Okay so I wrote a little mini fic for the contest! Hope you guys enjoy! Also be on the lookout for a little cameo! Can you guess what it is?
The rich lanterns covered the town like a flurry of lights, sending its rich diverse colors everywhere. It reflected on every surface, turning everyone and everything into a rainbow of colors. Celebration was in the air; the festive holiday was sacred to those who resided in the Land of Departure.
A young boy with brown scruffy hair yawned softly as he held his master’s hand in his tiny one; he didn't understand too much the purpose of the festival, especially with how loud everyone was. All he cared about was that he got to get toys for free the next day. He was dressed in an orange kimono along with a small blush on his cheeks whenever he noticed any girls staring at him. The poor boy wanted to just go back home and train with his wooden keyblade by himself. He pictured himself swinging around the said keyblade in his hand, although he soon pouted softly when he felt his master squeeze his hand.
“Terra,” Said the master, stern voice bringing the boy to attention. “Stop swinging your arm around. You’ll hit somebody. You must behave lest you will expect punishment when we get home.”
Terra sighed softly, nodding at his master’s words. The master could sense the displeasure in the boy’s disposition, so his face softened. The master ruffled his apprentice’s hair.
“Today is a very special day. You should celebrate.” He reached down into his pockets and pulled out some munny. He placed it Terra’s hand and smiled down at him.
“I will be meeting my old colleague, Terra. Why don't you go play? That should be enough money to buy some food and toys from the festival.”
Terra nodded while he made a small shrug. He didn't really know what to do by himself, although the idea of some snacks sounded nice. His mouth almost watered at the image of a rice cake in his hand. He let go of his master and hugged him before he left. Once Terra realized he was all alone, he scratched his head. What WAS he going to do now?
Terra figured maybe getting some food first was a good idea. Clutching the munny tightly in his hand, he snaked his way through the crowd to search the stands for some goodies to buy. He didn't want to spend too much, but when he saw all the food Terra realized that he won't have a single munny left after he was done.
The boy approached an onigiri stand and stood in line. He had to cling to the person in front of him in order to not be trampled by all the people around him. It didn't help that no one noticed him.
Once he got to the front of the line, Terra stood on his tiptoes to place the munny on the counter. He almost had some trouble with the high table, but he made it.
“One onigiri.” Terra uttered. “...Please.”
The merchant giggled as she looked down at the boy.
“Awwwwwe! What a cutie!” She said with yet another giggle as she placed the warm rice treat in Terra’s hand. “Have fun!”
Terra huffed to himself as he reached up his hand to take the food. He wasn't really fond of being called cute, so he just walked away and began munching on his treat. Next he figured he should try another stand.
He got in line for a takoyaki stand, frowning as he stood in the back of the long line. Takoyaki was a popular snack for the season, so it was no wonder that the stand was so crowded.
He waited in line for what seemed like hours, when in reality it was only a couple of minutes. The line wasn't really letting up anytime soon, so he was debating of just leaving. He glanced around to see if there were any stands that had a smaller line.
That's when he saw her.
Up ahead, at a small little stand was a little girl with blue hair tied back in a tiny bun. She wore a blue kimono with pink accents with bubbles all over, along with a pink obi to match. Her stand didn't even have a table, for she simply displayed her merchandise on the floor; a couple of star shaped charms in different colors. She smiled eagerly as she sat there, waiting for customers to come by. It was evident though that not a single person had come by to greet her.
Terra blushed as he watched the adorable little girl sitting there all by herself. He wondered why she was just sitting there all alone, so he broke away from the crowd to go talk to her. The only problem was, he didn't know how to talk to girls- or to people for that matter.
“...Hi there.” Terra said with a small smile, walking up to the girl. He gave a polite wave as he introduced himself. “My name is Terra. What's yours?”
The little girl giggled as she looked at the boy before her. She placed her hands to her chest
“My name is Aqua. It's nice to meet you!” She said with a charming smile. She presented her merchandise to Terra, looking on proudly at her work. “I'm selling good luck charms! They're called Wayfinders! The grown ups say that if you carry one, you'll always find your way back to your favorite people in the entire world. They're only one munny!”
Terra couldn't help but smile as he looked down at the girl. He crouched and sat down next to her, feet stretching out onto the path.
“I’ll buy the orange one… why aren't you playing in the festival?” He asked.
Aqua chuckled softly and held her hands close to her chest. She looked down to her Wayfinders, closing her eyes.
“My mama and papa told me to always help others. I started making these Wayfinders after they went away to the sky… maybe if I hold one, I'll be with them again. If I sold Wayfinders, then other people could find their way too. I use the money to get myself food that I share with people who don't have a home like me.”
Terra’s face softened- Aqua’s words troubled his heart. Eraqus told Terra that some people didn't have a place to live, but to witness it was a different story.
“You… Your parents are gone? You're all by yourself out here…?”
Aqua shook her head, taking Terra’s hand to place it on her chest. The boy’s face heated up at the strange gesture.
“I'm not alone… as long as I have my heart, they're always with me.”
Terra was taken aback by Aqua’s words. She had nothing, but she was so kind and compassionate- a little girl like that didn't deserve such a life.
“But…” Terra paused as the gentle vibrations of Aqua’s heart beat fluttered against his hand. It was warm and rhythmic, almost enchanting for the boy.
“I… My master is here… can I take you to meet him? He's really strong, and kind, and really nice.” He let out a soft tiny hand for her, watching as the gentle pale hand reached out for his. Their fingers entwined together, innocent warmth transferring between one another. Terra pulled Aqua up, the little girl giggling as she dusted herself off.
“Okay! Maybe he’ll buy one of my charms!” Aqua put together her wares, and tied it all in a small little sack of cloth that she used as a blanket. With the sack held on her back, the girl followed Terra along through the crowd.
Aqua smiled at the crowd before her. The tall giants around them covered them in a flurry of colors. Each time she bumped into someone, Aqua giggled at the soft silky fabric of the kimonos against her skin. She felt like she was traveling through a sea of blankets, each blanket being a large fish above them.
As they traveled through the crowd, Terra looked back and forth for his master. He was determined to find him, for the sake of the girl. Luckily as they reached the outskirts of the crowd, Terra spotted a familiar black ponytail.
“Master!” Terra called, running up to the old man with Aqua in tow. Terra’s face was red; he was filled with childlike anger.
“Master can Aqua come home with us please her parents are gone and you told me to protect other people and I wanna protect her and it's not fair that she has to sleep outside in the dirt and she's really hungry and can she come with us please???”
The master’s eyes blinked as he turned around to look down at the boy. The last thing he was expecting was the young girl before him, with Terra rambling on. He managed to quiet Terra down for a moment, where he knelt down to Aqua’s height. He couldn't help but chuckle when he saw her hide behind Terra.
“Hello there, child. My name is Master Eraqus… if I understand my apprentice correctly, you're all alone in the world?”
Aqua peeked her head out from behind Terra. Her small face nodded as she looked up to the man before him. She ended up coming out of her shield and curtsied for the master.
“I'm Aqua… my parents are up there, with Kingdom Hearts. They're with me, in my heart… but I'm scared… I don't want to be alone.” She said with a frown, tears welling up.
The master sighed softly and reached out to wipe Aqua’s tears away.
“I understand, young Aqua. You must be quite hungry. Would you like to join us for dinner? I would love to get to know you. And I'm sure Terra would like that too, right Terra?”
Terra went rigid, standing up straight with a small blush. “Y-Yes Master.”
Aqua went silent, looking into Eraqus’ strong yet gentle eyes for quite a while. She didn't quite know what to think, but all she knew at that moment was that her stomach was rumbling.
“O-Okay.” She uttered softly. Eraqus took Terra’s hand, and the three walked together to get food.
As they were walking together, Terra allowed his mind to wander off. This brief moment was cut off by the feeling of tugging at his sleeve. He turned his head to see Aqua.
“Merry Christmas, Terra.” Aqua whispered with a small giggle. The next thing Terra felt was something being placed in his hand and a small peck to the cheek. Before Terra could even react, Aqua had retreated to the other side of his Master.
Terra’s eyes widened as he placed his hand where Aqua’s lips had just been. His eyes wandered everywhere in mild shock; to the lanterns in the sky, to the merchants selling food, to the bald old man nearby trying to calm a crying blonde baby. Finally, his eyes darted towards his hand. When he opened it, he found a small little orange star charm.
That's it! Thank you guys for reading and Merry Christmas!
Okay so I wrote a little mini fic for the contest! Hope you guys enjoy! Also be on the lookout for a little cameo! Can you guess what it is?
The rich lanterns covered the town like a flurry of lights, sending its rich diverse colors everywhere. It reflected on every surface, turning everyone and everything into a rainbow of colors. Celebration was in the air; the festive holiday was sacred to those who resided in the Land of Departure.
A young boy with brown scruffy hair yawned softly as he held his master’s hand in his tiny one; he didn't understand too much the purpose of the festival, especially with how loud everyone was. All he cared about was that he got to get toys for free the next day. He was dressed in an orange kimono along with a small blush on his cheeks whenever he noticed any girls staring at him. The poor boy wanted to just go back home and train with his wooden keyblade by himself. He pictured himself swinging around the said keyblade in his hand, although he soon pouted softly when he felt his master squeeze his hand.
“Terra,” Said the master, stern voice bringing the boy to attention. “Stop swinging your arm around. You’ll hit somebody. You must behave lest you will expect punishment when we get home.”
Terra sighed softly, nodding at his master’s words. The master could sense the displeasure in the boy’s disposition, so his face softened. The master ruffled his apprentice’s hair.
“Today is a very special day. You should celebrate.” He reached down into his pockets and pulled out some munny. He placed it Terra’s hand and smiled down at him.
“I will be meeting my old colleague, Terra. Why don't you go play? That should be enough money to buy some food and toys from the festival.”
Terra nodded while he made a small shrug. He didn't really know what to do by himself, although the idea of some snacks sounded nice. His mouth almost watered at the image of a rice cake in his hand. He let go of his master and hugged him before he left. Once Terra realized he was all alone, he scratched his head. What WAS he going to do now?
Terra figured maybe getting some food first was a good idea. Clutching the munny tightly in his hand, he snaked his way through the crowd to search the stands for some goodies to buy. He didn't want to spend too much, but when he saw all the food Terra realized that he won't have a single munny left after he was done.
The boy approached an onigiri stand and stood in line. He had to cling to the person in front of him in order to not be trampled by all the people around him. It didn't help that no one noticed him.
Once he got to the front of the line, Terra stood on his tiptoes to place the munny on the counter. He almost had some trouble with the high table, but he made it.
“One onigiri.” Terra uttered. “...Please.”
The merchant giggled as she looked down at the boy.
“Awwwwwe! What a cutie!” She said with yet another giggle as she placed the warm rice treat in Terra’s hand. “Have fun!”
Terra huffed to himself as he reached up his hand to take the food. He wasn't really fond of being called cute, so he just walked away and began munching on his treat. Next he figured he should try another stand.
He got in line for a takoyaki stand, frowning as he stood in the back of the long line. Takoyaki was a popular snack for the season, so it was no wonder that the stand was so crowded.
He waited in line for what seemed like hours, when in reality it was only a couple of minutes. The line wasn't really letting up anytime soon, so he was debating of just leaving. He glanced around to see if there were any stands that had a smaller line.
That's when he saw her.
Up ahead, at a small little stand was a little girl with blue hair tied back in a tiny bun. She wore a blue kimono with pink accents with bubbles all over, along with a pink obi to match. Her stand didn't even have a table, for she simply displayed her merchandise on the floor; a couple of star shaped charms in different colors. She smiled eagerly as she sat there, waiting for customers to come by. It was evident though that not a single person had come by to greet her.
Terra blushed as he watched the adorable little girl sitting there all by herself. He wondered why she was just sitting there all alone, so he broke away from the crowd to go talk to her. The only problem was, he didn't know how to talk to girls- or to people for that matter.
“...Hi there.” Terra said with a small smile, walking up to the girl. He gave a polite wave as he introduced himself. “My name is Terra. What's yours?”
The little girl giggled as she looked at the boy before her. She placed her hands to her chest
“My name is Aqua. It's nice to meet you!” She said with a charming smile. She presented her merchandise to Terra, looking on proudly at her work. “I'm selling good luck charms! They're called Wayfinders! The grown ups say that if you carry one, you'll always find your way back to your favorite people in the entire world. They're only one munny!”
Terra couldn't help but smile as he looked down at the girl. He crouched and sat down next to her, feet stretching out onto the path.
“I’ll buy the orange one… why aren't you playing in the festival?” He asked.
Aqua chuckled softly and held her hands close to her chest. She looked down to her Wayfinders, closing her eyes.
“My mama and papa told me to always help others. I started making these Wayfinders after they went away to the sky… maybe if I hold one, I'll be with them again. If I sold Wayfinders, then other people could find their way too. I use the money to get myself food that I share with people who don't have a home like me.”
Terra’s face softened- Aqua’s words troubled his heart. Eraqus told Terra that some people didn't have a place to live, but to witness it was a different story.
“You… Your parents are gone? You're all by yourself out here…?”
Aqua shook her head, taking Terra’s hand to place it on her chest. The boy’s face heated up at the strange gesture.
“I'm not alone… as long as I have my heart, they're always with me.”
Terra was taken aback by Aqua’s words. She had nothing, but she was so kind and compassionate- a little girl like that didn't deserve such a life.
“But…” Terra paused as the gentle vibrations of Aqua’s heart beat fluttered against his hand. It was warm and rhythmic, almost enchanting for the boy.
“I… My master is here… can I take you to meet him? He's really strong, and kind, and really nice.” He let out a soft tiny hand for her, watching as the gentle pale hand reached out for his. Their fingers entwined together, innocent warmth transferring between one another. Terra pulled Aqua up, the little girl giggling as she dusted herself off.
“Okay! Maybe he’ll buy one of my charms!” Aqua put together her wares, and tied it all in a small little sack of cloth that she used as a blanket. With the sack held on her back, the girl followed Terra along through the crowd.
Aqua smiled at the crowd before her. The tall giants around them covered them in a flurry of colors. Each time she bumped into someone, Aqua giggled at the soft silky fabric of the kimonos against her skin. She felt like she was traveling through a sea of blankets, each blanket being a large fish above them.
As they traveled through the crowd, Terra looked back and forth for his master. He was determined to find him, for the sake of the girl. Luckily as they reached the outskirts of the crowd, Terra spotted a familiar black ponytail.
“Master!” Terra called, running up to the old man with Aqua in tow. Terra’s face was red; he was filled with childlike anger.
“Master can Aqua come home with us please her parents are gone and you told me to protect other people and I wanna protect her and it's not fair that she has to sleep outside in the dirt and she's really hungry and can she come with us please???”
The master’s eyes blinked as he turned around to look down at the boy. The last thing he was expecting was the young girl before him, with Terra rambling on. He managed to quiet Terra down for a moment, where he knelt down to Aqua’s height. He couldn't help but chuckle when he saw her hide behind Terra.
“Hello there, child. My name is Master Eraqus… if I understand my apprentice correctly, you're all alone in the world?”
Aqua peeked her head out from behind Terra. Her small face nodded as she looked up to the man before him. She ended up coming out of her shield and curtsied for the master.
“I'm Aqua… my parents are up there, with Kingdom Hearts. They're with me, in my heart… but I'm scared… I don't want to be alone.” She said with a frown, tears welling up.
The master sighed softly and reached out to wipe Aqua’s tears away.
“I understand, young Aqua. You must be quite hungry. Would you like to join us for dinner? I would love to get to know you. And I'm sure Terra would like that too, right Terra?”
Terra went rigid, standing up straight with a small blush. “Y-Yes Master.”
Aqua went silent, looking into Eraqus’ strong yet gentle eyes for quite a while. She didn't quite know what to think, but all she knew at that moment was that her stomach was rumbling.
“O-Okay.” She uttered softly. Eraqus took Terra’s hand, and the three walked together to get food.
As they were walking together, Terra allowed his mind to wander off. This brief moment was cut off by the feeling of tugging at his sleeve. He turned his head to see Aqua.
“Merry Christmas, Terra.” Aqua whispered with a small giggle. The next thing Terra felt was something being placed in his hand and a small peck to the cheek. Before Terra could even react, Aqua had retreated to the other side of his Master.
Terra’s eyes widened as he placed his hand where Aqua’s lips had just been. His eyes wandered everywhere in mild shock; to the lanterns in the sky, to the merchants selling food, to the bald old man nearby trying to calm a crying blonde baby. Finally, his eyes darted towards his hand. When he opened it, he found a small little orange star charm.
That's it! Thank you guys for reading and Merry Christmas!