Aqua stood in the neatly-trimmed grass, feeling it sizzle and burn beneath her feet.
She couldn't help it. She was terrified, and electricity surged beneath her skin without her permission, creating a visible aura that made her hand glow yellow when she lifted it up to push a stray lock of hair out of her face.
Why had she come here? This was a terrible idea. She hadn't even-
She should have gone to see her parents first. Or she should have stayed with Steven longer. She still needed to heal, still needed to figure out how to get her form under control. She didn't even have a mouth and her eyes were still monstrous orbs, how was she supposed to-
She heard the it, the sound of the door she had been steeling herself to approach creaking open.
She flinched back farther into the protection of the wall, the glow around her intensifying as her racing heart fed more electricity into her already overcharged skin.
Oh gods, this was a terrible idea. She was so stupid, why had she come here? She pressed herself further into the wall, glad for the tall hedges that would hide her from anyone that came down the stairs and into the courtyard.
Footsteps sounded against the stone platform above her, soft as a whisper. Shoes then, instead of boots. Probably a servant rather than a guard, probably not a threat-
-The hum of electricity in her ears grew in volume no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that she was safe.
She was such an idiot. She should have listened to Pearl, she should have stayed longer, she didn't even have a mouth, why was she was so stupid!?
But she knew why she'd come here. She knew why she'd been stupid and left the safety of the Heart of the Country on her own before she was anywhere near ready to face the rest of the worlds.
She had to know.
She had to know what had happened to Cinderella.
Her world had been swallowed by the Darkness. She had to know what had happened to Cinderella.
She had to know that-
-that she was safe. That she was happy, that…
...That she was still alive.
Pain tore through her at the thought, and she clutched at the ragged scarf around her neck with fingers numb with electricity.
Her mind was screaming at her that she was in danger, that she needed to fight, that she needed to fight, but she was safe. She was at the Castle of Dreams. She was safe. There weren't any Heartless here. There weren't any Unversed. She was safe. The only thing near her was the owner of the soft shoes descending the stone steps above her, and they couldn't hurt her. They probably wouldn't even want to hurt her. They would just take one look at her and run away.
Because she still didn't have a mouth, and she wasn't sure her eyes would ever be normal again, and electricity was crackling along her skin and she couldn't stop it no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that she was safe.
She needed to leave. She needed to get out of her hiding spot right now before she was seen, and she needed to get on her glider, and she needed to fly back to the Heart of the Country as fast as she could, so that the Crystal Gems could teach her how to feel safe again, and she could stop shocking anything that got near her at the drop of a pin.
But.
But she needed to find out what had happened to Cinderella.
She needed to.
Ever since she'd found the deserted and broken Castle in the Realm of Darkness, the thought had plagued her, haunting her mind even as the darkness haunted her steps. What had happened to Cinderella? What had happened to Cinderella? What had happened to Cinderella?
She needed to know.
Past the humming in her ears, past the pounding of her heart, she heard the footsteps fade away towards the distance, heading towards the gate at the far end of the courtyard.
Her panic receded by a fraction.
But she couldn't stay here forever, she needed to-she needed to do something.
She needed to escape to the safety of the forest so that she could summon her glider, or she needed to stop hiding and find someone that could tell her what had happened to Cinderella.
She needed to move. The sun was going to set soon, and she didn't-she couldn't-
She didn't want to be outside in the dark.
Trembling, the energy fueling her static suddenly funneled towards movement, she stumbled out of her hiding spot between the hedges and the wall, aiming for the railing of the stairs that would lead her to the Castle's doors.
She left a trail of blackened grass in her wake, but as soon as her trembling hand made contact with the stone railing, she felt the electricity beneath her skin immediately grind to a halt as it was absorbed harmlessly into the stone.
She sagged in relief, and almost lost the strength to stand. But she forced herself upright again, her gaze darting anxiously to the sky, which was slowly edging down from blue into purple, warning of the twilight that would soon follow.
She didn't have a lot of time.
Clutching at her scarf with one hand and keeping the other firmly on the stone railing, she forced her shaking legs to carry her up the far-too-familiar staircase, feeling a clock ticking down in the back of her mind until everything went wrong.
Anxiety tugged at her heart, and if she'd had a mouth, her breathing would have been ragged. But she didn't, and silence hung around her like a shroud, the only sound breaking through it the click of her metal boots against the stone.
She had finally managed to reform them, exactly as they had been before she fell into the Darkness. But so many other things were wrong, there were so many memories she couldn't find, so many things she couldn't remember, so many things the Darkness had twisted in her mind.
But the Darkness hadn't twisted Cinderella. Hadn't smothered out her light, hadn't taken her away from Aqua as it had taken everything else.
In the deepest of darkness, in her moments of absolute despair, it was her memories of Cinderella that kept her sane, kept the Darkness from overtaking her completely. She had known her for such a short time it almost seemed impossible, but she would never forget her kindness, or her grace, or her beauty.
She needed to find her.
Before...
Before the sun set and the shadows loomed at her from this too-familiar castle.
Not even the stone beneath her feet would be enough to stop her if she had to face that nightmare again.
She broke into a run, each step weighing a mile, each second lasting an hour. She had climbed these stairs before. She had climbed these stairs before.
She wanted to turn around and run away, she wanted to scream, she just wanted things to go back to the way they'd been before she lost her mouth and her eyes and her ability to fall asleep. Before she'd gone to Radiant Garden, before she'd gone to the Keyblade Graveyard, before she'd left the Land of Departure to go and find Ven.
She didn't want to be afraid anymore.
But fear was the only thing that had kept her alive, and it wasn't going to let go of her now.
The stone kept her static in check, but it couldn't stop the darkness that had begun to leak out of her skin, spiraling up into the air around her like smoke.
She burst over to top of the stairs in a sprint, hardly even stopping for a moment as her momentum threw her footsteps far above the suddenly flat surface below her. She just shoved at the air with a ferocity that sent it hissing in retaliation, and if anyone had been watching, they would have seen nothing more than a blur fly past them, not even touching the ground in its haste.
The Castle was massive, the stairs leading down to the courtyard looking like a child's toy next to the ramparts that suddenly rose infront of her, reaching so far into the sky that she couldn't even see the rooftops that she knew were there.
The huge doors far infront of her remained unbarred and unguarded, and, shoving against the air again to cross the gap in an instant, she shoved through it with only a moment to pause in hesitation, knowing, knowing with every tick down of the clock in her mind that it would be much worse to be outside than in, whatever dangers were waiting for her.
She didn't have to wait long to find out. She had barely taken a step through the door when she spotted the first obstacle she would need to get past.
A serving woman dressed in pale blues and silver, carrying an elaborate tray filled with food. She froze, staring at Aqua with wide, startled eyes, her face quickly draining of color as the moments ticked by.
Aqua drew back, drawing her arms to her chest and struggling to keep them there, as she began to edge forward, circling as far around the servant as she could. She didn't have time to waste. She needed to keep moving.
She wanted to say, it's okay, I won't hurt you, but her mind was screaming something entirely different.
She was afraid of the words that would have escaped her had she had a mouth to speak them with.
The long hallway seemed to stretch on forever before her, the doors that would lead her further into the castle, further into safety further into danger seeming small and impossible to reach as she and the servant held their tense standoff.
The woman didn't move as Aqua edged past her, didn't say a word, barely even seemed to breathe. Only her eyes moved to track Aqua, only her eyes seemed brave enough to do anything.
But then something shifted in her gaze, something changed in her expression of fear, and the arms holding her tray of food relaxed just the smallest bit.
This time, it was Aqua's turn to freeze in fear, and the only thing stopping her electricity from raging out of control with the terror in her veins was the stone surrounding her on all sides. Her muscles tensed, ready to fight or flee, her mind automatically casting out strands of magicka into the air so that she could twist it into a spell the moment she needed to. Thundaga would be useless, the stone would just absorb it, but she could do seeker mine, or blizzaga, or firaga, or magnega, or mega flare, or waterga, or darkga, or-
The woman moved, and Aqua nearly set the air on fire before she caught herself not a moment too soon, realizing with trepidation that the servant wasn't making a hostile move.
Instead, she was-
...She was bowing.
"A thousand apologies, Mistri, I had not been expecting to see any guests for several hours, and your arrival startled me." Her voice was calm. She straightened politely, and, as though nothing were at all wrong, proffered the tray, which Aqua suddenly realized held hors d'oeuvres, not just normal food like she'd been expecting. "Would you care for some refreshments while we await the arrival of the other guests? I would, of course, be happy to show you to the ballroom, where more variety-" she nodded to the tray in her hands, "Will be provided, if none of these are to your liking. I can also arrange for the Prince and his bride to meet with you there, if that is what you desire?"
The servant framed it as a question, and Aqua nodded vigorously, neutralizing the magic in the air as fast as she could, her mind struggling to catch up to the turn of events. She was safe. The servant wasn't going to call for guards. She was going to be taken directly to the Prince and...his bride.
The serving woman smiled, polite and gentle, and gestured with one hand down the massive hallway. "If you would just follow me this way, Mistri, I will show you to the ballroom." The woman paused for one second, and then set off down the hall at a steady pace, obviously expecting Aqua to follow her.
And she did, one hand clutching at her scarf for comfort, the other carefully braced along the wall, just in case.
The hallway took just as long to cross as she remembered, and she could feel her physical strength beginning to wane before they even reached the door at the far end. It had taken her almost an entire day to reach the Castle of Dreams from the Heart of the Country, and it had been several hours before that that she'd had the opportunity to fuse.
While she'd been in the Realm of Darkness, there hadn't been a need to eat. Time passed differently there than it did in the Realm of Light, and its effect had been obvious. She didn't need to eat, she didn't need to sleep, and she didn't age.
But she did change. Ever since she'd fought the massive creature that had stalked her through the dark for who knows how long, she had changed.
It had been slow at first. She could fight for longer before she needed to put up her barrier and rest. The attacks that the creatures sent her way were easier to block, or when they did hit her, they didn't do as much damage. She was getting better and better at sneaking past the ones that were in a daze.
And then one day, she suddenly realized why.
Her clothes were gone, her armour gone, everything was gone. And her skin had been replaced by the pitch blackness that pulsed in and out of the creatures around her like a heartbeat.
And all of it has happened without her even noticing.
It wasn't until she was rescued by Steven that she realized what had happened to her face.
She had gotten better at reforming. Fusing with the Gems helped. She knew she could become incorporeal, she knew she was made of energy, of light. But she wasn't designed to be able to reach that light on her own. Humans weren't supposed to change as drastically as she had, but they could. Just like the Gems could. When she fused, she was able to reach out and touch that light, shift it, mold it into something new.
It was easy when she was fused, because then there was someone else to help her. Someone to nudge the light into the shapes she wanted, but couldn't grasp. A mouth, eyes, a nose, more than one arm.
It was unfusing that was hard. Then she had to try to do it all on her own, had to remember what it felt like to breathe, what it felt like to smile, what it felt like to have two arms again. And it was hard. She had spent so much time in the Darkness, had spent so much time in the darkness that it had twisted and poisoned her memories. She had been in the darkness for what felt like longer than she had ever been out of it, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the light to do what she wanted it to.
Always, her mouth disappeared like it had in the Realm of Darkness, where she hadn't needed to eat, and breathing just added more danger to the arsenal of weapons it had against her. Always, her normal, human eyes reverted back to the disgusting, glowing yellow monstrosities that she had now.
She always unfused still looking like a monster.
But she wasn't in the Realm of Darkness anymore. This was the Realm of Light, and things worked differently here.
It didn't matter if she didn't have a mouth.
She still needed to eat. She still needed to drink, and she still needed to sleep.
And she hadn't slept or eaten anything in almost twenty-four hours. And it was starting to catch up with her.
The serving woman seemed to notice this when they finally reached the door at the end of the hall, and as soon as Aqua stepped through it, she was ushered-politely but firmly-over to a group of chairs that were lined up against the wall. "If you would like to rest before we continue, you may do so here, Mistri." She said, her voice as calm and casual as though this entire situation were an everyday occurrence, "I myself am feeling a bit weary from all this exercise, so if it pleases you, I will rest as well."
Despite her submissive tone, she didn't wait for permission. Placing the tray of hors d'oeuvres down on the third seat away from Aqua, she sat down firmly in the second chair, leaving the one closest to the door open, and made a show of yawning widely and stretching her arms out over her head, before she patiently folded her hands in her lap, and closed her eyes.
It was only then that Aqua recognized what the woman was doing.
She didn't know Aqua, but she knew that she might be dangerous.
So she was doing everything in her power to accommodate Aqua's needs, to make her feel welcome and grateful.
Aqua didn't have a mouth to speak the formal words required for this situation, but she could put the woman's mind at ease.
She sat down in the chair that had been offered, suddenly feeling some of her worries and fears melt away. This place was almost like home.
Taking the weight off her legs did more than ease the aching in them. The rest of her body suddenly felt heavier, and if she'd been able to close her eyes, they would have drifted shut with the sudden wave of exhaustion that stole over her.
As it was, she sagged gratefully against the soft cushions and firm wood, feeling her mind unhinge and drift into what passed for her as the beginnings of dreams.
She didn't know how long she sat there in silence with the serving woman before one of the doors at the far end of the room opened, and another servant dressed in the same uniform as the woman stepped through.
Aqua watched as though from a million miles away as the new servant headed towards the staircase in the middle of the room, sure that he would pass right by them.
But once he was close enough for her voice to carry, the serving woman spoke up, lifting one hand in a small wave. "Oh, Henri dear, would you be so kind as to fetch our noble Prince and his bride?" She paused long enough for the other servant to turn and look and them, then continued, her voice just as casual as before. As though they were discussing the weather. "Our esteemed guest here is weary from their travels, and wishes to meet with them as soon as they are able."
Aqua saw the man's eyes widen when his gaze landed on her, but he didn't hesitate for a moment in his instructions, only pausing to bow politely in her direction before he turned and ascended the stairs at a walk just a bit too brisk to be casual.
She wished she had a mouth, if only to speak the formal words. She wasn't here to hurt anyone, she didn't plan on hurting anyone. Nothing they could say to her would upset her enough to attack them. She would only attack them if they threatened her.
I am at peace. She wanted to say, with all of her being as she dragged her consciousness back towards the full grasp of awareness, I am at peace.
But she didn't have a mouth, and even if she'd been able to speak the words, they would have been a lie.
She wasn't at peace. She hadn't been for a long, long time.
But she was getting there, slowly.
It didn't take long for the servant to reappear, and when he did, he wasn't alone. A dark-haired young man followed him, dressed in an elaborate outfit of white and gold. And behind him-
-It felt like the world had spun to a stop. It felt like the air had shattered around her. It felt like Aqua's world ended.
Every emotion she was capable of experiencing surged to the front of her mind, until she was on her feet without even realizing that she'd moved, halfway across the massive expanse of floor before she even thought of telling her legs to move, her heart racing like it never had before, electricity and darkness mixing and sparking off her skin with such force that even the stone floor beneath her feet couldn't hold it back.
It was Cinderella. Cinderella, descending down those towering stairs. Cinderella, without a scratch on her. Cinderella, with only curiosity in her expression. Cinderella, her light as pure and undamaged as the first time Aqua had set eyes on her.
She was alive. She was okay. She was alive. She was okay. She hadn't been sucked into the Realm of Darkness. Her light hadn't been extinguished. She was alive. She was okay.
Aqua was halfway up the stairs before anyone even had time to react.
If she'd had a mouth, it would have been stretched into a grin.
If she'd been able to cry, she wouldn't have been able to see for the tears.
If she'd been able to speak, there would have been a single word on her lips.
She moved faster than any human had hope of keeping track of. She didn't care that her static was out of control. She didn't care that her darkness was out of control.
Cinderella was safe. Cinderella was still alive. Cinderella was right in front of her.
She didn't know how long it had been since she'd seen her. She didn't care that she'd known her only for a few minutes. It had taken others less time to fall in love.
Cinderella was mid-step on the staircase when Aqua moved.
Even though Aqua was moving faster than anyone should have been able to follow, even though her powers had enveloped her in a cloak of lighting and shadows, even though her eyes were still monstrous, yellow bulbs that glowed with an inhuman light, even though she didn't have a mouth to smile with, even though she didn't have a voice to shout with…
Cinderella smiled.
She took a step forward, in those few instants that separated them.
She opened her arms.
The stone beneath her feet couldn't hold back the storm of electricity that burst out of Aqua's skin.
But the moment she was in Cinderella's arms, that didn't matter anymore.
It was blinding. It was worse than the first time she'd returned to the Realm of Light. It was worse than catching the barest glimpse of the sun. It was worse than the surprise flash of a camera in her face. It was blinding.
But it was everything.
Wrapped in Cinderella's arms, Aqua felt all of her fears melt away, felt her anxiety drain out of her like water through a sieve, felt the darkness that had invaded her soul slowly begin to fade away.
Wrapped in Cinderella's arms, feeling Cinderella's breath tickle the back of her neck as he laughed gently, as she smiled, Aqua felt truly safe for the first time in as long as she could remember.
It was blinding. But it was everything.
Memories suddenly resurfaced, the Darkness slipping off them like oil, the Light smoothing them out, mending the tears and fixing the cracks. Memories that had been twisted and tainted were suddenly smooth and clear.
Ventus, asleep on the hillside the night before the Mark of Mastery exam. Looking so innocent and peaceful lost in the realm of his dreams. Master Eraqus, his kindness and his patience, and how proud of her he was the first time she'd summoned Rainfell. Her parents, and how happy and excited they were every time she came home to visit them. Terra, listening quietly and without judgement as she explained to him what had happened with Master Xehanort. How she had attacked him, because she would rather hurt him than anyone else. Because she could never hurt the Master, or Ventus, or Terra. She would rather die first.
She remembered what it felt like to be happy. She remembered what it felt like to smile. She remembered what it felt like to laugh. She remembered what if felt like to feel strong enough to conquer even another Keyblade Master.
And with Cinderella's arms wrapped around her, she remembered what it was like to hold someone close and never want to let them go.
The light blinded her.
Cinderella hugged her, and Aqua hugged back, and felt everything finally settle into place.
She had only known her for a few minutes. But it had taken others less time to fall in love.
And, as her mouth fell into a heartbroken smile of anguish and joy, as tears filled her eyes and blurred her vision, as her legs finally gave out beneath her and Cinderella guided her down until she was sitting on the stairs, as her lungs drew in shaking, ragged breaths, she knew.
Cinderella kept her arms around her, even as she began to sob, even as her form drifted in between what it had once been and what it had become-the Light, and her memories, and Cinderella's memories all working together to fight back against the darkness that had overtaken her-and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead with a whisper of, "It's alright, my knight, it's alright. You're safe here with me."
She couldn't breathe for the sorrow that clogged her throat. For the hope that filled her lungs. She cried, for everything that had happened to her, and for everything that would. She couldn't speak, but if she'd been able to, she would have said four simple words.
I am at peace.
And this time, she would mean it.