Hello everyone, the next chapter for you.

I have to admit something to you. I don't like Terra, he is very low in my ranking of Kingdom Hearts protagonists. So if he will look a little OOC (more stupid or dumb than he was in the game), you know why ;). And the second thing, I always had a feeling, that there was something more between Aqua and Terra. I know it wasn't shown in the game, but for the sake of this story, I assumed that they were a little more than just friends.

Enjoy!

V

The man with the ponytail had disappeared when he noticed that he had lost the advantage. Terra was left alone on the square, still a little disoriented. He looked around and finally his eyes stopped on his friends.

"Aqua… Ven…" he whispered, but it was as loud as a scream, and in one moment like it broke a spell. Ven started to run to him and stopped just one step before him.

"Are you alright?"

A few tears left Terra's eyes as he pleased his hand on the boy's head.

"Yeah, now everything is alright. Better than ever."

Ven nodded also with tears in his eyes.

Aqua was watching on, standing a few steps away, and she felt a tightness in her throat too. Terra was back, so now everything will be good. They were together again and now no one could stop them.

With that thought came the next: one person was missing, and she would have a hard time explaining to Terra why they needed him. She was sure that it would be even harder than convincing Ven. But she decided to think about it later, now she was too happy seeing her friend.

"Terra," she said as she came closer. "I'm so happy you are back."

He smiled at her, but after that, his happiness faded away.

"Me too, but so many wrong things had happened by my hands."

"It's not your fault, it was Xehanort, and only him."

Terra shook his head.

"No, it was me. I was too weak to prevent it. I should…"

He clenched his fists, but Aqua came to him and caught his hand.

"Don't say that; no one ever taught you how to fight… how to control the darkness inside you, and Xehanort used it against you."

"It doesn't justify my actions, I should be stronger," he said. He became angrier and more frustrated with each word, and Aqua felt as her heart squeezed at that sight.

"Master Eraqus should have been wiser, he should have trained you for that. His methods were wrong, and now I know that, so you shouldn't blame yourself," she said with a steady voice. Thanks to Vanitas, she much better understood the Darkness and its rules.

Terra looked at her as if he didn't fully comprehend her words, but eventually, he nodded.

"Let's go back home," Aqua added and placed her hand on his shoulder.

After they went back to the Land of Departure, Terra vanished into his old room to get cleaned. In the meantime, Aqua and Ven were waiting for him in the kitchen.

"Give him some time, he needs to get peace with himself," said Aqua when she noticed Ventus' nervousness.

"I know, but still I'm afraid that he'll disappear again. So much time has passed."

"How much time?" They heard the sudden question and saw Terra in the doorway. "I don't remember too much, only scenes of some events, everything else is covered by dark fog."

"More than you think. Almost ten years have passed."

"Ten years? How is it possible? You look the same as I remember."

Aqua closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, then she replied calmly.

"Ven was sleeping all the time. He was hidden here in the castle. And me… For me time had stopped because I was trapped in the Realm of Darkness."

"What? How…"

She didn't want to talk about it, she knew that it would only increase Terra's remorse, but he needed to know the truth, he would find out one way or another.

"I had fallen into Darkness when I tried to save you. I had sacrificed my armor to pull you to the surface."

She was seeing as with each word, the terror on Terra's face grew stronger.

"I don't believe that! Tell me you didn't do that!" he yelled, came closer to her, and shook her arms.

Aqua tried to stay calm, but it was harder with every moment.

"I was too weak, I couldn't save us both. But don't worry, it was hard, but I came back from there stronger, wiser, and more experienced."

She saw that Ventus, who sat on the opposite side of the table, rolled his eyes. She knew too well what he was thinking. She also understood that the truth would be hard to be accepted by Terra. But the worst truth was better than any lie.

"I wasn't alone there. I met Vanitas, and he helped me get out from that realm," she admitted finally.

"Vanitas, that freak?"

Ven chuckled when Terra repeated his own words.

"But he is working for Xehanort, I saw him with the old man many times," added Terra.

"I know. But how do you think we knew where to find you?"

"Him?"

Aqua nodded.

"It's hard to believe. How did you convince him to cooperate?"

Aqua felt a chill on her back. She was so happy to see Terra, but it wasn't the time for this conversation.

"It's complicated. I can say that I found a way to motivate him properly."

Terra looked at her suspiciously, but she didn't allow him to ask another question as she changed the topic.

"Now that you are back, we need to prepare ourselves for the final battle. Xehanort probably already knows about what has happened in Traverse Town."

"Without me, he doesn't have enough allies to make a move."

"Yes, it's true, but it is a matter of time when he will find them. We have to be prepared."

Terra agreed and sat at the table, in front of Ven. He looked more and more frustrated.

"I want so much to remember more, but I'm not sure about anything. I think that he was still waiting for one person, the one we came to Traverse Town with Xigbar for. But he hadn't shown up before you attacked, I don't know if he managed to find Xehanort by himself."

Aqua also sat with them.

"We have to assume that he did it. Probably he had seen the fight and had retreated. So now Xehanort is only one person from completing his group, and it doesn't give us too much time."

"We should go to Master Yen Sid," proposed Ven.

Aqua nodded.

"I will send a message to Sora and Riku. Tomorrow morning we will meet with them at the Mysterious Tower."

Ven and Terra nodded with agreement.

That night Aqua couldn't sleep. She was continuously thinking about the coming battle and what could be after that. Would they have a chance against Xehanort? Would they defeat him? Would Vanitas come back to her after that?

The last question made her feel uncomfortable. She felt like a coward, avoiding this topic with Terra, but she remembered how hard it was for her to reveal the truth to Ven. And she knew that with Terra it would be a hundred times harder. She was aware of what feelings he had for her and knew how stubborn and hot-headed he could be. So as much as she wanted to be honest with him, she convinced herself that this way would be better for everyone; for now.

Finally, she sat on the bench at the training field watching the stars above. She was happy and terrified at the same time. She was glad that Terra was safe and the war was coming to its conclusion, but at the same time, she was scared of what would happen when everything ended. She wasn't sure what Master Eraqus would do, but she knew that as the only Keyblade Master here she had to take his place. She did it partially already, but now, when all of them were here, it would be necessary for the Land of Departure to have its Master.

Suddenly she heard the sound of the steps. When she looked around, she spotted that Terra was coming to her. After a moment he sat next to her and asked, watching the landscape before him.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Aqua nodded.

"I have too much on my mind. And you?"

Terra moved his eyes to her and smiled a little.

"I have a feeling that I have been sleeping for the last ten years," had said, but after a second he added quietly. "I'm afraid that when I close my eyes, I will lose control again."

Aqua looked at him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I will not allow that to happen. I brought Ven back from his slumber and managed to release you from Xehanort's influence. I will do everything in my might to ensure your safety."

Terra nodded hearing her words.

"Thank you. I should start by thanking you. Nothing was your fault but you paid a tremendous price for my mistakes."

Suddenly he curled his fingers into fists and added with anger.

"I can't forgive myself. Because of me, you ended in the Realm of Darkness. I can't even imagine what you had to go through. You should have left me there."

The pain painted on his face, he didn't look at her anymore.

Aqua wasn't sure how to react. She wanted to convince him that he shouldn't blame himself, but she couldn't do that without telling him the truth. And the truth was… complicated.

She placed her hand on his clasped hands and smiled gently.

"I did what I thought was right. But now, it doesn't matter, we are all together and only that is important for me."

He turned to face her, looking at her small fingers upon his massive hands for a while. They seemed so fragile in comparison to his own, but he knew that they could be impossibly strong.

They sat in front of each other and for a long while, did not say anything. Aqua was truly happy that Terra was back home, but she saw that some uneasy thoughts visibly bothered him. But before she could ask about them, Terra came closer and without warning, kissed her.

She should have predicted that it could end that way. She saw it in Terra's eyes, and she remembered many times in the past when he gave her signs of his affection. And she should stop him.

Aqua placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him gently. When she broke the contact he looked at her with confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked, watching her closely.

"Nothing's wrong, but you must understand that I have changed. Too many things have changed. So please, don't do it to yourself."

Terra stood up and turned around. One more time he didn't look at her, she only saw as he curled his fingers nervously.

"Sorry, I thought… Sorry, I shouldn't… I was sure that you and me, that between us there was something."

"There never was us, Terra. There was a time when I also thought otherwise, but we both know that it wasn't real."

Aqua knew that her words were hurting him, but she didn't want to give him false hope, not now, when her heart belonged to someone else.

"It was real for me, Aqua," he added and walked away.

She watched as he went back to the castle, and felt a growing sadness. She understood why he had come here and what he had expected, but it was wrong. Whatever was between them in the past, had died long before the war.

The next day, everyone met at the Mysterious Tower where they decided it wasn't time to wait. It was the time to end that conflict once and for all.

The Keyblade Graveyard would be the place of the final battle.