Author's Note: It's hard for me to play video games recently, as I'm busy with schooling and all that good stuff. However, I have been putting forth a conscious effort to finish Kingdom Hearts: BBS; and, may I just say that, Aqua is a beast. She's like the perfect mix of tough and sweet and feminine and smart; she's not just a damsel in distress, she's a badass Keyblade Master (the only one who passed the test) who can take care of herself and she's gorgeous. Terra would be stupid not to be gunning for her! But enough of my ranting, here's the story in a world I made up.

Combinations of Blue

Chapter 1: A World of Water (And Things Besides)

Terra was unflappable in most, if not all circumstances, so when he awoke underwater able to breathe, his only reaction was to release a sigh of bubbles and get to his feet. He looked around, not from curiosity, but from experience: knowledge of ones' terrain was almost as important as actually knowing how to fight.

Although Terra usually selected earth tones, his secret passion was for blues.

He could stare at the sky for hours on end, watching it turn darker and darker blue until it was black. He loved fragile gray blue flowers, tiny cerulean birds, fish with sapphire scales…and the sea, the sea was his favorite. Blues in the ocean mixed with all sorts of gray and green, white and violet. His environment now was so vibrant that it almost hurt his eyes.

He stood on a bed of fine white sand, with teal, algae-covered rocks towering over him like buildings. Coral was everywhere, in all sizes, shapes, and colors, while aquatic plants moved sensuously, like green dancers. Fish and other oceanic creatures darted in and out of their crevasses, avoiding Terra as he walked through their habitat without a care.

When he looked up, he could see the surface of whatever ocean he was in moving softly, sending the light of the sun flashing in prisms across the ocean floor. Terra exhaled more bubbles and watched as they floated lazily to the surface.

There was nowhere to go but forward.

Terra watched every fish, every granule that crossed his path to make sure that it was not an Unversed. He was nothing if not cautious. His Keyblade was out, ready for any sort of attack…and though he doubted if this place had any doors to speak of, if there were any barring his path, his blade would make quick work of them as well.

Terra's footsteps raised a galaxy of sand with every step, but he walked with purpose. Something was tugging at his heart, pulling him forward. It had always been said that Keyblade masters were the most in tune with their hearts, and Terra followed his without question, even as he meandered along the bottom of the ocean. Something in his heart pulled him forward.

He wondered if Ventus or Aqua were in this world somewhere…

The thought excited him, but it also made him feel slightly nauseous. The last time he had seen Ventus, who was like a little brother to him, Ven had been shocked into sorrow when Terra told him to go back to the Land of Departure. He knew Ven only wanted to help, but Terra wanted him to be safe more than anything. He hadn't meant to sound so angry… He didn't want to put Ven in harms' way…He could never forgive himself, if Ventus was hurt…never…

The last time he had seen Aqua…well, he didn't like to dwell on it.

Aqua was the only girl Terra had ever gotten close to. He never talked to other girls, never looked at them, he practically didn't even notice their existence. But Aqua was gentle, patient, and honest, and she was strong. He knew he could depend on her for anything. But not this time.

He'd hurt Aqua on purpose. He'd winced at the genuine expression of pain and sorrow in her eyes as he pushed her away, hurt her on purpose, so she wouldn't follow him into this mission. He knew she was strong, but he didn't want Vanitas to target her again. She had to protect the worlds, be the hero of light, and not follow him around in the shadows. She was his world, and he loved her more than he loved himself.

Still, if his heart was telling him to find Aqua or Ven, he was in no position to disagree.

Despite his stoic manner, Terra walked with a heavy heart. He was lonely, and although he had driven his friends away, his want to protect them was the only thing that kept him going these days.

He was beginning to like how his sighs unleashed a torrent of bubbles. It was as though he could see himself getting lighter. Gripping the hilt of his Keyblade tighter, he increased his pace, floating a little in the water with each step. Perhaps it was his imagination, but with every stride, the sun seemed closer and closer to him…

….

Aqua sat up in relative darkness. And wet.

With a cry she tried to stumble to her feet, flailing about wildly with her hands. Complete darkness had always scared her and she didn't know where she was.

When she finally managed to get to her feet and obtain some semblance of balance, she called for her Keyblade with all her might, and felt relief flood her as it snapped dutifully into her hand. She curled her fist around the smooth hilt and begged the blade for some sort of light spell.

Aquamarine light glowed ethereally at the top of the Key, and Aqua was finally able to appreciate her surroundings without fear.

She was in a cavern, beautifully sculpted from ice. It was not cold inside, and the blue light reflected off of the mirrored sheets of glassy ice and the indigo crystals that shot out of cracks, abundant as grass. Puddles of warm water displayed glowing blue organisms, like crystallized moss and coral, and waterfalls dotted the cavern, shaping and molding the ice until it was smooth as silk.

Aqua smiled. There was such beauty in all the worlds, and she already loved it here.

"Hello!" Aqua called, spinning around to see if there was any form of life in the cavern. Instead a hundred Aquas seemed to call back as her voice echoed through the winding passages. With a shrug, she stared down at herself to see if anything had gone missing. "I guess I'm on my own here then…"

As always, she was curious about her environment, and although the ice cavern was beautiful, it was a little claustrophobic and she kind of wanted to see the sky.

"I wonder what this world is called…" She murmured to herself. Ven used to call her crazy when she would talk to herself, but it made her focused and kept her from going crazy. She and Ven thrived on contact with others and absolute silence (although tolerable for short periods of time,) was maddening in the long run. So if she had to use herself for conversation, just to maintain her sanity, then Aqua was fine with that.

Aqua was thorough. She examined every inch of the cavern until she discovered the only outlet. Without hesitation, she pitched herself down the icy tube, and it whirled her back and forth before spitting her out in a new cavern.

As she got to her feet and brushed off any stray ice shavings, Aqua had to admit that riding a slide made of ice was definitely one of the more enjoyable enterprises she had experienced on her journey.

"Ven would love that." She said to herself with a smile. "And Terra would…" A sharp ache caught her right in the chest and it was such that the feeling brought tears to her eyes.

She actually had no idea what Terra would do anymore. He was completely changed from the friend she once knew. Her Terra would never have pushed Ven, never have sent him home in misery. Her Terra wouldn't have betrayed her, pushed her away when she was only trying to help him.

But she could have imagined what the old Terra would have done. He would have watched Ven and Aqua go spiraling down the icy slides with an expression of apathy on his face. But his blue eyes would have been glowing with happiness at seeing his friends enjoy themselves. Finally, Aqua and Ventus would have pulled him in for at least one try, and although he would fight it every step of the way, he would have given in.

Aqua clutched her shoulders at the shiver that went through her body. It wasn't cold, but she was…still hurting.

Still, there was nowhere to go but forward, and Aqua toughened herself up before picking her way through the veritable labyrinth she had been confined to. Each new hall she entered was more beautiful than the last, but Aqua wanted to be outside. Heaven forbid if the world was entirely composed of this ice cave.

Finally, after much wandering and talking to herself, Aqua reached the mouth of the ice cavern and saw the sun, blinking like a warm beacon above her head. She gave a great sigh of relief before going out to explore her new environment.

Despite the massive ice cave (which now seemed to be out of place), the world appeared to be tropical, with trees stretching far over her head in a leafy green canopy, while the boughs and trunks of said trees were laden with tiny leaves, intricate flowers, and mushrooms, each colored vibrantly as jewels. Aqua smiled at everything that caught her eye, relieved to be out in the open air.

"I really like this place." Aqua murmured aloud, as a warm breeze rustled the leaves of the trees. It almost sounded like the forest was whispering, calling her name, welcoming her…

She let her Keyblade disappear and continued walking through the jungle.

It seemed to be her imagination, but after a very short time it seemed as though she could hear the sound of the tide over the sound of the rustling leaves. The Land of Departure was known for its' beautiful cliffs and brilliant architecture, however, Aqua always had a soft spot in her heart for the sea.

It was amazing how it could be all colors, how at once it could be sharp and soft, smooth and disturbed, violent and gentle. Aqua loved the sound of the sea. It could lull her into peace even if she was upset or scared.

"What kind of world have I entered?" She wondered aloud. "I haven't seen any Unversed either." She wasn't complaining. Unversed were not difficult to deal with, but god were they annoying in droves.

Seeing an end to the trees, she broke into a light run, excited to see what was beyond the jungle. With every step, the sound of the ocean got louder and louder, but still maintained its' rhythmic beat, slapping against the sand. Aqua rubbed the sweat from her cheeks and kept jogging, until she had pushed pass the final barrier of vines and was out in the glorious open.

The beach was amazing. It was devoid of anything but a few palm trees and a seemingly endless stretch of sand. Sand that was blue-violet in color.

Aqua scooped some up in amazement; it truly was indigo sand with swirls of white, soft and fine between her fingers. The blue beach met up with a teal ocean, so clear that Aqua could see the tropical plants lining the bottom. So this was paradise…

With a smile of contentment, Aqua walked to the surf and sat in the pillowy sand, watching her clothes fan out in the water like some exotic, aquatic creature. She wasn't worried about wet clothes; hers were magic, so they did not burn, or tear or get wet.

"Ven…Terra…I wish you could see this place." She said thoughtfully.

Something dark moved in the water and Aqua leapt to her feet, ready for any sort of attack. She could not make out what the creature was, but was big and dark and it was moving towards her. Still, she didn't want to attack until she knew who or what it was. So she waited.

Aqua's heart pounded uncomfortably in her eardrums as the first thing to breach the water was that familiar crop of spiky brown hair. Terra took another step, and suddenly he was only submerged up to his ribcage. He looked as he always did: strong, stoic, self-assured, with a slight look of distrust. His blue-grey eyes flashed with conviction as he surveyed his new environment. Halfway through his next step, he noticed Aqua and shock replaced his trademark nonchalance.

She was not cold, but she shivered under his gaze. She was strong, but the pain was so fresh, and she feared her legs would give out.

Terra took the next step toward her, some deep and unexplainable expression rooted deep in his stormy eyes. "Aqua?" His deep, soothing voice hit her hard in the place where he had cracked her heart and the tremors of pain rippled through her body.

"Terra." She replied. Either fate was cruel to the both of them or it was trying to repair what Terra had broken. But in both scenarios, Aqua was hurting.

Chapter 1: End.