Ventus & Master Eraqus : A Rough First Night
Ventus has just arrived in the Land of Departure and is still very shaken from all that Xehanort has put him through. Eraqus knows Ventus is weak and scared and requires a little extra comfort as he settles in.
NOTE: I’m basing Ven’s age on what we estimated from UX-BBS timeline as he was transported through time to the pre-BBS/BBS timeline in UX which we later saw in KHDR. In KHUX it is estimated that Ventus is around 8-10 years old and around 9-11 in his early years in the BBS timeline. Of course, in the game he is around 15-16 years old but we can only guess his age when he arrived.
All we know is that he was baby and he needs love. Period.
Ventus had only just arrived to the Land of Departure, he had no memories, only feelings, faint images, and some faint sounds in his little mind. He had awoken earlier that chilly afternoon to the sounds of a blue haired young woman saying that he had woken up, followed by the appearance of a young man with brown hair and an elderly man with kind yet slightly stern eyes. He felt no danger with them, only a sense of safety and security… but he felt so afraid.
These people… they’re safe people. I don’t think they’ll hurt me or scare me… their voices sound happy, relieved… but why? Because of me? What is so special about me? I’m just a broken little kid…
Throughout his bath he was still, lifeless, only letting out the occasional sleepy squeak or sniffle, he couldn’t even bathe himself yet as he was far too exhausted and dazed. Aqua and Terra had to help him, speaking softly and soothingly to him, trying to make him feel safe and secure. One thing was for sure, the poor child was in need of the bath, he was quite dusty from wherever he was previously, sand was on his little feet and on his skin. Certainly that could not be comfortable in the slightest for him!
“So? How did it go, you two? I see a sleepy little boy here practically wobbling where he stands.” Eraqus asked softly with a small smile as he looked down at Ven who held Aqua’s hand, his head resting against her arm, eyes lost in whatever fog he was trapped in.
Aqua..? Yeah, that’s her name, she’s nice. Gentle and kind. She helped me, so did that nice guy, Terra..? Yeah, Terra. He’s nice too.
“He nearly fell asleep in the bath, he’s okay, just exhausted. Ven here only had a few whimpers and sniffles but overall a very good boy.” Aqua praised gently as she used her free hand to gently smooth his slightly damp hair.
“He’s okay, like Aqua said, he’s sleepy, he didn’t fuss when we helped him get dressed either, he’s all ready for a much needed early bedtime.” Terra chuckled, watching Aqua hand Ven over to Master Eraqus who picked him up, setting him on his old hip with a small smile.
Eraqus chuckled softly as he watched Ventus sleepily lay his head on his shoulder. “Definitely in need of some sleep, I see. Come on, let’s get you tucked in and asleep, dear boy. It’s been an eventful day for one so young.”
Ven just rested there with droopy eyes and a small sniffle. Thinking to himself in his dazed state.
This old man- Master Eraqus..? Yeah, that’s his name… he seems kind, he’s not gonna hit me or kick me… he won’t- he’s not the bad man from before- the scary man with the terrifying golden eyes… he’s kind. He acts like a papa, wait? Is he my new papa? I dunno… too sleepy…and still scared…
Soon enough, he was tucked into bed for an extra early bedtime that evening at around 6pm as he looked overly exhausted. The broken ten year old boy now lays back in his new bed, bathed and clothed for bed in some comfortable children’s pyjamas, a soft sage green with small yellow star fruit and blue ice cream sticks.
This bed… it’s safe, warm, it’s not in a scary place… I don’t even remember where that scary place was, maybe it’s for the best… I feel a little better… I don’t want to be alone though…
The old man, Eraqus, then stayed by his bedside until he fell asleep, stroking his cheek gently to help him drift off. It wasn’t the previous pain he endured, the harsh words or the trauma of the bald old man with the angry golden eyes. It was gentle, soothing, a feeling he felt at ease with.
Eraqus went to stand up, however a feeling in his gut told him to stay by the child to be safe. After all, he was still very broken and in a dazed state. He was, for the most part, mute. He only spoke softly and very little.
Gods, what did Xehanort do to this child?! No child should be in such a state! Using a child’s heart to obtain the χ-Blade… such cruelty.. Eraqus pondered as he stared at the sleeping boy, his sweet face pale and almost sickly. He looked rough, very rough. His head was turned to the right and faced Eraqus and the door,
Soon enough, that peace was disrupted by a dream, a memory long forgotten…
A girl, a dark room, a shadow, a keyblade…. Pain, suffering, sadness… heartache…
Where am I..? It’s dark- I don’t like the dark, don’t bad things happen in the darkness? Monsters?! I remember black monsters with big golden eyes- no- please no! I don’t want that! Who is that girl?! I’m scared… What is this..?! A memory? No- a nightmare…?! N-no… no please not a nightmare..! Someone, anyone… I’m scared!
A choked sob, a quivering lip, it was Ventus. Eraqus looked down and saw it, Ven was already tossing and turning from a nightmare.
“Ventus, it’s alright, it’s alright, come now, dear child, wake up… please open your eyes.” Eraqus spoke as gently and urgently as he could, gently shaking Ventus but to no success, Ven laid there crying and whimpering, his small legs kicked under the covers and his chest moved rapidly as he sobbed.
Eraqus sighed, knowing Ven was too trapped in his dream to likely react to shaking- or even worse, the shaking was scaring him more in whatever horrors were happening within his dream. Eraqus thought fast, swiftly yet gently picking Ventus up into his arms and holding him so his head rested in the crook of his neck and so his petite frame was pressed against his own broad frame. Eraqus was no stranger to this tactic, after all, he raised Terra and Aqua from young ages and knew a thing or two about how to comfort a child in distress. The movements were natural to him, third time was most certainly a charm as they say, he perfected the craft on his now adult pupils he viewed as his children.
“Shh, Ventus, all is well, no harm shall come to you as long as you are here in this castle, in this world, no heartless or anything may touch you here. Hush now, dear boy… hush…” He spoke softly as he swayed gently, a rhythm he was familiar with, if anything, Eraqus felt in his element once more, he missed this feeling. As soon as Aqua and Terra grew up this treasured feeling grew distant, well, not anymore with Ventus now present.
Ven slowly opened his eyes, his lifeless blue eyes were full of tears and all red from crying, he looked into Eraqus’s own grey ones as if trying to find out if he was truly safe.
That dream, no, nightmare was horrible. I don’t wanna go back to sleep. What if those scary images come back? I don't think I can handle it…
“There we are, Ventus, that must’ve been quite the dream, lad. Frightening enough to make your eyes shed plenty of tears… you poor little boy. Let’s dry those up and see about getting you back to sleep.” Eraqus spoke as softly and evenly as he could to Ventus, trying to establish that he was his new guardian and not a stranger, wanting to forge a bond with the child as best he could. He gingerly wiped the tears off Ven’s puffy cheeks and nose with a soft handkerchief, softly hushing him.
Ven hiccuped a little, rubbing his eyes a bit before once more resting his head on Eraqus’s shoulder. He looked exhausted but clearly refusing sleep… this was not good, if Ventus did not get the required sleep a boy his age required he could get sick, and with a damaged heart and a weak body that would spell disaster. Eraqus could see Ventus was small for his age and below average weight likely due to malnourishment under Xehanort, so him refusing vital sleep would end in consequences he would rather not come to. It was the equivalent to pouring fuel atop a raging wildfire. Disaster could only ensue with the Ventus refusing vital rest.
“Ven, you need rest, young one, if you do not get the sleep a child your age desperately needs then you could get sick, my boy.” Eraqus explained softly, rubbing Ven’s bony back in an act to soothe him. “You won’t even close those eyes, eh? Well, whatever your dream was it certainly has put you in quite the fright to refuse sleep.”
Well, what if I don’t wanna go back to sleep? It was scary, mister, you got that right… that’s why I don’t wanna… I swear I’m not trying to be bad or a pain, mister… I’m just scared.
Ven only hid his face in the old man’s shoulder, trembling slightly, clearly still shaken.
Nope! No more! Not sleeping, mister..! If I sleep I could have another nightmare and that’s not what I want! I want to talk but… I can’t… something is stopping me from being able to tell this nice old man why I don’t want to sleep… It's too scary!
“No? My boy, you need sleep… Not even closing your eyes for a little? No? Oh Ventus…” He sighed, this was proving to be quite the challenge, Eraqus had to think carefully about what he could and could not do with getting Ventus to sleep and fast.
Okay, so that worked, hiding my face to say no works. But I can’t deny that I’m sleepy… I am sleepy… no! I gotta keep my eyes open! If I close them it gets dark and scary and awful things show up… but I wanna sleep, I’m tired… Why does this gotta be so hard..? Gee… why is it so unfair?
Fluids like warm milk were out of the question, it did not matter how old Ventus was and how well he could handle it, a child is a child and fluids before bed were never a wise decision. When considering Ven’s trauma Eraqus immediately thought “no” more than ever before. He would not subject the boy to such humiliation and cruelty. Absolutely no fluids before rest for the boy.
Then it hit the elderly master, a lullaby. A soothing, soft voice and a gentle swaying motion to help coax him into slumber faster. It was gentle and calming, and also a safer option.
“Alright, my boy, I have a better idea, one that will more than likely send you back to sleep, I have a feeling you’d like it too.” The old master spoke softly, using his free hand to gently run his thumb over the boy’s cheek.
Oh? What is it? I wanna know! I somehow can tell this nice man, Master Eraqus, is telling the truth… so I think I’m gonna trust him… I gotta trust the nice man. He’s not like the other guy.
“La-la-lu, la-la-lu
Oh, my little star sweeper
I'll sweep the stardust for you
La-la-lu, la-la-lu
Little soft, fluffy sleeper
Here comes a pink cloud for you”
Master Eraqus sang softly and smoothly, Ventus stopped trembling at hearing his voice, it was comforting. Ven could almost swear he had an experience like this once, but he could not recall how or when, only the sensation. He was beginning to feel his eyes grow heavy once more, struggling to keep them open.
This feeling… I remember it from somewhere. My memories are all gone but- but this feeling… I know it from somewhere… or someone..? It’s nice… I feel safe…
“La-la-lu, la-la-lu
Little wandering angel
Fold up your wings for tonight
La-la-lu, la-la-lu
And may love be your keeper
La-la-lu, la-la-lu, la-la-lu…”
I feel sleepy again… but I don’t feel scared anymore for some reason… this is nice, it’s dark with my eyes closed but there’s something warm and kind there. It’s not dark and scary anymore. It feels good… I don’t wanna leave now… it’s peaceful. There’s no monsters here… Thank you, Master Eraqus…
Eraqus continued his singing and gentle, rhythmic swaying, Ventus’s eyes were finally closed, only his soft breathing and dried tear tracks were what remained, he was asleep. His body grew heavy with sleep but Eraqus did not mind, it was a feeling he had become accustomed to after Terra and Aqua. It was a feeling, a sensation he missed once the other two grew up.
“Looks like someone is now asleep,” Eraqus chuckled softly, running a free hand through Ven’s soft blond hair. “Goodnight my littlest star sweeper, dream of more pleasant things now, let no heartless or monsters plague your dreams anymore…”
….
“Welcome home, Ventus…”
This story was loosely based on fanart I saw back in I believe 2017 and never found again. If anyone remembers that fanart of Eraqus singing this lullaby to Ventus and has also been looking for it again, you are not alone!
- Windblume
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