AN: To the guest that's been leaving reviews about a Dirge of Cerberus story, first off I haven't played that game. Second, I don't really have the time or desire to take on a second project right now, unless it's one I'm really passionate about.

I would once again like to thank Lord Maximus for his help with a few scenes in this chapter.

Onwards!

Chapter 66

All these memories, all those moments, Aqua thought as she stared up at the ceiling in her bedroom. I know it was nothing more than a dream. But still… I find myself questioning if any of this is real or not. Is this how Tai felt? I knew he was depressed, and he had every right to be after what happened with Raven and Summer… Can I find the strength to pull myself together, even though it was all a dream?

"Mommy?" a little girl's voice whispered in her mind.

Aqua's eyes shut themselves as she covered her ears and curled up in a ball to try and keep the voices out. It was just a fantasy but it felt so real all the same, and the guilt feels real, too. Will I fall apart and cause pain to Ruby and Yang?

That thought scared her the most.

She looked out the window and decide she needed some air. Being cooped up in here wasn't helping.

In a sports bar down in Vale, a black-haired man with a tattered red cape sat at the counter eating a nice lunch of steak and potatoes while the Vytal Festival Tournament was being displayed on the TV. The man happened to be the only patron in the establishment at the moment, so the bartender was making idle conversation with him. The man would occasionally pull out a flask to take a drink, but contrary to popular belief, his flask had fruit punch in it.

He had stopped drinking a few years ago, thanks to his wife. He only stopped by at this particular bar because the cook made a mean steak.

That, and it was called "the Crow Bar". It just seemed fitting.

The man looked up from his lunch in time to see the caption "Team JNPR Defeats Team BRNZ!" flash across the screen.

He wasn't really surprised that the Beacon teams had been kicking ass so far. There was a lot that could be said about Oz, but he really knew how to pick 'em.

"Huh, those kids weren't half bad!" the bartender commented as he cleaned off one the glasses.

The man simply uttered out a "meh" before carving out another piece of his steak.

"Ah, well, Vacuo fans are sure to be hurting after that one," Professor Oobleck said while the screen displayed the moment that all of Team BRNZ were sent flying by Nora's hammer. "But this next one will have them on the edge of their seats!"

"Team NDGO of Shade is certainly a crowd favorite," Professor Port said while the all-girl team in question took the stage. Ruby couldn't help but feel like they were trying to rip them off. An all-girl team? Please, try something original! "But these lovely ladies are going against some of the toughest, testosterone-filled teammates we've seen so far! I'm of course talking about… Team SSSN!" Ruby could hear several girls in the audience swoon when Team SSSN was mentioned, with several of them holding signs of the boys' faces… And one of Sun's abs.

She hoped Blake didn't see that one or there would be trouble.

"Sun Wukong and his team are certainly a force to be reckoned with, and although he'll be representing the Mistral Academy of Haven, I'm sure his friends and family back in Vacuo will be cheering him on!"

"Good luck, Neptune!" Weiss called out sweetly. The blue-haired boy waved to her until he saw exactly what his opponents looked like. He immediately adopted a suave pose.

"Ladies," he said. Weiss looked at him in shock, before angrily standing up and pointing at the arena.

"Break his stupid face, NDGO!" she shouted, and the rest of her team looked at her sympathetically.

"Wow, Big Sis Weiss is really mad," Marlene commented from her seat in Ruby's lap.

"Alright girls," Neptune said, digging his grave even further. "Try and remember: hands above the waist."

"Ignore him," Sun said, "For he… Yeah, he's dumb." Neptune winked at the girls again, further enraging Weiss.

Now, Ruby didn't have any experience with the whole "dating" thing, but she was pretty sure this counted as a break-up.

The territory roulette appeared, and settled on sand dunes.

"Alright! Home field advantage!" One of the NDGO girls said.

"Don't get too cocky!" Sun said. "That's my turf, too!"

"I hope I don't get sand in my shoes," Scarlet said.

"Be cool, man," Neptune said, before the roulette decided that the second half of the field would be ocean. His eyes instantly widened in sheer terror.

"Uh, what's wrong with Neptune?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, no," Blake said, her face in her hand. "Neptune's… afraid of the water."

"3, 2, 1, BEGIN!"

As soon as the match started, Neptune zoomed past their opponents and ran up the mountain behind them

"Neptune, what are you doing?!" Sage yelled.

"Uh, you know, just gaining the higher ground!" Neptune yelled back.

"On the enemy's side?!" Sun yelled.

"They'd never expect it!"

"He's not wrong," one of the NDGO girls, Dew, said.

"Open fire!" NDGO's leader ordered.

Aqua didn't know where she was going, only that she felt like she was being pulled somewhere. She left Beacon and headed out into the Emerald Forest of all places. This was probably a bad idea but for the life of her she couldn't understand why she wouldn't turn away. Deciding it was a good idea to perhaps let out some pent-up feelings on any Grimm that might show up, Aqua summoned her Keyblade and strolled right into the forest.

For the next hour she destroyed any Grimm that tried attacking her, training herself in her Flowing combat style along with the martial arts taught to her by Qrow, her magic and her Semblance. She didn't stop after the fights were over, she continued walking and for some reason felt more at peace. Was it because she was outside of Beacon?

Beacon was where those hearts gathered and captured me. Am I tricking myself into thinking that the school is somehow to blame? Aqua wondered.

No, that couldn't be it.

Whatever secrets that school held the staff there had no idea that it would attract those hearts. It wasn't their fault any more than it was hers and Ruby's fault for destroying those Heartless and not predicting their hearts wouldn't just vanish.

Aqua held a hand to her chest. This guilt, it's been with me for a long time. All the way back to…

She shut her eyes, muttering her apologies.

"Ruby, Yang, I'm sorry I feel like I'm falling apart on you. Ven, I'm sorry I didn't stop Vanitas in time. Master Eraqus, I'm sorry for failing you. Terra… I'm so sorry."

The guilt started there and had only been amplified by her recent experience with Kingdom Hearts. Now with it and the memories of the dream world haunting her she already felt like she was breaking.

She stopped and saw a river, and the sound of rushing water diverted her attention to a nearby waterfall. I've been led here… Or maybe I just came here because I was wandering aimlessly.

She looked at the waterfall, finding some sort of peace from staring at it. My name is Aqua, meaning water. Funny how I enjoy looking at this, dancing water as it falls and becomes part of the river.

She sat by the river and stared down at her reflection. Like me. I dance as I flow, I form bonds with the people around me. Terra, Ven, Ruby, Yang, and Qrow. I touch these lives and I change everything around them, but is it for the better?

Aqua closed her eyes, sinking into meditation like her master had taught her. She tried teaching it to Ruby and Yang and it was met with… mixed results. Sure she could get them to sit still and try, but at the end of the day Ruby was as happy and excitable as ever, shooting all over the place in a way befitting her Semblance and leaving beautiful red rose petals in her wake. And Yang was every bit the dragon her name suggested, burning bright for all to see and emitting blazing fire to those who angered her.

A rose and a dragon, Aqua thought, smiling to herself. Along with a bird and the sea coming together to form perhaps the strangest family ever but with the strongest bond.

"Aqua," a voice whispered behind her.

Aqua's eyes shot open and she looked down at the river, seeing not herself but someone else.

"Master Eraqus!" She reached out with one hand, touching the water before she was suddenly pulled in.

Qrow couldn't believe how lucky those Haven boys had been that the girls had all gathered in the water, since the blue-haired one had a lightning weapon. Seriously, what was Leo teaching these kids?

"Now that was a match!" the bartender said in excitement.

"Heh, that was a mess!" Qrow said, popping his last potato into his mouth.

"Come on man, you didn't like them, the Vale kids, or any of the rounds before that?" the bartender asked, which really wasn't fair. He liked two kids in particular. "What fight are you here for?" As the man asked that, right outside the window an Atlesian airship with elegant ribbons trailing from the wings flew past.

"That one," he answered, getting up and putting a few Lien cards on the table to pay for his meal. "Happy Vytal Festival."

"Aw, that was so close!" Ruby said, leaning back in her seat.

"Looks like the dorks made it to the next round!" Yang said. Sun and Neptune, the only remaining members of their team by the time the match had ended, were dancing around like fools. Sun looked up at Blake, winked at her, and gave her double finger-guns. Blake blushed and look away with a smile on her face.

"Emphasis on 'dork'," she said.

"That concludes the matches for today," Doctor Oobleck announced. "Please leave the Coliseum IN A CALM AND ORDERLY FASHION!"

"Come on, let's go congratulate 'em," Yang said, getting up from her seat. Ruby picked up Marlene, set her down on the ground, and took her hand, following after her sister. However, she bumped into Weiss, who was looking up at an airship passing by overhead.

"She's here!" Weiss said happily.

Aqua sunk deep down into the water, but she knew it was impossible. The river wasn't that deep, and slowly it began to feel less like water, and she realized that she could breath. Straightening herself up, Aqua landed on soft ground, but saw nothing but white all around her.

"Where am I now?" Aqua asked with a sigh. "Is this another illusion? I've had my fill of dream realms."

"This may be a dream, Aqua, but that doesn't mean it isn't real." Aqua spun around, watching in surprise as her deceased Master approached.

"Master Eraqus… Or are you just a copy formed in my mind?"

"Look in your heart and decide for yourself, Aqua," Eraqus said, stopping in front of his former student."

"I don't know if I can trust my heart at the moment. After all, it was my heart that almost trapped me in a dream world," Aqua softly said, becoming sad again. "Every secret wish I had was played out in front of me, and I couldn't figure it out until my daughters risked their lives to save me. Now I'm stuck with fake memories, and I'm terrified that they're going to break me." Aqua had to fight the tears from escaping. "How will they feel towards me then?"

"Aqua…" Master Eraqus said, reaching out and wiping away the single tear that escaped. "You were my best student and I'm proud of you, far more than you can imagine. You were a fine teacher to those girls, and an even better mother. However in the end you are still human as we all are. It is natural for you to be confused on the nature of your character in times like these."

The way he spoke made her almost believe this was the real Eraqus.

"You really act and sound like him."

"Hmph," Eraqus smiled a bit now. "At least your memory of me hasn't been clouded. Your dedication to Ruby and Yang is beyond admirable and I only wish I could have had such devotion when Ventus confronted me with the truth. At the time I could only see him as the key to Xehanort's plan. It took Terra fighting me to see my foolishness."

"Terra?"

"Terra and I were tricked into fighting each other y Xehanort, who then finished me from behind. My body was destroyed, but my heart lingered, taking refuge in Terra. But small pieces of me still remain to watch over all my students," Master Eraqus explained. "I've watched you since your time here on Remnant, and you've grown into a far greater master than I could have hoped for. Though being with a family has made you into a greater woman as well."

Aqua looked thoughtful.

"If you've been watching over us, can you tell me what happened to Terra when I sent him back?" Eraqus sighed.

"Aqua…"

"If you really are my master, you'd understand that I need to know," Aqua pressed. Master Eraqus turned away.

"Very well. For the next ten years, he was in Radiant Garden, having lost his memory from his battle against you. While his body was capable of movement and thought, Terra and Xehanort were locked in battle over control of his heart, since Terra sealed himself and Xehanort away inside his body. Unfortunately, Xehanort was eventually released with the aid of his Keyblade, and in the process I was released as well."

"You?" Aqua questioned.

"My heart took shelter in Terra's at the time of my death to protect him from Xehanort," Eraqus answered. "But my Keyblade is now yours and is still connected to me, since it was formed from my heart. It is through that link that I am able to speak with you now."

"If Xehanort was released, what happened to Terra?"

"Terra's heart remains under Xehanort's control," Eraqus said sadly.

"And Xehanort?"

"He has become a wandering heat, but he has not given up and I know he will trouble you again," Eraqus answered honestly. "But Aqua, we are not here for that. We're here for you."

"Just one more question," Aqua said with a frown. "You knew what Xehanort was planning from the beginning, didn't you? You figured it out when he dropped Ven at the temple. That's why you sent me to bring him back."

"Yes," Eraqus said sadly.

"You knew what he was doing from the very beginning. You knew what he was going to do. We were just children when this started, but you stood there and let him tear us apart. First it was Ven with Vanitas, and then Terra," Aqua felt herself getting angry now, but she had been so depressed lately that it was actually a breath of fresh air. "How could you just let him get away with it? Why didn't you stop him when you had the chance?"

"Aqua…"

"You're here for me now when I destroyed a reality where all my deepest wishes came true. The pain was so great I feel like I did to myself what Xehanort did to Ven when he created Vanitas. Where was this dedication at the beginning? You left us to fend for ourselves at the hands of that bastard and you only show up now?!"

Eraqus stepped back, looking ashamed.

"…I have no excuse for that."

"I'm not looking for an excuse, Master. I'm looking for answer," Aqua said, glaring now. "If I was wrong to trust you how can I trust myself to pull myself back together? How can I trust myself to still be there for Ruby and Yang when they need me?"

Eraqus bowed his head. "Because you are not me. I was blinded because I considered Xehanort a brother. I wanted to believe he would give up his plans. That was my mistake but my actions do not reflect you, Aqua. Yes, it was painful to do what you had to do, but your love for your daughters is what gave you that strength."

"And if it's not enough?" Aqua asked, turning away. "Tai is their father and he loves them. But the loss of his two loves made the pain too great. Even though he loves those girls as much as I do, he almost broke apart. How can that be enough now?" Eraqus placed a hand on Aqua's shoulder.

"What was it you said when you broke free?"

"…That as long as I was with them, I don't need perfection. That I would keep on sacrificing anything for them," Aqua recalled.

"That is your strength, Aqua. You have it with you now because it never left. You saved those girls, you trained them to be exemplary fighters, you loved and cherished them so much more than anyone could have asked of you. Feel that love for them now," Eraqus said as his voice began to fade.

Aqua closed her eyes, feeling the white dimension fade into darkness around her. Holding out one hand, she summoned her Keyblade and just as her master said, allowed herself to feel the love she had for Ruby and Yang. Underneath her came a single light followed by a flock of white doves that flew around her, forming into a glass stained platform. It was blue with a picture of herself, kneeling down with a smile on her face, with Ruby as a little girl hugging her one side, and Yang as a little girl hugging her on the other. Qrow was behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist.

They were all smiling happily.

In circles above them were portraits of Tai, Blake, and Weiss, while on the outline of the platform were pictures of Zwei.

And in front of Aqua, sitting on her lap was Larmina as she appeared in the dream world.

Smiling, Aqua help up her Keyblade and from it came a burst of light.

And suddenly she was awake again.

The Keyblade Master shot out of the water, standing right in front of the waterfall with droplets of water falling around her, the sound of the waterfall echoing through her ears.

She had a small smile on her face, not caring that she was soaked to the bone.

AN: I had always wondered why Eraqus let Xehanort anywhere near his students. After all, he knew how obsessed Xehanort was with darkness. Hell, Xehanort was the one who scarred his face!

We are inching ever closer to Aqua finally being reunited with her husband.

As always, thank you very much for reading, and I'll see you all next time!