Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction ❯ Birth From Sleep ❯ Two ( Chapter 2 )

Birth From Sleep

Two

 

WHEN life loses the soul, what happens to the left over heart and body? Many a wise chaser has pondered such a thing, but not Terra. No, he always wondered if the beings hearts and bodies become (for was accepted they existed) wondered what happened to the left over soul. He knew the soul quite well, for that was what he was. A chaser, a being that followed dreams and desires, lived life to the fullest. And without a body there was no reason to fear jumping from a cliff in an attempt to fly.

Terra took full advantage of the world around him, but today he was on duty. Most of the souls here lived among the oasis, but new arrivals materialized in the surrounding desert. No one knew why, it would make sense for new chasers to appear in the community. Perhaps over the years the waterhole had moved.

Walking into Retrievers headquarters the muscled brunette came across Aqua leaving. Being a night owl, it was common for her to search at night.

“Hey!” she waved as the two approached each other. “How's it going? Heading out?”

“Yeah. You heading home?”

“You kidding? I got a couple hours left in me. I'm gonna hit The Star for breakfast!”

Aqua waved good bye as she left the building, forcing the taller Terra to shake his head in confusion. He never understood the other blue-eyed Retriever. Sometimes he wondered if she ever slept at all.

“Hey Orilla,” Terra said to the petite blonde working the counter.

“Oh! Hey Terra! Good morning.”

“Same to you,”

“Hey! Wait!” Orilla's voice called him back to the desk. “Make sure you wear your armor today. Monte said he saw garls near dawn.”

“Thanks for the warning,” Terra headed to the locker room after giving the secretary a blown kiss.

There were a number of beasts that lived in the desert and Retrievers were all taught how to fight them off. New arrivals were often defenseless, and did not always awake directly after getting there. They needed protection as well as a guide.

After sliding into his armor and having Arbol, a co-worker, help him with the buckles, Terra took off. The day was bright and he almost wished a garl would attack him. He had not had action in a while. He had not found anyone in a week either, which was rare. Usually he picked one up every few days or so.

TWO hours later Terra happened on a garl sniffing something on the ground. Drawing his keyblade, he charged. The only thing out here that would interest a garl so would be a new chaser.

He cut up the garl's back, producing no damage do to the exoskeleton, but it had the desired effect to draw its attention away form the figure on the baked sand. Screaming the garl quickly retaliated and threw Terra down. The Retriever quickly raised himself into a crouch. When the garl turned around, it stretched to it full 7 foot height, snapping its jaws. The man wasted no time, for garls could spit acid for 10 feet, and leaped up, slicing the garl's insect head off. The monster collapsed, its antennae still quivering.

Quickly, Terra grabbed the boy and ran toward headquarters. Garls were most dangerous when dead, for their bodies exploded in acid. Right on queue, the body burst and a few stray drops landed on Terra's back. Not that he noticed, he was wearing armor for a reason.

The Retriever stopped when an “nhmm” sound came form the waking bundle in his arms. Now Terra took the time to see who exactly he had saved as he placed the arrival on the ground so he would get out the water.

It was a young boy, with messy blonde spikes protruding from his skull. He could have been older than eighteen with those skinny arms and legs; definitely not built for fighting, maybe running. By the time Terra had retrieved water from his pouch the boy had opened his eyes and the Retriever could see they were a bright sky blue, purer that Aqua's.

“Riku?” The name was whispered hoarsely. When arrivals came, they knew nothing but their own names. All memories from when the soul, heart, and body had been one were wiped out by death. And yet, Terra could tell this arrival was not informing him of his own name. No, he was calling Terra “Riku”. Which meant, were the two of them close when they were whole? Did this young boy retain memories of that time? So many questions but too few answers.

“You feel like him but you don't look him, but…” they boy had talked again. Feel? Was the blonde talking about his soul signature? So they really did know each at one time! And now that he thought about it, ever since the name “Riku” had passed across the teen's lips Terra felt as if he knew this youth, though he could not figure out why. Shaking his head to clear his mind, Terra returned his attention to his charge.

“So, what's your name?”

The face below his went blank, as if he could not recall it. That too was unusual. New arrival always could answer right away.

“Sor….no, Rox…no,” The youth's face was now confused, as if the name was alluding him. But suppose, Terra thought, they were his other names, belonging the body and heart. Who know the four stages of life could be connected so?! From the lack of full remembrance, the Retriever could tell if such links existed, they were very, very tiny. And slipping away from the looks of it. But there was still that slight thrum that drew Terra to the boy, though he had no idea what it was.

“Ventus,” the boy said at last, as if it were foreign, as if this was his first time using it. Was each part given a new name? Then to which one did “Riku” belong to.

Terra started the boy, who looked puzzled at what had just come out of his mouth.

“Well then Ventus, welcome to Home. I'm Terra,” he offered his hand and pulled the boy up.

Ventus took it, and the thrum between them accented for a moment until the boy let go and began to look around.

“Home? I don't see any place that looks promising,”

Terra chuckled and handed the boy the water.

“Drink, I bet you're thirsty. And we aren't there yet. I'm here to take you there.”

Ven raised an eyebrow while he took a sip. “How do you know the way there?”

Terra tapped his helmet. The “huh” look on the arrival's face caused a smile to crack. “Inside my helmet is a map back.”

“You're wearing a helmet? I thought that was your face!”

“Hey!” Terra took of the offending apparel. “Don't you think it odd to see a person with metal for a face and no recognizable eyes?”

The boy shook his head no.

“Really?”

A shrug for a reply. Terra knew now, if he was not sure before, that this boy was special. To think such creatures were not out of the ordinary, to have remnants of other names in his head; when whole Ventus must have had a strong soul to remember and retain ties to his other lives.

For some strange reason, Terra had a strong desire to show Ventus to Aqua. They were just co-workers, not true friends. Why such the desire to see her? Terra looked to the boy in front of him.

“Come on,” he said, replacing his helmet and leading them to headquarters.

They walked in silence for awhile, allowing the older man to think. Aqua and himself had blue eyes, a rarity in this world. And yet here was another chaser with blue eyes, one to whom he felt a strong sense of familiarly. Had they all know each other as wholes? The thought was outrageous, but as Terra looked to the boy beside him he could not help but think he might be right.

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