Aqua collasped onto the grey sand of the Realm of Darkness, another length of time wandering aimlessly for a way out to the point of exhaustion gone. How much time had passed? Years? Months? Decades? Days? She couldn't tell. Not without a sun, nor a moon. Just Heartless and Darkness waiting to consume her at every footstep.

She grasped her faintly glinting Wayfinder, tearing up at how unblemished it was compared to her unkempt appearance: clothes full of tears, scars in full sight, grimy skin, choppy and long hair, nails that were bitten to keep from growing too long, armor in only small chunks, tarnished and dull. What happened to make her come to this?

Friends.

Friends that she couldn't see.

Friends she gave her life for.

She dared to let out a plaintive sob, almost wishing the Heartless could take her heart, her Keyblade, her life right there. The Wayfinder in her hand only continued to wink in the dim light, slightly brighter, in fact, glowing. It had done so for years, shining a soft reassurance when she had hit her lowest rung, but now it seemed like such an empty promise.

"Terra... Ven..." She whispered "Please give me a sign... A sign that you're okay..." With a few more shaky tears, she quietly fell into a sweet, sweet slumber.

She didn't know how long it had been when she woke to a sound she hadn't heard in forever:

Footsteps.

She bolted up, summoning the Keyblade of her dearly departed Master, Eraqus, and screaming "BACK AWAY! I WILL USE THIS!"

She gasped at the figure in front of her. A young boy, no older than 18, no younger than 16, with a gentle wave of golden hair with a pair of sweet blue eyes. His clothes were mostly black and white, scattered bits of green, bronze, and turquoise armor adding color.

Ventus was looking at her confusedly, head curiously tilted to one side as he asked "Aqua? I... I thought we were friends- URK!" He let out a strangled gurgle as Aqua tossed her Keyblade away and scooped him in the fiercest hug a person could give. She buried her face in his hair, sobbing "Ven! Ventus!"

Ventus wrapped his arms around her, chuckling "You asked for a sign, after all."

"He's right."

Aqua let go of Ventus and squealed in joy "TERRA!" She rushed to the stronger man she had missed so dearly, practically draping herself over his grey shirt and reddish armor that covered one arm. "Terra! Oh Terra!" She wept with joy at it all. They were ALIVE. She buried her face in Terra's chest, indulging in the warmth of his embrace. Indulging in the feeling of safety, and love.

She felt Ventus scoot between them, and she laughed for the first time in forever and peppered his face with kisses. "Aqua!" Ventus whined "You KNOW I hate that!"

Aqua shook her head "You KNOW I haven't seen either of you in forever!"

She suddenly hiccuped, finding a steady stream of tears already gone down her cheeks. Terra gently lifted her chin, smiling at her with a warm and sweet smile "Sometimes you are SUCH a girl..." Aqua smiled "Well, I can't help being who I am..." She trailed off upon noticing how one of Terra's marvelous blue eyes was consumed in yellow, streaks of grey were in his spiked back brown hair. She backed away, turning to Ventus, opening her mouth and about to tell him to run, but left it hanging open in shock when she noticed how heavy-lidded and dull his eyes were. It was like looking at a person who had fell into a coma, and watching them sleepwalk.

Aqua's face fell into a soft sadness, and she asked "You... Aren't okay..."

Ventus slowly put his hands in his pockets, nodding lightly "I'm still asleep..."

She felt Terra place a hand on her shoulder "Xehanort and I are still having a... 'Property dispute', to put it lightly..."

She watched them both break into sad smiles "But we have just enough energy to see you."

Aqua held her hands over her mouth, crying even more. It felt like she had FAILED. Ventus still had NO hope of waking soon, Terra HADN'T extinguished the foreign heart inside of him and running his body. If only she hadn't been so reckless to chase after Terra in the darkness-

She stiffened as Terra wrapped her up in his arms once more, running a hand through her hair and murmuring "You did what you had to do to make sure we were both safe. You did what your heart told you." Ventus walked over and hugged her like the child she had always considered him "I'm grateful for what you've done."

"B-but I..." She hiccuped, finding tears to resume their steady pace "I... I've doomed you both-"

"No." Terra said, holding her tighter.

"No." Ventus agreed, shaking his head lightly.

"You've saved us. We just need to wait for it to come to fruition."

Aqua's frown lighted to a small smile, and she closed her eyes, feeling the dream melt away from her as she told her boys "Thank you... For not blaming me for all this..."

Aqua woke, hearing the vaguest whisper that echoed in the bleak realm:

"No problem... After all... We're still friends..."

Her Wayfinder winked, almost laughing at the magic it had brought.

AHHHH MORE TERQUAVEN I SHOULD STOP.