(This idea has been stuck in my head since I saw the ending of Birth By Sleep. It's rare to have an idea that was as powerful as this one. I felt I had to leave the ending as it was, because I felt that adding anything onto that would have spoiled it :D This mainly focuses around Aqua in the dark realm but I'll let you read the rest for yourselves. Enjoy! :D And yeah doc manager hates word files :/ So that's why the text is all squished, can't fix that unfortunaly!)

Light

She kept her pacing, like she always did. How long had she walked? How long had it been now? The oblivion of darkness stretched out in front of her, testing her, softly whispering to her of fading into the darkness. Whispers that a weaker heart would have given into. But she. Her heart shone with light. She would never fade, she would never surrender, she…would fight the darkness. Each day was a trail of heart and mind, each day she risked falling to the darkness.

"…It never ends…" She felt herself stop.

She paused staring into the nothingness in front of her…the path that never stopped. Her slender hand cupped itself around something…something dear to her, something that lent her strength in the darkest of hours.

"Terra…" She looked down at the object so dearest to her. The star shaped blue glassed charm she had made by hand. "Ven…" Her charm flashed from green to orange, the memories of their seemingly 'unbreakable' connection between the three.

Before the memories had a chance to play however, she felt something. A presence maybe. She became aware of something, she looked around but found nothing…no strange monsters of the dark came to claim her. She peered around into the darkness around her…though it was only by chance that she caught the outline of something on the path, way out in front of her. Something within her ticked telling her no threat lurked near, so curious she ventured forward. With each step she took she found herself grow more curious. She came closer and closer. The figures blurred form becoming sharpened. She stopped…the image of a person dressed in a black cloak sitting on the edge of the path in front of her.

Always caring about the safety of others Aqua coaxed the words out of herself. "Hello?" She ventured, the figure slowly turned its head toward her as if it were freshly risen from a cot. "How did you get here? I've not seen anyone on these roads before."

The figure said no words…yet the strangest thing happened. It answered. Aqua felt words sink into her mind without a voice as if they came to her from the very air itself.

…Don't know…how I got here…

The figure righted itself on the edge, sliding back from it stood up right they were just a wee ways taller than Aqua.

"I'm Aqua." She smiled thankful to have had contact with someone after such a long time.

…Name…Don't remember…

For a second Aqua found a very different person standing there. A familiar face, a blank stare to his young deep blue eyes. She found herself remembering Ventus…when he had first came to them. The image of her dear friend faded leaving an unfamiliar and strange figure in it places. Her eyes drew downward as her heart gave a painfully throb her light flickering slightly. She would give anything to see them again…the faces of her friends.

…You'll see them again… The voice echoed into her.

Her eyes drew up again the sorrowful thoughts wiping clean. "I'll will probably never see them again…they were both lost to the darkness." It was a sad truth…though an honest one…one she still found hard to bear. Aqua watched as the figure turned watching out into nothingness. "Your light?" She questions at the flicker she could feel emitting from the figure. "There's darkness surrounding it. It threatens to go out…but still…it burns so bright."

The figure said nothing…no words awoke in her head.

"You can't give into the darkness." Again the figure changed…this time Terra looked back at her the same solemn look her always bore. Another pull came to her heart strings…she…she wanted to see them both again…so badly.

…Something is coming… The voice came.

A great burst of light came from nowhere Aqua shielded her eyes. The glare began to lessen as she gently unshielded herself. She blinked thinking herself in a dream. Before her stood a gateway made of light. She smiled knowing the way home was in front of her, that she could finally return home to the realm of light! Though as she took her step, something in her stop her. This person…had been waiting…was it for this? The hope within her faded as her kind nature took over.

"There." She smiled happily "You can go home now. Back to where the light is."

The figure stood…still. She felt a sense of urgency that this once bright person was lost and being taken in by darkness.

"Go!" She grabbed their hand her own skin heating the cold black leather gloves. "You need to go right now! You don't belong here!" She almost pleaded. Memories of one she held dear played…lost to the darkness forever. "You need to leave right now!" The figure focused on her, even so close she could not see the face underneath the hood.

…This light is not for me.

And with that she felt herself lift, her stomach jolt back as she was pulled up by the arm. She blinked as she felt herself float in mind air, her grip tightened on the figures hands like a child scared of the water. Again the words seeped into Aqua's mind.

Don't worry. I have a light to follow, the voices know the way home. The figure stood straighter leaning forward just an inch. It's time for you to go home now…say 'Hi' to Terra and Ven for me.

And with that they let go. She had no time to think of anything, no time to think of regrets. The light bathed her in warmth as she pondered over the figures last words. The dark world she had been trapped in for so long began to fade, replaced by light and warmth. And as the warmth and light reached its peek…she felt her heart swell with joy and a tear drop from her eye. And after that…there was only light as the world whited out around her…

A breeze of wind passed through her hair a sensation she had almost forgotten. Her head swam as if she was beginning to awake from a long dream.

"Aqua…" A voice murmured in the distance. "Aqua!" Another voice rang she felt her eyelids stir. "Aqua! Please wake up!" The murmurs faded the voice rang true…a voice she recognised.

Her eyes shot open. And tears sprung to them a second after they opened. Her hands drew up to cover her face, true the light stung them a bit…but the faces. She sobbed.

"Hey…come on." A very calm kind voice asked as a warm hand feel on hers, her body shook both from tears and slight fear…fear that she wasn't dreaming. "You're fine now Aqua." The warm hand held steady on hers a warm, protective one.

"Aqua!" A warmth came around her waist "Please! Don't cry!" The young familiar voice held tears of its own. She felt them shake as she did from tears.

"Don't be a dream. Please don't be a dream!" She spluttered overcome by emotion. Her hands finally drew down. The two faces looked down at her one with tears in its deep blue eyes the other with concern rounding its cobalt blue eyes. "Terra! Ven!" She sat up pulling them both into a hug.

Terra held her head against his chest, Ventus held around her waist his head buried into hers. She squeezed them as her tears poured out, another strong arm went around her as a tear dropped from Terra's eye onto her blue satin hair. The soft crashing of waves on the coastline sparkled in the ambers of dusk, as a star shaped fruit overlooked the three.

"We're home."