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We're back to bitty!Terra, guys. I doubt anybody here is surprised.
Unbeta'd, written late, posted for your reading pleasure. I think I'm going to call this series Where the Heart Is, if only because I'm a complete sap like that.
Enjoy~
~~*~~
Eraqus knew how long waiting could seem, especially waiting fraught with worry. He had left a frightened apprentice and a worried population behind and was therefore eager to return to town and reassure them both. His stride was purposeful but slow enough for the boy walking with him to match – at least at first. As they neared the market, he noticed Terra slowing nervously and moving to the side, nearly hiding behind him. His brow furrowed slightly – with the Heartless destroyed, what did the boy have to fear?
“Master!”
The question was pushed aside at his apprentice’s cry; she’d caught sight of them as they had returned to the market and run towards them, stopping short just before Eraqus. “Master…” She couldn’t seem to manage words; the worry on her face said enough.
“It’s all right.” Eraqus laid a hand on her shoulder, raising his voice slightly so that the crowd might hear. “The monsters have been destroyed.” Calling them Heartless would have confused some and unnecessarily worried others. It was better to keep things simple. “You have nothing to worry about.” The approving murmur that rose from the crowd and the relieved smile on Aqua’s face told him his words had been taken to heart.
“Mommy! Mommy!” High and excited, he voice of the apple seller’s young daughter carried over the chatter of the crowd. She tugged on her mother’s skirts and pointed excitedly not at Eraqus, he realized after a moment, but at Terra, half hidden behind him. “That’s the boy that saved me!”
The conversation immediately died, all eyes suddenly focusing on Terra. A quick glance backwards showed Eraqus the boy’s face: wide-eyed and even more nervous than before, he looked as though he wanted the ground to simply swallow him up. He’d bypassed shyness and was bordering on fear for reasons Eraqus still couldn’t quite fathom.
“Huh. Really.” The apple seller looked Terra up and down, raising an eyebrow, a good-natured smile forming on her face. “I give you an apple and you save my daughter? Is that how it works?” A few people chuckled quietly; Terra pulled back slightly, shrinking in on himself; the apple seller continued, smile leveling out into a more serious expression. “Though I can’t figure why you’d do such a fool thing, facing monsters on your own.” Though it wasn’t a question, her tone made it obvious she expected an answer.
Silence settled once again on the crowd; whatever the answer was, they wanted to hear it too. Terra’s eyes darted from side to side – whether looking at the crowd or searching for possible escape routes, Eraqus couldn’t tell – before returning to the rather imposing woman questioning him. That deafening silence dragged on for another few seconds before Terra found his voice. “I-” he faltered, then tried again. “I didn’t want her to get hurt.”
It was a simple, pure answer. The beginnings of a smile twitched at the corners of Eraqus’ mouth. Were it the truth, then the strength of this young boy’s heart was not to be underestimated.
The apple seller simply laughed, her smile returning in full force. “Well doesn’t that beat all. Can’t say I’m not grateful.” She patted her daughter’s head affectionately. “Need a place to stay for the night, kid?”
“Terra will be staying with me,” Eraqus interjected, placing a hand on Terra’s shoulder, “through the end of the market, at least.” Terra flinched under his touch, then met Eraqus’ eyes and slowly relaxed. Hopefully he would find the castle less busy and demanding than any residence in the now excited village.
And if the boy stayed where Eraqus could observe him, maybe then the Master could understand why his heart had encouraged him to intervene just then.
“Okay then.” The seller shifted her gaze from Eraqus back to the boy. “You let me know if you need anything else, alright?” Terra nodded slightly; the seller returned the nod, ruffling her daughter’s hair affectionately.
Eraqus’ gaze was on the still-expectant crowd. He squeezed Aqua’s shoulder gently. “Let’s go home.” Once again, his voice raised enough to be heard by the crowd. “If you should need me, send for me.” He turned, leading the two children in his care back up the street, making for the path that would take them to the castle. Aqua followed, seemingly relieved to have a bit of normality after the events of the morning; Terra followed as well, seemingly still shell-shocked at what had transpired not with monsters, but with people.
Once they reached the castle, Eraqus would have his work cut out for him, namely in the form of protective spells to check and reinforce; Heartless appearances, though infrequent, could prove disastrous in times of gathering such as this. It was up to him to investigate the source of this one and to prevent others from occurring. For now, he was simply intrigued by the boy walking with him, who had appeared seemingly from nowhere, was fearless near monsters but frightened of people, and wanted to be a Keybearer for no reason Eraqus could discern.
The market would be over in a few days. With any luck, his questions would be answered before then.
Unbeta'd, written late, posted for your reading pleasure. I think I'm going to call this series Where the Heart Is, if only because I'm a complete sap like that.
Enjoy~
~~*~~
Eraqus knew how long waiting could seem, especially waiting fraught with worry. He had left a frightened apprentice and a worried population behind and was therefore eager to return to town and reassure them both. His stride was purposeful but slow enough for the boy walking with him to match – at least at first. As they neared the market, he noticed Terra slowing nervously and moving to the side, nearly hiding behind him. His brow furrowed slightly – with the Heartless destroyed, what did the boy have to fear?
“Master!”
The question was pushed aside at his apprentice’s cry; she’d caught sight of them as they had returned to the market and run towards them, stopping short just before Eraqus. “Master…” She couldn’t seem to manage words; the worry on her face said enough.
“It’s all right.” Eraqus laid a hand on her shoulder, raising his voice slightly so that the crowd might hear. “The monsters have been destroyed.” Calling them Heartless would have confused some and unnecessarily worried others. It was better to keep things simple. “You have nothing to worry about.” The approving murmur that rose from the crowd and the relieved smile on Aqua’s face told him his words had been taken to heart.
“Mommy! Mommy!” High and excited, he voice of the apple seller’s young daughter carried over the chatter of the crowd. She tugged on her mother’s skirts and pointed excitedly not at Eraqus, he realized after a moment, but at Terra, half hidden behind him. “That’s the boy that saved me!”
The conversation immediately died, all eyes suddenly focusing on Terra. A quick glance backwards showed Eraqus the boy’s face: wide-eyed and even more nervous than before, he looked as though he wanted the ground to simply swallow him up. He’d bypassed shyness and was bordering on fear for reasons Eraqus still couldn’t quite fathom.
“Huh. Really.” The apple seller looked Terra up and down, raising an eyebrow, a good-natured smile forming on her face. “I give you an apple and you save my daughter? Is that how it works?” A few people chuckled quietly; Terra pulled back slightly, shrinking in on himself; the apple seller continued, smile leveling out into a more serious expression. “Though I can’t figure why you’d do such a fool thing, facing monsters on your own.” Though it wasn’t a question, her tone made it obvious she expected an answer.
Silence settled once again on the crowd; whatever the answer was, they wanted to hear it too. Terra’s eyes darted from side to side – whether looking at the crowd or searching for possible escape routes, Eraqus couldn’t tell – before returning to the rather imposing woman questioning him. That deafening silence dragged on for another few seconds before Terra found his voice. “I-” he faltered, then tried again. “I didn’t want her to get hurt.”
It was a simple, pure answer. The beginnings of a smile twitched at the corners of Eraqus’ mouth. Were it the truth, then the strength of this young boy’s heart was not to be underestimated.
The apple seller simply laughed, her smile returning in full force. “Well doesn’t that beat all. Can’t say I’m not grateful.” She patted her daughter’s head affectionately. “Need a place to stay for the night, kid?”
“Terra will be staying with me,” Eraqus interjected, placing a hand on Terra’s shoulder, “through the end of the market, at least.” Terra flinched under his touch, then met Eraqus’ eyes and slowly relaxed. Hopefully he would find the castle less busy and demanding than any residence in the now excited village.
And if the boy stayed where Eraqus could observe him, maybe then the Master could understand why his heart had encouraged him to intervene just then.
“Okay then.” The seller shifted her gaze from Eraqus back to the boy. “You let me know if you need anything else, alright?” Terra nodded slightly; the seller returned the nod, ruffling her daughter’s hair affectionately.
Eraqus’ gaze was on the still-expectant crowd. He squeezed Aqua’s shoulder gently. “Let’s go home.” Once again, his voice raised enough to be heard by the crowd. “If you should need me, send for me.” He turned, leading the two children in his care back up the street, making for the path that would take them to the castle. Aqua followed, seemingly relieved to have a bit of normality after the events of the morning; Terra followed as well, seemingly still shell-shocked at what had transpired not with monsters, but with people.
Once they reached the castle, Eraqus would have his work cut out for him, namely in the form of protective spells to check and reinforce; Heartless appearances, though infrequent, could prove disastrous in times of gathering such as this. It was up to him to investigate the source of this one and to prevent others from occurring. For now, he was simply intrigued by the boy walking with him, who had appeared seemingly from nowhere, was fearless near monsters but frightened of people, and wanted to be a Keybearer for no reason Eraqus could discern.
The market would be over in a few days. With any luck, his questions would be answered before then.
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