Hearts Divided (A TerraXAqua Fanfiction)

Part 1: Strength

Terra knelt in silent contemplation in that quiet Grove outside the castle of The Land of Departure. Before him stood the marker which served as a constant reminder of his old master and his teachings. He couldn't call it a head stone as Eraqas' body had completely disappeared into the ether after Sora and his friends defeated Xehanort at Scala ad Caelum all those months ago. Terra still struggled to acknowledge Xehanort's humanity fading away side by side with the master as old friends after everything HE had done. How many people had suffered because of that man's manipulations in the name of balance and building a better world? How many of Terra's friends had been hurt for so long? How many had Terra hurt or pushed away believing Xehanort's lies like the fool he was? Perhaps the cruelest act was making Terra second-guess the strength of his bonds with his friends and his own worth in those relationships. Had he trusted them and the master fully back then, maybe he wouldn't have lost his body and his heart to Xehanort and been reduced to little more than a voice in the old schemer's head for 12 years. Still his experiences thus far, and even Eraqas's teachings, couldn't prepare him to face every dilemma. The master had often spoke of guarding his heart against darkness, but was it always an act of darkness to crave for oneself what felt so right to the heart. So natural. So real. Nothing could have prepared him for the way he felt now. Perhaps the way deep down he had always felt. About Her.

Thanks to everyone's efforts, Sora was found in the other world, Kairi was saved and the order of the worlds was restored. What's more, several potential candidates for summoning keyblades had been observed in key locations by Master Yen Sid, namely Radiant Garden and The Destiny Islands. Naturally, these unique individuals would need training in the ways of harnessing the power of one's heart into tangible force. And naturally, they would be coming to The Land of Departure to learn from the best. The best being Aqua as the one first named Keyblade Master of their generation by their old master. And while he technically did not receive said honour by the master when they were together, he had begun his training here earlier and was technically her senior. So he and Ven would surely have plenty to teach alongside her. That was the theory. Lately teaching had been the last thing on his mind. Try as he might to focus on his duties as a Keyblade Wielder and his responsibilities to The Worlds Order, things had been different ever since that final battle at The Keyblade Graveyard.

When Ventus and Aqua's cries for help in their fight against Terra-Xehanort finally reached him. When his body was finally wholly his own again after so long. When he finally held his long-lost friends in his own arms. He finally felt free of the prison around his heart of which he had a hand in building, and something else. Seeing Ven awake and whole again really was like having his kid brother back from the dead. Seeing Aqua again felt like something different. To an extent, admiration of her strength and resolve after all that time spent in The Realm of Darkness, even coming back after almost succumbing. To another, guilt knowing that her suffering, both in that place and in the build-up to it, was His fault. No words or heroic acts could ever undo the competitive nature of their past interactions, or his pursuit of power to protect his friends which ironically drove a wedge in their friendship and ultimately caused his own downfall and her faith in what little light there was left in his heart to waver. Nothing could undo the fact that she suffered trying to save him from the darkness he had brought upon himself and for all her efforts would have failed if not for that boy she met all those years ago. Then there was another feeling. Something he couldn't explain (or perhaps was too afraid to admit was actually there) but had finally come up to the surface as he embraced her.

A/N: How have I done so far? Any spelling or grammatical errors? Any suggestions for improving my writing style? Part 2 will follow soon!