Hey everyone! I am back with something a bit special today. This fic was a request from Shiranai Atsune, the idea was a fic where Aqua joined the Organization XIII. In order for that to happen, the context is that they couldn't create a replica (which means no Xion), and had to find another solution... Which took the shape of a lost Master.

This whole fic was written before I started playing Kingdom Hearts III and is therefore spoiler-free :D Enjoy!

The light at the end of the tunnel. How strange it was, for she had dreamt so much of this day she couldn't even conceive it would really happen. A mere fantasy made up by a desperate mind, a wish that would never come true. She had learnt long ago that dreams were just that, that she should stop hoping that help would come. She could rely only on one person, and that was herself.

Her existence had been so lonely. She had met some people, unexpected faces in this chaos, some being just illusions, fewer being real. First, Mickey. He had promised he would come back for her. He had not. Riku, a face in the distance, older than she remembered. He had not even seen her. Did he know about her? Did she want him to know? That man, whose name she didn't know. Whose name he didn't know. Who brought a stupid spark of hope in her heart, when she thought that maybe Mickey had been wrong, maybe Terra and Ven were okay. Who destroyed that hope right away, destroying her heart even more by doing so. Then he disappeared. How could all these people visit the Realm of Darkness and then just leave, when she never found a way out? Was she that stupid, to not find a door that apparently everyone else did? Did fate hate her just that much?

All softness was gone from her heart, now. She couldn't trust anyone. There wasn't anyone to trust, anyway. She had to face it: they weren't saving her, because they had no use for her. They would let her rot here. Die here.

So when the day of her freedom finally arrived, she didn't want to believe it. She almost ignored it. But it was also hard to ignore the voice, calling for her.

"You have waited long enough. Time has come for you to come back… friend."

Such a deep voice. An unknown one, that yet felt familiar. A dark hooded figure standing in a pool of light, a hand reaching out for hers, a way out.

A way out.

It wasn't like she had nothing left to lose. She didn't say a word. She just took the hand and stepped into the world of Light.

As far as Axel knew, the Replica program was a failure. Vexen had tried again and again to create puppets and to give them memories, but none of his tests could be called a success. The last one survived an hour before breaking. So, when Xemnas summoned them all to a very important meeting, he assumed this would be to announce they were giving up on the program. Or that it succeeded. Or maybe that it was finally time to turn Demyx into a Dusk, for being a useless piece of s-

"Why do you think they called us?" asked Roxas, interrupting his thoughts. Axel looked at him. The number XIII had been there for a couple of weeks now, and he was growing into Axel. Not that he liked him, as it was impossible for a Nobody to feel anything, but he didn't mind spending time with him, showing him his secret spot to share an ice-cream at the end of the day.

"Who knows? Maybe we're getting a pay raise? Or a vacation?"

"But we're not paid…" Now that was what Axel loved about the newbie. He never understood jokes and was always trying to figure out what Axel could have meant by that. Axel smirked and ruffled his hair.

"Never mind that. Let's go. We don't want to keep the boss waiting, y'know!"

He opened a portal leading to Where Nothing Gathers (and wondered for the hundredth time who came up with such names), and Roxas imitated him.

Truth was, he was a bit curious about such a summon, and couldn't wait to see what this was all about.

She was standing by his side, in the middle of the room. More hooded people appeared around them, taking place in seats of unequal heights. She was wearing a hood, too. She wasn't sure she wanted to show her face to them. From what she could see, based on their silhouettes, there were all type of people. Only Xemnas was wearing his hood down. He looked so much like Terra. But he wasn't Terra. That much she knew. She never doubted. They looked similar, but it was only to remind her how she failed to save him. There was nothing of Terra in him.

"Today, we welcome our brand new member. Number XIV. Aqua."

A few of them shifted uncomfortably in their seats, and Aqua realised that it might be a nice opportunity to reveal her face. She slowly let her hood down, staring at all of them ; and, indeed, some of them recoiled a bit, although most didn't react. She tilted her head.

"Is it common for all of them to hide their faces? Covering your face indoor is rude, you know…"

One of them laughed, and that was a voice she wouldn't forget in a century. "The lady's right, everyone. We wouldn't want to be rude, now, would we?" And, to show the example, he put his hood down, followed by everyone else. Aqua stared at him.

"Hello, Braig. Long time no see."

"I'm afraid the name's Xigbar now, just to keep you updated."

"Hey. I've got a question. Why did we have to change our names to lousy ones, just to add a X, and she doesn't?" The one who spoke was a woman - the only of the room, besides Aqua. She was glaring at her, not looking really sympathetic.

"Aqua is… Special." Xemnas replied, and Aqua smiled. He had tried to change her name. She had tried to kill him. Take whatever you want, but my name stays.

"Special? In what way?" This time, it was a young man talking. He was probably around Aqua's age, and was sitting so close to the edge of his seat she wondered if he'd fall.

"Don't be jealous, Demyx, you're special too," the woman cackled, "really one of a kind."

"Uh, thanks? Hey, that wasn't actually nice, was it, Larxene?"

"Now, now." Xemnas's voice quieted these bickering of these two. "Aqua will have an important role to play. She is, after all, our second Keyblade wielder."

"I don't think Roxas had a word to say about his name, keyblade or not… Not that I care about it." The man was middle-aged, with bleached hair and some cards in his hand. He truly didn't look particularly interested about anything happening here. Aqua looked at every one of them, wondering who could be that Roxas, and why he had a keyblade.

When she saw him, she knew right away. Xemnas was looking at her, and she knew he expected a reaction. Xigbar was, too. But she wouldn't give them the pleasure. The boy looked at her blankly and, she returned the exact same look, only allowing a small smile on her face.

"Hey. You're Roxas?" He nodded. "So you can wield a keyblade as well, huh? Nice. Let's do our best." He looked surprised, and nodded once again. But that was it. She turned back to Xemnas.

"I see an issue there, however."

"An issue?"

"I see thirteen seats."

"Indeed. We are Organization XIII, after all."

"So am I supposed to sit on a stool in the middle of the room? If you expect me to stand up at every meeting, I'm going back to the Realm of Darkness right away."

Most of them looked at her, agape. She guessed no one ever talked that way to Xemnas. But she didn't care. Just because they used Darkness didn't mean they shouldn't have respect. She had quickly understood she would be important to them. Which meant she had the right to be selfish.

"I didn't remember her to be that cocky," said Xigbar, stifling a laugh. "Are we sure she's the real one?"

"Funny what a decade in Darkness does to you," she answered back, glaring at him. The man laughed and shrugged. "Maybe we can find someone willing to give up their seat to the nice lady standing there…"

"Why is everyone looking at me?" Demyx frowned. "Get lost. That's my seat. Mine."

"Yeah, until you die… Which could be pretty soon." Larxene winked at him and he flipped her the finger. The man with the cards sighed.

"If we are done with the introductions, maybe we can leave? Some of us have missions to do…"

"That is correct. Everyone is dismissed. Aqua, please go see Saïx for your mission today. He shall explain everything to you."

As soon as he said that, most of them disappeared right away into corridors of Darkness, going wherever they needed to, until only Aqua and Xemnas remained.

"You could have told me Braig was part of this team." she pointed blankly.

"I didn't see the necessity in that. Is this going to be an issue? I would like you to behave."

"Only if he does too."

Xemnas nodded with a mysterious smile, and opened a portal. "Saïx is waiting for you."

Without sparing him any other look, she crossed the portal.

"You will be teaming up with Axel today. He will show you how things are done."

"And who might that be?" She looked at the five people in the room. None of them were wearing name tags. But when a man, maybe a bit older than her - physically at least - with burning red hair and a bright smile, no matter how fake it looked, walked to her, she guessed it was him.

"Lucky you. They almost teamed you up with Demyx for your first day, which isn't something I would recommend to anyone." Demyx. The one who bickered a lot, she remembered. He currently was playing some music on the couch, as if he didn't have anything else to do. "We're going to Wonderland today! Let's test that weapon of yours, shall we?"

She nodded in silence, and he opened a portal for them. "Well then, we'll be on our way! Later, Saïx!" The blue-haired man pretended to ignore the red-head, but Aqua noticed how he quickly glanced at them, with an expression that looked a bit softer. She didn't mention it, though, and she followed Axel in silence.

"So, huh, Aqua, right? Can I see your keyblade?"

She flicked her wrist and her blade appeared. Not hers, but the Master Key. For some reason, neither her real weapon or her armour would appear. This might have something to do with the Darkness within her, and she was surprised the Master Key would even respond to her call. Axel looked at the object for a while and whistled. "This one is kinda massive. Isn't it heavy? I tried lifting Saïx's Claymore once and it almost dislocated my shoulder. He was actu-"

"You said there was another keyblade wielder, didn't you?" she interrupted him. "Roxas, was it?"

"Oh, yeah. His job, and yours too I guess, is to collect hearts. I don't know how much you know already, but the big idea is to gather hearts to summon Kingdom Hearts, so that we can get our hearts back, something like that."

"Are there many wielders around? I thought we were kind of rare."

"I think I can name only two other ones, actually." Two. She hoped he meant Terra and maybe Mickey. But she wasn't a fool either, and she was used to being disappointed. "And I don't think they're exactly our friends. One is called Sora, and the other one Riku. I've never met them, to be honest, but I'd strongly advise you to stay away from them. Now it's time to kill some heartless! Let me teach you the basics. See, some of them can release hearts, while some don't. Don't bother with them, unless of course they're threatening you or something. We have no use for them, but we don't care either if you destroy them. They'll respawn anyway."

They visited this strange world he had called Wonderland, and she proved him her worth by easily destroying every enemy. Some of them indeed turned into a shiny, sparkling heart that flew off to the skies, and other just melted into a pool of darkness. Axel actually looked impressed at her mastery of magic - he almost got caught in her Blizzaja, which would have resulted in severe injuries.

"Roxas is good, but you… you are something else!" He whistled in appreciation, and she shrugged.

"I spent my whole life learning how to use a keyblade." To that, he smiled and patted her back.

"Right, right. I think we're done here. Hey, before we go back to the Castle, what do you think of a treat? To celebrate your first mission?"

"A treat?"

"Yeah. I'm supposed to meet Roxas in Twilight Town, but I'm sure he won't mind you being there as well. He's not much of a talker, but… Neither are you, it seems. Wanna tag along?"

She shrugged. She had nothing better to do. And she would like talking to Roxas ; if he looked so much like Ven, she had to know the reason. Find out if he actually was Ven.

"Hey Roxas! I brought a guest today. Is that fine with you?"

Roxas turned his empty eyes to her, frowned a bit and shook his head. "Of course. Aqua, is that it?"

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

"And guess what I brought with me!" Axel had insisted they'd stop at the grocery store, but she had not paid much attention to what he bought. He was now holding popsicles ice-creams. Aqua closed her eyes. The irony was strong, to see Ven's lookalike holding one, when that was the nickname Braig had called him. She took the one Axel was handing to her, carefully looking at it.

"What's the flavour?"

"Sea salt."

She grimaced. "No thanks." But Axel frowned and clicked his tongue. "Come on. Try it. It's actually good." Roxas nodded at her, and maybe it was due to his face looking like Ven's, but she decided to trust them, and had a bite of the ice-cream.

"Oh. It's sweet," she said, then started looking around. Realising neither of them were moving, she looked back at them, to find out they were staring at her.

"Yeah, it's sweet. And…?" Axel was obviously waiting for something else. Roxas, too.

"Oh, right. Thank you for buying them. Are you having one everyday, though? It doesn't sound really healthy."

Axel stared at her, agape, before finally chuckling. "Guess you're right! Man, you actually sound much more interesting than most of these guys. Both of you are. I picked the best team!"

Axel did most of the talking for a while. There were a lot of quiet times, too, when they'd just look at the town. The view from the clocktower was amazing. The sun was setting, leaving a red hue everywhere, and it was so peaceful. She let the sun warm her skin in silence for a while, before finally speaking.

"You have a keyblade as well, Roxas, don't you?"

"Uh… yeah…" Roxas stared at his feet - or maybe at the void beneath them.

"Where did you learn to use it?"

"What do you mean?" He was now looking at her, surprised. "I… I just knew how to use it."

"Since when? Did you learn as a child, or later?" she pressed, and he frowned.

"As a… child? Wait, you remember your life, before losing your heart? Axel, do you remember too?"

"Well, I… Yeah, I guess?" Axel said, playing with his hair, uneasy. "I mean, it's not like I remember it all, but most of it? Don't you, Roxas?"

"No… Nothing. I wonder who I was… What kind of person I was."

Aqua looked at him. So he could be Ventus. Or at least, from what Xemnas told her, Ven's Nobody. But he also didn't remember a thing, so he wasn't really Ventus either. Not her Ventus.

"What about you, Aqua?"

She smiled at them, a sharp, bitter smile. "Of course I remember. I never lost my heart."

There. The bomb was dropped. They were now looking at her with so much shock she wondered if they didn't freeze.

"What do you mean you never lost it? Aren't you a Nobody like us?"

She shrugged. "I didn't lose it. I cast it away. Didn't need it anymore. It only brought sorrow and grief, and never helped me. I needed strength, and Darkness was the solution. I let it surround my heart. Replace it. It was willingly, and I remember everything from before."

"If you don't want your heart back, why are you in the Organization, then?"

"Because there's something I need and only they can give me. Revenge."

Axel looked at her with a smirk. "Sweet… But salty, too." She didn't know if he was talking about the ice cream or about her, but she liked the idea.

Day after day, she was sent on missions ; sometimes alone, sometimes paired with someone (never Xigbar. She had made this very clear.). She'd meet Axel and Roxas on the clock tower. Axel sometimes mentioned a place called Castle Oblivion, about a project they had there but that wasn't successful yet. He said that he might have to go there, someday. But day after day, he was still there. Aqua was starting to really like him. Roxas was slowly opening up, a book gently revealing his content, while Axel was the opposite: an open book gladly disclosing its content, but Aqua wasn't a fool. He was revealing a lot to hide even more. And that was those secrets that made him interesting. She wouldn't share a treat with them every time - not more than twice a week - but she liked listening to them talking about their missions, and the worlds they visited. So far, she had visited only three, but defeated countless Heartless. No one complained about her job, which, she believed, meant they were satisfied of it. From what she gathered, Roxas was somewhat more of a wild element, sometimes not meeting the objectives they set for him. Aqua soon realised that was because they had the same expectations for both of them, when she was a Master and he barely mastered Blizzara.

"Hey, Roxas? Want to train with me when we've got some free time? I could use a sparring partner."

"Of course!" He looked really enthusiastic at the idea, and looked even more like Ven than usual. She could feel her heart ache in the middle of all that Darkness. That was why she cast it away. It only brought pain.

"Sweet! Let's meet up after our mission tomorrow, then. Unless you desperately need another icecream to ruin your teeth…"

He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm sure Axel won't mind. I wonder why he isn't there yet, though."

"Maybe he was tired after his mission?" Aqua suggested, not overthinking it. It had happened that one of them couldn't join after a specific mission. It was no big deal. The sun would still set and the icecream melt. The clock would keep on ticking. And her heart would still keep beating.

They learnt the reason of Axel's disappearance the next day. Saïx looked at them coldly to inform them. "Our plans have taken longer than expected, but everything is in place now. Axel and a few others have been sent to Castle Oblivion. Now attend to your mission."

Turned out a few others meant half of the crew. Not that anyone looked particularly sad to see the place so empty ; if anything, Demyx was celebrating it.

"Training tonight?" Roxas asked Aqua, but he looked elsewhere. Puzzled by Axel's departure, probably. Aqua nodded. "Of course. See you then."

Summoning Dark Corridors was incredibly painful. She could feel her heart fighting the Darkness, Light burning as she used these forbidden powers. But without her armour, Light wouldn't let her travel. Here, all she needed was a coat. It was worth a little pain.

Her mission was boring, as usual. Not even entertaining. This place was called the Beast's Castle, and Roxas and Xaldin had explored it not long ago. Aqua discovered with delight a huge library, and quickly slashed all Heartless she could meet, to spend some time looking at all these books. She had nothing to read, back at the Castle. She picked a book that looked nice, and sighed. Stealing is bad, her heart whispered. Which is exactly why she slid the book in her pocket. Her heart only gave her poor advice. Not listening to it might make it quiet down. It was time to go home.

Home, she bitterly thought.

"You're full of openings, Roxas. Correct that stance. Straighten your back, be light on your feet. Stop looking where you're going to attack, you're far too easy to read."

Training had become their daily meetup, now that Axel was gone. And while she had to admit Roxas was good, he fought nothing like Ventus ; he was more of an aerial fighter, but the similarities stopped there. He was holding his keyblade the regular way, and he was slower. Stronger, too. He didn't have a strong affinity with magic but counterbalanced with powerful finishers. And he was getting better every day. She could notice his progress, and notice how hard he was working and how proud he was to see his efforts paying off. And she was just as proud.

"Alright, enough for today," she chuckled as he was panting. "You deserve that ice cream. My treat."

"I can still… fight…" His eyes were sparkling, his cheeks red. Aqua laughed.

"Any more of this and you'll hurt yourself. You need some rest. I need some as well, unless you really don't care about my own wellbeing?"

Shame was painted all across his flushed face. "Of course not… I mean… Sorry…"

"I'm teasing you, Rox." She laughed some more and ruffled his hair. "But we really need a break, so let's go." Truth was, she wasn't tired. This was nothing to her. In the Realm of Darkness, she had to keep fighting 24/7, or however long were a day and a week there. She could do this all day without being tired. But she didn't want the Organization to be aware of the extents of her own strength.

"Rox?" She realised as he repeated how she called him. She had not even noticed she gave him a nickname. She wasn't even too keen on nicknames usually, and the only one she ever used one for was…

"Aqua, everything's okay?" Roxas worried as she paled a bit. She shook her head and smiled at him.

"I'm sorry, I thought that was a cute name. But if you don't like it, that's fine! I'll stick to Roxas then." But it was his turn to shake his head.

"Rox is fine. It's just that… I've never had a nickname before. Thanks."

"Alright then. Let's get our ice cream, shall we?" She gave him the brightest smile she could muster and offered her hand, that he took happily.

Axel wouldn't come back. Aqua wasn't really worried, but she could see that Roxas was. She knew that he secretly was going back to the clocktower every day after their training, hoping the redhead would show up. And then, one day, the news came in. On her way to the lounge room, she met a Demyx that looked darker than usual, although he did his best to hide it when he saw her. And when she finally reached the room, even Saïx looked gloomier than usual. Roxas was staring at Xigbar and she could see how distressed he was.

"Terminated? But that means..."

"Is something the matter?" she asked as Saïx walked to them.

"Roxas. Your mission. You'll be going to Agrabah with Xigbar." Saïx said, ignoring her. Which wasn't much to her liking.

"Saïx. What happened?"

"Word has it we won't be seeing our friends from Castle Oblivion again, that's what happened," replied Xigbar with a smirk that sent shivers down her spine.

"Are they dead?"

"Can't die when you're not really alive, Aqua. We have no existence at all. We're not meant to exist. They're just gone."

"No way… Who did that?"

"That is none of your concern."

"Fine. Don't tell me. I'll go ask Xemnas myself, Saïx. Want to bet whether he'll answer me or not?"

Saïx glared at her and she was pleased to see some anger in his eyes. Some frustration as well. It wasn't the first time she'd go asking Xemnas things directly. And she always got the answers she was looking for. She knew he wasn't really Terra ; but it felt like he still remembered her, at least enough to indulge her few requests.

"Sora. Sora is the one who put an end to them."

Aqua let out an bitter laugh. "Sora? The Sora? The keyblade wielder that you're after?"

"Yes. The Sora. The Keyblade Mas-"

"Uh-uh. He's no more master than you Saïx. He's a wielder. And if I'm correct, he's also a thirteen-year-old kid and you are telling me he killed what? Six of your best elements? I'm starting to wonder if I joined the right people."

"Hah, as if! He disposed of expendable tools. I hear you talk a lot, but it's not like you've taken a life before, Aqua, did you?"

She stared angrily at Xigbar. "I haven't, but I'll gladly take your second eye, Xigbar."

"Enough. Xigbar, Roxas, your mission. Now." Xigbar left with a laugh, while Roxas followed him sadly. Aqua reached out for him and briefly squeezed his hand. "See you at the end of your mission, Rox. Be careful."

As soon as they were gone, Aqua looked back at Saïx, all sympathy gone from her face.

"Now, tell me what happened there. Can a child alone beat all these people? He must have had some help."

"We do not know much more for now, and even if we did, it has nothing to do with you. We will investigate about what happened."

"Then send me there. Let me find this out. If Sora was there, I have reasons to believe other might have been too. Marluxia and the others were no amateurs. Surely it would take more than a child to defeat them."

"I will not send you there. You can go and cry to Xemnas if you wish. I know he will not let you go either. Mind your own business, and stop thinking you are so much above us all. Look at what happened in Castle Oblivion, and remember that you are as expendable as any of them. Keyblade or not. Now you will head to Halloween Town and collect hearts as we are expecting you to. Am I clear?"

"Crystal clear," she answered, turning back. He could try to stop her, but she would go there someday. With or without their permission. If Sora was there… some other people might be there too. And she would find them. No matter how long that would take.

She waited for Roxas for a long time. And when the Corridor opened, and she recognized the familiar silhouette of Xigbar, her brain took a while to process what her eyes were seeing. He had thrown Roxas's motionless body over his shoulder, but he himself didn't look hurt at all. Had they been caught in a terrible fight? Why was Roxas the only one hurt? Did Xigbar do this to him? If he had laid a single finger upon the boy, Aqua would terminate him herself. Saïx had been clear. They were all expendables. Which meant no one would cry Xigbar anyway.

"Snowflake here couldn't live under the desert sun, it seems. He decided to take a nap and leave all the work to me. Ah, Aqua, since you seem to be so worried about popsicle here, take him to his room. I've got more important business to do than playing the nanny."

He almost threw Roxas in her arms, which was a good thing, because had her hands be free, she would probably have attacked him. Roxas felt so light on her arms. So frail. She turned back angrily, taking the boy to his room, far from everyone else.

She tucked him in his bed very gently, placing a glass of water on his nightstand. He looked so peaceful. Memories of Ventus's first days in the Land of Departure flashed before her, how he had looked exactly the way Roxas did, how they couldn't tell what was wrong and how to wake him up.

Then, other memories - Ventus, sleeping on a throne, his heart shattered into pieces, all because of two people : Master Xehanort, and Vanitas. Of course, Aqua wanted her revenge on them. They had ruined her life. However, seeing Roxas sleeping, remembering Ventus slumber, she also knew it wasn't them she was after. She would get rid of those who made her life so pitiful. But she also had decided that they weren't the only culprits - those she blamed were those who knew about her, those who called her friend and ignored her sufferings. Those who never came back.

Roxas groaned in his sleep and she gently touched his cheek, before planting a light kiss on his forehead. Her mind was made up. She wouldn't wait a single more second.

She went through the Organization Computer. It used to be a secure room, but now that Vexen was gone, no one really cared, and she stepped inside the room with no incident. She couldn't teleport to a place if she didn't know where it was. She needed coordinates, or she'd risk being teleported in the middle of space. But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find the coordinates to such a place. The only thing she found was a picture of the place. With a sigh, she opened it.

She gasped, and blinked a few times. She must have been dreaming. This couldn't be true. But after closing and reopening the picture a few times, and now being convinced there could be no mistake, she allowed herself to laugh, a cold, bitter laugh. They probably had no idea of how valuable that place was. Lucky thing she knew exactly where to go.

She opened a portal and put her hood on.

This time, I'm really going home.

The place had not changed a bit since she last left it. The same atypical, broken castle with its towers all over the place. This used to be such a pretty place. But it now matched her broken soul even more. She pushed the door, and was welcomed to a white, empty hall. She had chosen how it would look, when she locked it. An empty place, full of light. A place that wouldn't look scary but wasn't welcoming enough for anyone to stay. Castle Oblivion. At least that was a fitting name, although she didn't know who chose it, or why.

She remembered her mission. She wasn't here for Ventus. She was here to investigate on Sora, and find those connected to him. She would find them. She clutched her Keyblade in her hand, shaking. She would find them.

She pushed a door, then another. They were locked by a strange mechanism, but they seemed to recognize the Master Keeper and simply let her through. She scurried room after room, all being as empty as the previous one. There really wasn't anyone in there. She found what looked like a break room, with a table where cards had been set up on the table for a game that would never be played. A planning on the all stated that it was Zexion's turn to wash the dishes, and Lexaeus's turn to set the table. There was even a coffee vending machine. It was the first room that looked like someone had actually lived there. Aqua was considering getting one, when she heard some noise behind her. She didn't react, but summoned her weapon and sighed.

"And here I thought I was alone in this place."

"Aqua. What brings you here?"

She relaxed as she recognized Axel's voice. She turned back, looking at him - he didn't look really friendly, though.

"I heard you were dead, Axel."

"Me? Please. I'm immortal."

"That's not what the Dusk that came back said. They said everyone was dead."

"Oh. Well, I'd say they aren't that wrong. Did Saïx send you?"

She considered lying, but she could see in his eyes he knew the answer already. "No. I came on my own. I had to know what happened."

He shrugged with a laugh. "Well, everyone's been taken care of but me. End of the story. Return to the Castle now, I'll be back soon."

"Axel, something is wrong with Roxas."

This at least took him by surprise. She could see how he struggled to keep his uninterested mask, as if that didn't matter to him. "Wrong? Could you define that?"

"He collapsed in the middle of his mission. And I tried to wake him up, but he wouldn't. I've seen that happen before, Axel. I know how to differentiate someone passed out from someone who won't wake up anytime soon."

"And that's why you came here?"

"No," she conceded. "That's not. I came here because it reminded me of my true objective. Axel, if everyone's been taken down by Sora - where is he now?"

"Gone." She stared at him and frowned.

"Something else I know how to differentiate is a lie from a truth. Where is he?"

"What will you do if I tell you? You said you wanted revenge, but surely you didn't mean revenge on him? What could he possibly have done to you?"

"I don't care about his life. If anything, I wish him the happiest life ever. But if he was here… Was there anyone else with him?"

"His usual crew. Donald and Goofy."

"And…?"

This was pure bluff. She had no idea whether the trio could have done this all on their own. For all she knew, Mickey and Riku could still be in the Realm of Darkness, and never met her again. But she had a feeling this wasn't true. She had the feeling they had found a way out, that they never shared with her.

"And I think, but have no proof of that, that Riku and maybe even the King Mickey himself have been here. I could sense darkness from someone else, but I cannot tell you who." He must have noticed how she tensed, because he sighed. "Now, tell me, Aqua, what could Mickey Mouse have done for you to want to kill him?"

"I have spent countless years in the Realm of Darkness, Axel. I have suffered, alone, I wanted to die, I gave up on fighting back and then found some more strength. And then, when I was thinking of really giving up on everything, Mickey found me, and I thought he brought salvation with him. I thought he'd save me. And even when he disappeared, I couldn't blame him. I helped him escape, you know. I thought he'd come back for me. He never did. And I met this other man, one whose name I don't know, and he abandoned me too. I was their tour guide in the Realm of Darkness, and they paid me back by leaving me rot there. That's why I finally gave up on my heart. I thought my friends were my strength, but it turns out they were my weakness. I gave in to the Darkness with the promise to leave that place and get my revenge. So now, tell me ; where can I find Sora?"

Axel lowered his head, conflict painted on his face. "I'm sorry Aqua. I can't lead him to you."

"Fine. Then I'll find him myself."

But he stood in front of the door behind him, blocking her path. "I can't let you do that. If I do… Things could get worse for Roxas. You have to understand. I need to protect him. Until things are ready."

"Move, Axel. I will question Sora. I will not harm him, not if he tells me where Mickey is. You want to protect Roxas. Me too. But I have other people I need to protect. And because of him, they have been suffering for way too long already."

"Aqua, please. I don't want to fight you. Just leave."

"If you don't move, you will have to fight, because I won't give up."

"Axel, it's alright. Let her in."

Aqua was surprised by the voice that came in from behind the door. It sounded young and feminine. Younger than Larxene, and unfamiliar. Were there other people in that Castle? Axel gritted his teeth.

"You sure about that?" he asked the other voice. "She looks pretty angry, you know. I don't think that's such a good idea to let her near…"

"I want to talk to her. Axel, please, let her come. I need to meet her."

Axel moved out of the way, opening the door ; but, as Aqua walked by him, he grabbed her wrist. "If anything happens to Roxas, something worse will happen to you."

She couldn't blame him. After all, she was ready to make Xehanort and Vanitas pay the price, too. So instead, she smiled at him and stepped into the room.

This room was larger than the other ones, and different. There was only one door, though Aqua knew doors here could lead you to different places. In the center of the room, there was a kind of pod, with someone floating in it.

"I think you know Sora already?" The girl was behind her, and closed the door, leaving Axel out. She was petite with blond hair and huge blue eyed. Aqua nodded.

"I do, although he was much younger last time I saw him. Is he…"

"He is sleeping. His memories have been scattered all over the place, and I need to piece them back together."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Naminé. I'm a witch who can alter Sora's memories, and those of people connected to him. I never thought I'd get to meet you myself, Aqua."

"So you know about me."

"I do." Naminé smiled. "This place is peculiar, isn't it? People from Organization XIII have no idea how important this place is. They thought it was an abandoned Castle at the border between the Realm of Light and Darkness, and that it would be perfect for their research. But you probably know more than anyone how close they were, without knowing it, don't you?"

"I'm not sure I'm following you."

"I think you do. I am talking about the sleeping boy."

"Sora?"

"Ventus."

Aqua quickly glanced behind her, at the closed door. She hoped Axel couldn't hear them. "What do you know about Ventus?"

"I could feel him before I met Sora. He is sleeping somewhere in this Castle. And he is waiting. I can feel his heart waiting for someone who will wake him up. I didn't understand then, but now that I have access to Sora's memories… The pieces lined up. Ventus's heart sleeps within Sora's, and he misses his friends. He can feel you're here. He's happy."

"Nonsense."

"Aqua, you can stay on that revenge path you decided to follow. I can help you find Mickey, if you want. But I can also let you go back to Ventus. You can stay by his side and protect him until he wakes up. The Organization will find him, some day. The choice is yours. The choice is all yours."

"Ven…"

The thought of him made her heart beat faster and faster. Her Light, her love for him tried to repel the Darkness. But Darkness was fighting back, too. She had been hurt. Betrayed. Left behind. She was angry, she was sad, she was lonely.

"I want to see him. I want to see him, and I will decide which path I'll follow."

Naminé smiled. "Of course. I suppose you know the way."

"There is no way. Everywhere is the way. That's the secret of this Castle. Doors will lead you nowhere, so if you need to go somewhere, you cannot use a door. You make one."

She pointed her Keyblade at a wall, that glowed shortly before a door appeared. Aqua put her forehead on the door. He was right behind this wall. She could feel him. He was there.

"Don't let Axel in."

"Of course."

She opened the door and stepped in. Nothing had changed. The same throne. The same sleepy face. He had not aged a day ; neither did she. He was slowly breathing, very quietly. She thought of Roxas, sleeping in the Castle that Never Was. She thought of Terra, fighting Darkness since years ago. She thought of Xemnas, who wore his face but not his heart.

She thought of all of that, all these lives connected, all these lives that could have been saved.

"Hello, Ven. I'm sorry. I had promised myself I'd only come back to you with Terra by my side. I'm not really good at promises, now, am I? But I won't stay long. The time for you to wake up has not come yet. I will come back to you, and we will be together, all three of us. Happy. There's something I have to do before. Some people who hurt me that I need to find. I'm sorry, Ven. I'm sorry."

"A...qua". She froze as he sleep talked. He didn't move, didn't open his eyes. He was still deeply sleeping, and yet, he had called her name. She put her hand on his, and she could feel the warmth of his hand. That didn't stop there, though. The warmth spread across her arm, embracing her whole body. It wasn't just warmth. It was Light, she realised. Ventus was sharing whatever little Light he had left with her. A single tear rolled down his cheek.

"Stay…" he mumbled in his sleep, as his Light fought the Darkness surrounding her heart. Annihilating it.

It suddenly hit her. Had her soul be so corrupted she had been willing to attack Mickey? Why did she even judge him, accuse him when she had no idea what happened? No Light in the world could suppress the sadness and the loneliness she had felt. But revenge wasn't the solution. What she needed was answers. What she needed was her friends.

Naminé was right. The time would come where the Organization would find Ventus. And she would have to protect him. But that day wasn't here yet, her day had not come yet.

She had enjoyed her times with Roxas and Axel. She still didn't know why Roxas and Ventus looked alike. But these weren't the answers she seeked.

She reached out for her Keyblade, the real one, not the Master Key, and it came to her call. It came to her restored Light. And so did her armour.

"Naminé ?" she called, letting go of Ven's hand and kissing his forehead, the exact way she had done with Roxas. The young girl opened the door, her eyes skipping between the sleeping boy and the Master in armour. "I have a favour to ask."

"A favour?"

"Ven is not ready to wake up. And before that time comes, I might have to protect him. I don't want of a world without my two best friends. I will lock this door, conceal it once again from everyone's sight. But I will stay here. To protect him. I ask you to never mention that you saw me. To never talk about this room, or about Ven, to anyone. The Organization will remember I existed, but they can never know what became of me. Can I trust you?"

Naminé smiled sadly. "Of course. No one will ever know. Won't you be alone in there?"

Aqua shook her head and looked at Ven. "I think this is the first time in a long time that I am not alone."

"If that's what you wish… It was a pleasure meeting you, Aqua."

"See you later, Naminé."

"I'm not sure we'll meet again. But don't let anything happen to you. I've never felt Ventus's heart being so happy before."

"Say, Naminé? Can I ask you one last thing?"

"Naturally."

"Please tell Axel… And if you ever meet him, please tell Roxas as well that I'm sorry. That I'm back where I belong."

Naminé gently nodded. "I will. Goodbye." She carefully closed the door behind her, and Aqua watched her go. Only when the girl was long gone, using Master Keeper, she sealed the door once again, and then put the weapon close to Ven.

"Keep that for me, will you? Someday, we will open that door again and bring our world back. But until then…"

She put her helmet on, and stood in front of Ven, facing the wall where the door had been minutes ago. Holding Stormfall with both hands, she put the tip of the weapon on the ground, stood still, closing her eyes, a knight protecting her most precious belonging.

"I will protect you, if that's the last thing that I do."

She couldn't know that far away, in the fated place of her demise, another armour had sworn the exact same thing.

And as Ventus still slept, Roxas opened his eyes in a world where Axel was back, but Aqua had vanished like a phantom in the night.

Oh boy, that was a long one for me! It was a lot of fun to write, though. Thanks for the request!

(I take occasional requests, but not ofter as it's taking me quite a lot of time and school is taking most of said time already)

Hope you enjoyed, see you around for some more fics... Some day, once they've been written!