Part of @starlightwayfinder's post inspired me to write a short snippet, and I'm posting it here, for you all to enjoy!
Eraqus Meets a Familiar Visitor to his Keep
The night was overbearing and sticky. Insects chirruped incessantly and the breeze did not even bother to billow.
Sheets had long been discarded, yet Eraqus had done nothing but toss and turn, willing sleep to come forth.
It ignored his call, and eventually- thirst demanding, he rose.
Sleepless nights within the confines because of the summer’s heat was one thing, but there was another that was keeping him awake.
Ventus had run away from home. The worlds were threatened by darkness. Terra and Aqua had gone forth to try and save them and Ventus alike.
It was a horridly familiar playback, yet he hoped this would not be a repeat of those days.
Terra would return home, having vanquished darkness both within the worlds and from within himself and made master.
The newly dubbed master Aqua would prove her worth and lead an excellent example for those to follow.
Ventus would return home, safe and sound with stories to tell.
It was those thoughts that kept with him as he made his way to the kitchen, ready to parch his thirst.
Just before he reached the doors, a shadow caught his eye, darting between corridors.
‘Age’ he thought to himself, ‘age and worry and lack of sleep’.
He ignored it; instincts telling him that the shadow was of no concern for now (merely an animal that had found its way indoors), or his tired imagination.
He downed a glass of water and poured another to take with him; he doubted the heat would relent any time soon, and he would grow thirsty again.
A pause came to his steps as he returned to the corridor that he saw the shadow dart between.
It was a small nag, but something in his mind- or in his heart, urged him to walk through it- to make a slow chase of that elusive shape. Even if it were a real thing, it was long gone by now.
Perhaps one of his apprentices had returned?
It could be Ventus- having realised that he was not ready for the outside world just yet.
That boy was mysterious in more ways than one, so sneaking back home in the dead of night was not something Eraqus would not be surprised that Ventus would do.
He caught sight of the shade, gazing out of one of the many windows, moonlight barely highlighting the figure.
It was a figure. Tangible and real- it was no shade or ghost; at least not one that Eaqus was frightened of.
Whatever- whoever it was, sensed Eraqus’ approach and turned towards him.
It was not one of his apprentices; or the newly dubbed master Aqua.
Eraqus halted and waited, gauging the intent of this figure.
Whoever they were, they did not seem hostile. They did not leap in fright at this keep’s owner, or try to scurry away and hide themselves yet again, nor did they try to fight or become defensive. They simply stood there, looking at him.
It was almost as though they wanted to be found.
One of them needed to give- to speak or take action, and Eraqus was the first to do so.
“Who are you?” A simple question, kept in authority by his tone, even if his simple attire of a dressing gown did not.
The figure fully turned towards him, the scant light shining onto what Eraqus recognised as a hood- the face beneath it still hidden.
Hands reached upwards with a slow and deliberate motion. Testing Eraqus’ patience yet telling him that the figure was no threat- that he was going to answer by slight rather than sound.
Eraqus’ eyes widened in disbelief as the hood was drawn down.
The grip upon the glass of water loosened slightly before being reclaimed to an almost manic degree.
“Xehanort?!” Eraqus questioned, strained and exacerbated.
It was not Xehanort.
Not the Xehanort he knew now, but the Xehanort he knew then.
Face fresh and full of pain.
“H-how…” Eraqus stammered, the rest of the question not following through on his command.
Xehanort’s eyes became downcast, as though he were searching elsewhere, and avoiding Eraqus all together, “This is merely a pit-stop.” He said, matter-of-fact.
“A pit-stop?” Eraqus regained his words and parroted Xehanort’s, moving closer to the much younger version of his friend, “What are you talking about?”
“Destiny.” The young Xehanort replied, “I wanted to see how things were, before others were set in motion.”
Eraqus did not reply, and merely sighed.
Time-travel was possible. He knew it was, although understanding the practices were not something he was well-versed in.
This must be what Xehanort had done back then; cast his heart into the future, to where another version of him currently lived.
Why- he could not fathom, and did not even want to know. If this was a ‘pit-stop’, then he was going to go further on.
What did Xehanort- his Xehanort have planned? Whatever it was, it did not feel right.
“Pit-stop or not, you can stay here for a while, if you would like too.” Eraqus offered. It was the least he could do. A lifetime of memories had paved over the old, leaving just a few cracks, but judging from what he could parse, this Xehanort was from not too long after their first major fight- when he was trying to stop him from leaving their shared home.
Xehanort looked back at him, slightly hesitant. Eraqus’ assumption bolstered.
He offered the glass of water to his friend, “There must be some things that you’re curious about.” Eraqus said, a slight revision, “I doubt the night will have any more surprises, and I don’t think it’ll let me sleep, either.”
“Nothing you say to me now will change my mind then, you know.” Xehanort retorted.
“I know.” Eraqus replied, the glass of water untaken. He turned, walking a few steps before stopping and seeing if his long-ago friend would follow.
“But,” he started, “I think we could both use the company, right now.” He resumed walking, and after a silence longer than he wished crawled along, he heard Xehanort’s footsteps trail after him.
My friend is playing thru BBS, and maybe because I haven't played or thought about KH in a long while, but I was reminded of who Eraqus and Xehanort's friendship made me think of. Both Eraqus and Sycamore were waaaay too in-denial to realize just how far gone their friend is until its too late.
(Tho Xehanort personally struck Eraqus down, Lysandre only attempted that in Masters, leaving Sycamore to be erased by the Ultimate Weapon along with everyone else in XY.)
Why Eraqus’s appearance at the end of KHIII was crucial.
Out of all the times in KH to make an appearance, Eraqus’s appearance after his heart left Terra’s to confront an his estranged best friend whose on death’s door was deliberate on his part and Xehanort’s response is you sly fox to Eraqus.
Having known Xehanort for most of his life, Eraqus was aware of Xehanort’s stubbornness and arrogance, knowing that he wouldn’t admit defeat easily.
We know that even before Riku and everyone else showed up Old Nort was still willing to fight despite kneeling and on death’s door. Xehanort would'nt had admitted defeat and let go of his ambitions if it wasn't for Eraqus's persuassion. He didn't do that even after getting defeated by SDG. If the situation was different he would’ve eventually succumbed to his fate, essentially dying alone with Sora and eventually the other Guardians watching the man responsible for all their misery perish.
Remember back to the surprise on Xehanort’s face when he saw Eraqus’s spirit, he’s the one person who stuck by him despite what he put him through including Xehanort’s past actions of betrayal. Xehanort betrayed Eraqus’s trust on more than one occasion.
Given Xehanort’s history of doing whatever he wanted to do with little regard for the consequences. Had Eraqus not convinced Xehanort to abandon his ambitions and relinquish the X-Blade, entrusting it to Sora and trusting the next generation? Things would’ve turned out differently.
Eraqus and Xehanort are both terrible in their own ways, but Eraqus is marginally less so.
While he inflicted significant pain on his students, he did apologize to Ventus, Aqua, and Terra before moving on, simply saying, “Look after them,” without offering a full apology or anything else. I’m like, really, no apology after all of that.
Unlike Xehanort, Eraqus did not destroy the lives of everyone he crossed paths with or become a menace to the worlds.
