Day 5: Loss

Aqua's breath came in steamy white puffs as she slowly traipsed up the snowy mountainside, bundled head to foot in a pair of pink earmuffs and a heavy blue winter coat. Though the sharp wind from earlier that morning had died down, the air remained frigidly cold.

She saw him just as she reached the peak of the mountain— Ventus, wrapped in his own green coat and standing as still as a statue before Master Eraqus's grave.

"Ven…" Aqua whispered as she approached, her boots softly crunching in the freshly laid snow.

The blond boy startled and looked around.

"It's freezing," Aqua commented, halting at Ven's side. She didn't need to ask what he was doing out here.

"Yeah," he replied, turning back to the grave.

Master Keeper stood where she had plunged it into the now icy ground many months ago. A thin layer of frost covered the three Wayfinders which adorned a withered wreath hanging from the Keyblade's hilt.

"…I miss him, too," Aqua murmured after a long moment. "This is our first Christmas without him."

Ven merely nodded.

Aqua didn't have to explain her grief. It was a sorrow all of them felt— her, Ven, and Terra. They mourned the tragic loss of their Master— their father and teacher. She'd hoped life could return to normal, now that the three of them were together again. But as days turned to weeks, it had become very clear life would never be normal, again— not without Master Eraqus.

After what seemed like ages, Ven spoke. "It's not just the Master… Sora's gone, too. He's like a little brother to me."

"We'll find him," Aqua said quickly. Their brief excursions to the Realm of Darkness had so far turned up nothing, but they couldn't lose hope.

"And Vanitas?" Ventus asked, his voice barely audible. "He's my brother too…"

Aqua blinked, a puff of vapor issuing from her slightly parted lips. She wasn't sure what to say to this.

She still didn't quite understand the connection Ven shared with Vanitas. The masked boy had been their enemy, yet she'd overheard Ven and Sora begging him to join their side. Vanitas had called them his brothers, and in his final moments he'd seemed almost… regretful, in his own strange way.

"I mean, yeah he was a jerk and all, but… He's a part of me," Ven continued at her silence. "And now he's just… gone. They both are."

Aqua placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find Sora, and Vanitas, okay?"

She knew the heartache of worrying that her loved ones were lost forever. Trapped within the Realm of Darkness for twelve long years, Aqua had thought of nothing else but returning to find Ven and Terra safe and sound.

"I'm just glad I didn't lose you," Aqua murmured. "When I was all alone in the darkness, I missed you so much. Thinking about you is what kept my heart strong."

Ventus turned to her, his eyes wide— But before he could speak, there was a loud popping noise and a puff of white smoke filled the air.

"You know," a squeaky voice piped up, "Lost things do have a way of finding their way back home."

Aqua and Ven peered through the dispersing vapor to see the little grey form of Chirithy staring up at them with her clear blue eyes, the feline Spirit's thick fur all puffed up to keep herself warm.

"…You're right. We've still got each other," Ven turned to smile at Aqua, who beamed back.

Not to be left out, Chirithy leapt up onto her master's shoulder, rubbing her face against Ven's cheek and purring loudly. Laughing, he reached up and petted her soft fur.

Aqua glanced back to Master Eraqus's grave, extending a hand towards the Wayfinders to rub away the layer of frost with her thumb, leaving the three charms glittering in the chilly morning light. She reached out and curled her gloved fingers around Ven's; he returned the gesture, squeezing her hand.

"Let's head back inside," Aqua said, and she gently led the way home through the snow.

Thanks for Reading!