Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid in any way, shape, or form! I own nothing!


Chapter 9


It was all happening so fast… Before she knew it, it was time for Terra and Leyla's wedding rehearsal as well as the rehearsal dinner. Everyone was placed in their best attire, cannons were booming, flags were waving, and the servants were all running around in a fizz trying to make sure that everything was presentable.

Of course, the wedding and the rehearsal were to take place at sea on a lavish ship. The event would be very much like the one that took place the first time Aqua saw Terra except this time she would know what everyone on the ship would be celebrating. They would be celebrating the wedding between Leyla and Terra.

Like always and despite everything, Aqua did her best to help with the preparations. She'd gotten up early again the morning of the rehearsal to help with the last minute details. She placed posh floral arrangements in the center of all the scattered tables, lit candles, straightened lacy tablecloths, and made sure all the seating arrangements were as they should be.

She found that she liked being busy. She could put blinders on and focus on one mundane task. The work kept her mind from wandering into dark places although the fact that all of her tasks pertained to Terra's wedding never truly eluded her. It was always in the back of her mind somewhere no matter how caught up she got in her work.

The mermaid wasn't dressed for the pending festivities even though twilight would soon come to stain the sky with purples, reds, and oranges. She was far from prepared but she saw no point in getting ready just to have her appearance ruined as she scampered around on the ship and in the palace doing required tasks. She would just have to get ready all over again once it was over anyway.

All day she was pulled in what felt like one thousand different directions by the King, the twins, Leyla, Ven, Sora, Riku; you name it. She had unknowingly become a support system for everyone there. She wasn't sure how or when that happened but it had obviously happened.

So far, she'd seen everyone except for Terra and a part of her was glad; a part of her thought that it would be easier that way, but the selfish part of her wanted nothing more than to see him, hear his voice, and feel his touch. She was torn but she still knew what was right and what had to be done regardless of what she wanted.

For the most part, everything was ready for Terra and Leyla's wedding. The ship was decorated, the guests were invited, the food was prepared, and the kingdoms were eager. Terra and Leyla had even gone to the church and received the priest's and bishop's blessing. However, they didn't receive the twin's blessing but aside from that, everything was in place as far as she could see. The only thing left to do was wait.

"Aqua? Are you still working?"

Aqua turned to see Terra approaching her. He was clad completely in his royal Keyblade wielder armor, his helmet nestled under the crook of his arm. The metal he wore was made of bronze and gold and it made his midnight blue eyes pop.

The mermaid offered him a weak yet genuine smile as she nodded.

Terra sighed. "You know you don't have to. You've done more than enough…"

Guilt marred Terra's features as he followed her around while she continued to survey the tables and seating arrangements, making sure everything was as Leyla wanted it to be.

To ease his conscience, Aqua placed a finger over her lips and winked at him.

The Keyblade bearer rubbed his forehead in exasperation, clearly not satisfied with her rebuttal.

Sensing his distress, Aqua closed the space between them and placed a hand on his shoulder despite her better judgment. It would break all of the rules she'd established in her head regarding him and their separation. They were supposed to be weaning themselves off each other but she couldn't leave him looking like that...

The moment her hand landed on his shoulder, his eyes lifted to meet hers.

She smiled warmly at him and patted his cheek in reassurance. His features softened significantly and his eyes brightened a bit. His expression was gentler than it had been in weeks. It was as if she had the ability to heal him, to make everything better.

"You're sure you don't mind?" he inquired, reading her thoughts through her eyes.

Aqua nodded again and forced herself to rip her hand from his face. She had to try very hard to ignore the way Terra's face drooped the moment her touch left him. She would never be able to get through the next few days if she didn't.

"Thank you," he whispered and continued to follow her around the ship when she began scurrying around again.

The mermaid gave another nod, her eyes favoring the floral arrangement she'd begun straightening for no other reason than to appear busy. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. It was just too hard and it got harder and harder with each moment that passed.

"I mean it." He snatched her hand away from the vibrant flowers and held it tightly within his own.

Aqua winced at the contact as if he'd pricked her with a sharp needle although it felt wonderful…

"Thank you...for everything...not just the decorations."

Reluctantly, her eyes rose to meet his.

"For understanding…"

He didn't finish and he didn't have to. She knew what he meant. He was thanking her for handling all of this with grace, for understanding how important that this was, for understanding him, for understanding why he was going through with this.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, tenderly running his thumbs along the flesh of her hands but she offered nothing in response.

He gazed down at her hands and stared at them intently as he continued to caress them. It looked like the world was on his shoulders. For a while, it seemed like he was about to say something. His lips would part and his eyes would search hers but words never left his mouth. He did this several times and she watched him patiently and expectantly, waiting for him to form phrases that stubbornly held fast inside his head.

Whatever he was thinking about saying, he probably didn't need to say it so Aqua gave his hands a gentle squeeze. Her movements caused his hands melt away and return to his sides where they belonged.

Terra took in a deep breath, his eyes trailing to the wood of the ship's deck beneath their feet. "I'll see you later tonight?"

Fixing her hair and disheveled dress, Aqua nodded and waved him away. This time he listened and journeyed to the other edge of the ship.

Once he was gone, she buried her face in her hands to calm herself. She really wished he hadn't done that. She appreciated it and even enjoyed it more than she could ever put into words, but it made everything so much harder, it would make letting him go harder. As pleasant as it was, it was still a bitter reminder of how much she adored him and how she wished this wedding would never happen.

Steeling herself and resolving to do her best to avoid him from that moment on, she began picking at floral arrangements and straightening table cloths again.

"Why aren't you dressed?"

Sadly, Aqua would know that gravelly voice anywhere and politely chose to ignore it. Although her mouth did tighten into a flat, indignant line as she proceeded to continued to straighten one of the many sheer, white tablecloths on a nearby table. She would let her actions reply for her. Obviously, she wasn't dressed because she was busy.

Over the past few days, Aqua's tolerance of Xehanort had reached a new low. She no longer had the time or the patience for him and his nonsense and as a result, she was ruder and ruder to the blunt advisor.

Xehanort sighed at Aqua's display and yanked her away from the table by her arm. "Go back to the castle this instant and get dressed before someone sees you like this."

Aqua gave an exasperated sigh of protest as he began shoving her out of the ship's dining hall. She started to object but thought better for it. She didn't need to cause a scene on the day of Terra's rehearsal dinner. Today wasn't a day to be getting into a fight with Xehanort.

The advisor personally hauled her back to the palace by her arm and tossed her into one of the many guest rooms filled with servants.

"Get the foundling ready for tonight," he spat as he finally released her arm and pushed her further inside.

Aqua stumbled forward but made sure to glare back at Xehanort once she regained her footing.

One thing she wouldn't miss about this world when she became the foam that slumbered upon the ocean's surface was Xehanort.


Aqua seriously considered leaving before the rehearsal began. She considered leaving before the pain grew too unbearable. Honestly, she wasn't sure how she was going to get through all of these events but she realized it would be terribly selfish to leave now. Yes, she would have to leave eventually. That was unavoidable but leaving now wouldn't be a mercy for anyone but her. Thus, she decided to continue to grin and bear it. Besides, it would be silly of her to not spend her last days with those she'd grown to care about so much, those she'd sacrificed so much for.

Once she was dressed and primped for rehearsal, Aqua was commanded to Leyla's side. She wasn't surprised or bothered by this. Leyla had become a surprisingly pleasant constant in her life of late.

Aqua journeyed to Leyla's large, elaborate quarters and, as expected, Leyla was more ornate than she had ever seen her before, which was saying something. Her pale hair was up and held fast in her hair with diamond barrettes, a gold ribbon, and even a pale, gold feather on the side of her head. Thick diamonds were in her ears as well as a chain of them hanging from her neck. Rouge was on her pallid cheeks and color was on her lips. Her dress was creamy with gold trim all over it and spiraling gold designs all over her bodice. Even her hands were decorated. White gloves that journeyed to her elbows seemed to protect her royal hands from the elements of peasantry.

Aqua walked to her and held her face in her hands and mouthed, "You look lovely."

Leyla blushed and smiled. "Thank you. So do you."

Surprised, the blue half human looked down and inspected herself. In her haste to have everything ready and to help everyone else, she had forgotten that she too was more ornate than usual.

She'd been placed in a white dress with a long, sheer train and a plunging neckline but a short blue jacket had been modestly placed on her frame. It had a high sheer white collar that crawled up her neck to her ears and the jacket itself was short in front but quite long in the back around her hips. A white bonnet had even been placed on her head and her overgrown hair had been pinned back behind her head. The bonnet was so over the top it even had ribbons that had been tied into big bows behind her head. Rubies were in her ears and hung low on her neck, almost down her bust.

It was too much in every sense but Aqua was raised as a princess and had been through worse, much worse. However, she couldn't keep from feeling pretty. It was one of the few times she felt pleased with her appearance while in so much garb. She felt pleasing to the eye even if it was too much and not something she would wear if she were given the choice.

"Wow. I hardly recognized you," Sora admitted from his place at Leyla's side. "Not that it's a bad thing or anything."

Aqua smiled regally, her royal blood getting the best of her. Sometimes, she still thought Leyla could see it. The princess still didn't seem entirely convinced of Aqua's 'peasant' upbringing.

After the servants thought Leyla presentable, she was allowed to go leave.

Aqua led Leyla, Sora, and Riku to the ship where they communicated for a while as they waited for the festivities to truly begin. When Leyla was swarmed by the hoards of guests, Aqua took the time sit on the other side of the ship and rest her feet.

As she waited, Aqua heard nothing of the beautiful, festive music she knew was being played around her. She couldn't see the lovely decorations she'd helped Leyla obtain. When no one else was around, in the quiet of her mind, all she could think about was how she would be dead in less than twenty-four hours and how this would be the last time she would be with these people she had grown so fond of. She just couldn't shake the despair away when she was alone, when there was nothing to keep her busy. Death was too close… That curse, that spell; she could feel it next to her, its hot breath on her neck…

Trying to shake the painful realizations and the witch's curse away, she looked out at the shimmering ocean. They had already ventured far out to sea just as they had the first time she saw Terra.

It was so bittersweet. She was happy to be on the ship and able to participate instead of just watching longingly from afar like last time, but now that she was actually there, the witch and her curse kept her from truly enjoying it all. The price she'd paid to be with Terra was just too steep, but she would revel in this. She would fight it although it was getting harder and harder to do so and she knew it would only get worse as the events leading up to the wedding continued.


During the rehearsal itself, Aqua had been forced to kneel and hold Leyla's train and straighten it for her each time she moved as she, Terra, and the priest practiced and discussed a few of their vows.

She'd hid in Leyla's shadow, out of Terra's line of sight, down on the floor where he couldn't see her but she could see him. She could see everything, every crease of his brow, every twitch of his lips, and she could especially see how Leyla was both literally and figuratively between them.

There had been a few moments that Aqua's heart thought it all to be real and almost stopped beating at that very moment. However, each time it faltered from the pain, it would always manage to start up again but each time it did so it seemed to take longer and longer for it to recover. There was no denying that her heart was getting weaker.

It was there, on that floor, straightening the long, train of Terra's future wife's dress that she had realized she would not attend the actual wedding. She wouldn't be able to handle it. This was painful enough and this wasn't even the real thing.

The twins wouldn't like it. Ven wouldn't like it. Leyla wouldn't like it. Terra might not even like it, but this was what she had to do. She couldn't watch them really and truly get married. It would destroy her in every sense of the word.

When the time came, she would sneak away and go to an isolated beach and wait for the curse to take root. She would wait for Terra's wedding day to bring death to her but she would do it alone and away from the others. She wouldn't want them to know what became of her. She'd rather it be a mystery. She would leave as mysteriously as she'd arrived. That was for the best and how it should be.

Once the sun sank into the ocean and the rehearsal ended, lamps and lanterns were lit all around them to light the decorated deck. Everyone was now eating heartily and dancing merrily on the deck because they knew this union meant that peace was finally within their grasp. It would save them from war. It was something beautiful and Aqua tried her best to see it as such despite everything.

Just as Aqua was about to take a seat near the deck and rest her tired, tingling feet, Ven snatched her wrist and lifted her back to her feet.

"Come on!" he cried and pulled her toward the center of the deck, which was now a dance floor. "Let's dance!"

Giving a silent snicker, Aqua obliged. She kicked off her shoes and danced to the lively song, feeling little to no pain in her feet.

Ven wasn't the best dancer and this amused Aqua to no end. He could hardly dance but he seemed to enjoy it more than anyone. He wasn't a good dancer but he danced as if he was and in a way, that made him the best dancer of them all.

Eventually, the pain did inevitably come back to Aqua's feet, forcing her to leave Ven's side and sit for a while. When she did so, she noticed Ven instantly ran off to find Terra. She hated how Ven was hurled into the middle of their…drama. Because Aqua and Terra didn't necessarily like being around one another anymore, Ven was forced to mediate between the two. He could no longer be with both of them as he preferred, so he had to see them separately and Aqua felt guilty for that. If it were up to her, the three of them would be together, always, but it was truly out of her hands.

While Aqua rested her feet, she took some time to drink in her surroundings. It was something she did a lot since becoming a human. She couldn't speak and that required her to compensate by watching and listening. She couldn't be on her feet much and she compensated by watching what others did on theirs.

When Ven wasn't with Aqua or Terra, he danced with Naminé, and Aqua couldn't keep herself from smiling every time he took her hand in his and drug her out onto the deck. Naminé's eyes would shine as she giggled bashfully and tried to hide the rose in her cheeks with her free hand.

Ventus was the only person Aqua knew of who could interrupt Naminé's drawing and effectively pull her away from her sketchpad with no objections from the dainty princess.

The atmosphere around them was light, almost heady. Everyone was happy and enjoying themselves. Even Vanitas seemed to be enjoying himself more than usual. Instead of being rude and callous, he actually tried to be nice and sociable. He even asked Aqua to dance once and she actually accepted. In fact, she was a bit flattered that he asked her in the first place. Who was she to turn such seldom kindness away?

During her dance with Vanitas, Aqua had noticed that Sora, Riku, and Kairi had hit it off almost instantly. The trio was all but inseparable. They were fast friends and Aqua knew Kairi would be sad when they were forced to leave with Leyla.

While inspecting Sora, Kairi, and Riku, the mermaid also noticed Kairi enjoyed spending time with Sora over spending time with Vanitas. Sora and Kairi were effortless, natural, something that was clearly special.

Why couldn't have Xehanort sent Sora for Kairi? What on earth made Xehanort think that Vanitas would be a better match for Kairi than Sora? They were both from Twilight Town. Then, she remembered Xehanort had a soft spot for Vanitas. Xehanort wanted Vanitas to be prince consort… Xehanort could control Vanitas, which meant having control over the future king…

The bitter part of Aqua wished that Sora had been sent instead of Vanitas, if he had been sent here instead, Leyla might not be here, which meant Terra wouldn't be engaged to her and not about to marry her the instant the sun rose…

No, Aqua. Stop it. Don't let the witch turn you bitter. Don't give her the satisfaction. She might have been right about all of this bringing you more pain and sorrow, but she can't keep all happiness from you…even if you do become the foam that sleeps on the water's surface tomorrow.

Despite the pain that always returned to her feet, she kept getting up and dancing again and again. She danced with Sora, Ven, Riku, Vanitas, and even a few strangers! She had never danced in such a way before, not even undersea and it drew in attention. Lots of men approached her, intrigued by her like so many of the others. The witch had told her she would be the prettiest thing the humans would ever lay eyes on and the attention she received that night made her wonder if it were true.

The other men who approached her were nice. Some of them were even handsome. They offered her food and drinks and sometimes she was polite and accepted, but her actions were empty. She had nothing to offer them other than her smile and her presence; everything else inside of her already belonged to someone else. She belonged to someone else. She was hollow inside having given everything she had to a man who sat not too far from them on this very ship.

When she wasn't dancing, she found herself playing around with the others. She showed them the magic she'd learned, learned a few new magical tactics from the boys, and even got into a food fight with Ventus, Sora, and Vanitas, which quickly escalated until everyone (aside from Leyla and Terra) was involved and covered in either cake or salad bits. Not even poor Aerith had been spared.

Tifa's black dress had been ruined, Sora's pants would never be the same, and Kairi would be picking caviar out of her hair for months. Before it was all over, Aqua had been forced out of her blue jacket and bonnet. Now she was left only in her white dress. Her hair had fallen out of its tiny bun but she didn't mind at all. In fact, she felt a bit more comfortable aside from the pain in her sides from silently laughing too much. Her poor ribs ached.

The joy and happiness and festivities aboard the ship lasted long after midnight. Aqua continued to laugh and dance with everyone, while the thoughts of death and what it brought slowly began to permeat her heart, filling it to the brim until it would surely burst were it not already fractured.

Gradually, everything began to wind down and the dead of night settled upon them. However, Terra's absence was becoming more and more abundant. As fun as everything had been for a while, the fact that Terra wasn't with them never truly left the back of her mind. Things just weren't the same without him. There was a void in her life that couldn't be filled without him. Having Terra as a friend was still better than not having him at all.

As a result of all the dancing, her tender feet felt as if knives were ripping them apart but the sharper pang was in her heart. The pain in her feet paled in comparison to the pain surging in her chest each time she thought of Terra, each time she was reminded of her fate; her curse.

The pain caused the mermaid to have second thoughts about resolving to avoid Terra. Yes, it would be harder to see him and she couldn't bring herself to say goodbye, but it was also something she felt she needed.

Eventually, she decided she needed to at least look at him once more. Confronting him would be to hard but she could at least look at him…from afar like she had done many times long before he even knew she existed. After all, this might be her last chance… This would be the last night she would see Terra, the man for whom she had forsaken her family and her home. She had given up her ability to speak, her beautiful voice, her silver tongue and suffered unheard amounts of pain for him daily, while he knew nothing of it. He remained blissfully unaware of how deeply her pain and devotion truly ran. He knew only a fragment of the suffering she endured…

This was the last evening that she would breathe the same air as him or gaze at the starry sky above or the rippling sea below; an eternal night, without a thought or a dream, awaited her. How could she expect anything else? She didn't have her heart, the one she had set out to receive. She had no heart, and now she had no hope of ever winning one. Not now.

When the ache of missing Terra became too much, the mermaid timidly journeyed to the other edge of the ship.

Staying hidden in the shadows, Aqua could see Leyla sitting across Terra's lap. Terra was sitting flat on the deck, his back resting against the wooden siding of the ship. Leyla's head was steady resting upon his armored chest. His eyes were a million miles away as she occasionally played with his chocolate colored hair and planted a gentle kiss upon his cheek.

It was as if everyone had taken their instruction and the festivities began to slow down as well, much to Aqua's dismay. If the festivities stopped, then they would sleep soon and sleeping meant morning would come and morning meant the wedding and the wedding meant death…

Aqua's chest heaved as she fought for breath, wrestling with the thought of the inevitable.

The mermaid gazed at Terra for a moment longer, until she felt she could no longer bear it. She tried to memorize every contour of his face, every crease, every angle. She wanted to engrave it into her memory and never forget it. She never wanted to forget how handsome he was, how just looking at him made her feel.

When she could take no more and when she felt she had memorized his features to the best of her ability, she kissed her fingers and silently sent her thoughts to him, telling him how much she loved him and how much he would always mean to her and how, in spite of everything, she had no regrets. If she could do it all over, she would do no differently.

Feeling light headed, Aqua wandered to the abandoned edge of the ship, away from the others, away from the crowd, and away from Terra.

The salty waves kissed her cheeks in a vain attempt to rid her of her woes. The breeze and mist soothed her and she felt as though she could breathe again. The sea would always heal her and would always be a part of her just as she was a part of it. There was solace in that.

Aqua looked to the east and she could see the early blush of morning…one of the last, if not the last, sunrise she would ever see. The next would bring her death…

The blue half human gazed down below; expecting to see her reflection shining dully back at her, but to her complete shock, saw Xion rising out of the flood instead.

Xion looked as pale and as worn as she did. Something was wrong, very wrong. The longer Aqua looked, she was able to focus and see that Xion's long raven hair had been cut off. It was gone, hacked all the way to her chin.

"I gave my hair to the witch," said Xion as if reading her thoughts. "I-I know you told me not to, but I had to. I did it to help you… So you won't die tomorrow. She… She gave me this knife."

Raising her arm out of the dark water, Xion revealed the knife held firmly in her hand. It glistened in the weak, morning light and its sharp edge made Aqua wince.

"Before the sun sets tomorrow…she said to plunge it through Terra's heart, and when his warm blood falls upon your feet they will grow together again. Your tail will grow back and you will be a mermaid again. You can come home, but you have to do it before he marries her…"

The dark-haired mermaid offered the weapon up to her, and with trembling hands Aqua took hold of the hilt.

She stared at it for a long moment, caressing its devilishly sharp edges with her thumb before shook her head.

I can't.

"Aqua… Gran misses you so much… She rarely goes to any balls or galas anymore… Her hair is falling out and I gave mine to the witch's scissors. I know it is horrible and unspeakable… And I know you love him…but… Aqua, if you kill him, you can come back home. You can take back your rightful place at the throne and one day become Queen like you were always intended to… I know that isn't want you want anymore but it has to be better than- Aqua…you are going to die…"

"Aqua?" Terra's unmistakable voice graced her ears and her heart dove into her stomach.

Xion plunged down into the black depths beneath the ship and Aqua leapt out of her skin. Swiftly, she hid the knife behind her back and turned to face him.


A/N: Thanks so much for reading!

We are about to wrap this story up, guys! There should be maybe one or two more chapters. I am shooting for one because I would like this story to have 10 chapters but we will see how long the finale takes!

Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!