vatheon | birth by sobbing

Entry tags:

mickey mouse,
terra

birth by sobbing

Who: Mickey & Terra.
When: Directly after Terra learns his master's fate. (Thanks, Repliku.)
Where: Terra's apartment.
Style: Whichever you want.
Status: Closed, lost boys only.

What had happened these past few weeks? The happy family Mickey had so lovingly cherished was falling apart every time he looked around. Aqua was gone, Ventus learned about Master Eraqus, Sora was knocked out, Riku had to be consoled, Kairi was feeling like a burden... Now, today, two more bombshells had been dropped. Minnie was gone, and Terra had also learned the truth about Eraqus in the worst way. How many times had Mickey said to a friend, "Tell me where ya are, I'll be there soon" to offer comfort? It was too much.

Yet there he was, quietly knocking on his friend's door. None of what to come was going to be easy, but Terra deserved to know. He could only hope he could be some kind of support for the boy who's suffering was only going to get worse. He took a deep breath, knocking again.

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It took Terra several minutes to collect himself outwardly, though inwardly he was still reeling from the news. Emotions twisted and churned, blurring together with conflicting thoughts until everything was just an knotted, undefinable mess.

Mickey's arrival is a welcome distraction, though it only makes his insides feel like they've turned to lead. He'd wanted to know what happened in the future that everyone else was from, hadn't he?

Time to face the music. He opens the door and immediately steps out of the way to let Mickey in. "Come in."

It's a miracle he's able to keep his tone as even as it is.

He nodded once, and waked inside. How should he approach this? Should he just say everything at once, or go step by step? Ventus had come by as a complete accident, so he wasn't sure how to do it again. He paced the room a few times before deciding just to stand. With another sigh, he turned back and faced his friend.

"... You'd do anything to protect Ventus, wouldn't you?" All traces of his country boy past vanished, signaling how serious he was. "You love him like a brother."

The question catches him off guard so completely that he couldn't help but answer it honestly. It was never a question in his mind; if his friends were in danger and he was there to protect them, he'd do anything and everything in his power to do so.

"Yes, I would. I'd do anything to protect my friends." Where was this leading?

Mickey crossed his arms, and kept his eyes entirely on Terra's. The honesty was good to hear, and would hopefully keep things easy. It was a false hope, really.

"I know you would. Master Eraqus knew that too... and so did Xehanort. Xehanort used manipulation and fear to set terrible things into motion... for a moment, he made Master Eraqus believe that Ventus didn't deserve to exist. You defended your friend, and the two of you fought... just as Xehanort wanted. He was hoping you would both finish each other off, but when things didn't go his way, he intervened."

Another pause... and another breath. "... You know Master Eraqus loved all of you like his children."

What little color that had remained on Terra's face when Caden had first implied his Master's fate has now left. It's like all the air has been knocked out of him again, and his insides no longer filled with lead, but hollowed out, leaving him almost empty.

'I... I'm the one who--' He wanted to deny it; he would never--could never raise his Keyblade against the man that had raised him since he was a little kid, taught him everything...

But then Mickey's question, and the explanation, caught up with him. He could almost see it, playing out in his mind like a recording on a film reel--Ven, scared and backing away, Master using those chains of Light, himself stepping between the people that were practically his father and his brother, asking Master if he's gone mad--

It's like a punch to the gut. Yes... if Master Eraqus was wrong, and wasn't listening and trying to hurt one of his own beloved pupils... Terra would step between them. He's certain about this, just as he's certain he wouldn't stand a chance going all-out against Master Eraqus.

"... Just as Xehanort wanted?" His own voice surprises him--the slight cracking, the hesitation, the quiet volume; he sounds so unlike his normal self that he can hardly believe it.

He already had most of the pieces to this puzzle. He knows he does. If he could just get his mind working long enough to line the pieces up...

He had hoped Terra could make the connection on his own, but instead the boy was jumping to the worst conclusions. "Terra, listen!" The boy was losing the strength in everything, and Mickey thought Terra would shatter to pieces right there and then. He grabbed a hold of Terra's hand to try and steady him. He couldn't lose the boy now.

"Since neither of you would ever really harm the other, Xehanort and his creations stepped in. He wanted to take you out first, but Master Eraqus... protected you. With his life. He died with regrets, but he also died loving the both of you with all of his heart. You know he was proud of you... and that he would do anything to protect you. I'm sure he would willingly make that choice again if he had to. He died... as a good father."

Mickey's own voice begins to shake. True, he didn't have such a deep connection with the Master, but there are recollections of the bond with Master Yen Sid. If he had been told something had happened to the old wizard, there'd be no doubt Mickey would be in the same state. His hand tightens its grip on Terra, ready to catch the boy if he can't catch himself.

"No... no, that's not... what's going to happen at all..." Shaking as he is, and about ready to collapse as he might seem just from the news, his voice has taken on an odd, far-off tone to it. "We fight--I send Ven off somewhere safe, call up Darkness to counter his Light--he doesn't want to fight, he's crying--Master never cries--"

He can see it happening in his mind's eye, hear the words being spoken. It's almost like he's watching from the sidelines, back in the Land of Departure. Blades clash, Light and Darkness being used by both fighters as easily as they breathe, neither truly wishing to fight the other--

It's taking all of his control not to fall, and he grips Mickey's hand to keep himself in the here and now. He's not back home, watching Master Eraqus fade through his arms. He's not watching Xehanort step forward to destroy the only home he's ever truly known.

He's in Vatheon. Underwater, with a Keyblade Master trying to tell him that this was Xehanort's fault.

But even as the horrible vision--and it can only be a vision, it had felt far too much like the vision of the Master that he knew Riku would one day become--is passing, he knows he'll have to explain.

'I'm sorry, Master... I have to tell someone else.'

He's still shaking when he hangs his head and his eyes focus again on the mouse holding his hand. "... I think I need to sit down, sir."

Before his legs give out from under him.

The odd way of speech does surprise him, but only momentarily. There's no one certain way to react when given devastating news. Ventus had reached into self-loathing, but Terra was almost going into full denial. Mickey wanted them to reach a different path all together - that Eraqus had died loving them and protecting them, and that only Xehanort was to blame.

He meets Terra's last words with a nod. "C'mon, let's get you down." He doesn't know the outline of the house too well, but he tugs Terra along by the hand, managing to find the living room of sorts and finding a seat for the poor boy. Mickey decides to keep standing for now. He never lets go of Terra's hand. He's almost afraid to do it.

He then lowers his head, eyes closed, in respect of the man who had passed. "I'm sorry, Terra. When we crossed paths, I was trying to save everyone... and I wound up saving no one. But what happened isn't your fault... It's not Aqua's, it's not Ventus', it's not yours. Master Eraqus sacrificed himself because he loved you, and knew you would go on to do great things. A father always protects his children."

Terra simply nods and lets himself be led, grateful that he at least has someone there to keep him steady. Visions, rare though they usually were, had never hit him this hard or with the clarity that this one had. It only added to the ball of emotion that twisted and turned inside him, and it was truly a miracle that he was still on his feet at all.

He's beyond grateful once he's sitting. The room is out of focus, but there is something solid under him, and it's something to keep him centered in the here and now. "Thanks... "

His voice still sounds... a little ragged and far off, but he's managing to keep his gaze focused on the one trying to comfort him. Despite the nature of this visit, despite the vision that was still making him wish he had never seen it, the comment about how they had first crossed paths puts a rather weak smile on his face. "You looked like you were in a hurry then. I had to ask Master Yen Sid about you."

He lets out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, and averts his gaze. He has to explain--he's not in denial. He's not imagining things, or over-reacting. Light, he wishes it was as simple as that--as simple as just going into shock.

"Sir... Master Mickey." His voice is quiet still, but it's lost the shaky quality that had snuck in from the shock. He takes deep breath to steady himself before he continues on.

"I ... what I just said. It wasn't... I'm not..." This was going to be very, very difficult to explain. Is there even a precedence for it?

"I just saw it happen, sir. I saw it, as clearly as I saw the Master that Riku is destined to become shortly before I arrived here. It... it happens sometimes." Though it had never been shock-induced before. Maybe that's what accounted for the crystal clarity of it this time?

Edited 2012-05-11 22:37 (UTC)

He had another false hope - maybe the mention of Yen Sid would lead to peaceful talks of past memories. But then the words and sentences had collapsed onto each other, and for a moment Terra wasn't making any sense. Mickey didn't rush him, and patiently waited for what was to come. Was he just finding it difficult to articulate his feelings, or had he remembered something just as awful?

The admission is something stranger. It takes Mickey aback, though he still doesn't let go of Terra's hand. He studies Terra's face to see if there's anything more to add if he worded it wrong. No, Terra is being completely honest as always. But just what is he being honest about? "You... saw it?" If Terra saw it, why is he so shocked? The master that Riku is destined to become? He hadn't even taken the mark of Mastery test! What powers had Terra accumulated? "Terra... are you saying you can see the past and future at the same time?"

What else can Terra do, but nod in confirmation? "It's... something that happens sometimes. If I have a strong connection to a person, I can see things about them. Things that haven't happened yet. Things that are going to happen. I don't really understand why."

It's always unnerved him, but they've never been frequent enough to be a bother. Hell, usually they were good things that he'd see, and no more than a few flashes. "I can't control them; I've never been able to--but I've never had one that clear before--"

Unbidden, it comes to the surface of his memory, and he has to shut his eyes to try and block it out. Stress or shock must be a factor, somehow.

He shakes his head, cutting himself off before he loses it again. Staying on this train of thought is helping him keep his mind off of the impending tragedy, should he ever return home. "I know it sounds crazy; I've never heard of anyone else being able to do this."

It's a power that Mickey has never heard of. Not even the mighty and wise Yen Sid had ever come close to alluding such a thing. Time was a dangerous line to never be crossed, and yet for some inexplicable reason Terra was able to maneuver it. How could he offer comfort to an ability he would have laughed at, had it been another time and place? All that can be done is accept it.

"I believe you." Mickey speaks honestly, no hesitation or doubt. Both of their lives had gone beyond the impossible. Why stop at time peering? "I... don't fully understand it, but I believe you." There was at least one ray of light and he seized onto it with everything. "... And I can't deny... it's good to know that Riku will become a Master. I always knew he had the potential. Master Yen Sid and I were going to put him and Sora through the Mark of Mastery test before I came here." Normally that test wouldn't be until the boys were Aqua and Terra's age, but they could not afford that wait.

"You've helped Riku become who he is. Just as Eraqus was proud of you, you should be proud of him. I am, too... I'm proud of the both of you. For everything you've endured and will endure."

It was never a talent Terra was able to control, and was finicky at the best of times, only offering glimpses or vague clues in the form of scattered images. All he could ever do was accept it for what it was and never tell a soul.

He visibly sags a little as he sighs in relief, much of the tension leaving him. It... felt good, telling someone. And he knew he could trust Mickey not to tell anyone else. "Thank you."

A vaguely-amused 'hmph' escapes him as his expression quickly follows. "I've been saying that a lot today, haven't I?" But he's meant it every time; he'd likely be a wreck by now if he'd been left to dwell on what hadn't happened yet, finding somewhere secluded and trying to keep his mind off of it.

The amused expression softens when Riku is mentioned, and a little bit of pride leaks through. And oddly enough (for him), humility. "His potential was clear when I met him. But... I shouldn't take all the credit. I only performed the Rite for him; he's made it as far as he has on his own."

Which was the greatest feat and greatest tragedy of it all, really. That a Keybearer with such potential had gone untrained for as long as he had? What had happened?

A sharp intake of breath as his eyes widen slightly from surprise. Thankfully, this surprise is more pleasant in nature; Terra's not sure he can take another cruel shock to the system. "You think he's ready for that back home?"

'He's the age the vision indicated... does this mean I don't even train him to even remotely the level that Master taught Aqua and I, or even Ven?' Now that was heartbreaking to contemplate, even if he knew it had to be the case.

It's the little things that are giving Mickey reassurance about this matter. The tiny sigh, the show of humility, talking about Riku... these were all good signs that Terra wasn't going to fall completely apart. It made Mickey smile, glad to know Terra had the emotional strength to keep going. Mickey would have loved to stay on such happy subjects, but the history of Xehanort, much like the man himself, didn't allow for much happiness.

"I think he and Sora do, but... That may just be my hope talking." Though Terra's power had shown glimpses of the future, it appeared to be only that - glimpses. If Terra truly knew everything the future told, then he wouldn't be as shocked and questionable as he was now. That meant Mickey still had plenty of explaining to do. "In the current timeline, we don't have time for Riku and Sora to wait for proper training... so they will probably face the test unprepared and not knowing what's ahead. But we don't have a choice in the matter... Xehanort and all of the twisted versions of himself are threats we can't just sit back and analyze. He's already caused enough damage, and I fear he's only just begun. He's planning something bigger than we first thought... as for what it is, I still don't know."

But he had to leave it at a confident note. It wasn't like Mickey to ensure doom for all worlds, after all. "The boys will pass the test... and we're going to save everyone. I know it.. even if I don't have the power to see it myself." A teasing smile for good measure.

"If they're ready, they'll prove themselves." It's all any Keybearer could do, facing their Mark of Mastery exam. Terra knew this all too well-- a test of Heart, as opposed to skill.

A laugh escapes him, even in the face of all of the bad news. "I think I've met my vision quota for the month, sir; your guess will be as good as mine."

But he frowns, puzzled at something in that statement. Puzzled, and troubled. "I'm sorry, but... I don't understand. Xehanort and the versions of himself?"

'How can there be more than one version of a person?' Did this have something to do with the younger version of the Keyblade Master that had haunted Riku's nightmares that week?

at least this explanation Mickey felt a little more confident in, having seen said versions for himself and having years spent battling Heartless and Nobodies. "Maybe you've noticed some oddities here... a man called Axel, and a boy called Lea. Lea is human, but Axel is his Nobody."

Mickey conveyed the whole strange affair as best he could. "A scientist named Ansem the Wise was doing experiments on the heart, and accidentally helped release creatures called Heartless... they are things that have no hearts of their own, and seek out hearts in others. When someone's heart is taken, they split into two beings... Another Heartless, and their leftover human shell becomes a Nobody. Nobodys tend to have more human qualities than Heartless, since they can think and speak, but they can only remember emotions, and have trouble remembering their past lives."

"Xehanort's Heartless was called Xemnas, while his Nobody was called Ansem, stealing the name of the man he was studying under."

Terra can only shake his head; neither of those names are terribly familiar to him. "I think I've seen one or both of them over the network, but I didn't know their names."

He listens as Mickey explains, his expression growing more troubled as the explanation goes. 'A creature that doesn't have a Heart... and a hollow shell left behind after a person has lost theirs? How is that possible?'

It was disturbing, but he couldn't see how the King's tale related to Xehanort. At least, not until that final sentence. Shock once again became prominent in his expression, his eyes going wide and his body going stiff. "... Xemnas?"

He sounds more than confused, he almost sounds... a little bit afraid. The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, and Terra was not liking what the information implied.

But... that couldn't be possible, right?

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birth by sobbing

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Yep. Queen of lateness here.

At least you get a pretty crown

Need to clean the rust off of it, though.