Finaally! Things are really heating up here. I flew through this, just for you! Sorry, but you got your taste of happiness last chapter. If happy is what you want, Reunite as a whole isn't for you. R&R appreciated. Thank you for not sueing.


Xemnas sighed and jumped off the Rider, landing gracefully on his bare feet. The clone was waiting on his bed, and he cast the empty thing into oblivion with his mind. He pulled off the cut pants and put on his hamakas, enjoying the loose, airy feel.

As he tucked the ends into his boots, Aqua climbed off the Rider as well. A curious warmth had come over him when the girl had kissed him, and had not gone away, even now.

He tried thinking back to the Radiant Castle, trying to remember those happy things he had photographs of. But none came. His memories were deteriorating every waking moment. What other things of life had he forgotten? And what of his past?

He rose and pulled on his coat, turning to face Aqua. "I have to thank you," he said.

Aqua nodded. "You're welcome."

Xemnas sighed and walked to the dresser, lifting the dusty Keyblade in his gloved hands. "I don't know who I am anymore..." He looked over it, the strange axe shape, the demonic goblin face... "Ever since I met you, I've felt different..." The blade was a mockery of a weapon born of light. "Two ways about everything. I don't have an identity anymore. Who am I?"

Aqua blinked and looked sadly at the floor. "I can't help but feel this was meant to happen..."

Hands shaking, Xemnas hesitantly set down the dark Keyblade and opened the box's drawer. "You say I'm Terra. Is that who I was?" He placed the new photographs in the box, beneath the old one.

"I can't answer that," Aqua whispered. "Terra...he was possessed...and when I last saw him, he..." Aqua ended with a sigh. "I don't know."

Xemnas shut the box and the drawer and wrapped his fingers around the Keyblade, squeezing the grip. "I don't want to hurt you," he whispered, fighting the dark impulses being born within him. "You can have my bed again. I'm going somewhere else."

"I might not come back tonight." Aqua was still wearing her armor, and now she removed her helmet, shining blue hair shimmering brilliantly in the moonlight. Now was his chance.

Xemnas picked up the Keyblade and held it at the ready. "R...r..." Reflexively, not of his own power, he threw the weapon at Aqua, hoping to get her between the eyes and smash her skull or break her neck with a direct hit to the throat. But it hit a supporting beam of his window frames and embedded itself there.

Aqua looked at the weapon with horror, then at Xemnas. "W-Why?" she asked, eyes wide and voice trembling.

Xemnas took a deep breath and clenched his fists. "Get away, Aqua! You're not safe here! Go!"

Aqua seemed surprised, but then she nodded, put her helmet on, and rode off on her Rider.

Xemnas growled. "I hate you!" He tugged the Keyblade from the post and tossed the accursed thing out the window and into the yawning chasm below the Castle. "Get out of me!" He tugged at his silver hair, grinding his teeth, face contorting with rage. He backed up against the window, fighting with the demon within, and then his foot found empty air.

xxx

The Sentiment stood silently at the edge of the cliff, pondering Aqua's visit. It had scented Xehanort when Aqua came by. But...where had he been? It was never wrong about these things.

Aqua had been with Xehanort? Why would she do that? Xehanort was evil, he...what had he done? The Sentiment didn't remember anymore. It only knew that he was a bad man and he had to be killed.

The Sentiment turned its head and watched at Aqua flew down and landed in the badlands below. It scented darkness and twisted emptiness from below. Xehanort! The scent emanated from Aqua. Suddenly, the woman shimmered and began to resemble a young man with silver hair.

The Sentiment knew it.

xxx

"Terra! Come out here!" Aqua paced around the empty field, searching for the armor that was usually present. Where could it possibly be? "Terra!"

She heard the sound of rock crunching behind her and spun around. The Sentiment stood at the ready, Keyblade drawn and embedded into the earth. The world seemed to go quiet when the two made eye contact.

"Thank goodness I found you," Aqua said, turning to face it fully. "I was beginning to worry."

Something was definitely wrong. "Why would you...worry about...me... Xehanort...?" The armor gripped its Keyblade and slowly pulled it from the stone.

"What do you-" Aqua's eyes widened with terror upon realization. The Sentiment had scented Xemnas on her. It thought she was Xehanort. "Terra, please, don't- I-I'm not Xehanort-"

"Lies!" The armor created a monstrous Keyblade over its head and allowed it to rest on its shoulders. The guard spiraled and created a large orb of energy within. Ultima Cannon! Aqua could feel the monstrous strength pulsing from the orb as it charged. She drew Rainstorm and leaped away just as the deadly blast launched past her, exploding against a rock face.

And then the armor was upon her. Aqua dodged narrowly as it charged past her, Gaia Bane forward and seeking blood. She screamed and slid under another attack as it was being dealt, whacking her Keyblade into the legs of the Sentiment. It didn't do much other than jar her arm, and this time she was forced to block with her weapon. She wasn't used to this method, and it was hideously painful when the two weapons collided with deadly force. Aqua jumped backwards and shot a blast of fire at her opponent. It didn't have much affect other than buying her some time.

The Sentiment transformed Gaia Bane into a bow and fired projectiles at her. She cartwheeled out of the way as each one hit a wall and disappeared. But she wasn't ready when the armor came out behind her and slammed the weapon into her side. The blow knocked the air from her and sent her skidding across the rock face. Before she could blink, it was upon her again, stabbing the Keyblade downward towards her chest. She rolled away as it crashed down, breaking rock, and rolled away again, again, again, again. When she was on her back again, she fired another flame and slid out between its legs. Her arms were abraded, and it hurt when she brought Rainstorm crashing into the Sentiment's back. Paint and rust scraped off as she slid the weapon over the screaming metal, then shot a firaga point blank. The armor was sent flying, landing on its feet and spinning around to face her.

Aqua quickly healed herself as the Sentiment transformed Gaia Bane Ito a long whip. It cracked the lash at her, breaking the stone at her feet. She yelped and jumped back, but the whip caught her ankle in midair, and she was thrown up and about with violent force. She crashed back down onto the ground, breath bursting explosively from her lungs, ribs snapping and cracking. The Sentiment ran forward. Aqua seized hold of Gaia Bane's large teeth and used the armor's ascending swing to reach her feet, slamming the heel of her shoe into the chest of the steel. She stabbed Rainstorm into the vulnerable elbow of the Sentiment while she was upside down, cracking the gauntlet and splintering hard metal. The armor staggered back and Aqua fell to the ground on her back, gasping in pain when her broken ribcage absorbed the shock.

She quickly rose and blasted a Thundaga Shot at the Sentiment, sending it flying into the air. But to her horror, it converted the Keyblade into two and sped right towards her. Aqua cartwheeled away, but her arm was slashed as the Sentiment swiped at her and crashed to the ground. She pushed off her hands into a midair spin and fired three magic bullets at it, blowing a weapon right out of its grip. Blood dribbled down her arm and stung her skin. The Sentiment was behind her, leaping forward with Keyblade a giant drill.

Aqua pulled the Wayfinder from her pocket as she formed a barrier around herself. The drill crashed into the barrier, splintering it. Aqua pressed the charm to her chest as she fell towards the ground. A warm white energy surrounded her and her wounds and pain slowly disappeared, and before she hit the ground, she caught herself with one hand and pushed off into a standing position.

The Sentiment came back down, but now she was confident. She swung Rainstorm in one hand and brought it crashing into the armor's back. It went flying and crashed to the ground. Aqua pushed off one foot and hit it three times in an acrobatic spinning attack, then flipped upside down, slashing it again before gliding smoothly around behind it, legs bent, and hitting it there times once again. The Sentiment spun around and attempted to strike her, but she put a barrier between herself and it, then slid out and struck again. Power coursed through her arms and she gathered energy into her Keyblade as she glided away, firing a blue beam of some magical force at the Sentiment, blasting it even farther away.

And then the armor was rushing her again, blue aura surrounding it as it seemed to teleport around her, smashing and slashing wildly. Even her newfound powers couldn't touch it, and she dodged narrowly around each attack, and then the Sentiment appeared in on placed, gear shapes grinding the air. Aqua was caught and battered by the powerful spinning cogs, then blown away by the second set. She couldn't even catch herself, just hit the rock once, then twice, and slide to a stop. She felt the outside power slide from her grip and her own power dominated.

The Sentiment lifted her up by the throat, gauntlet digging into the soft flesh of her delicate neck. She could still breathe, but she doubted this vengeful spirit would allow that much longer. Her legs kicked futilely against the armor's cold body, and she found herself begging for mercy, for forgiveness, for a chance to live and see her friends once more.

"THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS TODAY!" The Sentiment dug its hand into her throat.

With a scream no more than a strained, pathetic gag, Aqua raised her arm and blasted a Mega Flare point blank into the Sentiment's mask, condemning them both to suffering and death.