A/N: So...it's been a while since I wrote anything Fanfic related for any fandom, but after playing through Kingdom Hearts 3, (Yes, spoilers will be present.) I became inspired and just started writing. What I wrote though...is a piece I consider an experiment. For whatever reason, I wanted to write a story exploring some of the psychological aftereffects the realm of darkness and other plot stuff could have had on Aqua while also exploring the Sora/Aqua pairing. SoKai is obviously canon at this point given what happens in KH3, but for whatever reason I want to experiment with this pairing anyway because I find it interesting. Considering the age difference, it's also a pretty weird pairing in my mind; however their personalities could potentially match very well, and they would look pretty cute together I think, so...this story is the result of a random plot bunny I couldn't get rid of. This could remain a one-shot or become a multi-chapter story depending partially on how you guys respond to it. I'm a little out of practice in terms of writing, so if something feels a little disjointed, or you guys feel I could have written a certain scene or character interaction better, or if you see general grammar/spelling things I may have missed while editing, please tell me via review. And if you like what you read, be sure to tell me that too. Thanks in advance everyone! I hope you guys enjoy what I have to offer.

Additional Note/Warning: This story takes place post KH3, which means this story spoils pretty much the entire game. If you don't want spoilers, run. Run I say! Get out of here! I will not be held responsible for ruining the game for you. You have been warned. Kay, we good? We good? Alright!On another note the summary for this story and the categories I chose are subject to change as of now. I'm not satisfied with the summary right now and if I add on to this it will definitely need to be changed to coincide with whatever plot I come up with, but you need not concern yourself with that. Enjoy!

Face My Fears

No one is coming.

Suspended in murky depths, a young woman fought a losing battle against the waves pressing down against her body. Though she strained with her arms and legs to reach the surface, she continued to sink deeper and deeper. The sensation overtook her thoughts and brought with it a sense of pure terror.

She couldn't breathe at all. Her heartbeat went on in a relentless rhythm as her lungs begged for air.

No one is coming.

With weakening movements she once again reached her arms toward the surface of the water, toward the light...

And yet...she knew an abyss of darkness awaited her above as well as below.

Tears spilled from her eyes then, mixing with the tumultuous waves pressing against her body, forcing her further down into the depths.

She hadn't been able to breathe for what felt like months now.

Shouldn't she have died already?

Or...was this simply Hell, that realm of continuous torment depicted in various stories throughout the ages.

Aqua wasn't sure.

She had traveled above the depths for ten years and fared no better. Endless days of walking through fallen worlds empty of their residents and fighting relentless hoards of heartless had already pushed her to an unstable mental state. Hallucinations were a common occurrence, and she often fought phantoms of herself. Each persona enjoyed taunting and demeaning her for making efforts to stay positive...to keep hope alive in her heart.

What was the point anymore?

No one is coming.

Deep in the depths, Aqua heard those words over and over. It was a strange mantra of defeat so foreign to the person she had been. After all, she willingly condemned herself to this place to save a friend she loved dearly. Even with all the suffering she'd endured, if she could go back and do it all again...she would sacrifice herself again and again and again.

Protecting Terra was the one thing she refused to regret for a single second.

And, up until now, Aqua had never been waiting for someone to save her. At the start of her journey through this realm, she intended to escape with her own power. She was a Keyblade master after all. Of course she could escape on her own. No one else had to be involved. No one else needed to be sacrificed. She would bear the burden and face the darkness alone.

In the beginning, she held on to this mindset through the endless stretch of experiences spanning time she couldn't feel the passage of.

The "damsel in distress" role was one she adamantly refused to play.

However, in spite of her fighting spirit and emotional endurance, the role claimed her.

Like it or not, she's a damsel and she's in distress...

But no one is coming to save her.

A bitter smile lifted the corners of her mouth as this realization truly dawned on her.

"Have even more years passed now?" she wondered, still sinking in the depths, unable to breathe at all. By now she most definitely should have died. Did she simply not feel herself go?

A part of her wanted to keep fighting, had to keep trying to escape even though it was pointless. She hated this feeling. She hated being so weak and alone and...scared.

But there was nothing she could do about it. She was too weak to reach toward the surface anymore and too heartbroken to believe a savior would come.

"I'll just drift here forever. Forever...and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever..."

The thoughts continued on and on like that. As the words continued to repeat in her mind, Aqua felt her mouth open in a soundless laugh.

And then, without warning, a hot, burning rage ravaged her heart. A scream retched itself from her throat, yet no sound could be heard. This created its own terror, which prompted the once proud Keyblade master to scream on and on in the hopes of simply hearing her own voice, regardless of how blood curdling the sound might be; nevertheless, the silence continued on.

Her voice was lost to the darkness.

Eventually, though Aqua barely felt it, her body began to convulse from the sobs accompanying the screams. She could hardly feel anything physically anymore and it horrified her more than words could adequately express.

These feelings prompted her to press her hands against her eyes, partially to confirm she still had arms attached to her.

The other reason for the action was something Aqua ultimately considered meaningless and vain to an extent. No one was around to see her cry, yet a lingering trace of pride compelled her to bury her face in her hands as she curled into herself, floating between life and death in an ongoing cycle of dread that showed no signs of ever stopping. There was no reason to hide any of the things she felt, not even from herself. After all, she was the only company available in the realm of darkness. Just her. Alone. Forever.

Gut wrenching screams pulled Aqua out of sleep. She bolted upright from bed, breathing harshly as hands gripped her shoulders.

Still disoriented and shaken, the blue-haired woman quickly summoned her fallen master's Keyblade and attacked in a sweeping motion in front of her. She heard a slight grunt from the person in front of her as she leaped to the opposite side of the room, still breathing raggedly but managing to maintain a firm stance of defense.

With her back pressed against the brick wall behind her, Aqua glanced across the familiar room as if it were an illusion. Her bed was a tangled mess of sheets with the lavender bedspread lying haphazardly on the stone floor. For a few seconds her gaze lingered on her Wayfinder charm resting on the wooden nightstand next to the bed before taking in the other furnishings in the room, which included a small sofa and two bookshelves on either side of her bedroom door along with a desk for studying. The light of the pale moon shone in from the window directly above her, allowing her to read some of the titles on the spines. Most of them were old spell books Eraquis gave to her when she first began her training.

"That hurt...Aqua..."

The blue-haired wielder finally shifted her attention to the floor where Terra was seated, shaking his head a bit.

"T-Terra?"

"Don't worry," he began, rubbing the back of his head as he rose to his feet. "I'm fine...mostly."

The two of them stared at each other in silence for a while. During that time, Aqua simply focused on inhaling and exhaling. It was such a simple action, yet the sensation of breathing sometimes felt unfamiliar to her. It was just another lingering effect from her decade long stay in the realm of darkness. Terra watched her intently, concern clearly displayed in his deep blue eyes.

After another few seconds, Aqua finally mustered the ability to address him properly. "I'm sorry for attacking you, but..." She paused for a second, uncertainty clouding her features as she asked, "What are you doing in my room?"

"You were screaming." His eyes drifted to their master's keyblade, which Aqua still held protectively over herself. She quickly dismissed the weapon once she caught him staring.

"I'm sorry I woke you..." she muttered, a blush rising on her cheeks. "...again."

Terra smiled softly at her though the smile did nothing to mask the worry she could see in his gaze.

"Ven was pretty worried too," Terra stated quickly, watching Aqua as she walked past him to the bookshelf behind him. "I convinced him to go back to bed though. He's been having a rough time sleeping as well. I've even had a couple nightmares myself."

Aqua scanned the titles on the spines as Terra talked, eventually deciding to pluck a book containing various fairytales. She placed it on the nearby desk without a word.

"We've..." he paused briefly, no doubt recollecting his own self-induced traumas. "We've been through a lot, Aqua. It's going to take time for us to move on from everything, but..."

"But what," she questioned, examining the cover of the book she'd chosen as a means to keep herself from looking Terra in the eye.

"We'll find a way. We'll get through this...together."

Aqua didn't respond, choosing instead to out the book down and march toward her walk-in closet. Her usual clothes lay on the sofa near the door.

As she collected them so she could change out of her pajamas, she mumbled, "Will we?"

"Hmmm?"

The fact he didn't quite hear what she said sent Aqua spiraling back into the dream...or rather...back into the past.

"No one heard me screaming. No one heard me crying."

"Aqua?"

"Nothing," she muttered, disappearing into the closet. She shut the door a little more harshly than she intended, which almost prompted a sigh to escape her lips. "So much for convincing him I'm okay."

Terra, staring at the door, raised his voice a little so he could be heard. "Aqua, we can talk about it you know. The master...he told me to take care of you and Ven."

Aqua leaned back against the door with her bundle of clothes cradled in her arms like a mother might cradle a child. Though equipped to send words of reassurance to sooth Terra's worries, she was tempted to say she was far better suited for the role of protector than he was. She always had been.

Neither response felt right, so she kept silent and merely stared at her feet. A single tear slid down her cheek unexpectedly and Aqua cursed under her breath.

"I'll find a way to prove to you that you can rely on me, Aqua."

The blue-haired keyblade master closed her eyes, her emotional state caught between gratitude for his effort and annoyance with herself for worrying him in the first place.

"Thanks Terra," she answered, hoping that would be enough to appease him. "I'll be fine. I just...rather be alone right now."

After a few seconds she heard him sigh. "You can't be strong forever, Aqua."

"Watch me." Gritting her teeth to keep the words from leaving her lips, Aqua walked a little further into the closet as a means to put more distance between herself and Terra. As she started to get changed, she heard him close her bedroom door. Little by little, the tension his presence brought lifted from her shoulders.

The relief she felt with his absence was a truly sad thing. After finally being rescued from the realm of darkness, Aqua was finally reunited with her most precious friends. Xehanort met his end and peace returned to all the worlds. Free from her former prison, Aqua was overjoyed to see bright stars lighting up the void of darkened sky at night. She was able to appreciate the beautiful architecture and immaculate interior designs of their home in a different way than before. With each day that passed in the realm of light, Aqua found herself enjoying the brightness of the sun, the feel of flower petals against her fingertips, the sound of bugs and birds flittering about through the trees, and all the lovely little things nature had to offer. Life and hope existed in her world again, and that prompted her to spend most of her time outside, gardening or playing games with Ven. In the two weeks following the end of the final battle, Aqua and Terra had spent an ample amount of time alone together talking through some of their painful experiences in the time they'd been apart, though never in much detail. They mostly reminisced on happier days and watched the sunsets together.

The two of them grew closer in many ways.

However...

It's complicated.

As Aqua finished changing into her usual outfit, she found herself thinking about how right it felt when Terra held her hand. His strength and warmth was comforting. She could feel the strength of their bond every time his fingers entwined with hers. She could feel how deeply he loved her and returned those feelings in kind.

Unfortunately, she felt something entirely different when they kissed. The first time it happened, a wave of disgust hit her along with a profound sense of disappointment and guilt.

"It was...like I was kissing Xehanort..."

She shuddered at the thought. It wasn't Terra's fault his body had been taken over by Xehanort. He clearly wasn't possessed now, but...

She never wanted to kiss him again, which meant she didn't want to be close to him the same way he wanted, and that made rebuilding their friendship a lot more difficult than it needed to be.

And again, it wasn't his fault. Aqua had been the one to initiate that first kiss the other day, thinking she was ready. She thought she wanted to be with Terra the same way he wanted to be with her. She had longed to see him and feel his arms around her many times during her stay in the realm of darkness. She hallucinated his presence many times simply because of how lonely and desperate she was for a friend or simple human contact. Before then, the idea of a romantic relationship with Terra was a fantasy she played around with in her mind in the peaceful days before everything fell apart. After all, they had grown up and trained together for most of their lives. It was only natural for her to drift toward him romantically when their bond of friendship was already so strong, but...

Too much had changed. Too much time had gone by.

She hadn't aged a single day... but a decade of solitude changed her on the inside.

And, like it or not, a vital part of her was still trapped in the abyss she'd been left to rot in.

With these thoughts and more filtering through her mind, Aqua opened the closet door and briefly scanned the familiar surroundings before taking a seat on the sofa to put on her shoes. Once through with that, she padded over to her desk and grabbed the book of fairytales. Once more she examined the cover, appreciating the design of the ornate medieval castle depicted on it. After another few seconds, she walked over to a different window in the room and popped it open. A cool breeze rushed in, instantly bringing a sense of calm as she maneuvered herself out of the opening and into the night.

After landing gracefully along the dirt path below, Aqua lifted her gaze toward the full moon while the soft winds played with her hair and rustled through the surrounding trees. The gentle hum of sound it created accompanied the young woman as she began her trek along the grounds, looking for a suitable spot to read and stargaze. She continued to stare at the moon as she walked. It was a soothing light, a reminder. She wasn't alone in the dark anymore.

Without the moonlight, she didn't dare go out at night.

Of course, the moon itself was a source of a different trauma for Aqua, though she usually chose not to think about it.

Still, she would never be able to forget the luminous light of Kingdom Hearts as it descended upon them. Thinking of that heart-shaped moon brought thoughts of Xehanort, thoughts of pain, betrayal, and loss. Sometimes it was hard to believe ten years had gone by since then. To her...only days had gone by. Of course, those days had been filled with battles and endless wandering that ultimately took up ten years of her life. It was time she would never get back. Terra and Ventus were both subject to the same fate in some ways. Terra's strength of will forced him to wander in between worlds for a decade and Ventus remained in a perpetual state of sleep.

"That's over now," she whispered, trying to shake the gravity of the loss away. "We're together again. Everything worked out for the best."

Aqua wasn't sure she actually believed those words. It just made her feel better to say them.

After walking aimlessly for a bit, the blue-haired warrior eventually made her way to the familiar practice grounds. With careful movements, she sat down on a patch of soft grass and once again set her sight on the starry sky. Brief flashes of her past self giving Wayfinder charms to Terra and Ventus before the Mark of Mastery exam entered her mind.

Other memories played through her mind. Some were happy. Others sad. All of them precious.

While reflecting on these things she reached into her pocket for her Wayfinder charm only to realize she'd left it in her room.

"Alone and forgotten, huh?" she breathed, now staring down at her hand, empty of the charm she'd often stared at to reassure herself that everything would be okay.

Would she ever truly be okay again?

Deciding not to address this question, Aqua opened the book of fairytales and flipped to the beginning of her favorite story, The Two Princesses of Bamarre. It was an epic tale of two sisters with drastically different dreams and personalities. Princess Meryl had a warrior's spirit. She dreamed of traveling the world slaying ogres, gryphons, and dragons while finding the cure to the deadly disease plaguing their land.

Her sister, Princess Addie, was a timid girl afraid of her own shadow. She depended on her sister for strength because she didn't have any of her own. Her dream was to live a peaceful, happy life and weave tapestries showcasing her sister's adventures. She dreamed of weaving tapestries showcasing her sister's adventures.

"However, in a twist in fate," Aqua muttered to herself, "Princess Meryl contracted the dreaded Grey Death before she could go on any of her adventures. Thus, Princess Addie, makes the decision to leave the safety of her kingdom in search of the cure to save her sister's life."

With nimble fingers, the young woman aimlessly flipped through the pages, barely scanning the words. She knew the story by heart, having read it over and over again as a child. There was something strangely compelling about the narrative of the fearful princess flinging herself into dangers she would have never considered facing before circumstance forced her to.

Love will do that though. Love will make you brave. Love will give you the strength to bear the weight of the world.

Aqua knew first hand the power of love. It compelled her to rush into the darkness and it was a decision she would never regret.

However... real love requires sacrifice.

She paid the price for her love. In some ways, even after all was said and done, she's still paying that price.

Feeling the tug of exhaustion, Aqua lay back on the grass with the open book resting beside her as she gazed at the dark sky. The image brought back memories of the dark realm. Her eyes fluttered. She could barely keep them open yet tried fighting against the sinking feeling of sleep. Her breathing quickened, brought on by the panic beginning to rise in her.

Falling asleep felt like being dragged into the darkness. The more she fought against it, the more it tugged at her body.

The process of falling asleep was one Aqua loathed, primarily because of the fear it induced. She was afraid to go to sleep, which in her mind was utterly ridiculous. It's a natural function of the body after all. She needed quality rest, especially after ten years of absolutely zero sleep. Time never moved in the realm of darkness, so the usual necessities of rest and sustenance weren't an issue for Aqua while she was there. She essentially remained in a physical limbo, stuck in a state of peak physical condition and unable to die unless struck down by the denizens of the dark...or the Heartless rather.

But now, outside of that realm, she felt the fragility of humanity.

She had to eat.

She had to sleep.

It's just unfortunate how similar falling asleep and falling to the depths of darkness feel.

For a few seconds, a spark of anger sparked inside of Aqua, which brought on the memory of hearing Mickey and Riku's voices after being left alone, floating in an inky abyss for far too long.

Her memories of the battle she waged against Mickey and Riku are shaky at best after the initial spark of rage that prompted a brief reprieve from sinking endlessly. The little she's able to see in her mind is only there because they told her about the battle after all was said and done.

The only clear memory she has of the fight is the sensation of falling back into the depths after claiming a few precious minutes above the surface. It was a crushing blow to her psyche to return there. All her hopes of returning home shattered.

No one is coming. This is how you'll spend eternity.

In those moments, Aqua earnestly longed for death.

But then...a voice called her by name. For the first time in ages, someone called out to her.

More than anything, Aqua hated feeling scared and weak. She was like Princess Meryl, born with a desire to travel and have grand adventures slaying monsters plaguing the worlds. She wasn't supposed to end up helpless and afraid for her life. Her job was to rescue, not be rescued. She never sought to be rescued. She was a keyblade wielder, a warrior, and a fearsome adversary to those allied with darkness. She could take care of herself. She wanted to save herself.

But in that singular moment, Sora made her feel like it wasn't a sin to be weak. It was okay to cry and show vulnerability sometimes.

And for the first, and perhaps only time in her life, she was okay with letting someone swoop in and rescue her. She had desperately needed it then and still needed it now, though she would never admit it to herself, let alone anyone else.

Aqua was as determined as ever to handle her personal struggles alone.

Even so, for whatever reason, seeing Sora's smiling face in her mind's eye as he reached for her gave her the courage to face her fears.

"I'm grateful," she whispered, tears leaking from her eyes as she finally allowed them to close fully, taking a deep, shuddering breath as she did. Though the panic was still there, her breaths eventually evened out into a calm rhythm. The breeze caressed her face gently and she smiled. It was a start.

"Thank you for saving me, Sora. Thank you...for being my hero..."

Aqua fell asleep like that, dreaming peacefully about the boy who pulled her out from the depths and into the light again.

A/N: And that's the first chapter/potential end of the story? A part of me is tempted to leave things here even though I do have additional things written for this. I'm just not sure how I want to go about the whole Aqua/Sora thing, because if I do continue this that's the pairing I'll be pushing since I'm just not a fan of Terra in general. However, I could also make this an eventual Aqua/Terra fic...potentially. Not sure yet. I'm not helping to give you guys a feel for what I want to do, huh? XD I'm so out of practice when it comes to writing fanfiction right now. So, please leave some thoughts for me in that review box. Those will be extremely helpful in making some decisions for how I want to set things up if I choose to not leave this at one chapter. Thanks for reading! God bless you all! For those of you who have finished KH3, I sincerely hope you enjoyed the game. I know I did. That ending though! I can't! Why Nomura!? WHY!? You know KH fans are hungry for resolutions man! Gah!

*Additional note: The Two Princesses of Bamarre is a novel by author Gail Carson Levine. It's a great middle-grade novel full of adventure, romance, and a genuinely compelling story of sisterly bonds...kinda like Frozen in a way. Fun fact, Gail Carson Levine is famous for the novel Ella Enchanted, which I have not read, but I've seen the movie. Anyway, if you found the summary of The Two Princesses of Bamarre interesting, definitely look it up. It's a good book.