarded the ninja and the red-haired Keybearer. "Aerith and Zack are still unfamiliar with travel, I trust you two can guide them accordingly?"

"No problem," Lea drawled with a lazy wave of his hand. "We'll show em' the ropes."

"Our team is way too overpowered," Leon commented dryly as he looked from Rinoa, to Sora and then to Kairi; his team. "We should let Kairi solo her own ship. That would even things out a bit."

Kairi chortled softly and Riku snorted in response to the duel compliment-insult. "Gee thanks Leon!" Sora whined and sent him a glare that implied he would have smacked Leon's shoulder had he been in reach. "Remind me again who saved the worlds?"

Terra didn't hear Leon's retort as the two continued to bicker, instead, his attention was drawn back to Aqua, a deep frown marring her beautiful features. "Only three teams?" she murmured, so quietly that only he and Riku heard her.

The silver-haired Grand Master appeared to try and catch Aqua's gaze, but her bothered and empty line of sight was unfocused. Worried, Riku shifted to meet Terra's in a silent query. But Terra could only return the concern with his own and a shake of his head. He was at a complete loss as to what to do for his wife, and could only hope that the dubious stability he offered through their linked hands would hold her over until they were back on the ship. It was obvious now that searching was the only remedy for her ailment.

With a sigh, Riku turned away from the couple, the former clamor between Leon and Sora had come to a halt. "Cid? Are the ships ready for departure?"

The blond technician gave a grunt and brushed his nose with a thumb. "I just finished up installing the tracking and communication devices. I should be able to keep in touch and coordinate all three teams simultaneously from my workshop."

"Alright, are we done talking? Let's go already!" Sora exclaimed impatiently, his voice only as indignant as his cheerful personality would allow. He was out of his chair and leaping for the doorway before Kairi or Riku could rein him back with a proper rebuke.

Terra could practically feel Aqua's energy spike beside him, the thoughts on her face as clear as if they were his own. _Finally, someone had spoken her language!_ It was clear to him in that instant that all she really wanted was _movement_, quick movement. And it finally dawned on him how frustrated she must have felt having to sit and wait. Yes, the meeting was necessary, but he hadn't realized just how hard it had been for her until now.

Everyone was filing out of the room with a new sense of purpose and haste when Aqua moved to stand, only for Riku to hold up a hand to stop her. Terra thought that was a bad idea. "Just a moment you two."

Aqua stood up anyway and Terra moved to stand with her, if nothing else but to keep their hands linked. He could feel her impatience and irritation rising, as if threatening to boil over. As she faced her fellow Grand Master she was staying relatively calm, but only just. "We should be out there right _now_. I feel like you're undermining the severity of this situation."

"I know how hard this must be for you-"

"No," she told him with an ice-chipped tone. "You don't."

Riku held her fierce gaze with an unwavering calm and continued as if she hadn't just corrected him. "But I think it's _you_ that is underestimating the situation. If someone, Maleficent or otherwise, really is manipulating this crisis, then sending you two back out there alone would be a mistake. If you won't accept anyone from the other two teams, then at least take an experienced apprentice with you."

"An apprentice would just be a liability," Aqua practically hissed in aggravation.

Terra knew what Riku was getting at, though Aqua seemed oblivious to the hidden objective._ We're both too emotionally unstable, we need someone to help us stay focused. _

"We could take Claire," he offered after a tense moment, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "She's capable and smart, and she wants to help."

"Fine," Aqua relented with a frustrated sigh. "Whatever it takes for us to leave."

They had finally passed through the doorway and stepped out into the hall when they nearly collided with a sudden explosion of white smoke. "Hup-up! Looks like I made it in time after all!" came an assertive voice as the fog cleared to reveal an old man with white hair, a long white beard and blue robes. It was Merlin and he looked from Riku, to Aqua and then to Terra, adjusting the glasses on the bridge of his nose as he did so. "Leon asked me to try and locate your wayward boys with my magic, though I'm sad to say it's beyond even my expertise. I might suggest you check with Yen Sid, his powers are somewhat more attuned to that sort of thing."

Terra wasn't sure when he had gotten his hopes up, but both he and Aqua were listening intently to the elderly man, only to visibly droop at his lack of information.

"Ah-ah," the wizard tutted at them as he wagged a finger. "Don't look so glum. I _was_ able to get a glimpse of the scamps before the vision winked out on me. They both appeared to be sleeping, but they seemed safe and sound to me, wherever they are."

"So," Aqua said and blinked numbly as the information set in. "They're ok?"

"Indeed."

"I knew it." Terra suddenly felt an enormous relief blossom in his chest, almost as though he had been unaware of some great weight he had been forced to bear. "Come on, let's grab Claire and get going," he said to Aqua and then turned to the elderly man. "Thank you Merlin. We'll be sure to check with Yen Sid first thing."

"Yes, yes, off with you then," Merlin shooed them away with a genuine smile and proceeded to produce a smoke pipe out of thin air. There wasn't much that could phase the old wizard and he seemed to be existing on a different plane altogether at times.

"Be safe," Riku called after them as the two Keybearers headed down the hall. "And watch out for each other out there."

* * *

Zack wasn't sure how he felt about it. The sight of it just gave him a weird vibe. He once again stood in the hanger, arms crossed and leaning against one of the many ships lined up in the expansive building. He was brooding as he watched from a distance two of his new party members saying their goodbyes to their son as they passed the boy over to the blond swordsman and the dark haired woman beside him.

His first impressions concerning his two new teammates were a little frightening. On one hand, Lea seemed pretty relaxed and carefree, but Yuffie took those same characteristics and lit them on fire with a hyperactive flare. He figured the three of them were going to get along great, they just may not get much accomplished... But that wasn't what was bothering him. In fact, he was feeling pretty lucky about his newly assigned team. He got put in the same group as Aerith after all, how sweet was that?!

No, what bothered him was that blond guy's sword. Cloud was it? He carried a Buster Sword almost exactly like his own, and as much as he had wanted to confront the matter, he just simply hadn't had the opportunity to, and it looked like he never would. They would be departing soon and he didn't want to risk causing anymore problems than they already had.

"Zack?" a familiar voice tugged him out of his musing and he turned to see that Rinoa had approached without his notice. She stood beside him now, arms behind her back as she offered a timid smile, her beloved Leon some ways off and conversing with that Cid character. "Guess this is it huh?"

He gave her a sad smile, somehow knowing that they were both embarking on a new journey, only this time, their paths led in different directions. He earnestly hoped that she would find the happiness she had dreamed about for so long. He couldn't help himself, his body suddenly moved before his mind could overrule the action. Rinoa gave a tiny yelp of surprise when he pulled her into a fond hug. "Embrace your dreams, Rin."

It didn't take her long to relax in his hold and return the gesture, though at his words she pulled back a bit in question. "Huh?"

He didn't get a chance to explain himself because the sound of Leon's approach drew his attention away. "Is there a problem here?"

"No," Zack replied with a lopsided smile. "No problem, pal." He gently pulled away from the dark haired woman, the one he had watched over for so long. She in turn looked up to meet his wry expression with a sad smile of her own and a tear in her eye and seemed much less inclined to detach herself from his person.

"Not unless you make one for me." He let the friendly threat hang in the air for a moment, hoping Leon would catch his meaning without having to spell it out. _Hurt her and you die._

There was a silent pause. "Oh," Leon replied, scratching his neck absently. "I understand... I think."

"Understand? Understand what?" Rinoa questioned, her attention flipping from one male to the other as Zack gently extracted her and turned his determined sky blue eyes on Leon. "Zack, what are you-?"

"Good," Zack said to Leon, ignoring Rinoa's protests as he pulled her by the arm and had her stand before the brunette as though he were about to perform some holy ceremony. "I've fulfilled my promise then." With Rinoa's wrist in one hand, Zack reached down to grab Leon's, carefully placed them together and gave the woman the most sincere smile he could manage. "Don't forget what I said Rin. It's important."

He looked to Leon's serious expression and after exchanging a nod of understanding with him, turned and walked away.

He didn't look back.

"But Zack-" Rinoa's voice wavered and hitched; was she crying?

Zack had to fight off the urge to turn and see. He knew that his unusual behavior must be confusing her, but the pattern in their lives had shifted drastically, and such a change needed to be addressed by no uncertain terms.

"I will." He smiled when he heard her confident reply.

Looking forward, he noticed that Lea, Yuffie and Aerith were all waiting for him near the ramp of their ship. "Enough with the drama." He grinned at his new teammates. "Let's get this show on the road!"

* * *

What in the world was with that sharp pain at the back of his head? And how could such an annoying sound even exist? It sounded like an unnatural hissing, somehow building up with pressure, as though it were about to pop.

"Wha?" Ventus opened his eyes and blinked multiple times to clear his vision, but the odd, silver fog he was staring at was not due to the sleep in his eyes. The strange apparition faded and disappeared with a black haze before he could focus on it completely, the hissing abated as well. Delirious, he sat up, the action requiring more effort than he expected. A soft blanket fell from his torso and pooled in his lap as he looked around, noting four flapping walls of cloth. A tent?

Why couldn't he remember how he got here? He could remember fighting Heartless but nothing else. He reached up to touch the ache at the back of his head, expecting to feel a bump or a gash, but there was nothing.

"Uncle Ven?" Eraq's tiny voice instantly drew his attention and he looked down to see the boy lying close by in another bedroll. "Why can't I move my body?"

Recent events flashed through Ven's mind in that instant. The jungle world, the dark corridor, the snow, the Heartless. The headache. "The darkness in the corridor," Ven started to explain, the details of the incident flowing back to his mind like a rushing stream.

He remembered launching headfirst into the dark portal, his first and foremost thoughts had been on locating and getting Eraq to safety and he neglected to summon his armor before the darkness invaded his body. By the time the metal plates encompassed him the damage had been done and it was all he could do just to cling onto the comatose Eraq and Angelo and stagger for the nearest open doorway.

"The darkness?" Eraq prompted when Ven realized he had zoned out for a moment.

"It weakens your body, it will even paralyze you if you're not used to it. Don't worry though, it should wear off after awhile." He cringed at that, thinking that time might not be a luxury they were given. If the most recent Heartless attack was any indication anyway. They were safe for the moment, but he needed to be ready for the next assault, because it wasn't a matter of if, but when. The Heartless were after something, and he got the odd sense that they were being controlled by someone.

"Uncle Ven, I'm scared." The boy whimpered. "Can we go home now?"

Ven blinked down at him for a moment, mouth ajar and unsure of how to answer. How _would_ he get them home? He had his glider, but without armor, Eraq wouldn't survive the journey, and he couldn't just leave him here to go get help. He looked to the trembling wall of their tent where he could see a sliver of an opening and he was suddenly aware of all the noises outside.

Men's voices were either barking orders or blending together in various conversations all around and he thought he heard the cry of a horse, or was it laughing? It was hard to tell. More of the creatures were snorting and pawing at the ground, he guessed, while countless other sounds registered in his mind. Pounding, metal clanging, and tents flapping all round them. Where _were_ they? He needed to find out and work out a plan of action.

A sniffling brought his attention back to the boy and he cringed at seeing fresh tears in his bright blue eyes. Apparently he took the lack of an answer as a "no" and wasn't reacting well to the concept. "I want Mom and Dad, why haven't they come for us yet?"

Ven sighed wearily and was surprised to see Angelo's black and tan head pop up from behind Eraq and proceeded to lick his cheek free of any tears that escaped, though the boy seemed completely unfazed by her comfort.

"I'll be right back Eraq," Ven told him as he pushed himself up to stand, immediately feeling light headed and unsteady on his feet. He had to persevere though, Eraq's safety depended on it, and scouting the situation was important too. He felt a little better about leaving him with Angelo, at least for a moment anyway.

Eraq didn't have the same opinion. "But what if the monsters come back?" he whimpered and clutched at his blankets tightly.

"Hey, its ok," Ven soothed and knelt down to place a hand on the boy's charcoal blue head while making a great effort to fight off his frown and pin an encouraging smile instead. He wasn't sure how successful it was until he noticed Eraq's expression relax a tiny bit. "I won't let them hurt you, but I need to find out where we are so we can get home. Alright?"

It took him a moment to process, but the boy finally sniffed and nodded. Even though Eraq said he couldn't move, Ven was both surprised and relieved to see him turn over and cling to the thick fur of Angelo's neck. The dog gave a soft woof in response and she seemed equally lethargic but that was to be expected, and they would all recover, given enough time to do so.

Ven smiled at the pair and headed outside, he swore the ground must be uneven as he walked, but quickly realized he was still just dizzy and weak. A buzz of activity swarmed around him as he pushed past the tent flaps and noted for the first time since he woke up how his breath formed a cloud in the air. He remembered the snow and just how cold it was when they were practically dumped into the unknown world.

Countless soldiers in armor hovered all around, weaving in and out of tents, tending fire pits, horses and weapons. He stood at the threshold of the tent a moment and simply watched all the activity, trying to gather his bearings and formulate a plan. The situation made him feel like being trapped in a cage without a Keyblade to escape. And if leaving this world wasn't an option at the moment, then he needed to start making some allies.

There was a soldier not far away from him, lounging about against a large boulder. Startled, he leaped to his feet when he finally noticed Ventus standing there. "Oh you're awake!" The soldier glanced around quickly before hailing down another soldier. "Tell the Commander to come quick!"

A moment later and Ventus recognized the Commander's approach immediately, with his armor being a different shade of red from the other soldiers and his helmet sporting a bird's feather like a flag. Taking initiative, Ven decided to meet the man halfway and offered a polite bow in respect. "Glad to see you're awake and unharmed. Some of the men weren't sure you would come around before we made the capital."

"I appreciate your concern Sir, and my nephew and I thank you for your help," Ven said meekly and noted with relief that the man in charge had such kind blue eyes. "My name is Ventus, Ven for short."

As Ven continued to study him, the man reached up and removed his helmet, revealing short, but wild blond hair. Although he was sure that they didn't look much alike, the similarities they shared caused Ven to blink dumbly for a moment. "Welcome Ven." He snapped out of it when the Commander smiled widely and reached for a handshake. "Call me Wentai."


	13. of Vengeance

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

_AN: If any of you didn't realize who Claire was before, then you should definitely be able to figure it out here... If not, then I'm sorry to say that you've missed out in life, my friend(s). Tsk-Tsk._

**Chapter Thirteen – of Vengeance**

* * *

Terra was surprised how much better he was feeling about the situation as he directed the ship to land at their first destination. Just knowing that Ven and Eraq were safe made everything much easier to deal with.

Aqua too, was responding well to the good news, and yet, even though her mood swings had abated considerably, she was still just as aloof as before. As if to prove his thoughts true, the woman had her safety belt unlatched and was standing almost the very instant the ship had touched down.

He sighed dismally in her wake as she marched through the cockpit wordlessly. It was as though they walked a parallel path together but were separated by an impassable, roaring river flowing between them. Both aware of the challenges the other faced but unable to help overcome them. So much tension and turbulence couldn't possibly be good for her, or the baby for that matter. It was a subject he desperately needed to discuss with her but this was neither the time nor the place. He also needed to get her alone for such an intimate conversation...

A shifting and a click made him turn to the young student occupying the seat directly behind Aqua's copilot seat. Claire too had watched after the Grand Master's exit but had calmly unbuckled herself and proceeded to stand, adjusting her gear as she waited for permission to leave the ship. Terra couldn't help but smirk at that. The rosy-haired student had a good head on her shoulders and she obviously paid attention in class.

As the final part of her gear check she unhitched the weapon now strapped to the small of her back in its compact holster. It was a prototype that Cid and Leon had developed for the advanced trainees; a Gunblade that somehow unfolded with the flick of a wrist and withdrew in much the same manner. She had only just recently graduated from the wooden training weapons and had the ignition mechanism safely disabled on the fierce metal blade until she had mastered her swordplay a bit more.

Claire shifted on her feet and looked over to Terra expectantly, a hopeful gleam in her eyes. He could sense that she was excited to be visiting her first world away from home, even if it was just Yen Sid's tower. He finally unlatched his own safety belt and moved toward the exit, gesturing her to follow. "Are you sure it's ok for you to leave your family on such short notice?" It was a little late to be asking, but it couldn't hurt to show a little concern, and Aqua was being anything but attentive toward her.

"It's fine," Claire replied and followed obediently. "Sarah can take care of herself, and the neighbors said they'd help out with my mom while I'm away."

Terra frowned as he headed down the ramp, realizing suddenly that he and Aqua were not the only ones with recent problems. With the death of her father about a year ago and her mother becoming bedridden soon after, it was all up to Claire to care for her eight year old sister and sickly mother. Even still, she continued to do her best in the Academy and continued to thrive there. She was serious-minded and kindhearted, rare qualities for her age group, though she no doubt got teased by her peers for it.

It boggled his mind as to why she hadn't been picked as an apprentice yet, although she was often regarded _as one_ simply because of her advanced skills and intelligence. Aqua had often expressed her desire to take Claire as her apprentice but hadn't done so due to being too busy as Grand Master, and therefore lacked the one-on-one time she would need to provide.

"Master? Is something wrong?" Claire's voice cut through his musing and he realized he had halted at the bottom of a short staircase. The one that lead up to the oddly crooked tower and the double-doors that Aqua had apparently left ajar.

"No, nothing," he answered and headed inside, noting with surprise that Aqua was waiting for them, her attention drawn upward at the yawning staircase above, though this one would take a bit longer to ascend.

She turned her distant, azure gaze to him as he approached. "What took you?"

"I was just checking with Claire," Terra replied calmly. This foreign impatience of hers continued to astound him. "It's her first outing. I thought she might have concerns about leaving home."

"I'm fine, Master. Really."

As if suddenly realizing for the first time that they had a tag-along, Aqua turned to the young girl and blinked, her bright blue eyes seeming to clear of that same strange fog as before. "Claire," she said, stepping to stand in front of her and placed a hand on her rose colored hair. "This journey could get very dangerous. Make sure you tell us if anything is wrong, alright?"

Claire nodded her understanding and Terra smiled at the exchange. This was the Aqua he knew and loved; caring, protective and a bit bossy. "And don't let Master Yen Sid scare you," he told the student as they made their way upward. "He can be a little... Intimidating at first."

"Am I really that imposing?" the old wizard wondered aloud as the trio entered his study, causing Terra to cringe.

"Oh, um, sorry Master. I meant no disrespect." He hadn't expected to be heard from the long, spiral corridor but apparently the sage had more abilities than he gave him credit for.

"Merlin has contacted me about your plight." Yen Sid was standing by the crescent shaped window behind his chair, hands clasped behind his back as he regarded his visitors with that usual blank stare of his. He waved off Terra's apology and crossed over to Claire with a nod of acknowledgment. "Ah, I see you've brought a young prodigy with you. A strong heart, this one."

Claire stared, wide eyed and mouth agape for an instant before quickly clamping it shut and offering a bow of respect. "Thank you Master!"

Yen Sid nodded again with a smile, only for his expression to harden the instant his piercing gaze fell on Aqua. "Master Yen Sid, with all due respect, we're in a hurry. Did you happen to locate Ven and Eraq?"

"Master Aqua," Yen Sid responded, ignoring her question as his ominous eyes studied her with a careful scrutiny. "You exude an odd darkness, something I have not sensed from you before." He tipped his head in thought and held up a hand when she looked ready to argue the matter. "And yet... It is not your own."

Terra's brows furrowed at that, though he remained silent. He had certainly noticed it too, but had thus far passed it off as mood swings. Was it something more and should he be more concerned about it? "What do you mean?" Aqua wanted to know, folding her arms about her as though she had suddenly caught a chill. "I don't understand."

Yen Sid hummed contemplatively and turned from her without an answer. "Curious, that." Taking the seat at his desk, he proceeded to make various gestures in the air, a silver cloud materializing as he did so. "As for Ventus and young Eraq, I've been attempting to locate them. However, something has been interfering with my magic. Merlin mentioned something similar when he tried the same thing." As he spoke, the silver fog appeared as though it were forming an image but was swiftly overtaken by a black haze before dissipating altogether. "I may be able to dispel the interference but it will take some time. I suggest that you carry on with your journey and I shall contact you if I discover anything helpful."

Terra wanted to inquire further about the darkness, it worried him, and he could sense that it worried Aqua too, but she didn't press the matter. They both knew that if Yen Sid was going to elaborate, he'd have done so already. They both bowed in respect and turned to go, pausing briefly when the elderly man spoke up again. "Aqua, you carry many burdens." He glanced to Terra objectively. "You should look to those beside you for support, or I fear you may give out in the end."

"Thank you, Master."

Yen Sid merely dipped his head in farewell and the three departed. They didn't see him turn to gaze out the window, nor did they hear the words he spoke in an undertone. "Curious indeed."

* * *

Wentai had a really strong handshake, Ven thought as he noted the sword resting at the commander's hip. He got the sense this was a man that led his troops into battle and fought alongside them.

They had barely finished with their introductions when a commotion erupted somewhere on the other side of the camp. There was a frantic shouting and Ven felt his pulse quicken when he looked to see a handful of shadows either plowing their way through unsuspecting soldiers or weaving among them as if searching for easy targets.

Heartless, again.

"Battle formation!" Wentai bellowed into the frosty air and unsheathed his sword as he ran headlong into the fray, Ven's presence momentarily forgotten.

Wayward Wind was in Ven's hand before he even turned around to check on Eraq's tent. Relieved to see that it was still untouched, his attention was wrenched to a nearby soldier who had been tackled by a Neoshadow and was howling with fright as he hadn't drawn his weapon fast enough. The Heartless seemed to be appearing out of nowhere now, and Ven had to keep reminding himself to keep an eye on Eraq's tent. But he couldn't exactly just leave a defenseless man to die right in front of him either!

After dispatching the savage monster, Ven moved onto the next, casting a fire spell to keep from wandering farther from Eraq's location. That had been a mistake though, as the energy it sapped from him made the ground sway beneath his feet and he was caught off guard when an airborne enemy struck him in the shoulder. The blow had startled him more than anything and he retaliated instantly with an overhead slash, the monster exploding into black mist against the gray sky.

Taking a short moment to catch his breath and fight off his newest bout of dizziness, Ven felt a horrible sense of panic grip at his heart when he heard a screeching yelp of pain. The camp was in utter chaos, but the sound seemed to scream at him as though there were no other noises in the area. He turned, horrified to see the tent where he had left Eraq was suddenly ripped to shreds, a hulking centaur looming there, its long, jagged spear thrust down into the heap of cloth where Eraq had been laying, helpless.

Roaring with rage, his fatigue rightly forgotten, Ven lunged for the beast. Before he could reach striking distance however, his Keyblade shimmered and disappeared, replaced by six shining blades of light that arrayed themselves at his back. With a furious scowl he launched each celestial feather forward, impaling the Assault Rider one after the other until it resembled some sort of deformed pincushion.

The monster faded out of existence just as Ven reached the remains of the tent. His peripheral vision was picking up a lot of red down by his feet but he dared not look or he would no doubt lose all composure and thus be no longer able to fend off the enemy. Instead, he stood protectively over Eraq, his Wingblades resuming their original formation as a fresh wave of Heartless converged on him.

Closing his eyes, Ven tried to find a calm center among the chaos he was enduring in his heart. Protecting Eraq was all that mattered now, and he used that thought as his grounding point. The Heartless snarled, mere feet away, and he opened his deep blue pools to regard them insignificantly. The prism blades spun and slashed around him though he didn't lift a finger to direct them and they dispatched each shadow beast with multiple dying cries.

There was a hushed silence afterward, and Ven looked around to see any remaining Heartless fading away in retreat. The majority of the soldiers were all gawking at him and the unusual weapons that somehow hung in the air on their own. Ignoring their stares and with the danger finally passed, Ven dismissed his Keyblade form and dropped to one knee, suddenly all too aware of Eraq's sobbing.

But the boy was not the one in pain. He had managed a sitting position, though he was bent over Angelo's body and clutching at her neck fur. Ven could see now that all the blood he had been somewhat aware of earlier had come from the dog and a terrible wound across her withers. She must have taken the hit protecting Eraq. "Uncle Ven," the boy cried and looked up at him, tears flowing down his young face. "What do we do? She won't wake up."

Sighing wearily, Ven moved a hand to hover over Angelo's wound and tried to gather the energy for a cure spell, but he was wiped out. "Hold out your hand," he instructed Eraq, hoping the boy had at least a little bit of energy he could tap into. "Close your eyes and try to think of helping her."

Eraq sniffed and wiped his eyes with one hand while he obeyed and held out the other. Ven could feel the boy's magic rising to the surface, its soothing light seeping outward and unfocused, but Ven caught it without hesitation and channeled it down to Angelo. He blinking with relief as the wound closed up enough to stop the bleeding.

Eraq opened his eyes to look from the dog to his guardian with earnest concern. "Will she be ok?"

"I think so..." Ven wasn't sure himself, seeing that she had lost an awful lot of blood. "She needs to rest though."

Still snuffling, Eraq nodded in understanding and turned his worried gaze back to the canine as though she were his patient, stroking her head carefully.

"That was amazing!" Ven stood up to see the commander approach as he sheathed his sword and tucked his helmet under one arm. "How did you do that?"

Ven assumed he was asking about the Wingblades, but any explanation he made would only muddy the water. Instead, he sidestepped the question and hoped the commander's concern for his troops outweighed any curiosity he may have had. "You and your army should retreat before the next wave of monsters attack."

"Next wave?" Wentai's eyes widened and he gave the landscape a cursory glance, but there were no signs of the abominations for miles, their dark shapes no doubt obvious to see on the snow white tundra. "How do you-?"

"I just know," Ven pressed firmly. "Trust me, you need to leave _now_." He knew it was pretty unreasonable to expect Wentai to trust him after they had only just met, but really, who was he going to trust in the end? The guy that just slaughtered a bunch of the things when his own men couldn't touch them, or take his chances and stick around to see if another horde attacked?

Wentai studied Ven carefully for a moment, the gears in his mind nearly visible as he pondered his words. "You're not coming with us, are you?" It was more of an accusation than a question and one that needn't be answered as he scrutinized Ven's lack of a weapon in that instant. "You'll fight them on your own?"

"I thank you for your help, Wentai, but I can handle the monsters on my own." _I hope_. To be honest, Ven wasn't even sure how he was still standing at this point.

After scratching his head in bewilderment, Wentai turned to his wandering and frazzled troops and gave the order to mount up and move out immediately. He looked back to Ven and then gave a concerned glance down to Eraq and Angelo. "At least let us take the boy then. He'd be safer with us, right?"

Ven glanced around the area suspiciously, his mind distracted as he replied direly. "It's the_ boy_ they're after. Taking him with you will only result in more casualties."

Wentai let out a contemplative hum, though for some reason he withheld the question he no doubt wanted to ask. _Why in the world are they after the boy?_ Ven was thankful for the man's foresight and understanding but was surprised when he suddenly moved to kneel down beside Eraq and the wounded animal. "She needs medical attention. With so much blood loss she'll die of hypothermia before nightfall."

Ven could only blink in confusion at the commander. Why was he concerning himself over a dog when some of his own men had been injured? He was either a fool or an unusually caring soul. Or both. He decided it didn't really matter though. Angelo needed help, but before he could even ask, Wentai had reached down and proceeded to lift the dog as he stood, eliciting a plaintive cry from Eraq as he did so.

"No, she needs to rest!" the boy cried and wobbled to a standing position in order to protest further. It seemed that with the right motivation he was able to move his body in a somewhat controlled manner. But Wentai carried on as if he didn't hear him, his steps swift and sure through the snow as he mounted his horse, brought to him by a frantic hostler.

"Uncle Ven, don't let them take her!" the boy whined and tugged at the blond's pant leg persistently.

Ven barely had the energy left to reply, though he placed a comforting hand on the boy's charcoal head. "It's ok Eraq, they'll take care of her until we find a way to get home." It was for the best really. She probably _would_ die if she stayed here, and he didn't know how he would ever be able to face Rinoa if that happened.

Eraq grew very silent at that, only his sniffling could be heard and he kept fast hold of Ven's pant leg as he watched the commander wheel his horse over to them. He had the unconscious Angelo wrapped in a blanket and held her close on his lap. It seemed that he would be overseeing her recovery personally. "Lieutenant," Wentai called to a nearby soldier. "Prepare a fire pit for these two, and bring them blankets and supplies."

The Lieutenant nodded and ran off to obey. Ven looked up and met the commander's steady gaze. "Thank you again Wentai. For all your help."

"You should know, before we leave." Wentai offered a wide grin despite the dire situation. "As amazing as your performance was, you are not the strangest stranger I've met in my time." Ven felt his expression quirk oddly in question, though he could not find the required breath to voice it aloud. "Farewell Ventus. May Yin and Yang watch over you both."

If Ven wasn't confused before, he sure as heck was now. Who or what was Yin and Yang? This world's gods he guessed? Maybe they were benevolent like Hercules or something. He hoped they were benevolent, he could definitely use some of that right about now.

With a firm nod of finality, Wentai guided his horse to the front of his company, most of which had formed up to move out. By the time all the stragglers had joined the ranks, the lieutenant had rekindled the nearest fire pit and gathered various supplies in a heap, from extra blankets and food to more fire wood.

Ven could feel his body failing steadily as he tried to guide Eraq over to the warmth of the fire. The lieutenant said nothing but gave a nod of acknowledgment before he mounted his own horse and departed. "Why did they leave?" Eraq wanted to know, his gaze drawn to the army marching away. He still clung to Ven, his only source of comfort and protection now that Angelo was gone, and shifted his hold when the man sat down on the mound of blankets by the fire.

Ven simply didn't have it in him to answer, it was all he could manage just to pull the blankets around them in a tight bundle. He desperately needed to rest. Summoning Wingblade had drained him so completely, more-so than he ever thought possible. It had been so long since he was forced to use that form. Things weren't looking so good. If he never got a chance to rest then his body would take even longer to recover from the darkness it was purging from his system.

"Eraq," Ven called down weakly. He could hear the boy sniffling again, though he couldn't tell if that was due to more tears or just the frigid air. "I need you to keep a lookout for the monsters for a little while." He knew it was an unreasonable demand for the boy, but the situation itself was unreasonable. Simply put, if he didn't rest then he wouldn't be able to fight.

"What?" Eraq whined and looked up to frown at his uncle's drowsy face. "You can't sleep now Uncle Ven, what if the monsters attack again?"

Ven sighed in frustration but wrapped an arm around the boy and held him close. "Here, if they attack while I'm asleep, use this." He summoned his Keyblade and held it in his open palm for Eraq to take. He knew it was too heavy for him to actually use, but if just holding it would make him feel a little braver then problem solved. He didn't think it would dematerialize if he fell asleep so long as Eraq held it and was close by.

Hesitantly, the boy lifted the weapon from Ven's hand and held it close. He didn't exactly agree to the task but he wasn't complaining about it either. Ven couldn't help but smile slightly as he watched the boy scan the landscape, carefully attentive and listening for any movements.

Ven wasn't sure if he really would fall asleep, but he just needed to close his eyes for awhile. He wondered if Terra and Aqua were ok, and if they were on their way to help. He hoped so, because he wasn't sure how many hordes of Heartless he could fend off in such a weakened state.

_Come quick you guys. I don't know how long I can keep this up._

* * *

"Aqua," Terra groaned. "This seems like a waste of time. Sora said he checked here first already. She isn't here."

"Maybe she wasn't here when Sora checked, but she is now. I can feel it."

Terra watched, frustrated as his wife strode through the tenebrous halls of Meleficent's old fortress. They had arrived in Enchanted Dominion with the intent of interrogating the dark fairy, yet she was nowhere to be found so far. The fortress was as quiet as a tomb, not even a single snorting or squawking minion inhabited the place now.

Terra turned to Claire as she trailed behind him, her gaze roving all around and her hand never left the hilt of her holstered Gunblade. She was on edge and watchful, no doubt sensing the thick darkness hanging in every corner of the building. Terra was sure that was all Aqua was sensing as well. He was starting to doubt his wife's unstable connections, especially ever since Yen Sid had noticed something was off about her.

His dark blue eyes reverted back to Aqua with a new determination. Although this may not be the best place, it was certainly the time. He could wait no longer to confront her, and realistically he didn't think any world they went to would be the perfect place for such a discussion. "Claire."

"Master?" the girl responded instantly, and Terra met her gaze briefly.

They had just entered the outer courtyard, where ramparts and gates littered the area. Aqua had pulled ahead and was examining a closed gate as though it might open for her if she glared at it long enough. "I need to talk with Aqua alone. Can you give us a minute?"

"Of course," she answered quietly and trotted away towards one of the ramparts. "I'll see if I can get that gate open."

"Be careful," Terra called after her as he crossed over to his wife with a purpose in his step. "Hey," he started gently and reached out to take her hand in his, but she didn't so much as look at him, instead opting to drop her eyes to the side.

"You think I'm imagining things. Don't you?"

"I'm worried about you. You and..." His eyes drifted down to her abdomen, the rest of his sentence caught in his throat.

She did look up then, noting his line of sight and quickly made the connection with a scowl. "It's too early to be worried about that." Miffed, she turned away again but he held tight to her wrist.

"Is it?" Terra questioned, though his tone implied more of an accusation. "You don't think the anger you're feeling will effect him? This revenge you crave?"

Aqua didn't fight his hold but she didn't turn back to him either. Closing her eyes, she breathed out a frustrated sigh and nodded. "I'm trying to suppress it, but I feel like someone is influencing me. I thought maybe Yen Sid would tell me, but..."

Terra felt relief wash over him; she was finally expressing her concerns. So she _was_ aware of the imbalance, but why hadn't she mentioned it sooner? "We'll figure this out together, but for now, can we get out of here? It's depressing."

She turned up a glimmer of a smile and he offered a lopsided version in return as he gave her hand a comforting squeeze. A comfortable silence passed between them and they both blinked in surprised when the gate in front of them screeched open. They looked over to beckon Claire from the rampart and started for the fortress exit, hand in hand.

"What makes you think I'm giving you another boy?" Aqua questioned suddenly, noting absently how Claire followed at a distance.

"Huh?" Did she just make a joke? Or did she really want an answer? The look she was giving him seemed pretty authentic. "Well I just- I mean, I can't really say "it" can I?"

"Then we call her a "she" from now on," she told him pointedly, nose in the air stubbornly. "Since I've decided to have a girl this time."

"Can you really-" Terra aptly closed his mouth, inwardly smacking himself at how gullible he could be at times. He sighed, relieved that she could still find at least a shred of humor in that tornado of hormones she was containing. "Just promise me you won't corrupt her before she's born?" Releasing her hand he pulled her close by the waist, eliciting a yelp as he buried his face in her hair.

They were both unaware of Claire's suspicious gaze aimed up at the looming ledges above. As she trailed behind her masters and scrutinized closely the evil looking gargoyles perched there, she was sure one of them looked like a small fox. It was pitch black and had gleaming and very life-like yellow eyes. But it didn't so much as twitch as she passed, though she was sure its piercing gaze was following her somehow.

Feeling an uncomfortable chill crawl up her spine, the girl shrugged indifferently and broke into a jog to catch up with her masters. She didn't bother to mention it. Even if it was real, it was just a fox, right?


	14. of Change

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

**Chapter Fourteen – of Change**

* * *

Ven didn't think he so much as closed his eyes when he felt someone nudging his arm frantically. He could feel the haze of sleep waring off as his dulled hearing shattered in an instant to Eraq's distraught voice. "Uncle Ven, wake up!" Quickly realizing he had somehow fallen asleep sitting up, Ven's attention shot up at the sound of a monstrous roar.

As he had suspected, the next wave of Heartless had arrived and if he didn't know any better, there were a lot more of them this time, with three centaurs leading the charge. With a weary sigh, Ven moved to stand and felt his Keyblade thrust into his grasp. He looked down to see Eraq gazing up at him, frightened though somehow confident too. If the boy believed in him and his ability to fend off the onslaught coming at them, then he would just have to believe it too, and hopefully what little rest he got would prove to be enough.

"Stay low, Eraq, and stay close." As he focused on the charging horse monsters plowing through the snow, he could see the boy's dark head nodding in his peripheral. It was going to be really tricky trying to fight off this legion of shadow beasts while protecting Eraq at the same time, though he had done it before, and now at least he didn't have to worry about other people getting hurt.

The Assault Riders were close now, bearing down with frenzied battle cries and poised lances. Ven took a second to study their movements and to calculate how much time he had to deal with them before the rest of the horde arrived from some distance behind them.

Once the centaurs were upon him, he found that he was forced to rely heavily on instinct, allowing his body to react automatically to the ferocious attacks coming at him from three directions. As he blocked one blow, one strike after another, it quickly became apparent that he was going to need his Wingblades again in order to keep the huge monsters sufficiently in check.

Biding his time, he waited until all three beasts moved to strike at the same time, and with a wide and sweeping arc, his Keyblade drove them all back into a momentary stagger. By that time, the rest of the Heartless were closing in around him and he had only a small window to summon his celestial form. He did not hesitate to do so.

The numerous shadows were either blown back or recoiled and swerved away in response to the resulting radiance bouncing off of each blade of light. The brief respite didn't last long however, as the Heartless swiftly recovered and resumed their relentless assault.

Revolving and spinning all around, Ven kept each dangerous blade moving, effectively fending off the closest enemies and forming a kind of barrier. Only, it seemed like with each one he killed, two more would take its place. And although he wasn't sure how long he could keep this up, he was satisfied to see that his strategy was working. That is, until he somehow overlooked an airborne enemy, which cut through his defenses and struck him straight across the head.

Reeling from the blow for a fraction of a second he struggled to keep his protective whirlwind in motion, but his dancing blades faltered and left an opening. He grimaced in concentration but as hard as he tried he just couldn't keep up with the influx, and was unable to regain the shield-like effect he once had, leaving gaps and weak points all around.

Things were looking really bad and to top it off he could feel each and every scratch and blow that got through his imperfect blockade. He thought for sure Eraq must be getting hit too, but he didn't hear him crying in pain. Maybe they _weren't_ after the boy and he had been wrong all along?

As if in response to his doubts, a part of the swarm suddenly broke away from the main group around him, as if they were being drawn by something. Risking an instant to look, Ven was horrified at seeing what they were after.

Eraq was some twenty feet away and crouching down beside what looked to be a small, furry black body, but he paid it no mind. What concerned him was why the boy had deliberately disobeyed the order to stay close, but more importantly, what worried him was the small group of Heartless that had split off and was currently converging on the boy.

His wings continued slashing and dispatching one monster after another, but before he could formulate a plan or even move to assist his charge a new wave of Heartless appeared and overwhelmed his view. By the time he had cut through the swath of dark matter blocking his way the other group had already reached the cowering boy. "Eraq, get down!" he shouted frantically, praying that the boy would listen this time.

Eraq did, covering his head with both arms and buried his face in the foot of snow that covered the ground. Without a second thought, Ven directed all six blades forward and was relieved to see that they successfully intercepted and dispatched the small group that had surrounded the boy.

As effective as the projectiles were, however, they could not return to him fast enough. If he survived this battle, he would later berate himself at how stupid a thing it was to not keep at least one feathered prism at his side.

A sudden, intense pain flared to life in his right shoulder and he was acutely aware of Eraq howling at him in horror. His vision phased in and out and there was a muffled thud sound. It took him longer than it should have to realize the sound was that of his knees hitting the snow, followed shortly by his hands.

His thoughts were coming slower and slower now, and he was sure they were no longer relevant to the situation but he could no longer control them. The snow was so white beneath him, and it didn't seem to make sense why it was steadily turning crimson. Eraq's cries were fading every second, as if he were being pulled away down a long tunnel.

Before everything went dark, Ven managed one last determined glance toward the boy, the landscape swimming as he did so. The Heartless had all abandoned him, his Wingblade threat neutralized, and were converging on a helpless Eraq.

He had only one last glimpse of the boy before the black shapes overtook him. Ven could feel his consciousness slipping away as a thick sense of failure lodged itself in his throat and he had to look away. _Aqua, Terra, I'm sorry. I tried._

Just as he was about to submit to the darkness of sleep, a bright, blinding light caught his attention and he looked with surprise to see all the shadows were practically melting away, the light shooting out fierce golden beams into the sky.

The black borders compressing on his vision intensified, and the last thing he saw before finally dropping his head into the snow was Eraq standing there, a familiar black-grey Keyblade in his small hand.

* * *

The forest was dark and dense, with heavy moisture hanging overhead as though it had recently rained, leaving a crisp chill in the air. Looking up, Terra could barely make out a dusky sky through the thickly shrouded treetops. No clouds, no stars, only the moon emitted its weak glow through the haze, which meant it was either close to dawn or just after sunset in this world. He could also hear the sound of a river flowing some distance away, giving the silence of the night a muffled and calm drone.

He looked to Aqua, his eyes adjusting to the darkness and picking out her form. She, like Claire beside her, seemed to be examining their surroundings as well. After taking a deep breath for the argument he knew would ensue, Terra reached for his wife and touched her arm to get her attention. She in turn regarded him attentively, a weary gleam in her eyes told him all he needed to know.

"I think we should take this opportunity to rest for awhile." He fought off the urge to cringe when he seen her gaze narrow.

"Opportunity?" she nearly spat the word. "We can't rest now. They're out there somewhere. What if they need help?" She shook her head slightly in astonishment. "Aren't you worried?"

"Of course I'm worried," Terra nearly snapped back, though he softened his voice at the last second. "But what good will that do if we rush off too the next world if we end up missing them?" He felt his throat clench with a terrible heartache and he was unable to finish his thought aloud. _What good will it do if I end up losing you, too?_

"They're not here," she told him firmly, oblivious to his pain and a stubborn look about her as though she willed him to challenge the matter. "We would know."

Terra wasn't so sure. Maybe if they were in a close proximity to Eraq and Ven, but if they were some distance away he doubted his ability to sense their presence. He gave her a despairing look, hoping that she could see it through the thick darkness between them. "We haven't had a chance to rest since-" he cut himself off then, knowing he was digging himself a deeper hole. _Since the world we lost them in._

"Look," he tried again after a pained silence. "It's too dark right now to even navigate a path. Let's just rest until we have some light to work with, yeah?" He stared down into her rigid features, hoping beyond hope that she would agree. How many days had they gone without sleep? He couldn't remember and he was exhausted, and worried. Worried about Eraq and Ven, but her too. In her condition he worried that she might collapse at any given moment.

He watched her closely for a moment. She still hadn't agreed to his terms, though her sharp eyes had softened with a reasonableness that he recognized. Just one more nudge and he knew she would cave in. He looked over to Claire, who stood some paces away and was doing her very best to act as though she couldn't hear her masters arguing. "Think of Claire," he said softly. "She isn't used to this pace."

Blinking, Aqua turned to examine the pink-haired girl with a wary concern. Apparently she hadn't thought about Claire's welfare on the matter, and she looked about ready to concede when the girl suddenly moved closer to interject. "What? But Master, I feel f-" she cut herself off when Terra shook his head fiercely and made a cutting gesture at his throat. "I-I mean a rest sounds good to me."

The light in the sky was getting steadily brighter with dawn approaching, and Terra could plainly see Aqua's knowing smirk as she turned back to him. "Alright, you win. A short rest and then we get back to it."

Terra couldn't help but be mildly amused as he watched his wife's nesting mode initiate. She moved to a the crook of a large tree covered in soft moss and produced a compact, thin and flimsy blanket from the utility pouch hanging from her waist. Though the sheet was light-weight, it was water-resistant and had thermal properties for extreme temperatures, but it would serve to fend off the moisture from the ground.

After spreading it out and making herself comfortable, Terra finally joined her on her right side and removed his oversized haori to drape it over her shoulders. He glanced up to see that Claire was hovering in her place, no doubt contemplating about finding her own spot to settle. Aqua must have noticed too, since she raised her left arm invitingly out to the girl.

Claire was hesitant to join in at first, shifting on her feet where she stood for all but half a minute, but the morning chill was getting to her and she finally moved to accept Aqua's silent invitation. The preteen was independent for the most part, but she was smart too, and knew better than to pass up a beneficial opportunity.

As the girls got settled beside him, Terra broke open a protein packet from his own supply pouch. They hadn't thought to take the small survival packs with them on their vacation, since they hadn't intended to go anywhere dangerous. Now though, the supplies were coming in handy and he hoped Ven and Eraq were doing ok without it.

Before he thought too deeply on the matter and possibly lose all semblance of an appetite, he glared down at the pellets in his hand before shoving them in his mouth and forcing himself to chew. They sure didn't taste that great but they got the job done and staved off the hunger for long periods.

He looked over to see that Aqua had encompassed the student with one arm, using his large cloak to wrap around her like an eagles wing. He noticed how Claire didn't seem to mind the closeness, but rather, had leaned into Aqua's warmth and was munching down a pack of the tasteless supplements herself. He also noticed how Aqua wasn't taking the opportunity to eat like she should.

After pulling another packet from the small pouch at his hip, he gave her a nudge and tried to hand it to her but she pushed it away with her free hand, murmuring softly to his unspoken concern. "It won't do any good."

"_You_ won't do any good if you don't eat," he countered, ever patient. He just couldn't understand why she felt the need to resist every little matter. She should know by now that he wasn't about to back down. "As willing as I am to carry you, I'd still rather not see you collapse."

She glared daggers at the supplements as though they were her life's bane before snatching it out of his hand to emphasize her displeasure. Terra blinked at her as she crammed them down with a grimace. They didn't taste _that_ bad did they? It astounded him at times how she could portray such child-like behavior, but he chalked it all up to her pregnancy in the end, and that was just one more reason why he had to keep close tabs on her.

"I can keep watch," she told him numbly, as though her mind had wandered off again, to that place he couldn't follow. "I won't be able to sleep anyway."

"You can at least _try_ and sleep." He eased closer, shoulder to shoulder with her and twined his arm and hand with hers.

"Terra," Aqua warned, though there was a yielding element in her tone, her eyes and attention floating back to him in that instant.

"Humor me, please." He offered a weary smile and was glad to see that she was finally realizing how pointless it was to resist. His gaze caught on the dozing pink-haired girl huddled into Aqua's side. "Look, Claire's got the right idea." He thought it was somewhat impressive that she was somehow managing to tune out her masters' hushed argument.

Sighing in defeat, Aqua settled more into her nest and busied herself with stroking Claire's soft coral hair, causing the girl to relax even more in Aqua's embrace. Terra guessed that she was thinking of Eraq and how she used to do the same thing to get him to go to sleep. It seemed to be an especially effective universal technique.

It occurred to him then the real reason Riku had insisted they take an apprentice with them. Although having an extra set of eyes and ears was beneficial to be sure, even more important was Aqua's mental health. Or even his own for that matter.

Having a child for five years and almost constantly caring for him only to have him ripped away would naturally leave a void there. He felt suddenly frustrated with himself. He hadn't analyzed the situation to that extent, just thinking that Aqua was a mother and was suffering had been enough to make his chest ache unbearably.

Somehow, in his silent and calm reasoning, Riku had known that the void would need to be temporarily filled, or both he and Aqua would be too broken, too unbalanced to focus on their surroundings. Protecting and caring for Claire was like a homing beacon, leading them back to the sensible path and away from the one leading off into destruction.

Unwittingly, he realized, he had been looking out for Claire since their departure, and all it took for Aqua to do the same was a small nudge of a reminder. Even though she was older than Eraq, Claire was still a child and required a certain amount of guidance and protection. And although it was expected of them as the masters in charge of the mission, it went farther than that. Their tendencies to coddle and fuss over her were too automatic, too natural.

It was as though they_ needed_ to be needed by someone. A characteristic that had been permanently written down in their natures somewhere, probably ever since they had "adopted" Ven all those years ago.

There was a rustling nearby and Terra felt his senses snap to attention. A few seconds later and he found the source of the noise was scrambling up a tree some paces away. It was a small rodent of some kind and it chattered at the trio of humans curiously before disappearing on the far side of the trunk. The forest seemed to be coming alive with every passing minute actually. And yet, as he could sense no immediate danger, there was something... Out there, far away, elusive, a strange darkness that he had never known before. Almost, artificial feeling.

"I sense it too," Aqua murmured. "Unfocused, bloodthirsty darkness. Too far away to be concerned about though."

"It might not _stay_ far away," Terra commented.

"We'll be long gone before it can reach us."

"I guess."

"You should take your turn to sleep," Aqua told him, sitting up slightly and careful not to jostle the sleeping child beside her too much.

"But you hardly-"

"I_ tried,"_ she hissed at him impatiently, trying not to disturb Claire further. "Didn't work."

Terra sighed, seeing it as his turn to know defeat when it nipped at his face. "Alright."

After settling himself more comfortably against his wife, he closed his eyes, thinking the rhythmic sound of the distant river would lull him to sleep. But an hour must have lapsed and he never slept, unable to shake the feeling of that lurking darkness in the distance. The chittering and chirping of all the waking wildlife didn't help much either.

He opened his eyes to glare up at the trees full of critters, noting how much brighter the sky was and finally giving up on sleep altogether. He lurched forward and stretched, feeling completely un-rested for all the trouble it was to convince Aqua to take a break. "Well, that was a waste of time."

"Not totally." Terra could hear a warmth in her voice and turned to see her stroke a stray, pink lock out of Claire's peaceful features. "At least someone between the three of us can manage a few winks."

Terra was just thinking that he didn't have the heart to wake her when the girl suddenly stirred from the sound of their voices. Her pale azure eyes fluttering open drowsily and her syllables slurred groggily. "Already time to go?"

"Sorry Claire," Aqua replied with a frown and unwrapped Terra's cloak from around the girl. Claire said nothing more and yawned as she sat forward in an attempt to wake further.

Terra was the first to stand and gave the forest a cursory glance, only to pivot back to Aqua when he heard her gasp suddenly. She had apparently been making to stand as well, but the next instant he had barely managed to reach out and catch her from collapsing for no obvious reason that he could tell. "What the?-" He had watched her eat the protein packet earlier, so it wasn't lack of sustenance. "Aqua, what's wrong?"

She braced against him and shook her head, appearing to find her bearings and stand erect, though she didn't let go of him quite yet. "I don't know."

"Do you think you're just tired? Or is-" he paused abruptly to swallow nervously at the thought that suddenly crossed his mind. "Is it the baby?"

"No," Aqua answered firmly, giving him a hopeless glare that he could read plainly enough. _Way to let the cat out of the bag. _But none of that mattered to him at this point, only her answer mattered to him now and he wasn't about to let her go until he knew she was alright. Her pregnant state would be obvious in a few months anyway, what did it matter if people knew early? "No," she repeated, eyes averted in deep thought and adding in an undertone, "I don't know what that was."

Claire had watched the whole ordeal in silent puzzlement and concern up to that point, but she quickly sprung up in anxious excitement to Aqua's side. "You're having another baby?" Aqua turned to the girl and nodded with a tight smile, instigating an excited chirp from her. "That's great!" Upon seeing their lack of enthusiasm, she turned from one master to the other, confused. "Isn't it?"

"Well, yeah," Terra said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, though he still kept hold of Aqua with one hand. "Just, really bad timing is all."

"Oh," was all Claire could find to say, growing silent with a somber nod of understanding.

Terra looked back to Aqua to see that she had resumed staring at the ground, thinking deeply again. He frowned at her, wondering what in the world was going on and what the heck he was supposed to do in response to whatever it was that he didn't know was going on. Thoroughly frustrated, there was simply too much he didn't know.

He finally decided to fall back on a strategy he had used in the past, one that never seemed to fail: providing for his wife's basic needs. Silently, he ran through the checklist in his head. Firstly, he had already gotten her to eat. Secondly, well, sleeping had been an utter failure and there was nothing to be done for it now. That just left hydration on the list.

"Here, sit down and I'll go get you some water." Securing his white haori around her tighter, he placed both hands on her shoulders to steady her before moving.

"Terra, I'm fine," she insisted firmly. "Really."

"No, it's my job to take care of you." It was his turn to be firm, though he gently guided her to sit down on a moss covered boulder. "Let me do my job." He swiftly leaned down and gave her a peck on the cheek before heading off towards the river with his canteen, shooting over his shoulder to Claire. "Keep an eye on her for me."

"Yes Master." After hearing Claire's reply and not waiting for another word from Aqua, Terra marched away through the woods in the direction he thought he could hear the river. He figured if he was going the wrong direction then Aqua would have told him so, with her having an affinity for the element and all.

Moments later he could hear the splash and flow of the water much better and before long he could see the glistening surface through the wall of trees. Altogether it had only taken him about a fifteen minute trek to reach the pebbly shore.

The sight of the agitated waters gave him pause. It had an ethereal red and yellow glow from the morning sun. It wasn't unlike anything he had seen back home, where Radiant Garden's waterfall courtyard could display an endless array of colors all at once. What really left him frozen for a moment was the sight of a huge black bear lopping around playfully in the shallow parts of the stream, chasing and being chased by a young girl with long, curly red hair.

Terra continued to watch the strange dance in a stupor as the bear grunted and the girl laughed, they seemed to be both fishing and goofing around at the same time. Whereas the girl appeared harmless enough, he wasn't sure if he wanted to be noticed by that hulking bear. It was much larger than the ones from a few worlds ago, even bigger than the one he had been turned into, he was sure.

As quietly as possible, Terra knelt down by the shallows to fill his canteen, cringing when the bear's snout sniffed at the air, no doubt catching his scent before it turned on him with curious brown eyes. It gave a startled grunt and turned to the girl with a prolonged growl. When the girl turned to see him crouching there by the shore, she too stared at him in bewilderment and frozen in her place knee deep in the river.

Terra stood up carefully as the two crept closer cautiously, both of them scrutinizing his unusual attire. "Who are you?" the red haired girl finally asked him, the bear beside her emitting a low growl.

"I'm Terra," he provided simply, and after capping his canteen, held it up briefly before attaching it back to its place at his hip. "Just here for water, I don't mean any harm, so I'll just be on my way-" He was sure Aqua would already be growing impatient with how long his little chore was taking, he didn't need this sort of delay. But as he turned to leave, the redhead followed after him, and in turn so did the huge bear.

"Wait," she called. "Where are you from? Have you seen an old witch around lately?"

Terra only halted in his pace for the instant it took to give her an odd look, her and the bear that was currently attempting to gather up a pile of fish that was flopping around on the dry shore. "Er, no, sorry, haven't seen a witch." He decided not to answer the first question and hoped it would be forgotten as he continued on his way. He also tried to ignore how ridiculous the bear looked as it walked on its hind legs like a person, clutching with both its forearms at a bunch of wriggling fish.

"Argh, Mum, you can't bring them _all_," the girl groaned and proceeded to help the beast by picking up a fish every now and then and tossing it back into the bears unstable hold. For whatever reason, they both seemed determined to follow after him through the woods.

Terra halted abruptly, his curiosity finally overtaking his better judgment. "Hold up a second. Did you just say "Mum"?" The girl had an odd accent to be sure, one that he had never heard before, but could guess at her meaning easily enough. He turned his gaze to the waddling beast and its flopping cargo. "_She's_ your mom?"

The girl nodded before turning a frown to the bear. "But its not _my_ fault. The witch did it, and-" she was promptly interrupted by the bear's sudden flurry of growls and grunts, a jargon completely lost on Terra but seemed to be somewhat understood by the girl. "But he's not afraid of you, and he doesn't want to kill you either," the girl argued back to the huge beast. She turned back to Terra with a friendly smile. "I'm Merida, this here's my mum, Queen Elinor, but I sort of made a deal with this witch, and things didn't really go as planned." There was a flippant grumbling from Elinor after that.

Terra stared at the girl in befuddlement before shaking his head and turning back to his path determinedly. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can help you. I do know its not much fun being a bear though." He hadn't really intended to say that last part aloud but he felt he at least needed to sympathize with their crisis.

Unfortunately, Merida was sharp and caught his slip up instantly. "Oh? You mean that old hag turned you into a bear too?"

"Um, well, its complicated," Terra replied nervously. Hoping to side step the question, the thought that they might have seen Eraq or Ven finally dawned on him. "Look, I hate to disappoint you, but I need to get back to my wife." He paused his pace to make a few gestures as he proceeded to explain height and appearance. "We're searching for our son, he's got dark hair, about this short. My brother should be with him, he's blond and about this tall."

After seeing no recognition whatsoever on the girl's face, Terra sighed and carried on. To his dismay, the odd mother-daughter pair continued to follow after him. He wasn't sure how he was going to explain this to Aqua. She would probably assume he had gotten distracted, which he sort of did, but it wasn't his fault!

The time to explain himself was closer than he realized, as his blue haired counterpart nearly bumped right into him from behind a tree, followed closely by a worried looking Claire. "Aqua!" he yelped, though his surprise quickly faded in comparison to the irritation that rose upon seeing her deliberately disobeying his latest mandate. "What are you doing? I told you to stay put and rest."

"You were taking too long and I got worried," she told him defensively, eyes drawn automatically to his unusual following of a red haired local and a towering black bear. She returned a skeptical look back at her husband. "What _now_?"

"Hey, this isn't my fault," Terra replied, pulling at his canteen and holding it up for her to see. "I just went to get water and came straight back."

Introductions were once again exchanged and Claire moved closer to Elinor, gawking in wonder. "I've never seen a real bear before. Only in books and stories back home. Is she dangerous?" She got a little too close for Terra's liking, but before he could move to pull his charge back, Elinor grumbled loudly when she dropped her wriggling mass of fish, causing Claire to flinch backward, hand on the hilt of her holstered Gunblade.

"No," Merida assured with a smirk. "Mum's not really dangerous, just grumpy." The comment seemed to illicit a string of growling from Elinor, but she settled down by her pile of fish and started digging in to them ravenously and without much thought toward her audience.

"And hungry," Claire added through a nervous laugh. She retreated back to Aqua and Terra's side, despite her curiosity and Merida's assurance.

Terra felt Aqua nudge his arm and looked to see an insistent look on her face. "We should go."

He nodded in agreement and they both turned to give the odd pair a farewell but neither Merida nor Elinor were listening anymore. The redhead was chasing after the bear as she lumbered away on all fours. Terra's gaze narrowed with suspicion. There was something different about Elinor now, a wrongness, and it gave him the same artificial feeling from when he had sensed that faraway darkness earlier.

"Terra," Aqua's voice cut through his thoughts, though he did not turn away from the scene as the bear rounded slowly on the girl. "We shouldn't get involved."

"But something's not right here," he insisted, pulling out of her hold when she reached to stop him. "I can't just stand here and watch her get torn apart." The bear was giving off a menacing growling and Terra suddenly realized that he would not reach them in time to intercept the assault.

"Mum, is that you?" he heard Merida whimper, obviously frightened. The bear snarled viciously in response and raised a deadly paw full of daggers and Terra was still seconds away with a gleaming Earthshaker in hand, only to halt a few feet away when Elinor seemed to come to her senses, frozen. Blinking dumbly at her daughter, threatening paw still hanging in the air, she whined in confusion.

Relaxing, Terra lowered his Keyblade and took a step back. Aqua was right. His interference hadn't been required after all. There was an exchange between Merida and Elinor, but he paid it no mind. It was time to leave, he knew that now. Turning away and leaving the girl and the bear to their fate, he marched back over to Aqua and Claire, both of whom seemed to be awe struck by the scene that had unfolded.

"Let's go." He met his wife's startled gaze with his own cryptic one. On one hand he was frustrated with her initial lack of concern on the matter, but on the other he envied her foresight, if she had truly seen the outcome, that is. He sincerely hoped that she wasn't so focused on her mission that she failed to see those in need right in front of her.

Because that wasn't the Aqua he had fallen in love with.

* * *

_Eraq huddled obediently in the deep snow by Ven's feet. He shivered from the cold and the fear, but his uncle Ven was strong, and he knew he would protect him. But without Angelo to cling to he had nothing to hold onto, not even his black moogle anymore. The monsters thundering across the white ground roared furiously and he tried to think of something else._

_Like where or when he had lost his Kupo, or if Angelo was going to be ok, or if he would ever see Mom and Dad again. There was suddenly wild movement all around him and he looked up to see his uncle Ven fighting hard to keep the monsters back. The battle seemed to go on forever and the noise was unbearable. Between the metallic screeching of Ven's six swords of light and that horrible snarling of the monsters, Eraq reached up to cover his ears, only to get shoved head first into the snow._

_He yelped and pushed himself up with his arms and noticed in a panic that he had been separated from Uncle Ven. The black shadows writhed and lunged right next to him, unaware of his helpless presence for the moment, but he was now sitting outside of his uncle's protective barrier. _

_He was afraid to yell for help, because then the monsters would notice him too. Looking around frantically, his eyes caught on a small black shape in the snow only a few steps away. It was lying very still and it had very familiar fluffy fur. He crawled over to it quietly, hoping it was the same fox that he had met before. If she had protected him before, then maybe she could do it again, at least until Uncle Ven killed all the monsters._

_Upon reaching the creature he gave it a nudge, but it didn't move or respond in any way. Was she dead? Did the monsters get her too?_

_He cringed and ducked low when he heard his uncle's frenzied voice. "Eraq, get down!" There were multiple cries of defeat as he looked up to see the dark shapes that had been looming over him suddenly explode into a fine mist and all that remained were six shining blades hovering over him protectively. _

_But they disappeared suddenly and he turned to see a huge horse monster standing behind Uncle Ven, its weapon plunged through the man's shoulder in a most horrific way. He was only faintly aware of a desperate screaming, ignorant that it was his own throat emitting the sound. He watched his beloved uncle fall to his knees, and then his world went dark as the monsters approached and surrounded him._

Eraq opened his eyes after the event replayed in his mind. A dark realm greeted him and he had the strange sensation of falling, but slowly, as if he were sinking in water. He jerked, suddenly afraid of drowning, but he soon realized he could breath just fine. Was he dreaming? Twisting to look down, he blinked with surprise to see a brightly lit platform beneath him and soon touched down on it gently.

Examining the circular platform curiously, he noticed various, colorful images carved all around. It was hard to differentiate all of them but he was drawn to one in particular that looked a lot like his dad, only some things were very different about him. For one, the man depicted there had black hair, not brown like Dad's. And the Keyblade he had in his hand wasn't Dad's, but was one he had seen Mom use before.

Confused, he looked up when a flash of light caught his attention. There was an image playing out above him, blinding him briefly with its white outline against the pitch black darkness surrounding it. Once his eyes adjusted to the light, he could plainly see the image and who stood in the snow. He blinked in bewilderment at seeing himself standing there, where he had been crouched beside the fox before Uncle Ven collapsed.

Now though, there was no fox, no monsters, and he could see his other self standing in the snow, holding the same Keyblade as the one held by the man depicted on the platform.

He was scared and confused enough as it was, but he grew even more startled when he heard a strange, deep voice echo all around him. _"So, the darkness yet lurks in the world?" _He noticed his other self was looking up at the sky and his mouth was moving to match with the new voice. _"How unfortunate."_

"Wh-who are you?" Eraq whimpered, gaze turning this way and that in fear.

"_Peace, young one,"_ the voice told him gently. _"You are safe now."_

Before Eraq could think of a reply he looked up to see a ceiling of blinding white appear above him and it suddenly dropped on him to form the snowy landscape he remembered before everything had previously gone dark.

He was standing in the snow now and he glanced down to see a shimmering afterimage of that black Keyblade as it disappeared from his grasp. All at once, Eraq felt his strength leave him and collapsed fully into the cold powder.

He desperately wanted to look and see if Uncle Ven was ok, but it was too late, he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. The last thing he seen was a huge, dark figure crunching through the snow toward him. More Monsters? It seemed like he should care more, but he was just too tired. Closing his eyes, he succumbed to the dark cocoon of sleep.


	15. of Fortitude

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

_AN: Well guys, sadly enough, this story is nearing its end. I'm sure some of you were expecting a bunch of chronicled world searches, but no. I feel like that would just draw things out unnecessarily. I digress, you can probably only expect 17 chapters total, so yeah, we are getting **very** close. _

**Chapter Fifteen – of Fortitude**

* * *

_Ven retreated a pace or two and slumped with exhaustion, panting. His opponent came on relentlessly though, and he was forced to lift his Keyblade in defense as his muscles screamed their objections._

_Blow after blow hammered down on his weapon, almost like a well timed musical instrument as he blocked downward strikes and slid glancing thrusts away with a resounding clang-kah-clang! Sweat was dripping into his eyes and the sting was nearly blinding him as his legs threatened to give out completely._

_His master was being especially brutal today, and he didn't have Aqua or Terra around to come to his aid. They had been sent out on a special mission to another world, leaving him alone to train with the master all day. _

_It was not going well._

"_Focus, Ventus!" the old man barked, but it was a futile rebuke as the boy was promptly knocked to the ground with one final strike, Wayward Wind sent flying and lodging itself into the ground some meters away._

_Ven lurched forward, shoulders slouched in a sulk as he gasped for breath. "I'm-I'm sorry Master."_

"_Oh Ventus," Master Eraqus sighed dismally and knelt down to place a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. When Ven looked up, he was met by a pair of gentle, caring, gray eyes. "How many times must I tell you?" He took a deep breath and gave him a hard look to make sure his pupil was listening. "Never forget. You're focus determines your reality."_

* * *

Ven woke to a terrible ache in his shoulder and only faintly aware of lying on his back and covered in blankets. Slowly, his other senses came alive and he was able to feel the warmth of a fire nearby, could hear it snapping as it consumed whatever firewood it had been fed and detected its violent flashing against his eyelids.

Flashes? Feeling his heartbeat lunge into a panicked race, Ven fought to open his eyes. If it was dark enough for a campfire to flash then that meant it was nighttime or very near to it. He honestly didn't know how they were going to survive a cycle of darkness when he could barely fend off the beasts in the daytime. Especially wounded as he was.

Tentatively, he applied a hand to his groggy head. He felt like he had been asleep for days, but how was that possible when surely the Heartless would have attacked during that time?

The events from the previous battle came back to him in that instant. From summoning his Wingblades to losing his focus and getting stabbed in the back. If only he had been smart and kept one of his six swords at his side instead of focusing so much on providing Eraq with absolute protection... Eraq! Suddenly remembering the boy's discharge of light magic, Ven finally managed to open his eyes and cast a blurry glance about his surroundings.

Yes, the campfire was right where he thought it would be, and with relief he spotted another mound of blankets on the other side of the dancing flames, a mop of black-blue hair sticking out.

The scene puzzled him. How had they ended up like this? Surely Eraq hadn't managed to setup camp, much less a thriving fire like the one he was staring at. He tried to sit up and get a better look around but the pain in his shoulder was just too much and he relented, laying his head back once again. For the first time since he woke up he realized it didn't feel as bad as it probably should have. Feeling at the wound with his other hand he pulled away to examine the blue residue that had obviously been poured on it. Elixir? Who in this world would have gotten their hands on such a thing?

Even more confused than before, he turned his head to the other side and noticed a full bottle of the tonic sitting there within reach. Blinking at it for all but two seconds, Ven reached for it and leaned his head forward as much as possible in order to chug the contents as if he hadn't consumed anything for days. Maybe he hadn't, he couldn't remember.

After tossing the empty bottle away, he fell back with a desperate intake of breath. He had downed the liquid in one go and didn't regret it for a second. He knew before long his wound would be all but healed completely, perhaps leaving a dull soreness that he could easily contend with. It would also give him a boost in energy, which he would greatly need if he was to guard Eraq through the night.

As he lay there and waited for the elixir to do its work, Ven still wondered who could have possibly set up the camp and left the curious potions for him to use. Furthermore, he wanted to know how he and Eraq had survived that last battle. He distinctly remembered a bright light extinguishing the Heartless, and it had appeared to emanate from Eraq, not to mention he had been holding a Keyblade. And not just _any_ Keyblade, but Master Keeper no less!

How was that even possible? Of all Keyblades, how had he managed to summon _that_ one? Did Aqua somehow pass it down to him and was she now unable to summon it herself now that he had it? And what was with that explosion of light? He was far too young to be able to conjure such an advanced technique, especially since he hadn't had any magic training yet.

Thoroughly confounded yet equally thankful for the mysterious blessing, Ven sat forward gingerly, wincing at the fading ache as he was finally able to take a look around. As he had thought, dusk was spreading over the tundra, turning the white snow into a soft blue. There was a treeline behind him, and although he didn't care for the forest's proximity, at least he knew where the Heartless were most likely to appear from.

Blinking and squinting, he thought he caught movement in the shadows of the trees, what appeared to be a large, lumbering figure. But he couldn't be sure, with the flickering of the firelight and the shadows cast from the wavering branches above. He could feel a darkness there, but it was not aligned with the killing intent he had sensed from the Heartless earlier. Strange.

Dismissing the presence for the moment, though keeping alert to its movements, Ven turned when he heard fabric rustling nearby. Eraq was sitting up with his mound of blankets securely wrapped around him as looked around, seeming delirious and lost. "Uncle Ven?" he chirped, blinking as though he were surprised to see him alive and well. "You're ok?"

Ven patted at his own torso and arms experimentally and then grinned. "Yep, still in one piece." He was a little startled when he suddenly felt Eraq tumble into him, his small arms wrapped around his middle in a desperate hug.

"I thought you were- I thought they got you!" the boy sobbed wretchedly, his tear filled eyes aimed up at Ven as though he had honestly thought he had been killed right in front of him.

"Hey now," Ven soothed as he ruffled the boy's hair. "I wouldn't let anything like that happen." _Lies_.Ven frowned. _Great, I'm lying to children now. _"Sorry I scared you kiddo."

Eraq only sniffed in response, his sobs abating as he clung to his uncle. "Hey, do you know who setup camp for us?" Ven asked as he gave the woods another careful scan, not forgetting that suspicious presence for even an instant.

Eraq pulled back and looked around curiously, as though he were just then noticing his surroundings fully. He shook his head. "I've been asleep since the monsters disappeared."

"That reminds me," Ven muttered before giving the boy a serious look. "Eraq, what happened out there?"

"Oh." Eraq visibly drooped and released his hold on Ven as though he anticipated a lecture. "I tried to stay close to you Uncle Ven, really I did! But one of the monsters knocked me away and I didn't know what to do after that-"

"Not that Eraq," Ven cut in gently. "How did you summon that Keyblade, and that explosion of light?"

Eraq shrugged, grinning sheepishly. "I don't know. It felt like I was dreaming when that happened. But I wasn't really asleep either." He tipped his head, befuddled. "It was weird."

"Hm." Ven deliberated for a moment. What he described sounded kind of familiar, but it wasn't really making any sense either. How could he have wielded such power and not be in control of it?

"But there _was_ this weird voice."

"Voice?"

"Yeah, a really deep voice. Old I think. Never heard him before."

"What did he say?" Ven pressed, a little too urgently he realized, with the wide eyed look Eraq was giving him. He tried to relax and softened his tone. "Do you remember?"

"Um, well, I didn't understand what he said at first, but when I asked him who he was, he just said that I was safe now."

Ven almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. Could it be that Eraq had someone's heart sleeping inside him, someone capable of summoning Master Keeper? As unlikely as the thought seemed, Ven wasn't about to underestimate the power of a young boy's heart, not when he himself had slept so long inside Sora's.

He shook his head dismissively. He could contemplate the matter all day but he still wouldn't be any closer in knowing the truth. Whatever mysteries rested inside the boy's heart would remain that way until he grew old enough to understand them himself. For now though, Ven was more curious about how they could use this unusual development to their advantage.

"Can you summon the Keyblade now?" As far as Ven was concerned, if the boy had his own Keyblade, then he could also forge his own armor. Of course, doing so would take some time, but if he had armor then he would be protected for the return trip home.

Ven's hopeful gaze was met with an innocent shrug. "I dunno."

"Ok," Ven sighed and held out his hand to demonstrate. "Hold out your hand, close your eyes and focus. Try to imagine it appearing for you."

The boy obeyed, but even after a few silent moments, there was no shimmer, no sign of the black-gray Keyblade like before.

Ven drooped mentally, though outwardly he tried to offer a comforting smile when Eraq looked up with a disappointed frown. "Sorry Uncle Ven, I don't think it likes me."

Ven chuckled with a genuine smile that reached his eyes. "It will in time Eraq." He gave the boy a reassuring pat on the head. "Just try and remember, your focus determines your reality."

* * *

Aqua was frustrated. With the world, with people, with the situation, but mostly, with herself. Sitting on the ground with her back pressed against a solid brick wall, she sighed out a pent up breath and leaned her head back dismally.

Terra had left her and Claire in a deserted alley just off of a busy marketplace, saying something about getting food that actually tasted like food and not chalk like the supplements they had been cramming down for the past week.

Arms crossed and leaning against one wall, Claire had stationed herself at the edge of the alley and was earnestly keeping watch as countless people passed by. The girl had an odd way of knowing when Aqua wanted to be alone with her thoughts.

Somehow, a routine had been formed, and Aqua had all but given up on arguing about these trivial little breaks Terra demanded they take. She had resigned herself to the dusty street as soon as her husband had wandered away, knowing he was probably going to get distracted once or twice on his errand. As much as she loved him, she really just wished he could see the urgency in their pursuit, the urgency she felt every second Eraq wasn't safely in her arms and Ven's steady presence at her side.

How many worlds had they checked since they departed Yen Sid's tower? Honestly, they flashed by like a blur in her mind. Every world seemed to have its peculiar characters and of course they each had their fair share of problems too. Problems that she simply didn't have time for.

Granted, as peacekeepers they were obligated to neutralize any serious threats, but if the world itself had no signs of otherworldly interference then they weren't really supposed to interfere. Of course, there had been some exceptions to that rule in the past, mostly involving Sora.

Regardless, the precepts were very clear on the matter, with interference kept to a strict minimum. At least, that's what she kept telling herself. Originally, she hadn't even thought about it, that is, until Terra had so bluntly brought it to her attention, and more than once. Now, as she sat and quietly contemplated the matter, she was coming to the slow realization that she had been in denial.

The truth of the matter was, she just didn't care anymore. Didn't care about the people, their worlds, or their problems. She cared about two things. Finding Eraq and Ven and getting them _home_.

Clamping her cerulean eyes shut, she fought off the tears that demanded escape and blinked them open again with surprise when she felt her Keyblade emerge unbidden in her hand. Master Keeper. She stared at it, bewildered for a moment.

Although she still felt horrible for lying to Terra about the matter, she really _did know_ what had caused her collapse all those worlds ago. Master Keeper had left her, taking its presence and energy all at once. The feeling had been overwhelming, almost crippling, as she had grown so used to its brimming influence for so many years. It had gotten her through the darkest of times, provided a comfort that could not be defined and had thwarted the darkest demons in the deepest abyss.

To have it ripped away, on top of everything else, was just too much to bear.

Now that she held it once more, she could only wonder at it. She hadn't mentioned its absence to Terra. He worried enough, she knew he did, regardless of the bravado he attempted and his insistence about taking breaks to rest. She wanted to be reasonable about it. It was her nature to be reasonable, but it was as if her mind and heart were at war, creating such an unfamiliar haze of darkness that she could not see the path before her at times.

"You ok?" Terra had approached without her notice and was standing nearby with a worried look and an armful of fruit.

She felt a sudden urge to tell him everything, the Keyblade's absence, its return, the darkness, but she didn't see the sense in worrying him about something she didn't even understand herself. Like _why_ the Master's Keyblade had left her in the first place.

Had it somehow deemed her unworthy, after all this time? Had she failed in some way to keep this new darkness at bay? If so, why had it returned? Had it just been testing her? Warning her to right her course or it would leave her forever? There were just so many questions and no answers.

If she could just have her son back to hold and protect and never let out of her sight again, and Ven back at her side to watch over and laugh with, then she was sure the darkness that she had somehow developed would dissipate.

"Yeah," she murmured, dismissing the blade and stood up. "Fine."

Before Terra could inquire further, since she knew he could sense that she obviously _wasn't_ fine, an obnoxiously loud ringing sounded from high above. They both turned to see an enormous tower in the distance where the sounds seemed to emanate.

"You think that just means its midday in this world?" Terra wondered as he handed her some of the fruit.

Aqua shrugged and studied the grand tower for a moment before glaring at the food he'd forced on her. She didn't want to _eat_, she wanted to get moving. Or at the very least eat _while _they were moving.

"They're much louder than the bells on the clock tower back home," Claire commented as she drew beside them and accepted her share of the sustenance. "No luck finding clues about Eraq and Ven?" she asked Terra with a frown.

He shook his head sadly. "I asked around, but no one's seen anyone matching their descriptions."

Aqua bristled suddenly. She could feel her irritation flaring and was unable to rein in her temper. "I _told_ you they weren't here. We don't need to spend this much time in each world."

"Aqua," Terra started quietly, shifting on his feet uncomfortably while Claire took the opportunity to discreetly edge away. "We've been over this. I don't want to risk missing them if there's a chance-"

"And I'm telling you we're wasting time!" Aqua snapped back with a fierce look, heedlessly dropping the fruit she hadn't wanted in the first place and gesturing around wildly in her aggravation. "Why can't you understand that? Where is your urgency?"

Terra was silent for a moment as he stared back at her with what seemed like surprise, then pain and finally patience. Aqua was only idly aware of how her blood felt like hot acid in her veins. Was this what darkness felt like? It seemed to exude a heavy pressure on her mind as well, willing her to submit to its influence, and she felt like she was at her breaking point, an unfamiliar hysteria overtaking her until she felt Terra's hand cup her face. His gentle touch seeming to quell the chaos running rampant throughout her entire being.

"Ven is a skilled master now and I have faith in his abilities." He gave her a long, meaningful look. "Why don't you?"

"I-I _do_ believe in him." She could feel the tears in her eyes but forced them back with sheer determination and a set jaw. "I just- I _need_ to find them Terra. At any cost."

"Any cost?" Terra repeated, sounding both incredulous and disappointed as he retracted his hand, it being his turn to make expressive gestures. "Aqua do you even hear yourself? When all this is over, what price will you have paid? And will it even be justified?"

Looking straight into his deep blue pools and seeing her reflection there, she could only look away, ashamed, suddenly realizing what she was becoming. The fight had left her completely and she had no reply for him, having only a strong feeling to crawl away somewhere and sulk. How terrible a thing darkness truly was. She couldn't even define who she really was anymore, so lost and afraid in the haze and confusion the crisis had caused.

"Remember what the master always told me?" His hand returned to her face to bring her wavering eyes back to him. "Fear of losing will only lead to one place."

"But you-"

"I'm afraid of losing them too," he supplied, somehow reading her thoughts. "But we can't let that fear overwhelm us to the point of despair."

Sighing raggedly and placing a shaky hand over his, she nodded compliantly. She could feel that the fires of her dark emotions had all been completely extinguished, all in response to the light of his guidance and loving devotion. "I'm sorry," she nearly sobbed, only barely able to resist the temptation of his comfort and knowing she would succumb if she tried to finish her thoughts aloud. _Where would I be without you?_

"You're ok," Terra cooed gently and leaned down to kiss her forehead fondly before pulling her into a tight embrace. "You're ok," he repeated with an unwavering certainty, his chin resting on her head.

They remained that way for a long moment and when Aqua finally felt her mind clear of that influential haze, she realized that on top of carelessly tossing away the food he had given her, somewhere among their argument, he had dropped his share as well. How insensitive could she possibly be? Terra was doing his best to take care of her while at the same time trying to hold everything together in their search and she had all but thrown it back in his face. Even at that, he still responded tenderly, patiently, never provoked by her outbursts.

She pulled away from him, intent on apologizing again when she heard Claire gasp suddenly. Glancing behind Terra, Aqua quickly saw what had startled the girl. A silver-blue fog had materialized and was forming an image with a hissing noise. Terra turned to see it as well, curious but not concerned. They both knew what the fog was even before Master Yen Sid's face appeared in the magical mist.

"Terra, Aqua," the wizard greeted with a respectful nod to both of them. "I bring good news." Both Keybearers blinked at him, their mouths slightly ajar in suspense. "I've found your boys. I've notified Cid and he is transferring the location to your ship as I speak."

"Th-Thank you Master!" Terra exclaimed with a bow, though Aqua was still too dumbstruck and speechless to offer any form of gratitude.

Yen Sid nodded to Terra's response with a mild smirk but it fell away instantly when he turned his piercing gaze to Aqua. He said nothing more, but scrutinized her carefully, causing her to drop her eyes in shame for some reason. She felt an overwhelming wave of failure wash over her in that moment, yet she could not pinpoint why exactly. Did he somehow know about Master Keeper leaving her? Was he disappointed in her for it? She really wished he would just say what he was thinking already, things would be a lot more simpler that way.

The wizard's image soon dissipated completely, but his ominous eyes never left her for an instant, causing Terra to turn his concerned gaze to her. "Aqua, what's-"

His words were abruptly cut off by a disturbance from the mouth of the alley, close to where Claire was standing guard. "Blasted gypsies and their accursed magic!" grumbled a passerby, the burly man's eyes were trained on the magic fog that was still swirling oddly, though Yen Sid's image had faded. "Sometimes I think that maybe Frollo had the right idea when-"

"No dear, you don't mean that!" said the woman beside him, presumably his wife, as she tried to pull him away. "Judge Frollo was a cruel man!"

"Aye, well, I suppose you're right." The man sneered and cast one last glance at the trio in the alley before moving on with another grumble, his words fading into the buzz of the marketplace. "Still, do they have to practice such arts so openly?"

Claire had watched and listened to the whole disturbance with a quizzical expression, turning to her masters when they drew beside her. "I don't understand," she told them. "I always thought magic was useful. Is there some reason certain people hate it?"

Aqua was barely listening as Terra explained the matter. "Magic is a form of power." She knew she had to sort out the mystery behind Master Keeper's absence, her darkness, and whatever it was Yen Sid was neglecting to tell her, but now all she could focus on was that she would soon see her boys again. "And sometimes, people fear what they can't understand," she heard Terra conclude, feeling his hand clasped warmly with hers even though his attention had been momentarily drawn to Claire.

They headed for the nearest city exit, seeking out the quickest spot to signal their ship to pick them up. Even though there was still witnesses outside the gates, the few that seen the ship would probably just be regarded as insane, so Terra and Aqua didn't concern over the matter much as they boarded the vessel hastily.

"I've already sent the coordinates," Cid's voice sputtered over the radio as they strapped in. "Riku says he's sending Leon's team to rendezvous with you there, but he's recalling the other team back home in case we get some backlash for any reason."

"Thanks Cid," Terra replied and directed the ship into the sky. There was a muttered "good luck" from the other end before the transmission cut off, leaving the cockpit in a brief silence as the ship responded to its new destination with a lurching whine.

Feeling her temperament finally starting to equalize for the first time since Merlin had told them that Eraq and Ven were ok, she turned to meet Terra's gaze and they shared a comfortable smile.

"Let's get them home."

* * *

"By Kye," Ven swore as he watched the chaos unfold in front of him. "What is going on here?"

It had only been a few hours since he woke up, but that had been longer than he originally thought before the Heartless decided to attack. The dark of the night had taken hold, but the bright glow of the moon above shown down and lit up the snowy ground with a dull blue hue. He could plainly see the shadowy monstrosities stumbling around in their confusion among the trees.

Eraq had dosed off beside him some time ago, only to jerk awake when Ven moved to stand in response to the attack. He didn't however, even have to lift a finger to defend their position. It was quickly becoming apparent to him as to why he and Eraq had survived so long in their prolonged sleep. The Heartless hadn't been able to get at them, being too consumed with going at each other instead.

After studying the scene more closely, it was the larger, more powerful Heartless that seemed determined to get at him and Eraq. The smaller, more numerous shadows were the troublemakers, either leaping at the centaurs and causing them to stumble and crash or swarming the Neo Shadows to hamper their movements. There were times when he thought he might need to intercept an airborne enemy, but every time he brought his Keyblade to bear in response, a shadow would leap from the trees and snarl at its winged brethren, slashing at it mercilessly.

Ven didn't know what to think at this point. Eraq seemed to be equally transfixed on the pandemonium, remaining as quiet as possible in his cave of blankets at Ven's feet.

There was a sudden hiss of magic behind him and Ven turned distractedly for an instant to be surprised at seeing Yen Sid's face appear there in a billowing silver cloud. "M-Master Ye-"

"No time for pleasantries I'm afraid," the wizard interrupted with a careful, sweeping glance. "I've managed to contact your friends, they are on their way. Unfortunately my connection to this world is weakening. You are on your own until they arrive." Yen Sid paused for an instant, giving a curious tilt of his head. "Though it seems you have an unexpected ally already."

Ven could only wonder at the comment, the question not coming fast enough to his tongue as Yen Sid's image winked out as quickly as it had appeared, the fog fading into the air.

Turning his attention back to the screeching battle of Heartless, he caught Eraq's curious gaze though the boy remained silent and Ven didn't bother to try and explain the wizard's visit.

So Terra and Aqua were coming? That was some good news at least. But this unexpected ally that was mentioned puzzled him. Was he referring to Wentai? It would sort of make sense if he was, but the commander wasn't helping them right now, so it didn't make much sense to have mentioned it.

Disregarding the matter, Ven focused on his enemies, Wayward Wind in hand and prepared to fend off whatever came his way.

"Enough of this nonsense!" came a shrieking voice from the thick shadows of the forest. He couldn't see who it belonged to but it certainly sounded feminine, and somewhat familiar.

Before he could ponder too deeply on it, there was a sudden boom that resonated outward, possibly for miles. A moment later and another, longer quake shook the ground, followed by a far off, enormous roar, as though the creature it belong to had just woken from a long sleep and was not at all happy about it.

Ven chuckled nervously. Maybe he wasn't quite _that_ prepared.

* * *

Aqua stepped off the ramp and into the foot of snow on the ground. From inside the ship she had seen the white landscape reflecting harshly that of the morning sun, giving off a false sense of warmth until she felt the cold wind lick at any exposed skin, the frigid temperature catching her off guard. So consumed by her drive to find her boys she was finding it nearly impossible to focus on the smaller details. She also had the odd sense that they had been to this world in the past, but the matter seemed irrelevant at the moment.

Terra joined her a moment later and draped a spare brown cloak over her shoulders, no doubt procuring it from the ship's storage compartment. Claire exited soon after him, sporting one of the hooded coverings herself and wrapping it around herself tightly as she shivered against the cold.

"Well, this is the world Cid transmitted to us," Terra commented with a cursory glance around before turning to her expectantly. "Where should we start?"

Closing her eyes, Aqua titled her head back slightly in concentration. It was starting to snow lightly and she could feel the cold flakes landing on her face as she searched for the light of her son and brother. After a long moment she could indeed feel their presence a long way off, theirs and a horde of darkness pressing down on them. She snapped her eyes open, the urgency she suddenly felt nearly causing her to panic. "We have to hurry, their under attack!"

Aqua was both astonished and grateful when Terra nodded in agreement to her fervor for what seemed like the first time since the crisis began. "You lead," he told her as he summoned his glider.

Aqua did the same and turned to help Claire mount up with her when the girl seemed to stumble on something in the snow. She reached down and scooped up what appeared as a small black creature, but Aqua quickly recognized it as Eraq's moogle. "Kupo," she murmured as the girl handed it over curiously. Sensing her boys in the distance had been one thing, but holding the frozen solid plush doll in her hands made everything all the more tangible.

They were in the right place.

* * *

_AN: I do not own the Star Wars quote in this chapter.(Qui-Gon Jinn for the win.) Also, there is a song with amazing lyrics by Within Temptation that inspired a scene here. The link to it will be on my profile under the links section._


	16. of Sacrifice

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit **

**Chapter Sixteen – of Sacrifice**

* * *

The first gleam of the morning sun had peeked over the far off mountains when Ven first detected the slow wing beats on the wind. He could now plainly see the countless Heartless in the area still tearing each other apart but now this new sound concerned him more. He scanned the pale sky but it had begun to snow and he could see no sign of the, seemingly huge, creature that would be attached to the powerful sounding wings.

He could feel a new energy pulsing through his veins as the new dawn broke, his former wound reduced to nothing but a dull ache that he hardly noticed now. He was as ready as he could ever be as the creature drew closer with every passing second.

"Uncle Ven?" Eraq sounded worried as he poked his head out of his mound of blankets.

"Don't worry." Ven smiled confidently and knelt down to pull the covers back over his dark blue head. "I got this kiddo. Just lay low and wait. Your mom and dad should be here soon."

"Mom and Dad are coming?" Eraq squeaked excitedly and Ven nodded, causing the boy to smile in return and obediently curl even further into his cave of fabric.

After regaining his height and checking the status of the feuding Heartless in the forest, Ven looked skyward once more to blink in surprise as the huge winged creature descended with a monstrous cry.

Simply put, it was a dragon, though it bore the Heartless symbol on its serpent-like forehead. In fact, to Ven, it looked more like a huge snake with wings and two front legs but no rear ones. It was easily four times the size of the centaurs and looked to have ten times the attitude. It roared at Ven and its landing shook the ground so much that many of the other Heartless in the area stumbled and crashed.

Ven stood his ground and flipped his weapon to its ready position. After studying the dragon's movements carefully for the few seconds he could, he knew that he would need to leave Eraq's side if he was to protect him properly. He could only hope that the dissension in the Heartless ranks would continue until he had dealt with the giant beast. To top things off, he noticed the wind had picked up with the beginnings of a blizzard. _Great._

The dragon snarled and lunged but Ven was way ahead of him and leaped into the air above its head, effectively dodging its snapping maw of daggers. "It's your lucky day, pal! I've finally got enough energy to use this." After throwing his blade at the winged serpent's head and stunning it, Ven took a few seconds to concentrate. Wayward Wind returned to his right hand in the form of a shining prism much like the ones he had summoned formerly.

This time however, there was more than six.

The dragon glared and roared furiously before taking to the air with its powerful wings. "Hey!" Ven barked with a sneer. "Come back, I just wanna play!" Taking a second blade in his left hand he arrayed the remaining eighteen feather-blades at his back to form a pair of arcing wings before shooting off from the ground with a sonic boom.

The dragon let out a gurgling noise of surprise and pain when Ven stabbed at its midsection, well, he assumed it was its midsection. Writhing and roaring angrily, the beast snapped its dangerous jaws at Ven, but he was too quick and swung onto the spindly creature's back. It barely took an instant for his blades to change formation and shape what he imagined. A dragon's maw. Only his was made of magic swords imbued with the power of the heavens.

The dragon stared at the ironic formation for an instant before it opened its mouth in defiance, only to have it snapped shut by Ven's "dragon", piercing the beast's muzzle clean through and clamping it like a muzzle.

Amid its struggle to rid itself of the hindrance the dragon plummeted to the earth and crashed into a line of trees. Before he had been dragged down with it, Ven had leaped off its back and retracted his blades with a thought. Exerting a calm that seemed altogether inappropriate considering what he was fighting, Ven lighted down to the snow and landed softly before approaching his opponent at a steady gait.

The serpent was shaking its head, stunned, as it struggled to right itself. The pathetic display did nothing to slow Ven's steps, he did however halt in his approach when he heard some odd chanting in the forest, soon after the dragon roared furiously as it was practically engulfed by green fire.

It seemed to be evolving right in front of his eyes, its head grew a pair of wicked looking horns, its two wings split into four and as a whole it just grew larger.

"Oh." Ven gaped for a moment as the fire died away and the renewed monstrosity composed itself with a rumbling growl. The blond smirked and spun both blades in his hands while his wings spread out defensively. "Well, the harder they fall and all that." The cruel wind and snow pelted his face, though he hardly noticed it through his haze of adrenalin. It was however getting more difficult to see clearly.

The dragon lunged and Ven pivoted, using the flat of one blade and sliding it along the beast's snout with a hiss. So engrossed in his duel, Ven was unaware of the black fox padding over to Eraq. He was also unaware of the distinctive decline of weaker Shadows in comparison to the more powerful Assault Riders.

A moment later and his fight with the dragon was going fairly well; he could tell he was waring it down again. It had yet to take to the sky and instead struck out at him with all it had, teeth, claws, wings and tail. He had been able to dodge or block every attempt until the moment came when he heard someone shouting frantically. Distracted, he looked to where Eraq was hiding, only to have his blood run cold at the sight of a centaur charging in the boy's direction.

Through the thickening blizzard, he barely noticed the tall, burly figure lumbering his way across the snow to intercept. Then the dragon slammed its whip like tail into his side and he went careening a great distance before regaining control of his bladed wings and stabilized himself in midair.

The vicious beast was now airborne as well and flying straight for him, but Ven had to take an instant to check Eraq's status. He was surprised to see that big figure from before now stood between the Assault Rider and the mound where the boy was hiding. In fact that dark figure seemed to be holding the bulk of the horse-monster back with his bare hands. But what had mainly caught Ven's attention was the monster's spear appeared to have pierce clean through one of the newcomer's arms and he was painting the white ground with his blood.

A snarl brought the blond back to his own duel and he barely managed to call his wings forth in front of him in order to block the dragon's frontal attack. Although Ven had to focus on the Heartless in front of him, he couldn't help but continue to ponder on why a total stranger would take such a savage wound for a child he didn't even know. The big, dark stranger didn't even look human, in fact Ven thought he had seen sharp, erect ears protruding from the top of his head.

Ven struck out at the dragon's face with his twin blades and as if he wasn't distracted enough, had to glance down once again when he heard horses screeching and more voices wailing among the Heartless chaos below. Three horses and their riders were pounding across the snow toward Eraq and he thought one of them bore armor resembling Wentai's.

He didn't take any more time to examine the other two riders, all that mattered was that they were allies, and they couldn't have come at a better time, since the weaker Heartless had all but disappeared, leaving that mysterious hulking figure all alone to fend off the bigger ones. The riders rallied around him, their gleaming steel blades slashing out at the shadow beasts and even the hooves of their horses shot out defiantly.

Ven turned back to his opponent with a renewed confidence and parried a three-pronged slash from one of its paws. Focused completely on his task, he thrust every shining feather at the creature and while it was distracted, proceeded to mount its neck. Snarling furiously and rocking to dislodge him, the dragon dropped into a deadly dive for the ground.

Taking a blade in each hand once more, Ven grimaced against the velocity but stabbed both weapons into the back of the beast's skull, eliciting a pained cry from it and guaranteeing its collision with the earth.

He managed to dismount just in time and once again landed lightly on the soft powder. Checking briefly that the others were holding out for the moment, he swiveled back to the winged monster as it grumbled menacingly and shifted to get up once more. Its wings were crumpled and torn though; it would not be taking to the air again.

Ven had been about to launch another assault on the beast when he heard a familiar buzzing over the cries of monsters and roaring blizzard. He glanced over his shoulder, hopeful, and was rewarded with a glorious sight. Aqua and Terra were flying straight for him astride their gliders and within seconds were standing on either side of him with Keyblades drawn.

He was suddenly overwhelmed with a number of emotions and he could feel his eyes beginning to brim with tears at seeing them. He wanted desperately to hug them both and tell them everything that had happened but the dragon was coming, and it was angry.

"Let's do this," Terra rumbled and leaped clear of the beast's charge, Aqua did the same but in the other direction.

"Right!" Ven shouted and shot straight up, blades poised for the finishing blow as Terra and Aqua delivered their lightning fast cross cuts over the dragon's flank. Ven came down, his two priority swords slamming down into the center of the serpent's skull while the other eighteen feathers aligned into a straight line along the monsters spine. The dragon dropped with a wheezing cry and struggled to get up again but was unable, as if pinned to the ground by the prismatic blades.

Panting from an exhaustion he hadn't been aware of, Ven only withdrew the swords when the giant Heartless dispersed into a fine black mist, while the raging snow storm seemed to die along with it.

He grinned when Aqua and Terra both moved to clap a hand on either shoulder. "Figures you two would show up in my moment of glory."

* * *

Aqua allowed a small smile in response to Ven's comment but her attention was quickly drawn to the three horsemen that had setup a protective perimeter around what appeared to be the remains of a campsite. Claire was there now as well, since Aqua had unloaded the girl some distance away from the battle for her own safety. Even so, the apprentice had joined with the horsemen in fending off the mob of lesser Heartless, though the monsters were already fading back into the forest in full retreat.

"That's where Eraq is," Ven told them, allowing himself a weary sigh as he dismissed his celestial weapons. "I think he's alright. There was this big guy guarding him while I fought the dragon."

Aqua couldn't see the person he was talking about, or Eraq for that matter with the three horses roaming about, but she was running towards them before she even realized it, with Terra and Ven right behind her.

The three horseman had dismounted and removed their helmets by the time she reached them, and she froze upon seeing their faces. She recognized all three of them but their names did not immediately come to her.

The first man, blond with a kind smile and reminded her instantly of Ven, bowed politely in greeting. "Ah, Ventus, glad to see you're still in one piece." He eyed both Terra and Aqua curiously. "These must be the boy's parents? I'm Wentai." Without waiting for an answer he introduced his companions in turn. "This is Li Shang, High General to the Emperor," he nodded to the dark haired man beside him and then to the woman with short black hair who was kneeling by a mound of blankets. "And Fa Mulan, Hero of China."

That's right, Aqua remembered them now. They had helped her and Terra on their first visit to this world some years ago, only, the trio didn't recognize them in turn since they had assumed different forms for whatever reason. A tiger and a dragon, wasn't it? Dismissing the trivial thought, Aqua hurried over to Mulan who was checking an unconscious Eraq for any injuries.

Worried brown eyes met hers as she knelt down by her son, Terra close behind her and Ven crouching beside Mulan. "He seems fine, but he won't wake up," the dark haired woman supplied and made a sweeping gesture. "How could he have slept through all of that?"

Aqua placed a tentative hand over her son's forehead and could sense a green haze there. "This sleep is spell induced. It should fade once the caster is destroyed or leaves the area." Seeing that the boy was unharmed and not in any real danger, Aqua's gaze revolved back to Ven, checking him for injuries even though she hadn't noticed any earlier.

Aside from a few nicks and scrapes, he too seemed relatively uninjured, though her eyes were drawn to his right shoulder where a gaping, jagged hole had been ripped through his vest and jacket, revealing bright pink skin. "Ven! What happened?" Leaning over Eraq, she reached out to the blond in order to inspect the newly healed tissue.

"Huh?" Ven blinked dumbly but submitted to her inspection without complaint. "Oh, well, you see, things got kinda dicey without you guys. But I'm fine now, really!" Once Aqua relented and leaned away with a frown, Ven waved his hands earnestly and gave his former wound a mild tap. "Someone left me an elixir and it fixed me right up!"

"Someone?" both Terra and Aqua chorused, glancing to each other with similar expressions of bewilderment.

Momentarily distracted, Aqua looked up at the sound of a deep, ornery voice and finally noticed the "big guy" Ven had mentioned. She felt like she should have remembered his name too, but she was too distracted to focus on names. He had cat-like pointed ears and a drawn and pudgy face and he was sitting in the snow with what looked like a huge lance piercing and rightly stuck through one of his thick arms. The arm was dripping blood but he continued to wave Claire away even though she was obviously only trying to help.

"It has to come out or I won't be able to heal it," the girl argued plaintively.

Aqua crossed over to the two, only leaving Eraq's side because he was in no immediate danger. "Here Claire, let me handle this."

"Yeah," the fat cat agreed with a satisfied nod. "Let someone more experienced han- Ahrwoo!" If he was a cat, he was a cat that could howl like a dog as Aqua mercilessly ripped the spear out of him and proceeded to quickly mend the bloody gap with a high level Curaga.

Claire gawked and the big cat threw his head back and whimpered pathetically. Aqua simply shrugged. "No sense in prolonging what needed to be done."

"That's sure not how Aerith teaches healing in her class," Claire commented wryly and gave the big lug a comforting pat on his good shoulder.

Before Aqua could reply, Ven snapped his fingers suddenly. "Pete, that's his name, right? Or, also known as Captain Justice?"

"That's Friendly Disney Town Janitor to you, Keyboy," Pete spat irritably, rubbed sorely at his arm and gave Aqua a narrow look. "I'll take the _kid's_ treatment next time, thanks."

"Was it you that made all the Heartless go crazy?" Ven asked him.

"Well," Pete started with quirked expression. "I was able to control the lesser Shadows and turn them on the others, but yeah, guess I did make them go crazy."

"You were the one I sensed lurking in the forest then?" Ven pressed further and Pete nodded to each question. "You also setup camp and those elixirs..."

As the two conversed, Aqua moved back to tend to Eraq, though there wasn't much she could do until they either got him away from or dispatched the source of the spell.

"But I don't understand something," Ven was saying. "Who was controlling the other Heartless? I know I heard someone chanting when the dragon evolved mid-battle."

"You mean you really don't know?" Pete nearly guffawed but seemed to think better of it. Before he could even say the witch's name, Aqua bolted to stand upon noting how close Claire had wandered to the treeline.

"Claire! Don't wander off, I can still sense danger in there."

"But that fox I just saw, it was at that castle we checked awhile back, I'm sure of it."

"What fox?" Aqua questioned suspiciously. She remembered seeing no fox in Maleficent's keep, not a single creature in fact.

"Oh, well," Claire hesitated, shifting on her feet uncomfortably. "I didn't mention it because I wasn't even sure it was real at the time, but just now-"

"I'm going to end this," Aqua growled darkly, called forth Rainfell and readied a tight grip on it.

"Aqua," Terra started gently and reached for her but she jerked away from him. "You don't know for sure-"

"Yes," she told him firmly. "I _do_ know." She marched away through the snow, passing Claire and absently noticing the girl's worried gaze as she looked from one of her masters to the other in question. No one moved to stop or dissuade her as she drew deeper into the forest. She wondered if Terra had given some sort of silent signal for everyone to leave her be. That was fine though. She wanted a moment alone with the dark fairy anyway.

She had trekked quite a ways through the woods before she sensed that the dark presence she was after was only a few feet away and perched modestly on a tree branch above, its yellow eyes peering down at her warily.

Aqua knew very well that the thing was not a real fox. "Explain yourself," she hissed up at it, barely keeping her roiling temper harnessed.

The fox turned away briefly, as though it were sighing with boredom before leaping down, though it didn't touch the ground and vanished among a flare of green fire. A black clad witch materialized in its place and she kept her back to Aqua, though turned her horned head slightly to offer a sidelong glance. "I wasn't going to _hurt_ the child," she said with a dismissive gesture at nothing in particular. "He was to be my new servant, and he would have been much more useful than whatever your beloved_ Academy_ will turn him into."

"Maleficent," Aqua growled and bristled, the witch's indifference only fueled her already fiery rage and it was becoming much more than she could handle. "Sora made a truce with you!"

"Oh dear, there seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding," Maleficent cooed as though she were innocent, her voice all sugar and honey. "I agreed to never attempt world domination again. Recruitment, my dear, was never mentioned in the contract."

"Let me get this straight," Aqua ground out between clenched teeth, her whole body quaking furiously. "You were planning to steal _my_ son, turn him into some pawn of darkness, and you expected me and Terra to just sit back and _let_ you?"

"But it matters not now." Maleficent didn't seem to hear the rant or the question therein as she waved a bothered hand. "The boy is too full of light. He would never make a good servant for me in that state, so you can have him back." Her tone suggested she was being gracious, although her version of graciousness probably involved tossing bread crumbs to lowly peasants. "It's a shame really, and rather surprising considering who his father is." She turned a little more to give Aqua a curious once over before smiling wickedly. "In any case, I am patient. Perhaps someday-"

"If you ever come near my son again-!"

"Ah, but what is this familiar darkness I sense?" Maleficent nearly purred and cackled briefly as she turned fully to face the blue haired woman. "Yen Sid didn't tell you, did he?"

"Tell me _what_?" Aqua snarled and swung her Keyblade around in her anger.

The witch only chuckled in answer. "Oh my dear, you'll find I can be very patient indeed." Before Aqua could close the distance between them and attack, Maleficent disappeared with a blaze of black and green, leaving behind more of that sharp, maniacal laughter to echo among the trees.

Thoroughly frustrated and scowling at the white ground for a long, silent moment, Aqua finally lowered her weapon and it shimmered away. _Coward_, she thought, _Stand and fight!_ More than anything, she just wanted to make the witch pay for what she had done to her family.

Well, almost anything.

"Aqua," came Terra's guarded tone from behind. She could hear his and Ven's footsteps and she turned to see them approaching cautiously with Eraq still unconscious and nestled protectively in Terra's arms.

"I was right," she said, eyes not quite meeting his. "It was her."

"It doesn't matter," Terra told her firmly and hefted the boy expressively as he halted in front of her. "_This_ is all that matters now."

The movement seemed to stir the boy and his bright blue eyes fluttered open in what seemed a delirium. Maleficent's absence canceled out the sleep spell just as Aqua thought it would. "Mom?" Eraq blinked at her in disbelief and he turned up to gaze at Terra. "Dad?" The boy's wide smile suddenly banished any and all dark thoughts concerning the evil witch. Besides, knowing her, she probably just wanted the last laugh, quite literally.

"Mom, Dad!" Eraq cried again, eyes filling with tears as he thumped his head against Terra's chest. The sound of utter relief in his voice and the sight of his contorted features as he discharged his pent up torment through a string of incoherent wailing, caused Aqua's defensive walls to crumble in that instant. All the tears she had held back in the past week came crashing forth all at once as she moved to embrace the boy and his father.

She thought she even detected a sob or too wracking Terra's body, but didn't pay it any mind, she was too busy covering the boy's face and head in kisses while wiping away his tears as well as her own.

"Ven," Terra called over his shoulder, his deep voice wavering. "Get over here."

_Yes, Ven,_ Aqua thought idly and looked up as the blond drew beside them hesitantly. Both she and Terra reached out with one arm and pulled him into their reuniting hug.

Aqua found that it was impossible to differentiate the laughter from the weeping.

* * *

Terra felt an overwhelming wave of relief pass over him. Relieved mainly because Ven and Eraq were finally safe, but also because of Aqua's sudden emotional recovery. It wasn't just Eraq and Ven he had retrieved. He had gotten his wife back as well.

He could feel the light of her love swelling and smothering the darkness, that lurking creature she had developed deep inside her heart, until it was nearly nonexistent. He guessed that he could only sense the fragment that remained because he was so attuned to the element himself.

As they made their way back to the campsite where the others had waited for them, Eraq had demanded to be held by his mother. Terra took no offense to the demand though; it was natural for a child to want his mother after such a trying circumstance. Not to mention that Aqua was more than willing to take him. He guessed the outcome would have been the same even if Eraq hadn't made his demand.

Mulan, Shang and Wentai met them at the tree line and Terra could see that the other search party had arrived and was congregated some distance away by the idling horses. He hadn't noticed earlier, but apparently Angelo had been, and still was, perched on one of the mounts. Rinoa was over there now, shower the dog in affection and tears of joy while Leon stood beside her and Sora and Kairi stood some ways back, talking softly to Claire as she was no doubt filling them in on events. Sora soon turned his attention to Pete and with a huge grin, proceeded in tormenting the huge cat.

"Oh good," Mulan said with a smile aimed at the small boyin Aqua's arms. "He finally woke up."

Eraq sniffed but didn't turn his head or acknowledge anyone, but kept his head firmly planted against Aqua's chest. All he knew and all that mattered to him at the moment was his mother, and clinging to her as though she would disappear at any instance. Though such an outcome was unlikely since she in turn held onto him with just as much desperation.

Ven moved to shake hands with Wentai and nodded to the others. "Thanks again for all your help."

"My pleasure Ventus," Wentai replied and turned to Terra and Aqua curiously. "But I can't help but feel like we've met before."

"We were thinking the same thing," Mulan added with a shared glance to Shang.

"We have," Terra answered as he reached up to pull at a thin chain from under the collar of his inner shirt. His gold wedding ring hung from it, but what made Mulan and Shang gawk was the black and white trinket that accompanied the ring.

Aqua did the same and produced the twin to his ring and counterpart to his pendent, jostling Eraq a bit in order to complete the task. Part of the reason they didn't display the rings on their hands was mostly for practicality, as their day to day lives often included combat training with Keyblades, thus the risk of damaging them was fairly high, although Terra liked to think it was more about keeping the bond closer to their hearts.

"The tiger and the dragon?" Mulan and Shang chorused in disbelief, though they obviously couldn't remember their names after so much time had passed.

The look of recognition on Wentai's face however, was unmistakable; he would have never forgotten them. "You mean Terra and Aqua?" He looked to each of them in a new light, awed. "You really _were_ human after all!"

Terra and Aqua both nodded with a smile. "Thank you for watching out for our boys," Aqua said, kissed Eraq's head and reached out with one hand to cup Ven's cheek tenderly. The blond rolled his eyes briefly but did not lean away from her touch.

Terra's mind was buzzing and he didn't catch much of the following exchanges. He felt both exhausted and drunk with contentment. He was only slightly aware of Sora's approach, as he had apparently grown bored with Pete and was moving on to his next victims to tease, throwing an exaggerated arm over both Mulan and Shang and eliciting laughter from them both. "There, you see? Everything worked out in the end."

Any further introductions between the motley groups were promptly repressed as Terra instinctively moved to catch his wife when she nearly collapsed beside him. He noted with a fleeting amusement that her hold on Eraq didn't so much as slip. "Aqua!" Shifting her weight around, he lifted her off her feet and held both her and Eraq close to his chest.

"Is she ok?" Ven asked, his eyes reflecting what Terra deemed the personification of concern.

Aqua's mouth moved slightly but she appeared too drained to produce any voice, her eyes drooping shut as she nuzzled Eraq's fluffy dark hair. The boy himself had passed out again moments earlier. Terra could only smile warmly at the two. "I think the ordeal has just caught up with her," he told Ven. "She hasn't slept in days." _Not to mention she's pregnant and hasn't been eating like she should._

"Oh," Ven replied with a worried nod. "We should let her rest then."

"Yeah." Terra nodded back. "In fact we could all use a good rest." He looked up to see the other team had all gathered around with concern. Pete was trying his best to act aloof in the background. Sora had moved to link hands with Kairi, both of them wearing goofy grins. Rinoa was holding a squirming Angelo as the dog whined and licked her face exuberantly. Leon was eying the canine dubiously while Claire watched everyone curiously from beside him and Rinoa.

Terra returned his content smile to the ones in his arms. "It's time to go home."

* * *

Aqua was only partially aware of things as Terra set her down in her seat inside the ship. As delirious as she was, she wasn't about to release her hold on her son, safety protocol or not, and she was glad when Terra made no move to enforce it. He simply buckled her in and placed a gentle kiss on both her and Eraq's heads.

The ship roared to life and she was sleeping deeply before it even lifted into the sky.

She felt like she had only been asleep for mere moments when Terra nudged her awake. "We're home. Are you alright?"

She nodded feebly, or at least she tried too, not entirely sure how successful she was. "Fine." It was truly astonishing how quickly her strength had left her after everything was set right. She wondered how it was that Terra was still holding up. Had he just paced himself better? "What about you?"

He smirked, a spark of amusement dancing in his cobalt blue eyes. "I think I can make it to our apartment."

"Don't toy with me," she threw back at him coyly, feeling a flicker of mischief for the first time in awhile. "If you're incapable of completing the task then just leave us right here."

"No, no, I'm capable," he nearly whined at her defensively as he leaned down to once again slip his arms under her legs and back respectively. Without much effort he lifted her and the still snoozing Eraq into his steadfast hold before heading through the ship to the exit. Aqua glanced around but guessed that Ven and Claire must have left already. "But as soon as I'm in bed, I'm not moving for _three whole days_."

"Three days?" she asked incredulously.

"Three days."

* * *

It turned out Aqua had three days to think long and hard about her new decision. On their third day of lounging about in bed, she finally discussed it with Terra.

"Are you sure?" he asked her, his voice and eyes anxious as he cupped her face with one hand. "You're willing to give it up, just like that?"

"It isn't a decision I've come to easily." Blinking her eyes with a brief regret she placed her hand over his. "It's what needs to happen."

"But," Terra hesitated, eyes drawn away dismally. "It's become a part of who you are. And I can't help but feel like I'm to blame for this."

"It's time I made my priorities clear." Reaching over, she brought his dark blues in line with hers. "To everyone."

Sighing in defeat, he nodded against his pillow. "It's probably for the best that you give it up."

"Give what up?" Eraq wanted to know as he stormed into the bedroom with his black moogle tucked under one arm, thereafter crawling onto the bed between them. Aqua smiled warmly at him. It hadn't taken long for the boy to grow extremely bored with all the sleeping.

"None of your business little man!" Terra barked playfully, snatched the boy into a bear hug and proceeded to ruffle up a nice cloud of static in his dark blue hair.

"Argh, not that, no!" Eraq squirmed and howled, feigning displeasure though it was quickly contradicted by the contagious laughter that followed.

Aqua's smile only grew more as the two tussled on the bed in front of her. Yes, this was the right decision.

* * *

"Are you sure?" came Riku's response, his aquamarine eyes considered her carefully, giving Aqua an ironic deja vu. They stood just inside the council room with Sora and Ven, though she had made it clear that the matter was not worth sitting for.

She nodded determinedly and grabbed Ven's arm to pull him forward. The blond's mouth had nearly hit the floor after Aqua's suggestion and he continued to gawk at her in disbelief. Sora, who still stood beside Riku, had had a similar reaction. "You what?"

"I'm stepping down," Aqua repeated for him, no less determination in her voice as the first time she said it. "And I'm nominating Ventus to succeed me. He demonstrated the greatest selflessness and self-sacrifice during the crisis. He is amiable and he cares about everyone; he has the makings of a great leader."

"But Aqua, you can't-"

"No excuses Ven," she cut in gently. "I don't feel worthy to lead anymore. And-" she paused to glance away with a sudden pink gracing her cheeks. "I'll be out of commission for awhile."

There was an awkward silence that followed. Both Sora and Ven frowned and scratched their heads in confusion while Riku scrutinized her carefully before understanding dawned on him. "Oh."

"Oh?" Sora questioned and gave Riku a playful shove. "What's that mean? I don't get it."

Riku cleared his throat objectively, obviously intending to steer the conversation elsewhere. "If that is your decision Aqua, then we will put Ven's appointment as your successor for Grand Master to a vote."

"But Aqua-" Ven started to interject again, only to freeze as she placed a finger to his mouth to hush him.

"You'll do wonderfully," she told him and brushed his messy bangs away in order to tenderly kiss his forehead. "I believe in you Ven." She smiled at his speechlessness and took the opportunity to make her exit without another word.

The three men stared after her for a moment. "I still don't get it," Sora grumbled, arms crossed in a pout as he glared at his best friend.

"And I'm not explaining it."

* * *

"Well?"

"It's done," Aqua declared, a soaring expression lighting across her beautiful face as she joined him in the sun. "I'm a free woman."

"Well," Terra said, a bright mischief playing in his eyes. "As free as you can get." He gently pulled her close to puff at her blue bangs affectionately.

"No sir," she remarked with a smug tone. "I am as free as the ocean tide. Any attempts at holding me down will be frustrated, wholly and completely."

Their differing shades of blue met in a mutual amusement.

"Is that so?"

"It is."

They both turned distractedly when Eraq's delighted laughter responded to a bath via Angelo's tongue. "Ok, ok, stop already!" the boy howled and waved the dog away. "I'll throw it, _I'll throw it_!" Once the dog let him up, the dark haired boy grabbed at a stray ball and tossed it for her, which elicited a string of excited barks as she lunged for the wayward sphere.

He turned his gaze to his parents and a beaming grin split his features.

It was in that instant that Aqua realized, that smile, was what she had fought so hard to pursue.

* * *

White. It was white everywhere. An unusual coincidence of snow had graced Radiant Garden the day Yukimura was born and now it covered everything around the Academy, from high up on the clocktower's roof, to the training courtyards below.

Sitting on a bench among one of the freshly dusted courtyards, Aqua sighed contentedly, her warm breath puffing out a cloud against the chilly air. Being cooped up for three days after giving birth had nearly drove her crazy. Thankfully Terra had finally agreed to an outing and she was relishing the pure, crisp air. It was refreshing and she didn't think the odds of convincing her to go back indoors was very good. Terra would probably have to drag her back in kicking and screaming.

"Be careful Eraq," she told the six year old, her attention suddenly drawn down to him. He sat in the three inches of snow, cradling the newborn as he had been instructed, though he was somewhat distracted by Marlene and Denzel beside him and had let Yuki's head slip a fraction. "She's still very fragile." The boy nodded with as much seriousness that a six year old could muster, but his correction came too late and Yuki began to wail at his blunder.

Aqua cringed and she could hear Terra's annoyance from nearby. "Yep, there she goes." So far, Yuki was not a quiet baby, and her unpleasant cries caused Eraq and his friends to quickly lose interest.

Sighing wearily, Aqua took the newborn from him and attempted to calm her before the tantrum grew too gruesome. "Sorry Mom," Eraq murmured with a frown. She waved him off and he stormed away after his friends without another word.

"What is it with this one?" Terra wondered with a cringe of his own, drawing beside her and running a hand over the baby's fuzzy white hair. "So cranky."

"Eraq must have taken all the happiness out of me," Aqua deadpanned. "I had nothing left to give her."

"Ha-ha," Terra mock-laughed and scratched at his head in dismay as the baby only seemed to resent his voice and cried louder.

Aqua bounced and shushed at her baby girl, rearranged her many layers and wrapping her more securing against the cold. They hadn't thought the weather would effect her too much so long as they didn't keep her out in it too long, but then again maybe she was starting to dislike her element.

Once the wailing had eased, and Yuki's face softened from its former contortions, Aqua found herself once again surprised to be staring at a pair of dark blue orbs that were not her husband's. The baby stared right back and gurgled, probably complaining about her careless brother.

She had no more than got the girl settled when the next challenger stepped up. "Can I hold her?" Claire asked, pale blue eyes hopeful. "Sarah want's to see her but she's too shy to ask."

Unsure if the baby would remain stable, Aqua hesitated but finally nodded her approval and handed her over to the apprentice, who then wandered over to a circle of kids where her sister sat, all of them fawning over the newborn. By some miracle, Yuki didn't start balling the minute she was taken. Perhaps she liked all the attention?

The baby was proving to be quite the commodity within the community. In the past hour alone, the child had been passed from Aerith to Yuffie, Tifa and most recently before Eraq, Rinoa, who was close to expecting her own little bundle of "joy" soon.

Now it was the younger generation showing an interest in her. All of which was fine with Aqua; she could use a nice break.

Releasing a relaxed sigh, Aqua stared around at the endless white snow and felt her brows furrow with the same recurring thought she had had since the child was born. "I'll never understand genetics," Aqua grumbled. Honestly, where had the white hair come from? Certainly not from Terra.

"Hey, there's some blue in there somewhere," Terra joked, giving her a playful nudge.

"Yeah, maybe if she's sitting in the element she's named for."

Terra shrugged. "Still counts."

The sound of crunching snow made them turn to see that Ven had approached. "Hey guys. You planned a family outing and didn't invite me?"

"Ven," Aqua greeted with a smile before aiming a pointed gesture at her husband. "Correspondence is _his_ job. It's all I could do to talk him into letting me out in the first place."

"I knew you'd show up sooner or later," Terra said, clapping the blond's shoulder with a grin.

Giving Terra a narrow look, Ven turned to Aqua. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he sat down on the bench beside her.

"I'm fine," she told him fondly and reached over to pull his head closer so that their heads touched, ear to ear. Ah, her beloved first child. Her easy, _calm_ child. How she cherished him.

Even though Eraq was obedient and happy most the time, it was still hard keeping up with him. Aqua often wondered if she and Terra had given the master as much of a hard time when they were that age.

Not wanting to be left out, Terra joined them and sat on Aqua's other side, reclined and stretched a long arm across the back rest of the bench.

"Do you mind?" Aqua grumbled at her husband. "I'm trying to have a moment with the boy." She knew very well that Ven was no longer a boy; that he had been a man for many years already. To her though, he would always be that goodhearted young boy he had been when he appeared in their lives so long ago.

"What? I've done nothing wrong," Terra defended, though while Aqua's gaze was turned in his direction he biffed Ven upside the head.

"Hey!" the blond yowled and sent the brunette a threatening glare that danced with a playful edge. "Do that again!"

Aqua rolled her eyes. "Yes, do it again," she hissed at her childish husband and dug an elbow into his ribcage.

"Ok, ok!" The dark haired male held up his hands, wincing. "I surrender! Continue with your little _moment_."

"It's too late. It's been ruined."

Terra blew out a bothered sigh. "Do I have to fix everything?" Reaching out again, he pulled Ven's head to touch Aqua's once more and pressed his own brown locks against her blue tresses, so that the three of them were squeezed together in a tri-colored mess of hair.

"Oh yes, this is much better," Aqua commented dryly, causing Ven to snort and Terra to hum with amusement. Though if she was to be honest, the contentment swelling in her chest was overwhelming.

Then the tender moment ended with a plaintive cry, and Aqua sighed.

Parenthood was proving to be a much greater sacrifice than she could have ever imagined.

* * *

_AN: I really hope this chapter wasn't a let down for all the hype that led up to it. :/ Please let me know what you thought! Also, only a short Epilogue remains, so prepare yourself for this to end soon! I welcome your questions! I am really curious to know what you guys are thinking._


	17. of a Future

Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

**Pursuit**

_AN: For anyone that wondered, Yuki's name was highly influence by my love of Yukimura in the Sengoku Basara anime. Though in the end, the main reasons I chose the name was because I wanted her to have an element like her parents, her white hair also played a big factor. _

_It is my hope that any questions you have will be answered here.(or leave you even more confused hehe) I also hope you all like the extensive family interactions and that all the new character descriptions doesn't bother anyone too much. If you find yourself getting lost, I drew up a simple family tree on DA.(it has spoilers for this chapter though, so if you can get by without it, please do) The link to it is on my profile._

_Enjoy the ending!_

**Epilogue – of a Future**

* * *

"I'm serious!" Eraq exclaimed fervently, hands held out in his desperate attempt to be understood. "They just disappeared in this huge flash of light!"

Aqua watched her teenager closely as he interacted with his friends. He was sixteen now and was demonstrating a new desire to be superior among them. She was pretty sure that tendency came from his father, though Terra often denied the claim with zeal. He certainly _looked_ like his father though, with long dark bangs framing a handsome face that was more prone to grin than frown, and bright blue eyes that were always focused on the one thing he wanted most at any given moment. And at that moment, what he desired most of all was a Keyblade of his own.

A pleasant breeze tugged at Aqua's sapphire hair and she looked up to see fluffy white clouds floating against a gentle blue sky. It was a good day for the test. Distracted, she gave her surroundings a sweep, her azure eyes caught on a gilded boulder and she found herself suddenly caught up in a wave of nostalgia.

The Land of Departure. Her first home. The one she _remembered_ anyway. The home of her parents had been wiped away from memory for one reason or another. Whether it was trauma induced amnesia or wrought by a spell, she never discovered, though she wouldn't have put it past the master to erase memories that would have only caused pain.

This beloved world of hers, restored and brimming with the beauty it once had, was now the proving ground for young apprentices. She stood at the foot of the golden staircase that led up to the grand castle, though her gaze was aimed across the training courtyard where her son and his two friends awaited their test for Keyblade compatibility.

Returning her full attention to the trio, she could just barely make out their conversation, though they weren't exactly quiet about it. All three were very excited to be getting their weapons today, be it Keyblade or otherwise. Denzel, who had bright brown hair, sea-green eyes and a withdrawn, submissive demeanor, was thirteen. While Marlene on the other hand, with a darker shade of brown hair and equally brown eyes, was fourteen and exuberant, often giving her companions a sass that they could not compete with.

Aqua's gaze narrowed at the girl's proximity to her son. Recently she wasn't sure how she felt about their familiarity, although they _had_ grown up together, much like her and Terra, so their camaraderie was only natural. The way the two interacted though, was firing off warning lights in her mind, only to calm when Denzel stepped into the equation, making Aqua feel a little better about their close dynamic.

"Yeah right," Marlene scoffed and waved a hand dismissively. "Next you'll be saying a Keyblade magically appeared in your hand."

"Well, yeah, actually one did."

"And I say you were dreaming."

"Maybe I was," Eraq jeered, (and Aqua wasn't sure she liked his tone of choice.) "We'll find out today, now won't we?"

Marlene simply gave off a distinctive "humph" of derision and looked away from him.

"Come on guys, don't fight," Denzel interceded with a nervous smile. "This is an exciting day, don't make it depressing."

In all honesty, the trio were being very patient considering the delay. They had already been waiting a few hours for their test to begin and almost everyone was assembled for the event, everyone except Sora.

Kairi had just delivered twins a few days ago, a boy and a girl, named Roxas and Xion for whatever reason. Aqua hadn't a clue where in the world the odd names had come from, in fact, Sora himself said he wasn't entirely sure but that the names just "came to him" upon seeing the twins for the first time.

As a second-time father, the newborns were keeping Sora extremely busy, especially since Kairi had been unusually exhausted after the birth, thus distracting the Grand Master from his normal duties. No one really minded the delay though; the visit to this sacred land was rare, used only for the Mark of the Keyblade tests and the Mark of Mastery exams. Both of which required the presence of all three Grand Masters to oversee the events.

The youngest attendees were practically buzzing with the excitement of traveling to another world besides the home they were so used to. With her thoughts drifting to said youngsters, Aqua took a quick scan of the area for them, noting with wide eyes where her ten year old daughter was currently located. Not far off, and attempting to scale one of the bigger floating boulders, Yuki was nearly half way up and appeared determined to make it to the top.

"Yuki, get down," Aqua called out gently, though after she was either not heard or outright ignored she honed in with a firmer tone. "Get down!"

The girl paused for a fraction of a second but continued to climb, as though she had dismissed the better judgment in her head to obey.

"Yuki_mura_!" Aqua called again, only sounding out the child's full name when she meant business. And _boy_ did she mean business! Storming over and halting by the flouting boulder, she briefly glared down at the two boys that often accompanied her daughter. Angeal, who was eight years old and Auron, who was nine. (Was there some odd coincidence that dictated a clique be made of three? And two boys and a girl at that?) Both boys instantly dropped their gazes timidly, as if they certainly had nothing to do with her daughter's current activity. She knew better. She had lived this scenario and it had not ended well at all.

Shooting her gaze back up the expanse of the giant rock to her disobedient child, and fully prepared to climb it herself in order to retrieve her, Aqua gave one last, clear command. "_Get down_."

"Yes _mother_," the girl enunciated flippantly with an annoyed roll of her eyes and a sigh. Apparently she thought that two could play that game, her version of the title being "mother" instead of just "mom".

The girl began climbing down slowly, no doubt in order to prolong the time before her punishment. Aqua blew out a frustrated breath, fuming. She just couldn't understand where the white haired girl got her attitude. Why couldn't she be more like her master, Lightning? Claire, she remembered, was always obedient, and respected her elders at that age.

Crossing her arms impatiently, Aqua turned back to the boys nearby as they tried desperately not to look nervous. "And just what do you two have to say about this?"

"His idea," Auron supplied after a moment's hesitation and aimed a pointed finger at the other boy. His dark amber eyes still wouldn't meet hers and he scratched at his spiky, dark gray hair nervously.

"Oh thanks!" Angeal whined at his mutinous cohort. His sky-blue eyes met Aqua's briefly before hanging his head in shame, his long black bangs shifting to cloak his face. "Sorry Master Aqua."

"Not as sorry as her," Aqua stated pointedly as she turned her stern gaze to a dejected Yuki after she had finally dropped to the ground in front of her.

Aqua felt her expression soften slightly at the sight of her daughter. In almost every way it was like a staring into a mirror, or perhaps a better illustration: like staring into a fountain of youth. The only differences between Yuki and herself at that age was the white hair, with a slight tint of blue if one looked hard enough, and those cobalt blue eyes that seemed to have an eternal fire blazing inside them, just like her father's.

The girl was chancing a hopeful look when Aqua reformed her resolve and hardened her expression once more. "Yuki, when I tell you something-" she berated, only to be interrupted when the girl's face lit up and she suddenly lunged to embrace a tall, dark figure.

"Daddy!" she cooed at Terra, all innocence and sweet smiles. "Did you see me? I almost made it to the top!"

"Erm, well?" Terra could only stutter under his wife's annoyed scrutiny, scratching at his head and nearly as nervous looking as the young boys nearby. "I-I think your mother still has something to say..."

Oh? Aqua wondered silently. Was the death glare actually working this time? She was about to finish her earlier rebuke when Terra leaned down to whisper in Yuki's ear, though Aqua could clearly hear him anyway. "_Run_!"

The girl didn't waste a single blink, running breakneck for her brother and his friends across the courtyard. The two boys on the other hand took a little longer to respond, but after a pathetically conspicuous signal from Terra, they too took off in fear of Aqua's fury.

The blue haired Keybearer growled in aggravation. Aqua had come to the unfortunate realization years ago that Yuki was 'daddy's little girl' and there was quite literally nothing she could do about it. If she pursued, Terra would always distract her in various... ways; it had happened too many times to recount and she saw no point in fighting the system anymore.

"Terra," she groaned dismally. "You can't keep _doing_ that."

"Doing what?" he wondered, sounding almost as innocent as his daughter. He drew behind her, wrapped both arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. "Just watch."

Aqua grumbled with annoyance, not falling for his distraction, but continued to watch their daughter's retreat anyway. Only then did she notice the pink haired Lightning perched atop a much smaller floating boulder, right in line with Yuki's route and poised like a crouching hunter. Aqua couldn't help but smirk with satisfaction when the young girl, completely oblivious to her waiting master's presence, was suddenly caught by the back of her collar like a misbehaving kitten caught by the scruff by its mother.

"Told you," Terra commented, absently glancing to see the outcome he had predicted. "Light will set her straight."

Feeling her irritation begin to ebb, Aqua leaned into him but remained silent as she watched the rosy-haired Guardian lay into her apprentice after she had set her back on the ground. Yuki hung her head, but nodded dejectedly a few times to the rebuke as Lightning quickly turned her attention to the two boys that had been trailing the girl. After saying a few stern words to them as well, along with a decisive, sweeping gesture, they both took off toward their own parents, leaving Yuki to fend for herself.

Each boy went straight for his respective parents, all of whom had congregated with Riku, Ven, Cloud and Lea at the center of the training grounds; they hadn't seemed to be aware of the boys' antics.

Zack seemed to be in deep conversation with Riku when Angeal slunk stealthily by his mother, who eyed him with a suspicious though amused smile. The boy then lunged a sneak attack at his black haired father, only to be expertly sidestepped and caught in midair, arms flailing wildly as Zack roughed him up with an exuberant grin. As soon as the boy had been freed he scrambled to hide behind his mother, though Aerith only offered him a laugh and a pat on the head. Aqua could imagine her saying something like "Nice try, you'll get him next time sweetie."

Auron was a completely different case, running instead to his mother and embracing her timidly. Rinoa merely looked at him with a gentle smile and stroked his spiky black-gray hair fondly. Leon stood some feet away from them, but was as detached as always, seeming to gaze at the sky or horizon as though expecting some new enemy to appear at any moment. Some habits never died, even during a time of peace. He didn't seem to recognize his own withdrawn state, but his son certainly did.

When the boy looked back up to his mother to say something, Rinoa merely tipped her head and replied with what Aqua guessed was some form of encouragement, possibly something like: "Go on, he won't bite." The boy did not look convinced. Leon hadn't taken to fatherhood very gracefully, and even after nine years, was still struggling with the idea that he had a son that wanted nothing more but his acknowledgment. It was a rather sad case in Aqua's eyes but she had her own problems.

Looking back to Yuki's position, the girl was now sitting cross-legged on the ground at Lightning's feet and appeared to be getting the lecture of the century. Yuki stared hard at her lap, nodding her head every now and then as her master berated her. Lightning was twenty-two now, with a tenacious confidence that tolerated guff from no one. She was proving to be a very competent, strict mentor to the girl, to which Aqua was eternally grateful. She needed to get it from _someone_, for she sure wasn't getting it from her parents. _Not from a lack of effort though!_

"There is darkness in her, Terra," she finally said with dismay, and although they had had this conversation many times in the past, the matter was becoming more and more prominent in her mind. If Yuki was this unruly at ten, then what was she going to be like at thirteen? Aqua shuddered at the thought and tried to give her husband a look, who was still clinging to her from behind, but he appeared to have been attempting to hide in her shoulder-length blue hair from the sharp glare of sunlight. How he could think he would be able to nap while standing up was beyond her.

"Hm?" he sounded out lazily and raised his head to give their daughter a thoughtful look before he turned back and gave Aqua's head a gentle nudge with his own. "What is a drop of darkness, in a sea of purity?"

"For the inexperienced? A risk and a nightmare I don't care to revisit." Although she had come to terms with darkness and its place in the world a long time ago, seeing too much of it and at such a young age was disconcerting to say the least. Especially since it was her own child.

"She has a good master."

"You and I both know," Aqua told him solemnly with a poignant pause, "that even the _best_ master, can make mistakes."

Terra's eyes drifted to their teenage son across the courtyard. "Yeah," he murmured distantly.

There was a long silence between them after that and Aqua could only assume that he was at a loss to respond. Frowning briefly, she turned and kissed his cheek before pulling out of his hold. Her husband was in one of his brooding moods and she would leave him to it. "I'll talk to Lightning, see what she thinks."

Terra nodded, suddenly sullen. Whatever was on his mind, it seemed important and heavy, but she could tell he wasn't ready to talk about it.

After seeing Lightning dismiss her apprentice, Aqua started her way over to the confident Guardian, deep in thought herself.

When Terra finally _was_ ready to talk about it, she only hoped she was ready to hear it.

* * *

Terra found himself distressed for probably the millionth time since Yuki had been born. Of course, it hadn't started the _very_ day she was born, but rather, the day Ven had mentioned a certain incident involving Eraq.

The pieces had slowly been falling into place after that, and he didn't like the picture they were forming.

"The test will begin soon." Startled, Terra looked up to see his blond friend staring at him quizzically. He hadn't even been aware of his approach. "Sorry man, you ok?"

The brunette scratched at his head, embarrassed to have been caught off guard. "Yeah, fine. Just, thinking."

"Uh-oh, Terra's thinking again. I can see why Aqua left in such a hurry." The comment earned him a shove and Ven chuckled, a brilliant humor dancing in his eyes. "Anyway, do you think Eraq will be able to summon one?"

"I don't know," Terra replied softly, eyes downcast in contemplation. "Maybe."

"Hey, come on, what's that about?" Ven wondered, giving his friend a thump on the shoulder. "Aren't you excited for him?"

Terra allowed for a long pause in order to gather his thoughts. He hadn't discussed the matter with anyone yet. Not even Aqua, though he had his reasons for that. "Ven, if what you said is true, if Eraq really has inherited a fragment of the master..."

"Huh? Where did that come from?" Ven questioned, giving his fellow a close look and curious tilt of the head. "That was a long time ago, you know."

"But If Eraq has the master, then does that mean Yuki-" Terra swallowed thickly, the sudden pain in his throat almost too unbearable. "Does she have _his_ fragment, somewhere deep inside?"

"Terra, I told you," Ven started, arms crossed confidently. "What I saw, I saw half conscious. And even if Master Eraqus _did_ find some way to live on inside Eraq, he hasn't taken control in any way, as far as I can tell." He offered a comforting smile. "Eraq is Eraq."

"Then tell me, what is Yuki?"

Ven sighed, effectively side-stepping the question. "Have you discussed this with Aqua?"

"Only about the darkness we sense in her," Terra answered honestly, watching as his wife sat down beside Lightning some ways off. "But Aqua worries enough, you _know_ she does. I don't want to burden her with my suspicions." He then looked to see Yuki creeping up on her unsuspecting brother. Normally he would have smirked at the scene and possibly even placed bets with Ven on the outcome. But his eyes shown only a deep seated uneasiness as he watched. "This could kill her."

"So you're letting it kill _you_ instead," Ven commented, studying his friend carefully with discerning blue eyes. Speechless, Terra opened his mouth to deny it but found he could not, which allowed for Ven to continue. "I think that Aqua is hurting too though. She just doesn't know why exactly."

Terra sighed in defeat after a moment, nodding dejectedly as he stared at the ground. "You win Ven. I'll tell her."

Ven nodded with that usual smirk of his when he finally got his way and looked to watch Yuki as she finally managed to pounce on Eraq. The teen appeared to have been deep in conversation with his friends and had not anticipated his sister's assault from behind. He spun around in response but the girl had latched on to his neck with a determined exclamation of some kind. Probably "got you!" or some such nonsense as Eraq tried to dislodge his unwelcome passenger, though he was obviously grinning and barking back a playful retort of some kind.

"What's truly important," Ven began solemnly, stealing Terra's attention away from the tender moment between his children. "Is when we face our darkest night," he paused, smiling gently and gave Terra a meaningful look. "That we recognize our single ray of light."

* * *

_An endless, dark plane stretched out under a black sky filled with innumerable celestial bodies. What served as the floor looked more like placid water, reflecting perfectly the starry heavens above, so that both blended as one. Two beings stood facing each other, an ethereal glow about them. One originated from the darkness, the other, the light. Now though, both dwelt in a realm between._

"_Don't you find it astonishing?" the dark one began. "How we seem to have come full circle, Brother?"_

"_We may have been brothers, once."_

"_Ah, and yet, we are siblings once again."_

"_We are but fragments, lost in an ocean between the elements," the one of light corrected. "Do not try and warp the situation."_

"_Always the absolutes with you. Can you not even find a sliver of humor in our predicament?"_

"_I take comfort in knowing I may live on and watch over those I love. That is all."_

"_Frivolous sentiments."_

"_It is all I have left."_

"_Indeed."_

"_Perhaps it's time you found something to cherish, old friend."_

"_...Perhaps."_

* * *

"She's a good kid deep down," the pink-haired Gunblade wielder admitted to Aqua. The two women were sitting on the ground, gazes aimed at the child they had been discussing. "She just needs a little _persistent_ _motivation_ to keep heading in the right direction."

"Thank you Cl- Lightning," Aqua corrected herself and offered a sheepish smile. Often when she looked at her former apprentice, she could only see the quiet, respectful young girl that had went by Claire for so long. With the intent of growing up quickly and becoming stronger for her younger sister, she had changed her name when she was fifteen shortly after her mother died of an unknown illness. She had indeed grown strong and capable, though Aqua always knew she would, and she didn't believe the name change had had anything to do with it. "Seems like I trained you too well."

Lightning said nothing in response, though Aqua could plainly see a complacent smirk on her striking features. It often astounded her how, although still young, Lightning remained single despite being surrounded by countless prospective suitors. Granted though, she showed no interest at all in pursuing any form of relationship. She had her friends, to be sure, but no one special. And she seemed to have absolutely no desire to follow after the current fad of having kids.

No, Lightning was focused on her goals, much like the element itself, striking precisely and without hesitation. Perhaps that was the real truth behind the name.

A high pitched whirring zoomed overhead and Aqua looked up to see Sora's Gummi ship pulling down into a landing where all the other ships were parked. If he was here, then they could finally start the test. There was some cheers of excitement over where Eraq and the other two candidates were gathered.

"It's time then," Lightning said and stood. Aqua followed suit and everyone began to congregate around the raised platform where the ceremony would be held.

As Sora debarked, it quickly became apparent as to why he had arrived in a ship and not simply in Keyblade armor and glider. Aqua couldn't help but smile at the sight as Sora turned and waited patiently for his four year old daughter to tumble out of the ship behind him. He appeared to say something to her and reached towards her to encompass one of her tiny hands in his before leading her over to the gathering place.

Aqua chuckled lightly as the little girl pulled out of her father's grasp and made a beeline for Aerith, who often played the role of community babysitter. With a wide grin not unlike her father's, the girl nearly crashed into the woman just so she could deliver a fierce hug.

"Hello Naminé," Aerith greeted pleasantly as she knelt down to the girl's level and placed a fond hand to her pale blond head. The pink-clad brunet often complained about how so many children regarded her as their second mother, though she obviously enjoyed the occupation.

Turning away from the adorable child, Aqua looked to Sora and asked the question everyone was wondering. "How's Kairi?"

Sora's carefree expression slipped for an instant but he quickly recovered. "She's still pretty weak, but she'd doing ok now." He grinned. "The twins are great too, nice and quiet."

"Lucky!" Lea grumbled nearby, arms crossed as he shot wary glances to his side every now and then. "Isa and Braig were nasty screamers from day one." Two identical boys with black hair like Yuffie's, one with sea-green eyes and the other with dark brown, were named after the two men that had sacrificed themselves during the final battle with Xehanort. They were only a year older than Naminé and both were fidgeting restlessly beside their father. Aqua knew from experience that the two little hurricanes would not be maintained for much longer.

Sora offered a weary, consoling smile to the spiky red-head. "Tifa and Yuffie volunteered to stay behind with Kairi," he said and turned to Marlene and Denzel with an apologetic frown. "Sorry they couldn't be here, you two."

"That's ok," Marlene replied, hands clasped behind her back respectfully. "I'm happy as long as Dad's here." She moved to hug her father and Cloud returned the embrace with a gentle expression. But he earned himself a growl of annoyance from her when he placed one hand on her head with a wry smirk. "Don't you _dare_. I've got it just the way I want it." To anyone else, Cloud's fond gesture seemed innocent enough, but Marlene obviously knew better.

A spark seemed to flash in Cloud's eyes and Marlene couldn't get away from him fast enough before he ruffled her brown hair up into a nice, frazzled mess. He got a furious screech and a swat on the chest for his trouble but he merely snickered and stepped back as his daughter raved at him. Unlike Leon, Cloud had eventually eased into parenthood and even seemed to be enjoying the experience.

"Tell me the truth," Denzel put to his father in a dead tone. "Mom just wanted a break from the twin plagues, didn't she?"

One of the twins frowned, probably Isa as he was the more inquisitive of the two, and tugged at Lea's pant leg insistently. "Dad, what's a play-guz?"

Lea sighed with annoyance and made a shooing motion at the twins. "Just go over there and play, find a bug to torment or something." When the two young boys shared a mischievous grin between them and ran off, Lea gave his eldest a dry look. "Really Son, you shouldn't call your brothers a plague." He and Denzel glanced to see the boys howling with delight as they found their first victim amid a patch of grass. "Not when the apocalypse is the more accurate term."

"Can I go play too Dad?" Naminé called up to her father, nearly unintelligibly as her words slurred from such a young mouth, her shining azure eyes hopeful.

Sora looked down to her and then to the twins and back again with a nod and a grin. "Go have fun, but don't wander away from that spot, understand?"

Naminé nodded exuberantly and tottered over to the dark haired twins, integrating with them flawlessly even though they only acknowledged her briefly before returning to hassle their chosen insect.

Aqua suddenly found herself staring at a head full of midnight blue hair as her son came to stand in front of her. He had his head lowered slightly as he peered at her anxiously, possibly for the first time feeling nervous about the test. "This is it."

Aqua smiled softly with a gentle tip of her head. "Only the first step of many." Reaching out to pull him close, she brushed at his long bangs and kissed his forehead. Absently, she noticed how he had to stoop a bit in order for her to complete the gesture. He was already a little taller than her and well on his way to rival his father.

Most boys his age would have resented such blatant coddling, but he submitted to it without complaint, even stepping back with a nod and an appreciative smile. He was not quick enough to dodge out of the way when his father suddenly pounced on him and Aqua had to step back to ensure she didn't get pulled into their brief tussle. "Gah, come on! Dad stop, I'm not _five_ anymore!"

Terra finally relented, but not until his son's hair was as haphazard looking as Marlene's, or maybe worse. Eraq appeared to have a permanently sour look as he attempted in vain to right his chaotic mane, grumbling and trying to get as far away from his father as possible.

Aqua could only shake her head in disbelief at how childish her husband could still be. He returned her look with a wolfish grin. "What? He needed encouragement right?"

"At this rate, only Denzel will look decent for the ceram- Oh, never mind," Aqua's statement died away and she rolled her eyes when she seen Lea hook the teen around the neck and proceeded to electrify his orangy-brown hair as well. Apparently it was a thing. _Lets make the kids look ridiculous for their test, yes they'll love that._

The three apprentices all lined up on the platform and stood erect, arms hanging stiffly at their sides as they waited for Ven, Sora and Riku to join them. Each Grand Master took up position in front of each apprentice; Ven to Eraq, Riku to Marlene and Sora to Denzel.

As one, they began reciting the passage, each summoning their Keyblades and holding them out, parallel with the ground. "In your hand, take this blade," the three masters chanted, perfectly in sync. "And so long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you may be made."

Eraq and his peers stepped forth to take, each one the Keyblade held before them. When they did, all three masters stepped back and made a cutting gesture with one hand, dismissing the weapon for whoever was not compatible. Only Ven's Keyblade remained in Eraq's grip, while the other two shimmered and vanished with a metallic hum.

There was a single instance of silence, where Eraq blinked in astonishment and Marlene and Denzel frowned briefly. But they weren't about to let their disappointment overshadow the happiness they felt for their friend. "Congratulations!" Before anyone could stop them, the two brunets lunged at their unsuspecting friend and created a ragged heap on the dais. Ven's Keyblade disappeared at that point, due to Eraq's concentration being broken.

Riku cleared his throat objectively while Sora, Ven and many observers below chuckled at the scene. By the time the teenagers had composed themselves, Ven had stepped forward to face his apprentice once again. "So you have the potential. Now, call forth your own."

Eraq nodded silently and held out his hand in concentration. A moment later there was a bright flash followed by that notable, sharp ping sound as his Keyblade finally materialized in his hand. The teen stared at it for a long time, almost as if he still couldn't believe he had been successful.

Aqua scrutinized the weapon carefully herself. Simply put, it looked a lot like Terra's Earthshaker, with its wide blade and three pronged teeth. The hilt and guard were much more boxy looking though, and as a whole it was pitch black, with a slim river of dark blue running down the center of its length.

"Well done Eraq," Ven praised with a proud smile and a pat on the shoulder. "However, this is only the beginning. Your training only intensifies from here on out. The Keyblade is a powerful partner, but it requires the most devoted discipline. I hope you're ready."

Eraq gave his mentor the most serious regard and a few seconds of silence to acknowledge his words before nodding his affirmation. "I'm ready Master."

"Congratulations Eraq," Riku said, stepping forward and turning to the other two apprentices. "Now its time for our future Guardians to receive their weapons."

Marlene squeaked with excitement, barely able to hold it in as she and Denzel followed the masters off the platform, Eraq trailing behind with a dazed expression.

"Alright kiddies!" Cid bellowed and beckoned the teens over to his custom built Gummi ship-mobile armory. Once the trio gathered around him, he gave both brunets an appraising look. "Don't worry kids," the blond technician said with a wink and a wry grin. "Keyblades are _boring_. They either pick you or they don't. But Guardians get to pick _their_ weapons. Much more fun in my opinion." After hitting a switch on his ship, one of its walls slip upward and revealed a sprawl of weaponry so vast that it would probably take awhile for the apprentices to pick what they wanted.

Eraq hung back slightly as his two friends deliberated; he seemed curious as to what they would choose but also wanted to respect their time to shine. He turned and gave his parents a huge grin, to which Terra returned smugly and Aqua smiled back proudly. The teen just barely caught the movement in his peripheral as his sister once again lunged at him from behind, hugging him fiercely and peering up at him from under one arm. "You'd better train hard Eraq," she told him playfully. "I'll be catching up in no time!"

"Is that so?" he challenged and ruffled her short white hair vigorously, though it didn't seem to phase the girl at all, rather she leaned into her brother's torso with an affectionate smile. She could be genuinely sweet when she wanted to be, and her brother was one she either adored or tormented depending on her mood. She gave a startled yelp when he picked her up and tipped her downward so that her head nearly touched the ground. "But how will you summon a Keyblade when you're upside down?" he mocked obnoxiously, holding fast as she squirmed in his hold.

"You may have the strength, but I have the numbers!" Yuki announced and looked to the side. "Warriors! To me!"

Before Eraq knew what was happening he was suddenly overtaken by Angeal and Auron hanging off him as they tried to free their "comrade".

The struggle continued for awhile and the commotion made Marlene and Denzel shoot annoyed glances over their shoulders as they had still been deliberating on which weapons to choose. Their expressions quickly shifted to amusement upon seeing the comical display.

Aqua watched the tender exchange, feeling a bubbling happiness swell in her heart. She once again found herself pondering over the odd coincidence of three. She briefly looked from Eraq, Marlene and Denzel, to Yuki, Angeal and Auron, and finally to Isa, Braig and Naminé.

Always three. No more, no less. It was almost as if there were some divine influence involved.

She wondered who would complete the newly born Roxas and Xion but her thoughts were torn away as Terra drew right beside her and took her hand in his, giving it a light squeeze to get her attention. "Aqua," he began in an undertone, his eyes downcast as though he were ashamed of something. "There's something I've been needing to tell you."

"About Yuki?" she guessed, studying him carefully as he met her eyes with a surprised nod. "It can wait," she told him and turned back to watch the apprentices in their melee.

Her concern over the matter had lessened considerably after talking it over with Lightning and after watching Yuki interact with her brother and her friends. Aqua could see now how unfounded her fears had been and she turned to Terra and squeezed his hand back reassuringly. "You can tell me what's on your mind later, but for now, regardless of the darkness she has inside, I know she's strong enough to conquer it." She gave him a wry smirk and a meaningful tip of the head. "Her father did."

Terra opened his mouth to reply but promptly closed it again and smiled back with an agreeable nod. He turned to watch the kids as well, the comforting silence between them stretched and the only sounds that could be heard was the intoxicating laughter of their children.

The future of this new generation was indeed uncertain, but for once in her life, Aqua wasn't worried.

Because whether it be herself and Terra or Eraq and Yuki, here in this sacred land, light and dark existed equally.

_**Fin**_

* * *

_AN: Well that's it! I hope you enjoyed. Be sure to keep an eye out for the next TerQua I have planned as well as all the side-stories to come. And my thanks to everyone that reviewed! Especially my regulars: troyboltonsgirl, veronicatoon7, creatorX33, KaoriHikaru and tsukasayuki. You guys are awesome and you keep me motivated! _


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