A/N: GUYS I HAVEN'T WRITTEN ANYTHING FOR LIKE, TWO YEARS GJGJSJJSJF.
Anyway, I'm dabbling in the Kingdom Hearts fanfic fandom again, so this is my latest whacky theory/crazy offering about Terra and Aqua. Enjoy.
Title: Revival
Rating: K+
Pairings: Moderate Terraqua
Time period: During/post-DDD
Summary: The Realm of Darkness had imprisoned Aqua for longer than she could care to remember. The time had jaded her hope and the darkness wearied her heart, leaving her completely unprepared for an unexpected change of fate.
Disclaimer: Terra, Aqua and the rest of the Kingdom Hearts universe belong to Square Enix…oh, and Disney. Not that they actually do anything with Kingdom Hearts that's of value these days…
It had been over a decade now. She was sure of that.
A recent conversation with another being trapped alongside her in the realm of darkness had spoken of a boy who had saved countless worlds from destruction.
A feat like this would have been impossible for the small child she had in her memories.
But as soon as Aqua heard the name, she knew it was him. She could only wonder at how that little boy with the wide, innocent eyes had ever transformed into such a brave Keyblade wielder...
…and she wondered if Sora was out there now, fighting the darkness yet again.
She closed her eyes, feeling coolness seeping into her toes as the tainted beach water washed ashore. The rhythmic waves had become the only essence of time passing… and she knew, with each moment here, that something catastrophic was brewing in the realm of light.
The darkness had been stirring again.
A horribly familiar darkness ...a type she wished she didn't recognise.
Aqua had felt the essence before, though it had been twisted with different elements. But this time, it was so much stronger… and it reminded her of the last time she had ever seen him. A distinct shiver ran down her spine at the memory of blue turned gold, brown turned silver, light turned dark…
At the cost of her life, she had whisked him back to the realm of light… and she knew doing so may have been her greatest mistake. She had saved both Terra and Xehanort… and if the latter had won control, it would explain the constant peril the worlds faced.
But she would never take back saving a friend. Even if it was selfish, a hint at her own darkness…
Aqua…
Her head snapped upwards in response to her name. Her nameless companion was sitting several feet away from her, but he hadn't budged an inch…
"Did you…say something?"
The hooded man looked up, directing his gaze to her face. "No, I did not speak." He cleared this throat, and glanced at her meaningfully. "You mustn't let the darkness twist your mind in this place, if you can help it."
Aqua let out a small sigh, hanging her head with a nod. Hearing voices in the realm of darkness didn't look very good for her sanity levels…
Please, Aqua…
Her eyes opened wide, and her heart leaped in her chest. But she kept her reaction guarded, so as not to appear bothered. Whoever was speaking must have been doing so, inside of her…to her heart…
Aqua closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to figure out the source of the soundless voice. Had it not been so quiet on the beach, she mightn't have heard a thing. So it was distant. Did that mean she had to…?
I need you.
Her heart ached at those words. She felt so drawn…so compelled to follow the sound, even if her rational mind demanded that she stay put. It would be foolishly stupid to run off into the huge maze of dark paths, away from the only other living soul she had found…
Please…find me…
Her breath left her in an instant. Aqua quickly scrabbled to her feet, feeling her heart hammering away inside her chest. She knew that voice… but… how…?
Before she knew it, she was already stumbling backwards in a clumsy attempt to turn around. Behind her, she heard the surprised voice of her companion.
"Young miss, where exactly are you going?" His tone was moderately calm, but with hints of curiosity and wariness.
"I…don't know..." Aqua mumbled, instinctively looking around the immediate area. "I…need to go…something in my heart is telling me…"
"Something in your pocket is telling you too, apparently."
Her gaze shot downwards towards her shorts. A soft blue light was emanating from the side of her thigh.
And then she was running.
The moonlit waters disappeared behind her as she charged into the chilly pathways of darkness that had led her there. Don't go...I'm coming…please, wait…!
Aqua's thoughts raced as she quickly pulled out her Wayfinder. The blue, radiating brilliance made her gasp, and only fuelled her desperate racing that much more. She could feel her heart pulling her forward, leading her on further and further into the darkness…
But the further she went, the brighter her light became. Dark denizens shied away in fear, when they normally would have ambushed her. Her feet, once heavy and laden with darkness, were now swifter than the wind.
Find me…
The voice was becoming much louder and clearer than before, but the tone was exhausted. Aqua's heart ached all the more. Hang on…
Finally, she slowed down, panting from the mad sprint. She had no idea where she was now. But her Wayfinder was glowing so strongly she had to squint as she looked at it. She didn't know if that was an indication she was in the right place, but…
You're here… I can't believe it…
"Hello?" Aqua's voice hung in the empty air, echoing off into the distance. She needed confirmation that she wasn't going mad. It would seem so daft had she come here for nothing. "Why can't I see you?"
I've missed you so much…
Her breath caught inside her throat, and she swallowed nervously. Her heart was bursting inside of her. This couldn't be real… it hard to be the darkness finally consuming her mind… "Terra…?"
There was no audible response at first. Aqua lowered her eyes, bringing her Wayfinder to her chest in a desperate plea. Slowly, gentle warmth brushed against her shirt.
Yes.
Aqua nearly choked. Terra was here? How could he be? Why couldn't she see him? Where was his voice coming from? Those and a million other questions raced through her mind, all at once, and yet, she could barely bring herself to ask any of them.
"Where are you?" She pleaded, her widened eyes frantically searching the spaces around her.
Put out your hands…
Wordlessly Aqua did as she was instructed, but not without slipping her Wayfinder away first. In a tiny starburst, a small ball of soft light drifted into her hands, warming her palms.
All she could manage was a gasp.
She…was holding Terra's heart.
"How did you get here…?" She whispered, feeling as if one wrong move would destroy this entire moment. She had always seen Terra as being so strong, so confident… solid, like the earth. Holding his heart like a fragile bird seemed unreal, so unlike his nature.
Xehanort has expelled me from my body… his darkness finally won.
Aqua's brows creased in worry. Over a decade...that's how long he's been fighting that monster of a man…
"What's happened to…you, then?"
I don't know what he's doing with my body now… if you hadn't found me, I might've been lost to the dark realm permanently.
Aqua closed her eyes, overcome with relief that she had listened to her heart. She could scarcely believe that they'd found each other. She brought her hands closer to her chest, feeling the warmth of his heart against hers. In this state, he seemed so vulnerable…and he'd probably hate to hear that, too. "Are you alright like this?"
I don't know. The darkness feels very close here, even though I've become so accustomed to it…
"Would you be safer with me?" Aqua hesitantly pointed to her chest with a free hand. She didn't know much about safeguarding a heart inside of her, exactly... "Would it work?"
I think so… if it's possible for two hearts to co-exist in opposition, then this would be a cinch.
Aqua smiled, and cupped Terra's heart towards her chest, gently flattening her hands against her heart. Almost immediately, warmth blossomed inside of her. She blushed instinctively. "…how's that?"
Your light is so strong, after all this time. You were always so bright… Eraqus would've been proud. Thanks, Aqua.
"When did you become so gentle and conceding?" She laughed, surprising herself because the sound was foreign to her. "That's what friends are for, silly."
A dark force suddenly shifted inside of her. Aqua took in a sharp breath; she had almost forgotten that Terra had been steeped in darkness for so long. "Terra, what was that?"
I'm sorry. It'll probably take some time to get used to… my stupid darkness, I mean.
"No, it's okay. I know you can control it. I believe in you."
That means a lot, Aqua. Considering last time… Terra's voice trailed off inside her head. She waited while he composed himself. Would you forgive me if…I tried something?
Aqua narrowed her eyes a little in worry, but let him continue. "What would that 'something' be?"
Back when I was stuck with Xehanort all the time, he used his darkness to create these pathways to other worlds… the corridors he made were dangerous and darkness-infested, but I know he used them to enter this realm on occasion, too. Maybe they're the secret to getting out of here.
This made Aqua all the more concerned. She had no idea the what had being going on outside the realm of darkness, and given the time, she'd question Terra about it… but after being stuck here for so long, she was ready to try anything. Better to escape this problem first, than learn of others…
"What do you need me to do?"
I'll have to see if I can concentrate my darkness…
Aqua winced as she felt the unfamiliar sensation of darkness squirming inside her, an undercurrent of energy crawling under her skin like a parasite. "…be careful, Terra."
You'll have to see if you can channel my darkness. I know it'll be hard. Sometimes letting it out through a body movement can help.
She sighed in frustration, unsure of how to manifest this foreign power in a way that would fit the requirements. Cautiously, she put her hand forward, trying to imagine concentrating the darkness into a visible form. Slowly, currents and swirls of energy twisted around her fingers, growing into something akin to a black hole just in front of her.
"Is that…what it should look like? Where does it lead?" Aqua's voice wavered slightly in nervousness. Her other wrist flicked instinctively, summoning Master Keeper in a flash of light.
I think… if we try and think of somewhere to go, that might influence it… but I'm not really sure.
"Very comforting…" she trailed off, unsure of where exactly would be a good place to turn up. Everything might have changed in ten years. Showing up around people wouldn't be good, especially appearing out of the darkness… "Terra?"
Yeah?
"Let's trust out hearts on this one. It's how I found you. They'll lead us in the right direction. As long as we end up together in one piece, that's good enough for me."
I'm with you all the way. But we'd better hurry before that thing disappears without us.
"Okay." Aqua poised herself defensively, staring down the darkness in front of her with determination.
"We'll go together."
HOHKAY SO HERE'S HOW MY THEORY WORKS SO FAR. Basically, somewhere near the end of KHI after Ansem SoD possesses Riku, he manages to take Riku's body and completely expels his heart to the realm of darkness. It's only when Ansem is defeated that Riku can regain a physical form at the very end.
So, I thought the same thing could apply to Terra.
But that's all I'll say for now. I'll be posting the second chapter in a few days, just so I can see the interest this generates.
I hope you're enjoying this so far, everyone!
~ Lioneh