Terra woke up in a cold sweat for the fifth time in a single week.
What had Xehanort done to his friends during that last battle? More importantly, why was he having nightmares about it?
"TERRA!"
"Ven!"
The oldest of the trio rushed to the youngest as fast as his legs would carry him.
Ventus thrashed violently, his sheets wrapped tightly around his middle. His eyes were closed and his mouth hung open in pained grimace as he again wailed desperately, "Terraaaaa!"
"Terra, what is it?" Aqua demanded as she rushed in "What's wrong?!"
"He's caught in some kind of nightmare." Terra reported after a bit of observing. He shook the shoulder of the wailing boy, getting no response. "I can't...I can't wake him!"
Aqua clutched Ven's thrashing arm, pulling his hand close to her chest and leaning down so he could hear her as she pleaded softly "Ven...Ventus, it's Aqua. Hear me...please! You have to wake up. Don't go to sleep again..."
Her friend remained deaf to her pleas, his body curling in on itself like a drying leaf as he whimpered Terra's name repeatedly.
The older boy in question put a hand to his head in distress,
"What did I do to you, Ventus? What did Xehanort make my body do to you?"
Aqua put a hand on the older boy's shoulder "It was...hard...in that final battle, Terra. But I thought that surely..."
"...He'd gotten over it?" Terra finished a bit harshly, "Not Ven. You know how he clings to us...to me. We're everything to him. After he was brought here, we became his family."
He looked at the tiny form in the bed, regret and self-loathing lacing his tone as he croaked "And one of his family hurt him so badly, it's still haunting his dreams."
"Terra" Aqua said softly, increasing her grip on his shoulder "It's not—"
"—Don't start!" Terra snapped, wrenching free, "You're going to try and say it isn't my fault, but it is! I fell, and because I fell, both of you payed for it. I'm lucky he doesn't look at me in fear when he's awake, because it's obvious he's terrified of me in his sleep!"
"No." The mage shook her head" I think he's wanting you to rescue him. Why else...would he be calling your name?" It's worth a try...right?"
Terra lifted his eyes and looked again at the shaking, whimpering form of the boy he considered a little brother. "Yeah...it's worth a shot."
Terra leaned down to his friend's ear. "Ven, come on...wake up. I'm here. I'm right here."
At last, the ocean blue eyes opened, and the sleeper awoke once again. His eyes focused on Terra, and he smiled a relieved smile.
"You brought me back! I knew...you would."