WARNING: If you have not played Birth By Sleep, but would like to, please skip the notes at the beginning of the chapter(s) unless you really don't mind spoilers. I don't want to reveal anything from the game that might ruin your playing experience. It's an awesome game, and you should get to playing it as soon as you possibly can.

Woo! New fanfic! I'm so proud of myself just for the idea of this one XD

No OCs

And it is not a result of a challenge from a friend.

It is my own idea I got while playing Birth By Sleep, and I'm sure it's the first that is 100% my idea AND OC free! Really, I started this before I even finished the game. I loved the part where Zack asked Aqua on a date, and at that moment I also realized I love Terra/Aqua. So I kind of wondered what would happen if Terra found out Zack wanted to ask out Aqua. And thus this fanfiction was born. I was so attatched to the idea that I wanted to get the idea out before I lost interest/forgot it. This meant I wrote the first chapter before I finished the game (I was Aqua's story, the last one for me, and in Neverland. I was close!). So I wrote the chapter in a notebook, finished the game to see if I needed to change anything to account for explanations of what happened, and then typed the chapter up.

Now, this is sort of AU. In order for this idea to work out I figure things would have to NOT end how they do on the game. So things that seem impossible (the three friends being together, and happy, and all alive, their home still actually being there, Terra not being controlled by Xehanort-I actually haven't played the bonus chapter yet, so I'm not too clear on what happened at the end of Terra's story, but I'm hoping to find out-etc.) are actually possible. I don't see how they could happily return to the coliseum if their home is destroyed, Ven has no heart, and Terra mysteriously disappeared. So let us pretend they all had wonderfully happy endings.

*putting space between possible spoilers and the fanfic*

I do not own Birth By Sleep (except for owning the game physically XD), Kingdom Hearts, or any of the characters in this fanfic. They belong to Squeenix.

All had been peaceful in the worlds since Terra, Ventus, and Aqua had returned from their encounters with Xehanort and Vanitus. They'd returned home to the Land of Departure, and although the damage done to their world was great the trio did their best to return things to normal. It wasn't the same without Master Eraqus, but they managed to regain some part of their old lives.

Ven and Terra were still not Masters. Even though Xehanort had named Terra as one, Terra felt like he didn't deserve the title when it came from someone who was so close to the darkness. So, after consulting with Yen Sid, Aqua had taken the responsibility of helping with their training. She found this hard since Aqua really didn't know much more than her friends. Aqua did her best, though, and was constantly contacting Yen Sid for advice. She was no Master Eraqus, but Aqua had never expected to fill his shoes.

There was one thing Aqua knew she could do, though. Soon after Terra and Ven had resumed training Terra had approached Aqua with a request. He was afraid of giving in to the darkness, especially after his meeting with Master Xehanort in the Keyblade Graveyard. Terra still had the white hair and yellow eyes as marks of what had happened. The experience made him feel like it'd be all too easy to succumb now. So Terra had requested that Aqua help him to conquer the darkness within him, and Aqua had happily agreed. It was always a relief to know he wouldn't just give in.

Slowly the trio got used to their new lives in a repaired home and broken family. They remained confined to their world for two years until all three began to get restless. Repeatedly they would talk about their experiences in the different worlds they visited. Their favorite subject was the games at the coliseum. One night, while sitting outside, Aqua and Terra had been talking about their separate experiences competing when they noticed Ven had lapsed into complete silence.

"And you know, I always wondered how Unversed would-…What?" Terra asked as Aqua held up a hand to silence him. Aqua's gaze was concentrated on Ven, who was sitting silently in his chair and looking up at the stars.

"Something wrong, Ven?" Aqua asked, now attracting Terra's attention to their friend.

"Nah…" Ven said, still gazing at the sky, "…I was just thinking it'd be cool to go back…"

"Back? To the coliseum?" Aqua asked, "You know we can't do that."

"Why not?" Terra suddenly asked. He was smiling at the thought of returning to compete again. And this time he wouldn't fall for Hades', or anyone else's, tricks.

"Because the worlds aren't supposed to have contact with each other, no matter how much we wish to go back," Aqua explained. She sounded exasperated with the two of them. The idea of returning to other worlds to see their new friends had arisen before. Every time Aqua convinced the boys it was better to remain at home, but she had a feeling making them stay wouldn't be so easy this time. The idea of returning to the games was appealing even to her.

"We could go, though," Ven pointed out, "The Lanes Between are still open."

"But they shouldn't be," Aqua argued.

"Come on, Aqua," Terra said, giving her a slight grin, "I still owe that Zack kid a fair fight. And I'm sure Yen Sid would have closed the lanes by now if it was really crucial they were closed."

"I-it is…" Aqua said, trying not to appear as flustered as she felt. It was that grin that did it. For some reason certain things like his grin or when they looked into each other's eyes would just make her heart start to beat faster and she'd blush.

Aqua was not a naïve girl. She knew how babies were made, and about falling in love, and she'd had a few crushes in her days before Aqua began her training. However, she couldn't admit that she had a crush on Terra. He was like a brother to her. There was some part of Aqua, though, that had to admit things had changed since the three had turned. And it wasn't just Terra's new looks that were causing all this. If Aqua was sure of anything, she was sure of that. Terra's hair and eyes may have changed, but he had not. Terra was still Terra.

"Well, if closing the lanes is so important, why don't you just do it?" Terra was asking now, bringing Aqua's thoughts away from her feelings and back to the current issue.

"I…I don't know how," Aqua admitted.

"Alright," Terra stood up and his friends could tell he was set on the idea when he said, "Then let's go! Might as well use those lanes while we can."

"Yeah!" Ven said, standing as well and beaming at his friend. He would eagerly follow Terra anywhere, but Aqua still wasn't sold on the idea. In fact, she was starting to look upset now.

"I don't like it when you talk like that," she told Terra quietly. The whole mood suddenly seemed to change. When she heard Terra say something like suggesting they take advantage of the Lanes Between, Aqua feared he would become close to the darkness again. "You shouldn't just disregard the rules like that."

"Aqua, I'm sure Terra didn't mean anything by it, right?" Ven turned to Terra for the answer. He looked concerned for their friend, and hopeful that Terra would give them the right answer at the same time.

"Yeah, I didn't," Terra said, "We shouldn't abuse the opportunity, I know that, but we'd all like to go back and try the games again. I think that's been agreed, and don't try to deny it, Aqua. We don't know how much longer the lanes will be open. It's been two years already, and three or four or more might be pushing it. This could be the only chance we get. Please, Aqua?"

"Pretty please?" Ven asked, and now they were both giving her such puppy dog hopeful looks that it was hard to resist. The fact Aqua really wanted to go too already wasn't making staying any easier. She didn't need these two teaming up against her as well.

"…Fine," Aqua said, sighing and giving her friends a resigned smile as she stood with them.

"Great!" Ven said, donning his armor. Aqua and Terra followed suit before opening a portal, getting on their gliders, and leaving home once again.

On the way out Ven declared, "Last one there's a broken keyblade!" A race had begun.