Destiny's Marked: Chosen (Book 1)

The Sky: Deception

      It took her awhile to find brunet male. She had forgotten that he was supposed to talk to Xehanort after a meeting with Yen Sid about the mentioned Master. Aria stood behind a boulder on one of the platforms beside the two, the place so empty that their conversation was soft but clear.

      "Vanitas?" Terra questioned, "Are you telling me that he came from you?"

      The old master shook his head, "He came from Ventus."

      Terra's eyes widened before looking off to the side in thought, "Ventus?"

      "Yes," Xehanort nodded gravely, "Vanitas is an extension of that boy. Ventus was not born pure of heart, and no heart can be purely light. If Vanitas contains only darkness, just how much would Ventus have in himself to produce that?" The man brought his gaze to the dusty ground, "I fear the power he wields... Even though the darkness is not to be feared, enough of it will consume a person until there is nothing left but a being bent on the destruction of the worlds as we know it."

      Aria shook in absolute terror and anger. She knew that Terra looked up to Xehanort for the misled acceptance the master had provided, and the possibility that the male would accept this radically incorrect knowledge was at an all-time high. Her eyes shut tight and her heart ached as she waited for the answer she hoped for.

     Remember him. Remember Ventus. When has he ever hurt any of us? Whenever has he shown any signs of darkness? During the test, you barely blinked and darkness appeared in your palm. If he was so steeped in darkness, could Ventus not be a forest fire of darkness? Please, Terra. Think. Trust.

      "I'm-," Terra stopped, "I need to think."

      Xehanort paused and sighed, "I didn't realize Ventus's true heart until it was too late. Please, don't make the same mistake I did. Because of what I had done, the worlds are now infested with his underlings."

      "The Unversed!" Terra exclaimed in realization.

      Xehanort nodded, "I fear that both of them are far past the point of salvation now, since the moment Ventus separated himself as such. I can only try to amend the consequences of my actions. Please, last I heard, the two were going to meet in Radiant Gardens." The master walked away from the younger.

      Aria glared at the man in an unmistakable fury, but a shiver ran down her back when she sensed his golden eyes meet her blue ones from a glance. She didn't dare move but kept his gaze until Terra summoned his vehicle and jetted through the Paths Between. When she returned her gaze to the ground below, Xehanort and his burning golden eyes were gone, the wind concealing his tracks in the dirt.

~~~~

      Terra roamed the square covered in flowers and spotted with fountains, mind swimming with the new information.

      "Terra!"

      The sound of a familiar female voice saying his name was enough to break him out of his thoughts as he looked up to find Aria running towards him with an arm raised in a wave.

      "Terra!" she repeated breathlessly, face grinning, "I've been looking for you everywhere! Aqua and Ven too!"

      The brunet flinched at the nickname, and shamefully turned away from her.

      This made her smile drop slightly, a concern and confusion filling her tone, "Terra?"

      He sighed, facing her once again to be met with her clear blue eyes. Her eyes shone similarly to another blonde's and he found that he had no recollection of the light in their eyes ever changing.