Ch.3

Zack followed by Aqua's side while they walked down the path. Aqua stared to walk slowly as they continued forward. She could see them again… Terra and Ventus. They were not like the phantom she had been seeing, these two were solid looking from a quick glance. But they only stood there, with their backs to her, staying motionless and silent.

Aqua placed a hand over her chest before letting out a heavy sigh. She tried not to let herself get too curious or excited about what she saw, thinking on it only as another trick of her mind. But the closer she got, the more she couldn't help but look at them.

"Aqua?" Zack asked.

"I… I can see them again, but I'm not sure if they are just more phantoms…" Aqua explained, not once taking her eyes off Terra and Ventus.

"What do you mean you're not sure?"

"They don't look like the phantoms I've seen already… they are only standing there and nothing more…" Aqua said before raising her arm to point in the direction that she saw them.

Zack turned to look and frowned a moment later. "But I don't see anything over there."

Aqua sighed, lowering her head. She gripped her shirt gently while she stared at the ground. "I figured as much… I really must be going crazy..."

"No, Aqua! Don't think that!" Zack shouted before placing a hand onto Aqua's hand that was over her chest. "There has to be an explanation…"

Zack trailed off, his gaze shifting back to where Aqua had pointed. His eyes narrowed, looking like he was squinting to see something. "Huh…?"

"What is it Zack?"

Zack pulled his hand away from Aqua and kept on staring. He blinked a few times before rubbing his eyes. "I… I don't know if it was really anything, but I thought I saw them. You know, Terra and Ven."

"You only saw them? Meaning you don't anymore?" Aqua asked as she looked back, still seeing them in plain sight.

"No I didn't, but for a moment I thought I did when I…" Zack trailed off again as he looked to Aqua. "When I placed my hand on yous…"

"Hmm…" Aqua hummed, trying to reach for an answer. "I don't understand this myself… I'm not entirely sure. But I think we should move forward and see if what I am seeing is real or not."

"Agreed. Maybe I'll see them again if we get closer or something."

Aqua nodded before she started to run forward with Zack right behind her. The closer she got, the more she saw how solid and real they looked. She couldn't help herself as she shouted out, hoping that there was some actuality to this. "Terra! Ven!"

Much to her surprise she saw Terra turned around to face her. "Aqua, you're…"

Aqua stared with wide eyes. "Terra. You spoke?"

Zack now looked at Aqua and then to the empty space where she was staring. "Huh? You mean what you are seeing actually said something? Is it really Terra?"

Aqua didn't answer him and instead walked forward, looking at the area in front of her. "Of course! I see Ven too." she answered without facing Zack. She turned her head to the side slightly presumably where she was seeing Ventus.

Zack wasn't even sure if she was talking to him or not since she had not even looked at him when she spoke. Zack walked forward and stood by her side, taking note of her gaze, which was locked onto the emptiness before them.

"Terra, what's wrong? Don't you see him?"

Now Zack was starting to grow more concerned as Aqua seemingly talked to nothing. He thought about interrupting her, but he was still trying to understand what he was seeing happen in front of him.

"A world the darkness has consumed," Aqua said. "It's Enchanted Dominion."

After a short pause Aqua began to frown. "What's gotten into you? How do I know that you're Terra? And not the weakness that's in my heart playing more tricks?"

The longer Aqua carried on this cryptic conversation with nothing, the more Zack's concern grew. She talked about seeing phantoms before, and Zack understood. Since entering this realm he had seen his own fair share of phantoms, but this was seemingly different than those other times. This time she had said that what she saw looked solid, that they were different than before. But that still left things to be questioned.

She answered questions he didn't hear, and asked some of her own that didn't make sense. He wondered if perhaps the darkness was finally getting to her. Maybe Aqua had totally lost it. He considered stopping her, bringing her to her senses, but was wary of interrupting. What if the figures she was seeing were real, and he was the crazy one?

Finally Zack shook his head. He couldn't let his doubts get to him like that so easily. Quickly he stepped forward and reached out to Aqua before she could say anymore. "Aqua…" He placed his hand over Aqua's again and then he noticed something in the corner of his eye. He gasped before drawing his hand back again.

Aqua finally turned to look at Zack, curious why he reacted in such a manner. "Zack? What's wrong?" Aqua then turned her head back to where she was looking before. "Yes, he's here too. Can you not see him either? Ven… please say something." Aqua moved a few feet over and looked more and more worried.

Zack started to walk over to Aqua and then she gasped slightly. "What do you mean?"

There was a longer pause this time before her next sentence came. "Then you're here, trapped in the realm of darkness."

Then eventually she nodded. " I understand." A second later she turned to look at Zack. "Wait… with that in mind… Zack… what was it you reacted to?"

"I thought I saw Terra again, like before," Zack explained.

"Hmm," Aqua hummed before walking over to him. She reached out and took his hand into hers and brought it close to her chest. "Can you see him now?"

Zack looked and much to his surprise he did in fact see Terra standing there, and Ventus, while still turned away, also was there. His eyes widened as he continued to stare. He tried to wrap his mind around the idea, but no answers could come how it was even possible what he was seeing.

"Yeah… I can see him. Faintly, but I do see him standing there. Ven too."

"Then I think I have figured it out. I think it may be because of my connection in my heart to Terra and Ven. Because of the strength it has I am able to see them how my heart wants to see them wherever they may be." Aqua breathed in deeply before looked to where Zack could see Terra standing now. "Does this mean you and Ven are safe in the outside world?"

Zack watched as Terra opened his mouth. He had something, but whatever it was Zack was unable to hear it. "I guess that trying to reach for a connection this way can only go so far…" Though Zack thought he could try reading the lips of Terra, but even then he wasn't all to good and that.

"That's good. But, how did you find me?" Aqua asked.

Terra moved his lips again before placing his hand over his chest. Even without being able to hear the words, Zack had an easy guess what he probably was saying. Or he at least had a general idea of what it was implying. Zack thought to at least tell Aqua this, figuring that she didn't know he couldn't hear Terra, but he didn't want to interrupt the two from their conversation.

"Right," but why does your heart have...ties to the darkness now? What did you mean 'lost in shadow'?"

Terra walked away from the two of them all while he lowered his head. He then turned back around to look at Aqua, speaking again to her.

"He'll never find him. I hid Ven well," Aqua said before turning to glance over at Ventus. "I think the reason he's not talking to me here, is because he's still there sleeping."

Zack looked at Ventus who stood to the left of them. He stood there, but his head was lowered and he didn't move from his spot. He only swayed ever so slightly, but other than that there was no other movement. "Sleeping? What could have happened since I last saw these guys…?"

He took in Aqua's pensive look and went to place his other hand on her shoulder. He wasn't sure if he would get any answers as to what transpired, but he could see how it hurt Aqua. Her look was one of worry and doubt and he had been seeing that a lot in her since they found each other.

"Yes…" Aqua said, answer something that Terra must have said to her.

Zack and Aqua turned to look back at him, but both of them gasped in surprise. Terra now had pure white hair, making quick a stark difference within the darkened realm. Quickly Aqua let go of Zack's hand, causing the image of Terra to fade away. She then took a stance to shield Ventus. A million questions were forming on Zack's head, but he didn't get any change to ask, he could only stare and wonder what is happening between Aqua and Terra.

"Who are you? Really."

Aqua stepped forward, shock now filling her face. "Terra!"

Darkness burst up around, first as just a small burst, but then it began to slowly rise from the ground. Zack moved closer to Aqua, wanting to know what was happening, but he knew going to reach for her at this moment would not be for the best. All he could do is wait and hope that she could explain what was happening. It made him feel quite useless since he was unable to know how or what was causing this, though he figured it had something to do with Terra. But he just wished that he could understand it all.

"Terra!" Aqua shouted again, but she didn't move from her spot.

"Aqua!" Zack shouted moving even closer to Aqua. No longer could he take just standing around trying to assume things. "What's going on? What happened to Terra?"

Suddenly a dark portal appeared behind them. A large dark arm stretched out from it and grabbed onto Ventus. It only took a second for Aqua to turn around but another dark hand reached out and snatched Aqua and Zack together.

Zack and Aqua grunted as the hand gripped them tightly, nearly crushed them together. "Aqua… you okay?" Zack breathed out what he tried to say while trying to focus on Aqua.

"I'm fine… but…" Aqua tried to look past Zack, over at the other hand that was holding Ventus. She frowned as she looked over in that direction."Ven…"

"Aqua…" Zack whishered, though his strength was weakening. Somehow whatever was happening seemed to be draining him. It wasn't only him though, he could see the weariness in her eyes.

A burst of bright light came from the side, but Zack could barely keep his eyes open anymore. He lowered his head as his eyes began to shut just as he heard Aqua murmur something but it was too soft for him to figure out. He breathed out as he tried to keep himself awake, but the darkness began to surround him and then he gave away into it.

Aqua felt like she was falling into the darkness, but she didn't feel afraid or worried by it. She actually felt relaxed and all her worries seemed to be fading away. All of the weight she had was leaving her and she closed her eyes, giving into it even more.

"Aqua, are you okay?"

At first Aqua thought it was Zack, but the voice did not match. She opened her eyes to find another friend that she had not expected to see. He was standing before her, placing her wayfinder back in her hand.

She wasn't able to ask him anything before he pulled her back towards the ground. Once they were there, she was finally able to speak what was on her mind. "Mickey, how did…"

She was about to continue when she noticed something. She glanced around to see that they were the only two in sight. "Terra! Ven!" her heart skipped a beat after that. "Zack…"

Something unpleasant turned in her chest. "He was right with me… where could he be."

"No time to talk," Mickey stated as hundreds of little Shadows bursts from the ground forming a small swirling pillar of them.

"Shadows…" Aqua sighed before summoning her keyblade. Dealing with more of them right now was not what she wanted to do.

"They're called Heartless!" Mickey exclaimed.

"Heartless…" Aqua thought to herself but left no verbal comment. After that she went to attack and defeat the creatures she now knew were called the Heartless.

She wasn't able to defeat the Heartless, not even with Mickey at her side. The tower of Heartless ended up flying up into the sky heading someplace else.

"Better not push our luck," Mickey said before he dismissed his keyblade. After Aqua dismissed hers he looked at her. "Gosh. I never thought I'd find ya in the realm of darkness, that's for sure. So, um, what happened?"

Aqua did not feel like trying to explain her situation. She was still not ready to do that yet. Besides she had more pressing questions on her mind than telling her adventure so far. "Have you seen Terra or Ven? Or… or a young boy with black hair around here?'

Mickey shook his head. "No, just you."

Aqua sighed heavily as she lowered her head. She ran her hands over one another, trying to prevent them from trembling. Doubt and fear were creeping into her once more and she wasn't sure how to confront it.

Zack was missing. He wasn't here besides her, but she last remembered that he was. "He could… could I have just imaganged him this entire time? The darkness just warped my mind so much that I believe he was there?" Aqua ran her hands together again, remembering how she had held Zack's hand to allow him to see Terra. "No… his touch was real. I know he was here… but then… where is he now?"

"Aqua?" Mickey asked, snapping Aqua from her thoughts.

She slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry. The darkness in this place, it's getting to me… and I am worried…" she trailed off though before she could explain the true reason why she was worried. All she kept thinking was that she needed to find where Zack was and if he was all right.

"Oh. But, you'll be okay," Mickey said trying to sound reassuring.

"Right…" Aqua agreed, but there was little confidence in her tone.

"Say, we've been looking for ya a long time. How come you're in this place?"

Aqua was surprised but relieved to hear that people had been looking for her. She hadn't been forgetting. But then her thoughts went right back to thinking about Zack without even realizing it. "I wonder if anyone has looked for Zack… he was just a regular boy that had no involvement in the great battles in worlds outside of his own. But now…"

Aqua cleared her throat, deciding to find out an answer that she had been wondering for some time. "First tell me: how long's it been in the realm of light?"

"About… ten years," Mickey answered softly.

"Ten years… it has been ten years for me since I came to this place… and that means for Zack it could be about the same since he barely looks older than when I last saw him. We've been here so long yet to us barely any time has passed…"

After that Mickey and Aqua conversed a bit more, with her asking about what had happened in the realm of light since she had left it. She needed to get some solid answers anyways even if she still wondered about so much more. But even with Mickey explaining some things, many of her questions and thoughts were left unanswered. It was mainly the one concerning Terra, but she still wanted to believe that he was out there fighting his darkness.

"Does that mean you know an exit?" Aqua asked once Mickey explained his plan to her.

Mickey paused slightly before answering. "Well, uh, I was so busy finding a way in, that I didn't give a lot of thought to where there'd be a way out. But, together we're sure to find one!"

Aqua chuckled softly. "You haven't changed at all."

Mickey laughed as well. "May our hearts be our guiding key."

"There's a phrase no one's used in ages."

"Keyblade wielders used to say those words to each other." Mickey raised his hand up and looked up to the darkened sky. Slowly he clenched his hand into a fist. "And now, it's something I like to try and remember. So. Ready?" He turned to Aqua and held out his hand to her.

"Ready," Aqua said as she took his hand and shook it. "Though… there is still something I need to do… something that can't wait any longer."

"Oh? What's that?"

"In my time here, I ran into a boy named Zack. I had actually met him before when I journeyed to other worlds, though I have no idea how he ended up here. But I had been traveling with him for some time now. But… we've been separated… I have to find him. He just started to learn how to use a keyblade so he won't be able to fair too much on his own still. He only began to try using cure."

Mickey looked surprised at her. "He has a keyblade?"

"I bequeathed him after finding him. I wasn't about to let him continue in this place without a proper weapon to fight the Sha-... I mean Heartless. He has a good heart though," Aqua replied as she placed her hand over her heart. "But I need to find him. Mickey, please help me find him first. I don't think I would be able to focus otherwise. I know he has to be nearby… I can feel it."

"Right! Let's look for him along the way, okay?"

"Yes," Aqua said with a heavy sigh. "Don't worry Zack, I'll find you, Please be all right."

The two of them worked their way through the realm of darkness, with them now being in a very rocky and spacious area compared to the forest before. There were still plenty of Heartless along the area, all of them trying to attack from all angles.

Eventually they progressed further more and more Heartless decided to show up. It was made much easier with the two of them since they were both masters of the keyblade. But eventually Aqua spotted something ahead that stood out in the darkness.

There were Heartless already roaming around, but there was something else that they were trying to get near. When she got close enough to truly see what it was, her heart skipped a beat. There was a reflective barrier up with Zack inside. But he was not standing up with it surrounding him. Instead he was crumpled up on the ground, not moving an inch. She pushed forward, running faster without even a word to Mickey.

"Zack!" she shouted as she sliced through the Heartless.

While some paid attention to her, most still focused on what they had already been focusing on. The reflective barrier around Zack was slowly cracking with each attack the Heartless gave, and Aqua knew it wouldn't last much longer.

Quickly moving around Aqua took out the remaining Heartless just as the barrier finally faded away. He still laid there on the ground, with his knees half way pulled to his chest. One arm was slightly outstretched with his keyblade within his grasp.

When Aqua kneeled down next to him, she could hear his rapid breathing. Raising her keyblade up she cast a cure spell over him first, not knowing if he was injured or not. "Zack?"

Carefully he lifted his head and dismissed his keyblade at the same time. When his eyes met Aqua's she could see how tearstained and red they were. "A-Aqua?"

Aqua wasn't abel to respond in time before Zack threw his arms around her, holding her tightly. "Aqua! Y-You're all right! You're… you're okay… and you're here… You're still here… thank goodness…"

Aqua didn't know how to react. Zack was sobbing into her shoulder while hugging her. Despite his tight hold, she could feel the trembling motion in his arms. It didn't make any sense for these things to be coming from Zack. But then it left Aqua to wonder just how much had happened since she was last with Zack.

"Are you okay? Zack, please breath," Aqua said as gently as she could.

"I thought… I thought it was all just a dream. I woke up around here and you weren't there. I began to fear I just had gone crazy and imagined you being here. But then… I saw I still had the keyblade. I knew it had to have been real… but you weren't anywhere nearby and I… and… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Aqua placed her arms around Zack, trying to find a way to comfort him. This still seemed so odd to be coming from Zack. She knew him as a cheerful and optimistic boy full of energy. To see him terrified and shaken was the complete opposite.

But then she remembered when she first saw Zack here. He had been not only running from Heartless, but he had been seeing phantoms of his own. "Has he been trying to deny what his heart wants to feel… with that being fear? He always is trying to be strong, but…"

Aqua pulled Zack back from his embrace and they locked eyes again. She studied how wide and red they were. It all was beginning to make sense now. Before she had only seen what she expected, which was his optimism. But now she saw what was behind that layer.

"Zack, it's okay," Aqua said, still speaking softly and gently.

Zack shook his head. "No it's not… I lost you. I failed to stay by your side. We're supposed to stick together… help each other. I'm just a failure…"

Aqua frowned at Zack's words. It hurt her heart to see him so hurt over what had happened. "That's not true, Zack." Aqua pulled Zack back into an embrace. "We found each other again and you are no failure. You managed to cast a reflect spell all on your own."

"I… I did?" Zack asked, his voice still raw from his sobs. "Oh… yeah, that's what it was…"

Zack breathed slowly, and soon enough the trembling in his hands calmed down. He continued to rest against Aqua though, letting her hold him. He kept breathing until he felt like he had finally calmed down enough to sit up straight.

"Thanks Aqua," Zack said before going to wipe away the remaining tears that he still had. He started to smile again, the warmth and usually cheeriness shoned through like before. "I'm glad you're okay! But uh… what happened?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but I was found by a friend shortly after we got separated," Aqua said before turning to Mickey who was only standing a few feet away from them. "This is Mickey, he's helping to find a way out of here."

"Hiya Zack," Mickey said. "It's nice to meet you."

Zack smiled a friendly smile. "Same to you! So now we can all work together and get out of this place finally?"

"That's the goal at least," Aqua said before she stood up. She held out her hand to Zack and he took it within a second.

As soon as she pulled him up to his feet he began to do some stretches. "Well that's good at least. And hey! You said I cast a reflect spell, was it really that good?"

Aqua laughed lightly. "It looked like it. You needed to protect yourself as best as you could and you managed to create a strong barrier. It's nice to know you are really picking up on magic."

"I gotta try one way or another!" Zack proclaimed proudly.

"All right!" Mickey said. "If we are all ready, let's carry on."

"Right," Aqua said before glancing to Zack again. His expression was back to normal with him smiling and looking confident. It looked like nothing had ever happened with him before. He looked perfectly fine and it didn't seem like he was going to talk about it at all. But now she knew… she knew that she wasn't the only hiding away their fears.

Hey thanks everyone so far for reading this story! It's nice to know there are those who like the idea. See you all next time!