The darkness hit them instantly, and in such an intense fashion. Their hearts knew where they were, and their hearts didn't like the decision they were making. However, as strongly as the abyss tugged at the group's chests, they resisted. They were all too familiar with this realm, and have gathered the strength to cast away the evils that provoked them so.
Mickey knew this realm the most. He had hunted down his currently owned Keyblade in this place, all to keep the light safe. Even after traveling miles of the narrow and twisting paths of the Realm of Darkness, Mickey couldn't dream of seeing everything here. Riku, as well, walking by the king's side, did not recognize where the corridor had led him, Mickey, and Lea. It was as if each time one would enter the dark realm, it was at a random location each time. Either that, or the darkness was becoming stronger and therefore gaining new forms. Whichever the case, they hoped it wouldn't hinder the process of locating Aqua.
The easiest way to find her, Mickey though to himself, was by reflecting on the wise words she once told the king; follow the hearts, and you'll find the way. Mickey couldn't feel or even find a hint on where Aqua's heart might be. She was too far away from them. The group needed to make haste, as Yen Sid emphasized how the young Master's light was beginning to burn out. More than likely, it will be completely gone soon.
"I'm surprised the Heartless haven't instantly started ganging on us." Lea said aloud as he took a few glances at their surroundings. He couldn't help but admire the faint, blue glow some of the crystals let off, as it was the only relaxing thing in the dark place.
"Just give them time." Riku responded. "I'm sure they're just a little further ahead. Even though there are so many back home, they don't stop forming here for a second."
"And to think we need this place in order to keep balance." King Mickey then added. "If only darkness weren't as bad as it is now, maybe the worlds wouldn't be in the troubles they've went through so many times…"
They walked down the only path available to them, not even any wind to break the silence that was blanketing them. What else could they say to one another? Casual conversation didn't seem appropriate with the task at hand, but it wasn't because it is not needed at the moment; they needed to focus, to stay on their toes. The Realm of Darkness was an unpredictable place. It had more dangers than just the Heartless; the small team could easily get lost in the maze of arching and slithering walkways that was provided for them, and the pulsing darkness all around them could suck them into its cold and devious influence.
The trio was safe for now, and therefore they didn't feel any danger at the moment, but they couldn't let down their guard. Minutes quickly turned to hours for them, and they increasingly became concerned. None of their picked destinations were getting them anywhere. After walking down one path, it would lead to several more, and they would have to stop and carefully pick what they thought was the right way. It was luck–based more than anything, as they couldn't even guess where they would end up next. Everything looked the same to the three, so they couldn't tell if they were going in circles, or if the realm itself was playing with them.
What was the most unsettling was the lack of Heartless, or anybody, at that. The Heartless would have sprung at them within just a few minutes of walking. Everything was eerily quiet, and not even their breaths could cut through it. How could the one place Heartless were born from not have any at all? It was impossible.
They couldn't leave without Aqua, but finding her was definitely becoming more of a challenge now. She had to be here, as surely she didn't know how to escape this place via a corridor. Her heart was too full of light to conjure one. That light might not make it at this pace.
"Aqua sure is good at hide-and-seek." Lea spoke up, trying to lighten the mood, even if it was inappropriate right now. "She must be close now with the miles we've been walking."
"I hope you're right." Mickey sighed. "We can't just give up with how far we've got. I know Aqua would never give up on her friends, so we can't give up on her."
"Where do you think she could be?" Riku asked the king.
"If I had to guess? Somewhere different from where we're at now. Very different" Mickey answered. "She's either looking for a way out now, or waiting for someone to rescue her."
"So, she's a damsel in distress?" Lea joked, chuckling afterwards. "I'd think a Keyblade Master would do more then wait around."
"Well, it's not like she can do anything else." Mickey said. "Maybe she did try to find her way through this place, and just couldn't. I mean, she's been down here for eleven years straight, at least from our view."
"We'll find her." Riku reassured as he bent down on one knee and placed a hand on the king's shoulder. "I know it hasn't been easy so far. We know what this place is like, though; if Aqua has as strong of a heart as you said, then we can make it in time. Remember not too long ago when we thought we lost Sora? We brought him back even after he was put to sleep from the darkness. From Xehanort's darkness, even. If we can pull that off, then we can find Aqua."
"You're right." Mickey said with a nod, more confidence filling his voice. "Come one, fellahs. We can't wait for another moment. She's waiting for us."
With a positive outlook in their minds now, they hurried down the twisting paths again, only this time they didn't think twice about where they would go; they let their hearts guide them, as they should have in the beginning. If Aqua's heart were still down her, then they would be able to find her this way. Their hearts could tell them what they didn't know, even if they couldn't directly here what they had to say. They no longer thought about becoming lost, or even about the Heartless. Aqua was the main priority, and they planned to get to her without hesitation.
"Wait. Do you hear that?" Riku said as he suddenly halted himself, the other two following suit. They stopped breathing in order to catch even a hint of what Riku was trying to show them. After a few moments, the familiar sound of distant waves echoed into their ears.
"Water? Down here?" Lea questioned, narrowing his eyebrows in confusion.
"That the place I mentioned before." Mickey said as he turned to the red-haired man. "She can't be that far now."
They took a moment to listen to the sound again, to get a sense of the direction it was coming from. As soon as they pinpointed the location, they set off. Finally, after their seemingly endless traveling, Aqua was now in their grasp. They needed to explain so much to her in a short amount of time, but they were just glad with the possibility of finding her. Not only would she be back after so long, but also they knew they needed Aqua to find Ventus. She was the only one who could.
The path eventually led to what looked like the end of the realm of darkness. The cave-like walls began to narrow down to a single exit, one that felt farther away than it really was. The trio, once seeing this, went from simply walking to running, then sprinting as fast as their legs could carry them. Mickey couldn't wait to see his dear friend's face once again, and even Riku and Lea, who were only told stories of her, became invigorated at becoming close to their goal and getting to see this woman.
As they passed through to the other side of the entrance, a rush of air hit them. They didn't feel relieve straight away, however. The waves were still a distance away, sounding just as quietly as before. They were no longer surrounded by endless darkness, it now seemed, and sand surrounded their feet instead of stone. The stones with glowing blue crystals were still present, but they no longer felt trapped and enclosed by cave walls. The three were thankful to at least feel safer.
The cave they seemed to walk out of looked much smaller than what was really contained within. In fact, it seemed nearly impossible to be able to store what they were seeing not only a few moments before. It was more proof of how the Realm of Darkness could mess with one's mind. Thankfully, Aqua was possibly just ahead.
As the waves became increasingly louder, something else increased in size. Finally, someone's light began to tug at the trio's hearts. It was the sign they've been trying to find this entire time. Mickey knew what Aqua's light was like, and this was definitely it. Yen Sid was also correct about her light becoming dimmer due to the darkness. In fact, Mickey feared that perhaps darkness has begun to seep into her heart. After all, he wasn't able to feel it until how close they were getting.
Soon, they found where the waves were lapping at the shoreline, gently coming up and going back into the endless sea. By far, this was the most welcoming place in the realm. Almost eerily so.
Aqua was nowhere to be seen, however, as now Mickey, Riku and Lea began to look all around for her. Her light was nearby, though, so she had to be close. A voice helped sooth their worries, as somebody called out to just one of the three in the group.
"Mickey?"
The king turned around to the source of the voice, and as suspected, there she was. Aqua was safe and sound, but she was different. Not in a dramatic way, but being down in the dark abyss for so many years was making a physical effect on her; the woman's clothing was tattered and torn from her countless assaults from the Heartless that the group failed to find themselves. An entire sleeve was even completely gone, with several gashes and bruises covering her arm instead. Her eyes were filled with fatigue and weariness, clearly exhausted from the many hours of finding an escape and defending herself. Her hair was now much longer then from the last time Mickey laid eyes on her, showing the lost time of her absence and her isolation from the rest of the worlds. Despite her dramatic appearance, the necklace around her neck, her wayfinder, still tried its best to protect her remaining light.
Aqua didn't care about her appearance to the three, as she was happy to see other people aside from herself, and without another word from anybody, the woman collapsed to her knees and embraced Mickey, crying in joy and happiness and the king wrapped his arms around Aqua to comfort her.
"You're safe now." Mickey said to the sobbing woman.
Aqua released her small grip on the king, looking into his eyes as tears continued to flow down her face. A small smile was stretched on it, no doubt the first time after so long. She tried to stop, but this was all so overwhelming; seeing one of her friends again and now knowing they were okay was the happiest thing to happen to her in a long time. Still, she had questions, which she hoped to be answered as soon as possible. Her face went from joyous to serious in almost an instant.
"Are Terra and Ven okay?" Aqua pleaded to Mickey.
The king didn't want to answer her. He had only bad news to share with Aqua regarding that subject. Aqua deserved to know of their fate more than anybody else, as those two people were most likely whom she was thinking about this entire time. "Well, we actually didn't know where you were until very recently, and even that took us a while. We have no clue where Terra and Ven are, so we searched for you first in hopes that you would have an idea."
Aqua sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, looking down at the ground. She couldn't tell them where they could be now, only where she last saw them. Aqua hoped Ventus was still where she left him, but as for Terra…
Aqua looked up to the other two accompanying Mickey, now wanting a chance to see these two stranger after now focusing on them; Lea didn't stand out to her much, but just by his looks, Aqua could tell Lea was very laid-back, despite being in such a dangerous place. It was like he didn't have a single care, even after seeing such an emotional scene. It was either that, or he was good at hiding his emotions.
Riku, on the other hand, had an immediate impact on her. Aqua could tell they have met before, as his stare was the same as a boy she met long ago. But it couldn't be him. She couldn't have been down in this realm that long, Aqua thought to herself. Standing up and approaching the young man, she placed her palm on his cheek, Riku himself looking confused.
"Is your name Riku, by any chance?" Aqua asked him.
All three were stunned by, to them, what was an amazing guess regarding Riku's identity. "Y-yes." The boy answered in bewilderment, trying to figure out how she knew him.
Aqua still remembered, however, her brief time on the islands she once traveled to. The one with the star-shaped fruit her wayfinder was based on. The last time she had seen Riku, he was just a little boy. Sora was with him, as well, and it was when she asked Sora to protect Riku, no matter what. He had kept his promise, as now Riku was here to save her along with Mickey and Lea. But she needed to know a question she had been dying to know.
"How long have I been down here?" Aqua asked as she turned to Mickey.
Again, Mickey lowered his head a little before answering. "For longer then you probably think. About eleven years or so."
"That long? That can't be…" Aqua was aware that she was absent from the Realm of Light for longer than she wished to be, but it felt much shorter then eleven entire years. What had happened while she was gone? A mysterious man told Aqua when she first came to this beach about the perils the worlds have had to deal with, and about the boy who had saved them more than once; Sora. Even now, that name gave her the hope she needed to survive. She was glad to know that everyone would be safe with his help, but that led to yet another question; where was Sora?
"I'm glad to see all three of you here to save me, but someone told be about another boy would come here instead. Sora was his name. Where is he?"
"Sora's safe, if that's what you're wondering." Mickey told Aqua. "He's actually the one who helped us find out you were in trouble. How do you know him too?"
"Someone else was down here with me for a little while, a man in a black cloak." Aqua answered. "He helped me not feel alone down here, but one day, he said he needed to leave. I don't know where he went, and he didn't tell me, either."
"Black cloaks aren't exactly a good sign nowadays." Lea spoke up. "I mean, I know I'm wearing one now, but no need to be scared of me."
"Did he at least say who he was?" Mickey then asked. Aqua shook her head.
"No. I never saw his face, either. His hood always kept it hidden."
Mickey understood. The king would have to cut short their conversation, as now since they've achieved their task at locating Aqua, they needed to bring her back as soon as possible.
"Actually, Aqua, we didn't come down here just to rescue you." The king began, earning the woman's full attention. "We need your help, and badly too. I don't want to tell you this, but…Xehanort is back."
Aqua could feel her legs becoming weak, with Riku needing to catch her before she completely collapsed to the ground. She couldn't find the strength to stand up again, so Riku helped her to gently sit in the sand. Aqua's hands slipped up to her face to cover her mouth. She had hoped Terra had won his internal battle with Xehanort, back when she sacrificed herself in order to save him. Her fears were now realized, as now it seemed like her friend wasn't strong enough to repel him.
Mickey continued on, as even if he wanted to spare her the details, it was required if he wanted her to understand the situation and to help them. "We've stopped different forms of Xehanort quite a few times while you were gone, but it turns out it was all planned out to this point. He wants to create the X-Blade again, only this time he knows the proper way to do it. You see, he needs seven hearts of light and thirteen seekers of darkness in order for his plan to work."
"Do you plan on fighting him? You can't do that knowing what will happen!" Aqua implored.
"We don't have a choice." Mickey said, turning his head away from Aqua's stare. "If we just sit back and don't do anything, Xehanort will just go and collect the seven Princesses of Heart, and it would work out just the same way. We have one of the Princesses on our side now, but we don't know everything Xehanort has planned so far. We put together that if we fight Xehanort and his thirteen darknesses, Organization XIII, then we can at least try to stop him after he has what he wants. He himself said he doesn't know what will happen afterwards, so that's our one and only chance to defeat him for good."
"Has he…has he collected thirteen darknesses?" Aqua asked.
"Not yet." Mickey answered. "Sora was almost the thirteenth one, but we saved him in time. That doesn't matter, though, as he'll get his thirteen regardless of what happens. The same goes for us, too. It's fate. The only problem is we're having a bit of trouble getting seven lights. So far, we only have four. We need you to make five."
Aqua was still trying to wrap her thoughts around everything that was being thrown at her. It more felt like boulders were pelting her. Despite everything they have done, Aqua and her friends weren't able to get rid of Xehanort. Even the cost of her dear Master wasn't enough to quell Xehanort's darkness. Now the man was back, as if nothing had happened. Even with the turmoil she and everyone would have to deal with, Aqua couldn't back down from Mickey's request. She needed to stand up and face her fears not only as the woman who her friends were counting on, but also as the Keyblade Master who Eraqus had counted on to protect them.
Aqua was now able to move her legs again. She stood up slowly, but she was sure to not fall back down. Nothing would make her fall from this point on. People would be counting on her. Without another word, Aqua gladly nodded at Mickey, confirming that she would join the seven lights.
"Thank you, Aqua." Mickey said with a smile. "This means a lot to everybody. Now let's get going; Master Yen Sid is waiting for us to come back with you."
This was when a chill filled everyone's spin. It was so sudden and startling that it caught everyone by surprise and froze the group in their place, preventing them from moving on. Despite this, everyone seemed to turn to one specific direction all at once, as if something was forcing them to. About several yards from their position stood a hooded figure in a black cloak. Perhaps it was the man Aqua described from before?
The person was slowly making their way to them, with a constant black aura radiating off of them. The figure was masculine in shape, but that was far from enough to tell who it could be. The only thing known was the obvious; this man was here for the group, intending to make them stay.
Four keyblades flashed into each of the group's hands, ready for whatever would happen next. It was terrifying to see the flow of darkness come off of the cloaked man, as if he was generating a constant supply of it like factory smoke. It was four against one, so the four Keyblade wielders felt that much safer to face this man. They hoped this wasn't just optimistic-thinking.
"He's probably one of the people Xehanort has on his side." Mickey stated as he narrowed his eyes.
"His darkness is so strong." Aqua said quietly. "It's almost as strong as Xehanort's darkness."
"Almost is the key word there." Lea smirked. "As long as it isn't just like the old man's, it shouldn't be too bad, right?"
"We can't underestimate any of them." Riku warned. "Remember; each person of the Organization has a piece of Xehanort in them, so we're technically about to fight him now, just with someone else's body."
"Only if Xehanort wants to be." Lea said hopefully. "Maybe he isn't in this guy, since Aqua here said he has darkness almost like Xehanort's, like I just said."
"Xehanort or not, we can take him." Mickey said confidently.
The man kept walking towards them until he was several paces away from the group, which then he simply stood there. Though they couldn't see them, they felt the figure's eyes staring at each of their own. No one could figure out why he would just stop without reason. It could be that he was trying to intimidate them, or for the four to make the first move. No one dared move before the other due to these thought.
Lea eventually was the first to speak up, going from a stern position to having a confused look. "So, is he gonna…"
A hand that suddenly gripped his neck silenced Lea. No one saw it with their naked eyes, but the man had went from his previous position to having a vice grip on poor Lea, who ended up dropping his keyblade in favor of trying to claw the steel hands from his neck. He was quickly losing air.
Nobody hesitated to help, as Riku was the first to attempt to save Lea. Aiming for the figure's head, he swung his keyblade with full force. The arm not being used by the person blocked the assault, which then pushed Riku away with great force. A burning pain suddenly enveloped the man's hand, causing him to jerk it away from Lea and take a step back.
Lea grinned as he picked up his keyblade, feeling accomplished at saving his own life. "Heh! Is that all it takes f-whoa!"
Lea needed to think fast with the fists now punching into the air straight at him. Each time, the red-haired man could feel the force of each attack just barely miss him. Lea was even surprised with himself that he was even managing to dodge any of the man's attacks. Lea thought he would have been knocked out cold in an instant. He was beginning to think he and the others overestimated him instead of the other way around.
Lea was given a break as Mickey tried to get the cloaked figure from above, only from the man to disappear just as quickly as he did before. The man now aimed for Aqua, who reacted quickly and ended up making the man have to block with both of his arms in order to avoid injury. He then threw his arms down and caused a burst of wind to slide Aqua backwards to Mickey and Lea. Holding up his palm, the cloaked figure conjured a black orb and released it into several smaller orbs, all of which aimed for the three. Riku had to hurry and shield them with his own darkness abilities, having made a quick recovery from before.
Within just a few seconds, the man was able to overwhelm them all. He was fast, and he didn't let them touch him once. If this were only one of the twelve other darknesses Xehanort has found, what would the others be like? Already Xehanort had Ansem and Xemnas on his side, which them alone took two entire journeys to defeat before. To imagine that each member were just as strong was the scariest thing right now.
The man once again stood there, and seemed to relax a bit. It was like he no longer saw a threat in front of him anymore. More so, the aura around the hooded figure began to dissipate until it was completely gone. A few seconds afterwards, the first Heartless Mickey, Riku, and Lea had seen since they first entered the Realm of Darkness appeared in front of the man, as if a switch was set off that triggered them to return, one that the Organization member had pressed.
The figure made his exit through a portal that had formed behind him, with the Heartless now the threat to worry about. They were easily dispatched, but the worry of the man still remained in their minds.
"Who the hell was that guy?" Lea asked more to himself rather than the others.
"Did anyone else notice something odd?" Riku then said himself, ignoring Lea's question for now.
"Yeah, I did Riku." Mickey nodded. "We haven't seen any Heartless here until he went away, or at least until the darkness around him did. It looked like he was suppressing them from popping up all over the place. Maybe he was following us, and that's why we never saw the Heartless while trying to find Aqua."
"How is that possible?" Aqua asked the king, baffled by this realization.
"I dunno, but with Xehanort influencing each Organization XIII member, maybe his heart was just so full of darkness, he could do more than just make the Heartless appear when he wanted, but also to keep them away."
"Why would he do that while we were searching for Aqua?" Riku then asked in suspicion. "Assuming that he didn't want us to find Aqua, he could've bombarded us with constant Heartless attacks instead of us just walking around without any trouble."
"It wouldn't make any sense if that guy didn't want us to find Aqua, as Xehanort said each side would find their members no matter what." Mickey pointed out. "Maybe they didn't want us to find Aqua specifically, but I can't tell for sure. What I do know is we need to let it go for now and get back to Yen Sid. He's probably expecting us to come back soon."
"Sounds as good of an idea as any." Lea agreed. "I'm getting a bit tired of the gloomy atmosphere here, and I bet Aqua wants to leave more than anybody else."
Lea gladly opened a corridor leading back to the tower, but Aqua seemed hesitant to walk through it. The three others quickly noticed this, and tried to get her to move along. It wasn't the worry of the corridor itself, but the person who made it.
"You can use the darkness?" Aqua questioned Lea.
"What's wrong with that." Lea asked in return as he crossed his arms.
"Don't worry, Aqua. You can trust him, if that's what's on your mind." Mickey reassured. "Lea has helped us a lot in the past. Riku here can use the darkness, too, and you can definitely count on him as well."
Aqua wasn't entirely convinced. Being in the Realm of Darkness for so long has increased her negative attitude towards darkness than before. Master Eraqus had always told her time and time again that darkness was never a good thing, even if it was needed to keep the worlds balanced, and there was nothing down here that could have convinced her otherwise. It was because of Terra, most of all, that made her mind think about how darkness was able to ruin everything, so learning that two allies had control over it gave her an uneasy feeling. For now, she would trust the king, but Aqua would be sure to confront Mickey about this later.
The group walked through the portal and now stood in front of the entranceway of the tower where Yen Sid awaited for them at the top. They didn't say anything to one another as they walked up the twisting and confusing staircases inside until they reached Yen Sid himself, whose face lit up upon seeing Aqua safe and sound. "My dear girl. You do not know how many worries have lifted off of my shoulders seeing you once again. I assume you were told about our current dilemma?"
"Yes I have, sir." Aqua responded with a light bow. "It's very nice to see you again, too."
"I'm sure it is." Yen Sid said with a small smile. "Now, you probably want to know what you can do to help, but know that after being in the Realm of Darkness for so long, I sense your light isn't glowing as brightly from our last meeting. I'm afraid you will have to step aside for the time being."
"I understand, but please tell me what it is you need me for." Aqua urged to Yen Sid, eager to lend a helping hand. "I will do anything to help."
"For now, knowing that you are alive and well is enough to help, as now our side is that much stronger than before." Yen Sid reassured the woman. "You should rest and clean yourself up; I can tell just by looking at your attire that you must be exhausted."
Aqua couldn't disagree with Yen Sid. Even if her words spoke otherwise, she was in dire need of sleep, as she wasn't given enough rest by the Heartless. Aqua had not realized it herself yet, but looking down at herself, she saw her terrible condition. She didn't want to do anything while everyone else was helping. Aqua has been gone long enough, and now she wanted to make up for lost time.
"Please, Yen Sid." Aqua begged. "You have to let me do something."
"I'm afraid I must refuse." Yen Sid said. "In due time, you will be needed to locate Ventus and Terra, if you have any information to share. You must stand down, however, until you have rested and fully recovered."
"Actually, I do know where Ven is." Aqua said. "I remember bringing him back home, and seeing it being consumed with darkness. It was so terrifying seeing our own home being destroyed. That was when I remembered something Master Eraqus had told me, in order to protect it. It was something that would change our home, something Master Eraqus said only I would be able to figure out the mystery to. It's where I left Ven to rest."
"Castle Oblivion." Yen Sid said quizzically as he stroked his beard. "I, too, know of that secret; a castle where anyone who enters it will be lost into oblivion, as the name suggest. In that case, Ventus is no doubt still safe. That place is designed to only allow its creator to be able to find their way through its hallways, and since that person is you, you are the only one who can return Ventus to us. If he is still asleep, then we can wake him up once again."
"You can?" Aqua asked in excitement. "How? I'll go get him now if that really…"
"I know you are eager to fetch Ventus, but as I said before, your light needs to recover first."
"But why?"
"You may not realize it, but you are much weaker than before due to your constant exposure to the darkness." Yen Sid began. "I wouldn't be surprised if there is darkness in your heart now. In case you haven't been told already, Xehanort is short one member. If he or any of his other accomplices discovers you in the state your light is in now, they may use that to their advantage and try to use you as their thirteenth member. Staying with me is for the benefit of your safety."
Aqua sulked, but understood Yen Sid's concern. If it were for the best, then she would gladly stay with him. He knew what was best for everybody, so anything he said had truth behind it. Knowing this, Aqua nodded. "Yes, Master Yen Sid"
"I'm glad you understand." Yen Sid said, then turned his attention to Mickey, Riku, and Lea. "I thank you three greatly for returning Aqua. This means we need only two more lights in order to have the required number to face Xehanort. We know for sure who the next shall be now, and once retrieving and awakening Ventus, that leaves just one more left. If we cannot find Terra within that time span, then I'm afraid we will need to look for an alternative."
"You mean you don't even have a thought about where he could be?" Aqua asked Yen Sid, not liking the idea of dismissing a search for her friend.
"I do have an idea, but it isn't a pleasant one." Yen Sid sighed. "Terra was last seen with Xehanort by all of us, for he could very well be with him still. I am not entirely sure, however, since even that is a guess about his whereabouts. For now, we should not worry about it until the time comes to look for him."
"Why can't Mickey and the others here go look for him like they did me?" Aqua suggested, aggression now entering her tone. "We can't just leave my friend out there with the possibility of Xehanort having him under his control."
"I understand your strife about the situation." Yen Sid said as he remained calm. "We simply can't…"
"Actually, I don't think you understand." Aqua snapped. "I've been trapped for years down in the dark, all by myself. I had to fend off the darkness every day to prevent my heart from being consumed. I almost lost hope for myself, and now that I'm back, you can't just tell me that it could be hopeless to find Terra and that we're tossing him aside in favor of someone else! You have no clue what it's like to have your friends taken away from you!"
Yen Sid slammed his hands on the table and stood up, intending to stop this pointless arguing. "I believe Eraqus would have something to say to that! Have you forgotten about his fate!?"
Aqua had forgotten about Yen Sid's past with Eraqus. They were both Keyblade Masters alongside one another in their youths, and knew each other well. It must have been just as painful to learn of Eraqus' demise to Yen Sid just as much as Aqua herself. Feeling ashamed and thoughtless, Aqua looked away from Yen Sid as her eyes began to water.
Yen Sid sighed as he sat down and closed him eyes, he himself not feeling proud for letting his own anger get the best of him. "We will find Terra with time, but you must be patient."
Aqua couldn't respond, as a lump formed in her throat, which refused to let her utter any noise. Merryweather, one of the three fairies who help Yen Sid, came into the room with very important news. "Oh, Yen Sid! It is time!"
"Wonderful. Bring her in immediately." Yen Sid requested, causing the fairy to scurry off.
The fairy came back a few minutes later, this time with somebody following behind. Just like Riku, Aqua was able to instantly figure out who this girl was. It was the same pure light she felt with their first meeting, and just like Riku as well, she couldn't grasp how much she has changed. She was no longer the adorable and innocent little girl she rescued before. Aqua was now looking at someone much more mature, though with some of her charm from before being present. Regardless, it was like staring at a different person entirely. Most shocking of all, Aqua saw, was what she was holding: a Keyblade.
"Are you now prepared for the task at hand?" Yen Sid said to the girl. "I would warn you about the dangers currently present within the worlds, but I'm sure your training will not be squandered. I hope, though, that you are now set to depart, Kairi."
Kairi nodded once. She didn't want to be the one to sit around and do nothing no longer. She was prepared for what the future had to throw at her. "I'm ready."