Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts characters, plot, places etc. belong to its owners, Square Enix. I do not claim ownership and am just borrowing the characters/ideas from the franchise.
Title: Bridge of Light
Summary: All she wants is to bring her friends back to the Light and avenge her master.
A/N: This story is slightly AU, and contains SPOILERS for Kingdom Hearts 3D. It's a slightly different take on how 3D ended
Aqua sat on the beach, gazing out at the dark waters reflecting the moonlit night. Many nights passed like this and she became sick and tired of it. The elderly man kept her company most nights, but others he left to explore his own findings. This night was different, however, as she gazed up into the sky.
A bright light came crashing down into the beach. A body, encompassed by a golden light, withered before her. Aqua crouched down and touched the figure. A young boy, with spiky brown hair, shook before her. He muttered under his breath and she held hers.
"Sora." The name passed on her lips automatically. His light began to dissipate and gray surrounded it. "Listen to me. You must not give in. swear to me, you will not give in."
She put her hand on his heart and sensed the different presences within it. Ven's heart reached out to her. A tear slid down her cheek as she ignored him. Finding Sora's heart, she pressed her spirit upon his. She muttered lowly and quickly, remembering all the words that Master Eraqus taught her. "Bring back this soul to me, my lady of light. Let him become one with the armor he adorns. Allow his soul the freedom from the internal darkness. Let him become his own."
The grayness paused and directed itself toward Aqua. She felt a tug at her right wrist and gasped. Blue armor, familiar to her like a second skin, encased her gracefully. Sora groaned and a green hued armor shielded him. "I will find you, Sora. And I will teach you the ways I was taught. Do not fret."
His body disappeared as she heard a masculine voice call his name. She looked to the sky and found an older version of Riku looking down. Her armor disappeared from her body, but the familiar wristband cupped her forearm. She grinned at Sora's disappearing light and ran to find the elderly man.
Yen Sid sat down in his chair and shook his head in dismay. Riku never fell short of his expectations, but Sora was now another story. The boy he had thought would win this test easily, had not. He needed to revise his approach to the untrained boy.
"Master Yen Sid," Mickey's voice came from the doorway. The elderly keyblade master motioned for his student to come in. Mickey hesitantly came to the table where the elder was sitting. "What are we going to do about Sora?"
"Let me train him." a cool feminine voice called from the doorway. Both masters veered at the voice. A young woman, with blue hair and vibrant blue eyes, stood in the doorway. A man stood behind her, looking weary and worn, but Mickey recognized him immediately.
"Ansem!" Mickey walked over to the man and shook his head. Aqua approached the table and put two hands on it and leaned over.
"Let me train him and regain my blade." She gazed directly into Yen Sid's eyes and the master gazed at the younger one. "He needs to learn how to utilize his armor. We also need him to release all the hearts that he collected over the years."
She pointed to Ansem and then looked at Yen Sid. He pointed to a small door and Aqua nodded. "How did you escape the Realm, Aqua?"
"His soul came down to the beach. I muttered the Lady's prayer and brought forth his armor." She coolly gazed at Yen Sid. "He was an open experiment for Xehanort since he was given his keyblade succession. I'm surprised you didn't sense them before you did."
She walked into the small room. Sora rested on a small bed and Donald and Goofy watched over him. She came into the room. Goofy saw her and hugged her tightly. She laughed lightly and Donald repeated the action. The commotion woke Sora up. Aqua knelt down before him. His eyes widened as she touched his right wrist.
"You have been through a lot. I am very sorry I wasn't here to train you sooner." She put her right wrist over his. "I thought Yen Sid would have explained more to you and Riku, instead of letting you discover things naturally on your own."
"It's not Master Yen Sid's fault that I fell into darkness," Sora admitted quickly. Aqua nodded and continued to observe his right wrist. "I was too trusting and…"
"Your heart was left open. It is an admirable feat for a keyblade wielder to go that long without armor." Aqua glanced at the door as Ansem the Wise strolled in. "But it is time for you to give hearts back to where they belong."
Sora struggled out of the bed and stumbled toward Ansem. The boy put his right hand over Ansem's heart and a light passed between them. Aqua stood and smiled. She took Sora's arm and put it over her shoulders. They walked out to Yen Sid and Ansem followed. She sat him carefully down in a chair and stood to look at the elder master. "If this boy does not release all the hearts, Xehanort will use him."
"He will not bring back Terra." Yen Sid's voice was final. Aqua stared at him for a long moment before he continued. "The boy will not bring Eraqus' back either. He needs to learn control over his inner darkness."
Aqua fought the urge to rage at Mickey's old master, but held her tongue. If living in the darkness had taught her anything, it was patience. There was a lot of gray in-between the darkness and the light, but as long as the light prevailed, the possibilities were endless.
"Master Yen Sid, he is the only one of us that naturally can awaken hearts. I will train him whether or not you give me leeway." Her voice held a tone of authority that made Yen Sid's eyebrows rise. "He can come with me to the Land of Departure, after I claim my blade, and I will train him."
"Land of Departure was lost to the worlds long ago," Yen Sid stated. Aqua fought back an expression of surprise as the elder master gazed out at the world around them.
Eraqus stood in the chamber of light and glanced at Aqua. "The secrets I am about to tell you are ours alone. None know the true secret of this planet. I entrust them to you as my successor."
Aqua wondered now if Eraqus knew his own end would arrive. Pain shot through her at the memory of her old master, but she refused to let tears come. "Allow me to assist him in finding his armor."
Yen Sid shook his head. Aqua stared at him and stated very quietly, "He needs someone to help him find his armor. I need a new guide in these worlds. We can do each other a great service."
"You have been in the darkness too long." Aqua held out her hands and then shoved his hand over her heart. He pulled back as soon as he realized there was no darkness lying out of place and Aqua smiled.
"I am the only one who can find Ven. I know where he is and I will need to lead Sora there." She summoned Eraqus' blade to her right hand and grinned down at it. Yen Sid's eyes widened as she showed him the blade. "We both know that you will need all the warriors you can muster. Allow me one month and I can find Ven and Terra."
Yen Sid watched the blade, wondering why it was willed to her, but nodded slightly. She gave her nod and approached Sora. She muttered something quietly and his body transported itself. She turned to Donald and Goofy. "Now, we track him."
They ran toward the gummy ship. It took off momentarily afterward while Yen Sid contemplated the image he had just witnessed.
Sora sat down in the middle of Traverse Town and waited for her. His instincts knew she and the other two would follow him, but he didn't know how quickly. He was surprised to smell the seawater in the town until he saw a shadow stand over him.
"Traverse Town, huh?" her voice asked calmly and slowly. Sora nodded and she smiled. "In my first world, I met Cinderella."
Sora gave her an interested look and she shrugged. "Ever look back at a situation and wish you could have done more to it?"
"Every day, Sora." Her voice kept an edge that Sora winced at. "I lost my two best friends because of Xehanort. I lost my master, the one true father I possessed, and was plunged into darkness for ten years."
Her eyes closed and her expression turned terse. She wiped her eyes and then smiled down at him. "But what makes us stronger is realizing that the darkness can be held back by our armor."
She showed him her bracelet and he reached out to touch it. He looked down at his own wrist and one of his bands began to glow. She watched his expression of fascination as the band transformed into metallic green. She nodded with satisfaction.
She gazed at Donald and Goofy. "I want you two to go to Radiant Garden. We will come shortly."
Goofy nodded but Donald tried to protest. Goofy put a hand over the duck's beak and led him back to the ship. Aqua rose and held her hand out to Sora. He took it and she pulled him up. Putting her right hand out, she motioned for him to copy her. "Summon all the light within you and push it toward the wristband."
Sora concentrated and shoved a mass amount of light toward his wristband. Aqua fought back a laugh as the armor came onto him within a second. She equipped her own armor and held her hands up. Sora did the same and they opened the old portal. She ran through and waited for him.
Sora walked through and was surprised to find an armored vehicle waiting for him. "When we travel from world to world, our armor takes the shape of a transport. We travel the old highways to cut time."
She motioned for him to follow and Sora did. They remained silent as they journeyed on. "What it like?"
"Emptiness. I always felt cold and tired. I was constantly in a daze, but I never lost the sense of myself. When you become that worn down, you don't know where your next source of love is going to come from." Aqua shrugged. She smiled again. "Then I met a man in a black robe who spoke of a time that a boy could come and rescue everyone. I felt hope again, thanks to you."
Aqua slowed as they reached Hollow Bastion. Sora's eyes widened as they landed gracefully onto the ground. Aqua stared around her and concealed her shock at the changes in the planet. "Sora!"
They turned and a tall man with black hair came running toward them. Sora smiled and yelled, "Leon!"
Aqua watched the two hug, but kept an eye out on the castle in the distance. The hair on the back of her neck rose and Aqua turned. She saw a hollow of Terra in front of her point toward a small alley. She nodded and took Sora's hand without questioning her instincts and ran down the alleyway.
Following Terra's retreating back, Aqua felt the tug at her wristband increase. Terra's ghost disappeared when they came to a door in the side of the castle. "I wouldn't go in there if you got a death wish."
They turned and Aqua regarded a man with long red hair and vibrant green eyes suspiciously. He gave her the same look until he saw her wrist. "You know Ven."
"Yes, I do," she stated calmly. Sora approached the man and nodded at Aqua. She opened the door and muttered a prayer beneath her breath.
A long white corridor shot in front of her. Following her instinct, Aqua stayed with the corridor until a door on her right appeared. Her wristband shot to the door. She raised an eyebrow and materialized Master Eraqus' key before her mind said no. The door opened. In front of her a long tall throne sat. She shuddered for an unexplainable reason.
Walking around it, she saw a rusty armor in chains. But what else was there made her want to weep with joy. Her armor and blade intertwined through the chains. She walked forward and set one hand on the lock. She set the other on her blade. "Mine by light is mine by night. The deepest hour is the shallowest. Let my soul shine with its weapon in hand."
A blue light enveloped the armor and her keyblade. It swirled around her as goose bumps conquered her skin. She smiled happily and sighed a long deep breath. The armor removed itself completely and took over once again. It was as if the armor was happy she was in the realm of the living and not in the dark. She walked out of the room and out the small door.
Sora lounged against the wall with the tall man. The tall man stood straight when he saw Aqua's armor. She regarded both of them quietly and willed her armor to recede. Sora gasped as the armor disappeared and a blue keyblade came to Aqua's right hand. She glanced at the man. "You bear a blade as well. We'll start your training now."
She charged them. Sora simply took his blade and thrust it in front of himself as a shield. Aqua leapt around him and hit the man on the side of his hip. She cast a sleeping spell and both were asleep in the matter of seconds.
"I see we need to do some work," she surveyed her own accomplishments and glanced at Sora as he woke up. She shot her hand out and he jumped up. She pointed at his keyblade. "First of all: never use your blade as a shield. Your natural shield should be able to do that. You can develop your own defense, but you must never use your blade."
Sora nodded and she charged him again. He sidestepped and she twirled. He sidestepped again and rolled away. She nodded her approval. He charged her and she took one step toward her left. She completely dodged him and smiled when her counterattack pushed him back. He tried to attack her from behind, but she bent her blade to block and push him back.
"You said to never use your blade as a defense." Sora looked at her astonished and she smiled at him quietly. He lowered his own keyblade and she did as well. She walked toward him and led him back to the main square.
"When there is someone attacking you from behind, you can use your blade as a defense because you are making a counterattack. But if you hold it in front of you and try to use it as a block, the enemy could strike again and make a deadly blow." Sora gave a small nod and sighed. "Are there any heartless we can try this on?"
"Shit ton toward the old castle," the man with red hair stated. Aqua nodded. She glanced at Sora. He followed her slowly. He seemed to look around for someone and suddenly was smiling. He raced over toward a small house. The man with red hair stood back with her.
"My name is Lea," he said quietly. She nodded and he put a hand out for her to shake. She shook it and replied her own name. He acknowledged it and gazed at Sora. "The boy saved my life."
"He will for many, including Ven," Aqua murmured. She gazed at the reconstructed Radiant Garden. "Xehanort really did a number on this place, didn't he?"
Lea nodded and Aqua read the pain in his eyes. She saw the scars on his heart and knew what had happened by instincts. She sat down on a small bench and waited for Sora. "Who is he?"
"Leon, or Squall Leonhart. Won't tell anyone that he was the child of Ansem's daughter." Aqua nodded and Lea sat down. He gazed at her right wrist and then backs into her eyes. "I hope you find him quickly."
She smiled. "I know where he is. I just have to get Sora ready to go find him. The only one I cannot find is Terra."
Follow the trail paved in your heart. Master Eraqus told her the last time they'd met. Now that she was in the world of the living, she realized what he meant. Follow the trail of her memories and gut. Terra would react to her and Ven being awake, she knew that as well as she knew how to breathe.
Her heart ached for him. It ached for her old friend and comrade in arms. Her chest constricted for the man that she knew she missed more than anything in the world. She wept for the stolen time that could not be gained back, but also for her sleeping friends.
Sora jogged back toward them with a goofy smile on his face. Behind him, Aqua heard Goofy's giggle and Donald's quack. She laughed at Lea's pained expression and rose from her seat. "I guess you'll be leaving soon."
She gave him a nod and jogged over to Sora. Donald began to lecture her, but Aqua held up both hands in defeat. Sora held his head level with hers and she rubbed his spiky hair. He grinned in familiarity and shook out the cobwebs. "Ready?"
"Ready."
A/N: Leave a review, if you would like. I'll have the second chapter up in a couple of weeks. Thanks!
Until next time!