The Forbidden Forest (1x1 with Vaude)

[Vaude 536]

Terra blinked in surprise at Aqua's offering the child to him but was happy to accept.

 

"I can hold him, definitely, unless you mean by the scruff of his neck like some foxes do," he replied jokingly, lifting Ventus by the upper torso and beneath the arms.  "I was raised around a number of kids, mostly younger."

 

He slipped Ventus in his arms carefully and beamed a smile down at him.  He was so lightweight and so fragile, and like Aqua he was surprised anyone would give him up.  Brands and heredity aside, he was as beautiful and lovable as any other child.  Why set all of that aside for fear or looks?

 

"Ventus looks well cared for.  Perhaps being left in the forest was the best thing for him, reasons aside," he continued, attempting to tickle the babe with his index finger.

 

 

 

((Laughably, albeit weakly comically, this is how my post began:))

 

Terra blinked in surprise and threw the baby on the ground.

 

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

Aqua gave a lopsided grin as she watched Terra take hold of the baby, less an amused from his comment.

"Like I would do that to a human baby." She said with a chuckle. "My pups, yes. But not my human baby." She suddenly paused and seemed to go quiet at saying 'her pups,' although she seemed to recover just as quickly and resume the conversation.

"I love this child... but even so, he deserves to be with with his real mother, with a real father and a village to nurture him. But now... his mark, he can never go back." She went quiet again, her heart aching for the bright baby before him. It was true; no matter how much she loved and cared for him, she could never provide everything that he could of had being raised in a village- a normal life. One with human friends and human parents. Ventus will obviously know that Aqua isn't his real mother. She just prayed that despite everything... he would a the least be happy.

Aqua's train of thought was suddenly interrupted by loud laughter. Ventus began to squirm and kick his legs around, giggling uncontrollably from being tickled. Aqua placed her hand on Terra's to lean forward and get a closer look.

"He loves you..." Aqua said with a soft smile. "You deserve his love just as much as I do."

[Vaude 536]

Terra grinned at the comment about holding babies by the scruff of their necks, only marginally catching the comment about pups but not thinking anything of it.  Instead he looked down at the baby, though he still listened intently to Aqua as she spoke on.  Her last words and her hand on his surprised him enough to look up, however.  Him, deserving of the love of a baby?  He did not think it was fitting for the child to love one accustomed to hardship like himself.  Aqua was more suited, being more doting and motherly towards him.

 

"I . . . think he just takes a fancy to me, little more," Terra replied after laughing a note.  "I haven't been around him like you have, though I may have some things he might like."  He made an indication towards the knapsack on the ground.  "There's a gourd of fresh cow's milk in there, some snacks too, and a few playthings.  I also whittle, so I can make some instruments to keep him entertained if there's good wood here in this forest.  I think I have a flute in there too, but I forget if I brought it."

Edited July 25, 2017 by Vaude

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

Aqua watched as Terra interacted with the baby, a warm smile finding its way onto her lips. The sight truly brought joy to her heart, making her feel as though there was not a single thing wrong with the world. As far as she was concerned everything revolved around Ventus. She reached out for the goods, signing in relief at the gourd of milk.

"You do not give yourself enough credit." Aqua chimed, taking out a small drum toy with beads on it. She dangled it above Ventus' face, twisting the drumb this way and that to make some noises. "You did not have to come back with supplies... you could have chosen to kill me and the baby. After all, the people in your village would have gladly. You... you are special. Pure in heart."

Ventus held close to Terra, snuggling into the large body next to him. He enjoyed the warmth that radiated off of the larger male, although when the drum began to make noises he giggled and reached it for it.

[Vaude 536]

Flinching at Aqua's words, Terra turned his head away.

 

"I don't know about that either, being pure in heart, that is, but thank you for the compliment," he voiced in embarrassment, chuckling at the start.  "It merely felt right, and I went by instinct.  I'm glad I chose this, however.  One of us may have bit the dust, and none of this would have happened."

 

Only then did he realise how much trust he put into this kitsune of the forest, enough to leave a child in her care and drop all defenses upon revisiting.  It could have all been a ruse, and yet it did not smack of falsehood.  Terra trusted his instincts to keep him down the right path.  Sometimes his instincts failed him and caused him regret, but this time it seemed wholly right.  A smile formed on his lips at the thought as he looked down at the giggling baby.  It seemed the play drum he brought was a good choice as well.

 

"You seem to know what you are doing with Ventus here," he spoke on, switching the topic and bobbing the kid up and down just enough to bounce him.  "I don't think I'd know where to start with him without direction, even if I were raised around a number of other kids."

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

Aqua smiled as she listened to Terra's words. Despite his strong desire to do what was right, Aqua could tell Terra's heart was heavy. Still, Aqua knew Terra indeed had a noble heart. If was something most humans did not have.

When Terra began talking about Ventus once more, Aqua couldn't help but close her eyes. Memories began to resurface, memories of long ago. She was silent for a few minutes, hair covering her face before she tried to mask herself by playing with the giggling Ventus.

"I had children of my own, once." Aqua said with a soft smile, gently stroking Ventus' head with her finger. "Perhaps... perhaps we were destined to meet, all three of us. You and me... there is a reason the spirits placed us in each other's path. And that is to save this baby boy."

[Vaude 536]

"Children of your own?  No kidding!" Terra replied, looking upon Aqua with a smile of his own.  "That explains a lot, now that I think about it.  And destined?  Us three?"  Terra paused in thought and shook his head with a chuckle.  An image passed through his mind where Aqua and Terra and Ventus were beside each other.  Ventus was grown to a few years younger than he was, for some odd reason, and had hair crazier than his.  Weird, but it was worthy of a good laugh.  "Maybe, though I'd expect destiny would place us differently if not for what actually happened here and now."

 

((Small cameo of the originals.  =P ))

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

"The world works in strange ways." Aqua chimed, brushing some of Ventus' baby hair with her hand. Upon thinking more about her children, Aqua grew quiet for a few moments.

Ventus moved his tiny little eyes to look right into Terra. With a small giggle, Ventus took a hold of Terra's finger and held it close as if it was a small teddy bear. Aqua felt her heart melt at the sight.

"Ventus... he loves you." Aqua said.

[Vaude 536]

Terra glanced down in surprise with another chuckle, wriggling his finger in between the tiny hands as he lightly tickled Ventus through the adorable grab.

 

"Again, just a fancy, I'm sure, but it's a nice thought irregardless," he confessed, still smiling at the thought of the adorable scene.

He felt the need to change the topic and looked out at the water, taking the scene in.  The landscape, even if swamped with greenery on either side of the river, was gorgeous.  There was little wonder why Aqua made this forest her home, and yet something seemed off regarding it, and he voiced his chief concern.

 

"I don't know how to best ask this, Aqua, but . . . why were you out here all alone?  I mean, it is beautiful here, but don't you have family?  Friends?"

 

((So sorry for the wait; I had a huge brain fart back when this was still fresh in memory and said memory slowly declined into absence.  If you are still up for the continuation, I would be too.  =) ))

Edited September 2, 2017 by Vaude

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

(Sweet alright!)

Ventus began to laugh and squirm from Terra's tickling, causing Aqua to laugh along with him at the sight of his energy. She had to hold onto Ventus even tighter to ensure that he wasn't going to fall out of her arms. Her laughter however slowly haltered to a stop upon hearing Terra's question. Ventus began to giggle once more.

"I..." Aqua took a small breath, closing her eyes as she looked down at the baby in her arms. She refused to look at Terra's face, even turning her back to him to stare into the water.

"I wasn't always alone... Once upon a time I was a quite curious young woman. I used to go out of the forest and watch the humans in the village from afar. I would see parents with their beautiful children which soon caused me to long for children of my own. I begged the spirits for a child... And one night I saw a group of men at a camp outside my forest... I was a foolish young woman at the time... full of curiosity."

She quieted down, slowly shushing Ventus as she began to rock him to sleep. It didn't take too long, for Ventus a few minutes later was already nodding off.

"I approached them, in my bare form. I thought all humans were nice and peaceful. The men were sweet at first, but soon I noticed their breaths smelt horrid and they approached me. They... took advantage of me. I managed to fight back and escape. Months later... I discovered I was pregnant. I didn't really understand what that meant, but I realized I would have children of my own. And I did- three adorable baby pups. They were my joy in life... but one day those men came back for me. They wanted revenge after I attacked them. I was out hunting for food at the time... when I came back my pups... they were-" she was started by Ventus' sudden whailing, forcing her to take a few steps back to bump into Terra's chest. She didn't even notice there were some tears rolling down her cheeks as she tried her best to calm down the baby.

"Oh dear.... you poor baby. Shhh.... shhh... it's okay. I have you." She bounced him in her arms.

[Vaude 536]

Terra winced all the way through the tale and attempted to curb his anger.  This sort of sick nature of men was a horrible thing for her or anyone to experience, and, had he any inclination of who they were, he did not know whether or not he would attempt to slay these individuals.  Now better than ever he understood what she mentioned earlier, though he still questioned its truth.  "The true monsters are the very same humans you get your orders from."  Those words clung to him since they were uttered and made him speculate.  How monstrous were the men of power he and others served?  Surely not as bad as these individuals, the ones who destroyed the innocence of a young lady like Aqua and afterwards killed her kids.  Granted, she should not have been bare when in the company of others, let alone men, but the sin was still theirs.

 

The respective lady bumped into him with her back turned.  Shocked and brought out of his inner thoughts, he braced her by holding her near the stomach region and thankfully kept everyone upright instead of bowling over.  Needless to say, he was a ta-a-ad embarrassed by the closeness, and he cleared his throat as he stepped back and let the kitsune girl stand on her own two feet.  A blush burned his stony cheeks like a forest fire.

 

"Sorry about that," he apologised, even if it was not his fault.  "I didn't know you had such a past.  It must be painful to think about, but the situation will not repeat, not if I've any say about it."  He placed a firm thumb on his armoured chest and solemnly swore, "Mark me, Ventus will be safe on my watch."

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

Aqua lingered on in silence at reflecting on her past foolishness. Once upon a time she was just a foolish young woman. Now her experiences have taught her otherwise. Her breath hitched in her throat when she felt herself in Terra's arms, shocked to see that the male brought her into an embrace. Ventus suddenly giggled in Aqua's arms, almost as if the baby was happy to see everyone in a warm hug.
Aqua wiped some dry tears out of her face and stood still. She wasn't sure of what to say next, but Terra's words comforted her. A small smile made it's way onto her face.

"...Thank you."

[Vaude 536]

"You're welcome," answered Terra, his face contouring into a smile too as his blush subsided.

 

He glanced towards Ventus for a time, a little perplexed by the babe's little fit of laughter after crying even if he was happy about it, and afterwards shifted his attention to the scenery.  There was something about this part of the forest that sparked with fulfillment.  He could not quite understand it, but maybe it had something to do with the past.  History oddly had a way of adding sentimentality to objects and locations, and, according to wise women and fortune tellers, so too does the future.  He speculated over which the reason could be before shaking his head free of thought.

 

"So, perhaps you can give me a proper tour of this place?" he suggested, attempting to spur further conversation and hefting the satchel of things onto his back.  "Certainly you know more about this place than I do in my attempt to race you."