Summary: Aqua and Terra learn a tough lesson. But they stay together, through the secrets they share.
Terra is 15, Aqua is 14.
Rating: K+

The whole point of venturing out into the wilderness was to get some peace and quiet for the two of them. Aqua knew on some level this expectation was a little ironic, given the fact that when their Keyblades clashed, they would be making a ton of noise.

It was the job of the Keyblade wielder to make sure that the nature of such things was kept secret when they visited worlds. If they wanted to spar, they would have to do it away from prying eyes. Some of Eraqus' contacts in this world already knew about it, yet his two students had no choice but to follow the rules.

But no spot was good enough for their training - and how could any be? This world was nothing short of spectacular. The trees were massive, and so tall that she nearly fell backward trying to find the canopies above her. The mountains here were far more impressive than the ones back home, and while they were all covered in snow, the valleys were still vibrant with green. Some of the rivers hustled through shrubbery, while others clashed into glaciers. While it was far too cold for her (so cold, in fact, that Eraqus' contacts have gifted all of them leather and fur pelts with amazingly soft hoods for warmth), Terra absolutely embraced it.

Which was why he led the way. Every time they thought they picked a nice spot for their practice, he got interested in some other river, some other waterfall, some other ledge, some chipmunk or a moose, and every nook and cranny he cast his eyes on.

Aqua eyed his shoulders, of all things, as he went ahead. He was soon to turn sixteen, and it showed. He was suddenly a head taller than her, when they had always been the same height. His voice continued to get deeper, while hers remained stable for a long time. And his shoulders… was that the pelt making them look wider or was it really him? He was so lanky otherwise.

His Keyblade, Earthshaker, also showed some signs of change. It grew longer and wider, much to Terra's contentment. She had once rolled her eyes when they summoned their Keyblades for the very first time, when he cried out that he was going to have the biggest, strongest, most awesomest Keyblade that ever existed, and whatever other silly bragging rights that eleven-year-old boys believed were important at that age.

It made sense that certain things had to change at some point. Aqua was not getting nearly as tall, but she was changing in other ways. She definitely noticed the growing pains, how her body was starting to make her look more adult, and the fact that she now had to take care of herself on a monthly basis. Eraqus even bought a book on women's health for her, admitting that he unfortunately had no knowledge of such things, but if she ever needed a companion to talk to...

Red-faced and stumbling on her words, she graciously accepted the book, thanked him for it, and never brought the subject up with her Master again.

Her book even had sections explaining how young boys developed into men. It made her blush to think about Terra going through such things, and it was one of the reasons why she never asked him about it. She never once asked him if Eraqus started any "conversations," either - she just didn't think Terra would be receptive to such an inquiry.

Terra used to be a lively boy. Always with energy, always shifting between moods where he was easily distracted and couldn't choose between any of the activities they shared together, and moods where he was so focused on his homework that he didn't dare speak to her. Except when he wanted to. And anytime he did, the enthusiasm that followed was undeniable. He used to wear a large beaming smile so easily.

He still smiled just as often, but he had become timid (they were still sincere and well-felt, that would never change). He was more laid back, more patient with things. His enthusiasm carried itself with a softer voice. She could still rely on him to always be ready for an adventure or some sparring. But it was just… different. As she followed Terra through the woods, she told herself she would just have to adjust.

He stopped by some berry bushes and rested his hands on his waist. "I bet this world is three times the size of ours," he said before clicking his tongue. "I wish we didn't have to stay close to the village."

The clearing they stopped by opened up to a larger, grassy plain that stretched far beyond what she could see. There was plenty of space here for them to practice.

"Why not this spot?" she asked for the tenth time that day. The sun graced her face. She removed her hood and freed her long, wavy ponytail.

"Hey, do you think these wildberries are edible?" He bent over to inspect them, an evil grin spreading across his face. "If I win our next match, you have to eat one."

Aqua scoffed with a slight breath. Maybe she was just freaking out; he will always be the same old Terra.

"Or, you'll be eating one," she said, conscious that she said it with tease.

He crossed his arms and bit his lip. It was an attempt at hiding a smile, and it failed. "Are you scared you won't win?"

"How about I don't want to be used as a guinea pig and poisoned?"

He laughed. It was gentler than the ones he used to let out in the years before, but there was still a trace of familiarity. "I think you'll live. I promise I won't make you swallow it."

She resorted to smacking him across the arm, which only made him laugh more.

Until his eyes went wide and his smile fell. Until his arms dropped to the side. He wasn't looking at her, but past her shoulders.

Behind her was a dark brown bear cub, rummaging out of the bushes. Small, furry, and absolutely adorable, it eyed the two of them. But that meant-

"Aqua!"

The mother, a grizzly bear more than a head taller than Terra, burst out from where the cub came from. She roared as she charged up to them, swiping a claw.

Aqua jumped backward, right into Terra. He wrapped his arms around her, but tripped. They both fell, and the bear roared louder, attempting to pounce on them. Aqua had one hand on Terra's chest as she leaned forward, as if she was trying to protect him. She screamed and waved her arm, defaulting to the one spell that was easiest for her.

The bear roared and it was simply horrid, like a warped scream. The sound vibrated through the grass and echoed across the woods. Mother bear scuffed and huffed, and disappeared among the trees, her cub closely following.

It was now silent, but the both of them were breathing hard. The thought of what she did immobilized her, and she trembled as she slowly brought her hand to her lips.

"Are you okay?" she heard Terra ask her.

She had used Blizzard against an animal. And the Master will be furious. "Terra, I attacked the bear."

"Y-you didn't have a choice."

She didn't look at him. That wasn't a good enough answer, and they both knew it.

"What is the Master going to say?" she said, successfully holding back a choke. Under no circumstances was she going to cry, even though she really wanted to.

Terra held her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. "You didn't mean to." He looked right into her eyes as he said this. His words usually helped in any normal circumstance... When she stared back, giving him no indication that she was comforted, he simply continued, "I'll take care of it."

Aqua blinked for a few moments. "What?"

From the woods came Eraqus, dressed in his own coat of pelt and fur, and Denahi, a village storyteller and wise man, carrying a spear in his hands, ready to strike. Denahi's hair had streaks of gray, and he twisted several long strands of it into a knot.

All of the villagers assumed the three of them were from beyond the mountain, where the aurora lights touched the ground – except for Denahi, who knew the truth. He had been so generous to them, so happy over their visit, so genuinely interested in getting to know the two star pupils that Eraqus gushed about. The embarrassment the Master would feel once Denahi heard about what she did…

"We heard a horrendous shriek," Eraqus said. "Are you two alright?"

Aqua took a moment to compose herself. She told herself that she was ready for the punishment. That it would all pass. That time would make them all eventually forget this awful moment ever happened. That maybe Terra would crack a joke about it in the future.

Terra said, "A mother bear attacked, sir."

Eraqus kept his face stern, but Denahi softened. "No one can deny how protective a bear will be of her children," the wise man said. "The spirits have certainly shown you their favor." In this world, the people believed that light was utilized through their deceased ancestors, who would perform miracles.

The Master crossed his arms. "A blessing indeed. What exactly happened?"

Aqua slowly opened her mouth to say something, but-

"I cast Blizzard on the bear," Terra said.

The whimper that escaped her nose was uncontrollable, but she kept it quiet enough that no one heard it. She didn't know what was worse – harming a wild animal or lying to the Master. She couldn't say anything. She couldn't do anything - step on Terra's foot or elbow him in the ribs - without giving his fib away.

Oh, but it was worse, seeing how Eraqus' brows furrowed more and more, and how hard his lips pursed before he opened his mouth. The one thing Terra slaved over was the Master's approval. For the Master to be pleased with him. His congratulations. Terra believed any setback was proof he was failing.

It was knowing that Terra was sacrificing this for her that was making her nauseous.

"You mean to tell me," the Master started, sternly, "that two very talented Keyblade wielders, who have all of these powers and useful spells at their disposal, were unable to deflect any attack, and that you aimed to attack the bear instead?" The Master yelled so loud that she heard some squirrels and birds scatter about.

She felt Terra tense up beside her. "Yes, sir," Terra said, and she was surprised with how smooth it sounded.

Eraqus nearly growled, not putting any effort in lowering his volume. "I can't believe what I am hearing. You know how unforgivable it is to abuse your gifts on innocent beings, let alone a wild animal." He took a moment to breathe, seemingly in an effort to calm himself. But it seemingly failed. "You are to head back to the castle immediately. You will write fifty pages on the importance of life, how light and darkness make up all of its components, and how a Keyblade can be used to destroy, with specific awareness of its lack of ability to create. All chores to be done within the next three months are yours alone."

Aqua clenched her fists as tightly as she could, although she couldn't pierce the thickness of her gloves. Still, the tension kept her focused, when she really wanted to object.

But objecting would make them both suspicious.

Terra bowed to Eraqus, his movement stiff but stable. "Yes, Master."

Eraqus still kept his arms crossed, locking eyes with Terra. "I'm so disappointed in you."

She crept a glance at Terra, who finally looked hurt. What was definitely worse than the punishment itself was hearing this from the Master.

Terra turned away, but not without catching her glance and nodding slightly in return.

As if to say that it was alright. That he had it under control.

Which was the exact problem. He was the only one between the two of them who felt that way. He depended on her to keep this up for his sake. And she was the wrong person to do it.

He was the one that was better with rolling with the punches. This wasn't the same as when she would use magic to fix anything he broke. To fix his worst injuries so the Master wouldn't find out. And still, he was the one to do the talking. She didn't know how to act out a lie, and was never interested in playing tricks on the Master. Messing up meant that it would make his punishment worse.

She wished she could say this to him. To ask him what to do or say. Then she wished he didn't lie in the first place.

Terra moved out into the woods, farther away from the village, presumably to summon his glider and fly out without anyone seeing him. So as what was expected out of him, he followed the rules.

Although the rules said to never deceive Eraqus.

Denahi talked about how they should track the bear in case she needed her wounds to heal. That bears weren't equipped to recover from such unique injuries. That it may be threatening to her life. It didn't help Aqua to hear any of this. Now she had to deal with the guilt of taking a mother away from its offspring.

The three of them hiked through the woods, following the bear's tracks. Denahi was the expert in searching for signs, such as dips in the dirt, broken twigs, scratched tree barks, shed fur, and swayed bushes.

Eraqus rubbed his forehead and sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do with that boy."

"Master, he was only trying to help me," Aqua said. Help was the wrong word to use. She should have said protect me. She was lucky she was walking behind her Master so that he didn't see her face.

"I understand that very well," Eraqus said, but with such ferocity that he almost sounded offended by her remark. "But the impulses that are driving him worry me. He shouldn't even have the instinct to attack first."

The knots in Aqua's stomach twisted. This wasn't fair to Terra at all. She thought about all the things she could do for him. Cook him something special? No, that was pathetic. She already made things he liked so it was not good enough of a thank-you gift. What she had to do, definitely, was to write his essay for him. To do the chores for him. She had to do as much as possible whenever she had a chance to do it discreetly.

Denahi waited for them to catch up with him. "Calm yourself, Eraqus. I believe the only driving factor leading Terra to his decisions is love. And if you were to ask my opinion, I think he is on a great path to manhood, so long as he keeps that motivation."

Love wasn't the word Aqua would have used, but it fit perfectly. Of course Terra did that out of love. The three of them all loved each other. They were a family. Maybe hearing this would make the Master ease up on Terra... A little bit, at least?

"Need I remind you, my friend, that there is such a fine line between love and revenge? Or love and anger?" Eraqus said, at which Denahi laughed out loud.

"All I'm saying is that he reminds me a bit of my brother," the wise man replied. "Impulsive. Reckless. Good intentions. But I see your point. Kenai went through all sorts of trouble."

This was the third time she heard Kenai's name being mentioned, but she and Terra had yet to meet him.

The sun was setting, painting the sky pink, when they finally found the bear. There were open sores grazing her snout, her cheek, and down the side of her neck, surrounded by patches of missing fur. Some already looked infected. Aqua knew that Blizzard may be an ice-based spell, but it was so cold that it burned to the touch. This was excessive, though.

The plan was for Eraqus to bind the bear with his magic. For Aqua to protect the cub. For Denahi to inspect the mother's condition before deciding on the next step.

But one look at them sent the bear into a rage, charging directly for Aqua. Even if Eraqus was taller, and definitely more of a threat, the bear knew who the real damage dealer was. Ignoring all of Eraqus' attempts to catch her attention, the bear lunged at Aqua. She reflected the attack. The bear replied with another shrieking roar, and ran off, cub in tow.

Denahi approached by her side, asking if she was okay. Aqua stabilized her breathing, unable to look at the Master when she felt the weight of his gaze at her. Denahi remarked about how the bear focused specifically on her, and she winced. She couldn't keep doing this.

She breathed through her nose as she found her voice. "I'm sorry, Master."

The stars sparkled across the dark sky when they reached the castle back in the Land of Departure. Eraqus marched through the main doors, throwing them open, and barked so loudly that his voice echoed off the walls.

"TERRA!"

Faint footsteps approached the room. Terra kept his head up when he finally appeared through the back door that led to the east wing. He must have been in the library.

Terra took his place by Aqua's side, but he kept it professional. Military stance, attentive, and clearly just tight. He did a better job than she in keeping his emotions elusive when the moment called for it.

Eraqus' eyes flickered. Something about Terra moving to Aqua's side must have struck a nerve with him. What it could be was something she couldn't calculate, she had never seen her Master fuming this much.

"I'm pleased to see that the two of you understand the importance of camaraderie," the Master said, with a tone that oozed so much sarcasm, Aqua's chest became tight. "But I don't understand what gave either of you the idea that it could be used to conspire against me."

Terra gaped, incredulous. "Master-"

"You lied to me."

The sentence was only four words long.

And yet Aqua found herself as speechless as she was when her parents died. She hoped Terra wasn't mad at her, too.

"A Keyblade wielder," Eraqus continued, "should mind when darkness should seek to overtake their hearts. They should practice judgment with their best intentions. But most importantly, they should look out for the well-being of their partners. They should hold each other accountable at all costs, so not to let themselves go astray."

Aqua looked right in between her Master's eyes, because she didn't feel particularly brave enough to look directly into them, even when he addressed her.

"I'll have you understand, Aqua, that you will take over the fifty-page thesis. And the chores." He then faced his oldest student. "Terra, you will come with me. The two of us will be minding over the bear first thing in the morning. We will be gone for a few weeks."

Eraqus paused for a moment. "I expected better out of the both of you. Neither of you will have any sort of contact until I say so. Starting now. If you want to uphold your fellowship and your bond with such honor, then you will learn to cherish it. Let this teach you to learn the value of having a proper companion to rely on to keep you on the path of light."

His words hung in the air. Terra bowed. "Yes, Master." It was slower than usual, but it was convincing enough. But that was him, being better at hiding his feelings.

Aqua eventually bowed herself and said the same. Numbly.

She and Terra didn't dare to look at each other. She walked briskly through the back door leading to the west wing - the one place she needed to be right now was her bedroom. She felt Terra's presence fade away back to the east, and Eraqus soon followed him. Even though he wasn't around to hear anything, she walked through the hallways leading up to her door, not uttering a word.

Her bedroom was a sizable one, and Aqua let out a huge breath of relief when she arrived. The bed was comfortable, the sheets a dark blue. Lining her walls were hand-made decorations – crochet, tapestries, small quilts and the like: the same types of things her mother made when they all still lived in that farmhouse. On her desk was a framed black and white portrait of her parents. The frame was thick enough to cover most of the scorch marks that bordered the photograph. Her mother with long hair that draped over her lacey dress, smiling warmly, comfortable in front of the camera. Her father, with a mustache so fluffy that she couldn't see his lips, wearing a vest and top hat.

Next to that photo, taped against the wall, was a rough child's drawing that used sketchy circles to shape faces and eyes. It depicted both of her parents, with a young Aqua standing in between them. Her mother was the one who had the blue hair.

Next to that drawing was another childish scrawl, showing Eraqus standing in the middle, with a young Terra and Aqua at both of his sides.

Would that cub lose its only family?

She slumped onto her desk. It was really her that deserved this punishment anyway. But now she couldn't speak to Terra for what seemed like weeks. If only she had spoken before he did.

She heard a rustling noise. Some tarp was being pushed through the crack under her door. She didn't say anything. Not even a whisper. But it was Terra. And she knew exactly what the tarp had hidden.

The white leather journal they used to share as kids. They always wrapped it in tarp to keep it protected. It had embedded gold designs that graced both covers and the spine, dainty and sophisticated. From first glance, no one would have suspected it was something two children used to dawdle with. It had been a while since they had written anything into it, but it gave her nothing but pleasant memories.

The first few pages were filled with the uneven handwriting of a nine- and eight-year-old. Oaths. Fake essays where they elaborated on theories of who the god of light and the god of darkness were. Drawings that designed those same gods. They used to play pretend over these same characters. Written rules of games they used to make up. Lines that Terra copied from his favorite book about Robin Hood.

She skimmed through the recipes they created together. One was supposed to be a delicious cookie recipe that her mother used to bake, and she wrote it from memory. Terra tried to make it himself, but forgot the eggs. Most of the other recipes were invented by him, and some were outright disgusting (like trout cupcakes).

Then there were photos they glued onto the pages. They had taken the Master's polaroid camera, and took pictures of each other doing the dumbest faces under a pillow fort. One in particular had Terra pulling the edges of his mouth and sticking his tongue out.

The pages afterward had written passages of the wishes they made for when they finally became Keyblade Masters.

Aqua came across the last entry with Terra's writing. Folded in between were three pages of the essay he had already written. In the journal, he wrote.

Here's a list of some books that will help you out. I left them stacked on a table in the library:
How to Conjure a Keyblade
Light and Darkness: The Nature of Duality
How Animals Relate to Our World
The Concept of Death
Theory of Starlight
Darkness and Its Effects: How to Count Shadows
Trapping Light in a Bottle: Basic Theories on How Light Shines in Each of Us
An Extension of the Heart: What a Keyblade is Meant to Do

I'm sorry I made everything worse.

P.S. Leave this journal back at the spot.

The spot. It was where this journal normally was kept. They picked it out together when they were allowed to explore the castle grounds and surrounding areas.

She picked up a quill that laid on her desk, dipped it into ink, and wrote with neat, cursive handwriting:

I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have told the Master anything.

Outside her bedroom door, the hallway was dark. Several paces away from her, Terra's door was closed, light glowing under the crack. It was not a good time to knock on it, so she silently walked, out toward the entrance to the castle. Down the terrace steps, across the field. Through some trees until she came across a clearing. Until some of the larger rocks sloped downward on a slant. Following this slant was a very short cliffside, where a small grassy area awaited her. Trees outlined the spring there, where a creek peeked out and slipped into the forest.

This was the spot. This was the one place where Eraqus gave them complete privacy. Where they could talk about whatever they wanted. Their favorite place to spar. Arguments weren't allowed here, but camping was. Often they had fallen asleep under the stars. This spot was theirs, and theirs alone.

Underneath the cliff, a there was an opening, where a chest sat waiting. Inside were old toys that they didn't want cluttered in their room – but that they didn't want to let go of, either.

There was also a small, wooden box tucked in the corner. She had completely forgotten that it was there. When she was eleven, Terra took her on a tour of some of the farther rivers and caves. This box was full of different crystals they found either washed in the dirt, or wedged into mountain rock. There were so many of them, they had spent hours picking out the best ones.

She wrapped the journal back in its tarp, and traded its place with the wooden box of crystals, before heading back to bed.

All by herself, the castle was very quiet. Birds flew by the windows. Clouds slowly leisured along. When she was bored of reading and writing, she would stare at some of the stained glass, noticing the patterns that she took for granted. Whoever crafted them was a genius.

When she was bored of staring at such innocuous details, she went to work. Sometimes, that was doing a chore – dusting wardrobes with spaces they haven't cleared out in months. She mopped the floors and scrubbed so hard that they shone. Seven floors were a lot, but she had a lot of time. Sometimes, work was practicing her pirouettes and backflips. Music was the best distraction, but she could only listen to it for so many hours at a time. She cooked meals for one. When she needed a perk-up, she sat in her room and worked on her macramé.

The goal was to make a lovely one for Terra, with some interesting knots. It would hang from a sanded log, and cast a gentle drape. But better than a traditional knitted design, she figured she could weave the crystals into her project, so that when she told Terra which wall to hang it up on, the crystals would reflect the sunlight that shone in his room every morning in different colors. She expected him to chuckle when she would command where her gift would go – after all, he normally just eased back and followed whatever she wanted, anyway. At times, she wondered if he preferred it that way.

She wasn't an expert at crafting this sort of thing – her mother was. She remembered the weekend mornings when she woke up to the smell of pie in the oven, and her mother working on macramé in the living room.

It was her mother's philosophy to make a gift by hand. Always. It was the best way to show someone her gratitude and care. Aqua messed up often, and would have to redo many of the knots. Hours would go by and she wasn't able to finish one row. Maybe she was being too ambitious, but whatever. Terra deserved something really nice.

The next day was cloudy, but bright. She sat on the terrace steps outside the castle entrance, feeling the wind gently blow through her hair. It was lonely, but the rustling of the leaves helped to ease the pain.

Until there was a blip in the sky. It looked like a flying teddy bear. A bear?

It really did look like a teddy bear. It was round and plump, very much like the kind a kid would sleep with. Instead of a snout, a large, flat, pink nose wiggled like a rabbit's. Small bat wings flapped on its back. And hovering above its head and mouse-ears, was a large, red, fluffy ball.

"Kupo?" it said as it landed next to her. In its small claws was the journal in its tarp.

"Terra sent you?" She was quick to take the notebook, her heart beating as she felt its stiffness in between her hands.

"Kupo!" Its voice was nasal, and high-pitched. It also whistled, but she couldn't understand what it meant.

She hurriedly unwrapped the tarp, almost letting it rip, and sped through the pages until she got to the last entry.

This is Mog. He's a Moogle. The Master took me to a different world first where he bought some tonics and tranquilizers. That's where I met Mog. It was really annoying trying to interact with him without the Master knowing. He just won't let his eyes off me. I get that he's mad, but he's treating me like a criminal.

Anyway, I figured you were lonely. I paid Mog to keep you company. He really likes carrots. I guess by the time you read this, we'll be back with Denahi, taking care of the bear.

"It's so nice to meet you, Mog," Aqua said.

"Kupo!"

"Is that all you can say?" He was so damn cute, and Aqua felt herself cheeks hurting from the smile. She reached over to pet the fluffy red ball, and Mog's wings flapped furiously as he waved his stubby arms in circles.

"Don't touch my pom-pom, kupo!"

She shuffled away from his frantic plea, and apologized. She continued reading Terra's message:

P.S. Mog doesn't like it when you touch his pom-pom.

Fair enough. She invited Mog inside, where she gave him carrots. He ate like a rabbit, where his circular chews gradually sucked in the entire root. Mog followed her around the castle, watching her do chores. He would prance around the library as she wrote her essay. He hopped alongside when she danced. When she worked on her macramé, he bounced on the bed. He especially liked taking hikes with her, waddling around as he sniffed the surrounding bushes. She carried with her a sack of carrots that she periodically gave to him throughout the day.

Talking to him wasn't like talking to herself. Mog never replied with anything but Kupo! But at least it made her feel like someone was listening. She learned to tell the difference between an inquisitive reply and an interested one. He was especially interested in how precious her macramé project was to her, and how perfect she wanted it to be.

Mog would sleep at the edge of her bed. Before it was time to retire for the night, Aqua would either talk to him about the stars outside her window, or about the book she was reading for fun.

For now, she was reading a fantasy romance where the prince fought evil monsters and rescued the princess with true love's first kiss. This wasn't the first one of its kind she had read. In all of them, true love and the meaning of the kiss were never defined. They were concepts that were treated as is.

Terra came to her mind. "I wonder if true love is different between a best friend and a lover," she said out loud.

"Kupo?"

"Well, I think true love is when you are willing to do anything and go any distance for another person. I know that is definitely what Terra and I have. But I wonder about finding true love with someone that I want to be with in a romantic way, like what my parents had. Would I recognize it as such? Is it like a lightning flash, and I just know right away?"

"Kupo…" His voice wavered a bit, as if he didn't know either.

"I often get the impression from books like these that a first kiss is really special if it comes from such a bond. My mom had hers with my dad."

"Kupo!" He sounded like he was in agreement, but she wasn't sure.

"Maybe I'll know it when I finally get to experience it." She placed the book down on her bedside table, and turned off her lamp. She chuckled as she crawled under her bed sheets. "Terra doesn't think it's that easy. But what does he know? He doesn't even think these books can teach anything of value. Let's see if he thinks the same way when he finds someone special."

Mog waddled over to his corner of the bed. "Kupo."

Aqua rested her head on her pillow, looking up at her ceiling. She liked to leave her curtains open, so she could look at the stars as she fell asleep. But something in her chest hurt. The last statement she made, about Terra finding someone else – it didn't feel good.

And she felt like she would be an awful best friend if that were the case. She brushed the thought aside. Looking forward to finding love should be exciting, and Terra would want her to find it, too.

She closed her eyes until she woke the next day, continuing a repetitive schedule of completing chores, writing, and continuing her creative project.

Until the day she ran out of carrots. He ate broccoli, squash, tomatoes – so long as it wasn't meat, he was fine with it. He even enjoyed cupcakes. But over time, Mog got restless. Perhaps he was bored – it was hard to tell, because he never said anything. She wasn't allowed to leave the Land of Departure to get more carrots, either.

So Mog busied himself with destruction. Broken vases, overturned and shredded books, wailing down the hallways. What was worse was when he dragged mud into the castle, or found old, dusty artifacts from the attic that he spread around. He even ate some of the flowers planted in gardens behind the castle. Yelling at him did nothing, so she had to improvise.

The first thing that Aqua did was search Eraqus' office for his polaroid camera. She took photos of the damage, making sure Mog was at the center of them. Then she scavenged the library for the same books that she used to cover up for Terra: books with simple house spells to fix almost anything. Broken vases were fixed with her chants. Torn pages were mended together, with no trace of their demise. She had to pick up after his dirty messes, but at least it was something to do.

There was no book that allowed her to revive dead flowers, or conjure ones in their place, however. She moaned when she realized there was no way to hide this from the Master, and figured Terra will help her with that one later.

That night, she walked into her room and froze when she saw Mog rummaging through her dresser.

Thankfully, he did not touch her project.

She sat on her desk and glued the polaroid shots onto the journal, and wrote:

Thanks for sending Mog. He was great until I ran out of carrots. But I can't say I ever got bored with him. How long will it be until you get back?

She wrapped the journal in its tarp and opened her bedroom window. She asked Mog to deliver it back to Terra.

"I need payment for delivery, kupo," he replied.

"Now you talk?" Aqua couldn't help but laugh. "You're so cynical."

She opened a small drawer on her desk, where she kept an embroidered pouch with her allowance, and paid him. A small part of her was a bit relieved to see him go, but the silence that followed after made her regret the decision.

At least she had more time to focus on her essay. She had been slacking with it because she looked after Mog all this time. That was what she told herself every time she remembered that she was alone again. She would focus on the beautiful details of the castle, the gold overlays that framed the walls in the entire academy. The delicate velvet of all the chairs. The number of writers that wrote all the books in the library. Anything to feel gratitude and get rid of this empty feeling.

Mog came back soon enough, hovering outside the library window. Aqua ran to him, happy to see him again, but ecstatic at seeing the journal. Along with a sack of carrots.

She whipped through the pages. He wrote:

I actually think that's hilarious. Glad to see Mog is useful. I went ahead and got some carrots for you. We've kept the bear tranquilized this entire time. I've been feeding the cub, and the villagers were concerned about him being domesticated. It was hard for the Master to heal her wounds, but she recovered just fine. Her fur won't grow back in those calloused areas, but she's okay.

I don't know how long it will take. The Master now wants to take me somewhere else, to teach me a lesson, I guess. I wish you were here with us. Denahi knows you didn't mean to harm the bear, so why does it have to be this way?

P.S. I'll get you more carrots anytime.

Alongside the message was a photo of him cradling the cub. It had its paw up against his face, and he was smiling down at it. There was another of the mother bear, asleep, on a makeshift cot as the villagers surrounded her. Eraqus knelt in front of her, his hand on her wounds. Denahi stood behind him.

Aqua breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The mother bear was alright. The cub will survive in an unforgivable world.

She reread his message several times. He wrote "why does it have to be this way?" She felt the same, but something about this exact sentence made her heart skip a beat. She wrote back:

I miss you. I wish I was there, too.

Then she stopped. She wasn't even sure what she was trying to say. How desperate and needy was she that his messages made her day? No, writing back to him wasn't enough.

In the kitchen, Aqua prepared butter, salt, just a dash of sugar (small enough to be undetected), and syrup. And a whole mess of peanuts. Nuts were one of Terra's favorite snacks, so she mixed these ingredients together and left them in a hot oven. Then she took almonds, dipped them into a mug of vinegar, and then sprinkled them with salt. Salted almonds and peanut brittle.

She added a message of I hope you like these! We'll see each other soon into the journal before handing it back to Mog, along two bags filled with these treats and a proper munny payment.

"I need more payment for heavier deliveries, kupo," Mog said. Plus two carrots.

She made more progress through her project, learning to weave together the knots around the crystals more efficiently until she was almost done by the time Mog came back.

The journal felt thicker this time, and wedged in between the pages of Terra's latest entry was a necklace. It used rope to keep it together, and the pendant was a carving out of some gorgeous turquoise stone, shaped like a mermaid.

On one of the pages was a photo of a city in a world that looked like it was made of water. At the center sat a large castle, and the houses that surround it were all situated on rivers. The entire area looked like it stood atop a huge lake, where a fort kept it up, allowing its dams to let these beautiful waterfalls fall out into an ocean that stretched beyond the horizon.

By this photo, Terra wrote:

You're the best for sending me these! They were delicious. It's so hard hiding Mog from the Master, and there were a couple of times I almost got caught. Of course you miss me. The castle must be so lame without me around. I do really need to spar though, I think we'll both be rusty by the time this is all over.

This is Atlantis. The people here are aware of the heart of their world, and depend on it for their technology and protection. I honestly never thought I would ever come across such a place. The city is well hidden, too. The people above the ocean have no clue that the light of their world is being utilized this way. It's interesting to see how well the Atlanteans are willing to take care of themselves and take on such a responsibility. Especially since none of them are Keybearers.

I know the Master took me here so that I can witness them and learn about their theories of light, and their history of depending on the heart of their world. I just wish I could be more open with him. I feel like I can't talk to him about what happened without getting a huge lecture that I don't need. But I also can't have him think that I'm rejecting this lesson – what if it affects my path to becoming a Keyblade Master?

Anyway, I asked one of the artisans to craft that necklace. I only described you to him, and he said he made it in your image. I hope you like it.

P.S. One of these days, when we're both old enough to go out on our own, we should come to Atlantis. Just you and me.

The necklace was truly beautiful. And special, coming from a such a secret place. It made her beam to look at it, and she reread his message several times again. She imagined him smiling when he noticed the treats as he sat in some fancy room like he was some guest in a palace. She imagined him talking with the artisan, nodding as he described what he apparently thought was a mermaid. (She was a mermaid to him, now?)

She hung the necklace on the bedpost at the head of her bed, but couldn't come up with a message to write back. Not just yet, anyway.

Aqua rationed the carrots more efficiently in order to keep Mog behaving. But she focused most of her attention on the macramé, making sure the loops are all of the same size so it wasn't sloppy. Until it was finally done, late into the night. Her back ached a little when she stood up to inspect its completion. Then she realized she wasn't done with it, because it was longer on one side. Which meant she had to do the entirety of the affected rows again.

It took another day for her to complete it with perfection. With the polaroid camera in her hand, Aqua debated whether she should send Terra a photo of it, or wait to surprise him when he came back.

He would be surprised with it anyway, so she snapped a shot.

On the page next to the glued photo, she wrote:

Thank you for the necklace. I absolutely adore it.

The Master can be very strict at times, but he's right. I shouldn't have attacked the bear. I can't be a Keyblade Master if I can't stop myself from accidentally harming others. I should have served the punishment to begin with. I'm so happy that we are sending messages to each other. But I worry that we aren't learning the lesson we should be. We are supposed to become Keyblade Masters together. I don't want to ruin that, and I know you don't either. But it's hard. I don't understand what's so wrong about us talking to each other like this, and yet I want to understand what the Master is trying to teach us.

Going to Atlantis sounds like a deal. I made you this. My mom used to build these things and decorate our house with them. Recognize those crystals? You need to hang on it on the wall next to your mirror, so the sun will catch them. I really hope you like it, too.

And off Mog went with her payment.

Aqua was sitting in the library, on a clear day, scratching her quill away on the paper in front of her with three open books, when she heard the sound of footsteps. Eraqus appeared in front of her, quietly taking a seat across.

She sat up straight and folded her fingers on the table. "Welcome home, Master," she said. She almost sounded adult to herself. It was a strange feeling, juggling between feeling happy that she has someone to talk to, and feeling dread at what was coming.

Eraqus nodded and folded his own hands. "How has your time in the castle been?"

"I've kept myself busy."

The Master nodded solemnly. "I understand that you meant no harm to the bear, and I have faith that you realize why it is so dangerous to wield your magic so recklessly."

"I do, Master." She nodded quickly. If he could understand that she knew she did wrong the moment the bear ran off…

He took a long breath, and she got the impression that he was looking through her, toward somewhere else. "You need to understand, Aqua, the importance of supporting your partner. Wielding a Keyblade gives a person so much power and control. It can possess a person to commit horrible acts. You know the importance of keeping darkness from taking control. I want to see you and Terra succeed where I have failed."

"Master?"

Eraqus cast his gaze to somewhere on the table, into a place that didn't exist. "I've lost a dear friend, my own partner, to the madness. I don't believe I've done a decent enough job in taking care of him. I tried to be there when he needed me most, yet it wasn't enough. It's a heartbreaking experience, and I do not think I would be able to cope if your bond with Terra shattered because of lack of guidance."

Aqua had nothing to say. Hearing something like this was surprising.

The Master was incredibly private about his youth. She knew there was one other student that studied alongside him, but Eraqus never spoke of him. She didn't even know what this student looked like, because Eraqus never flaunted any photos from that age.

"Never mind an old man's musings. How far along in your thesis are you?" he asked, breaking her train of thought.

"Sixteen pages."

The Master chuckled. "Well, that's quite enough of a long essay that I will have to read. I wanted to apologize to you, Aqua, for speaking to you in the tone that I did. I think you did enough."

Aqua gripped her fingers tightly so as not to cry, relief overwhelming her like she was forgiven. "Thank you so much, Master. I really appreciate it."

Eraqus placed his hand on hers and gently squeezed it. "Terra is outside by the training grounds. I've asked him to give us some privacy first, so he took it upon himself to train," he said as he stood up. "By the way, I've noticed some of the flower beds looking empty. Were there rabbits?"

She swallowed. "Yes, sir. A colony of them."

The lie was gentle, loving, and smooth.

He smiled to himself. "Nothing like giving back to nature. I suppose it's time for me to plant more seeds."

It was when the Master left that Aqua felt her heart pounding. A smile broadened across her face, and she laughed silently. She ran out of the library, but stopped short.

First, her bedroom.

She grabbed the mermaid necklace and wore it around her neck, checking her mirror to make sure it was in the right place. She eyed the macramé, but it was too big to take outside. Her gaze glanced at the children's drawings, and she opened a dresser drawer full of her softest pajamas. Under a stack of them was yet another child's art piece that she placed here so that the softness of the fabric would keep it protected.

Her and Terra, under a black sky full of yellow stars, her most precious picture.

She ran out of the castle, and there he was, whacking away at the contraptions built for their training with his large Earthshaker.

He heard her approach him first. "The necklace looks great on you," he said, with a smile. A smaller grin than what was usual in the years before, but it was his. His own Terra-like expression of happy.

Aqua threw herself on him, wrapping her arms around his neck. What never changed was his warmth. It never ceased to amaze her how he just couldn't get cold, and she nearly cried as he wrapped his arms around her back. But no. She wouldn't cry. This wasn't an appropriate time to do so.

"What did you think of the piece I built for you?" she asked as she let go.

Terra bent over to pick up the tarp from the ground by him. "I wrote about in the journal, but I ran out of munny to send Mog back. I had to pay him a fee just to leave me alone. But it was great. I… I loved it. I can't believe you did that for me."

"It was no trouble at all. Really. I had a lot of fun messing with it." Aqua took the tarp-wrapped notebook in her other hand, and gestured her head to the side. "You want to spar?"

"You don't have to ask."

Like it was all normal.

The sun cast its light through the trees in such a way that the spot was almost always shaded. The tension in Terra's shoulders relaxed. This was their place where they could unapologetically be themselves.

She waved the child's drawing in his face. "Do you remember when you made me this?"

Terra's brows raised when he saw it. He remembered alright, but his refusal to answer told her he was embarrassed.

She hovered it close to him for just a moment, waiting for him to strike. He shot his hand out, but she evaded, keeping the drawing away from him. "Too slow," she said.

"I can't believe you kept that."

"I think it should go inside the journal. Folded neatly in the back."

"I think it's a good idea." His voice trailed off. "Aqua, there was something I wanted to say first."

"You know you can talk freely here," she said as she unwrapped the journal.

"The Master would have made you sit in the castle all alone writing that stupid essay anyway. Forcing us not to speak was just excessive." He rubbed his arm. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I feel bad that the punishment got worse. I know you wrote to me saying that we needed to learn a lesson, but… I don't feel guilty about sending you these messages at all."

Aqua snorted and hit him across the arm. "You're so bad." He laughed as well and shrugged. She opened the journal and turned the pages until she reached the last written account, but kept herself from reading, thinking back to Eraqus and his sudden but frank openness. "Has the Master ever talked to you about his time as a student?"

"You know he'd never answer any questions about that stuff," Terra said. Then his eyes got wide with excitement. "But listen to this. I overhead him talking to Denahi. They were laughing about when they met many years ago. Apparently, the spirits turned Denahi's brother, Kenai, into a bear in order to teach him a lesson about death, life, and acceptance. Kenai actually chose to stay that way."

"You're kidding."

"That's not the crazy part. The Master was there on a mission with his friend – you know, the one he studied with." Terra laughed for a moment before continuing. "This friend, I didn't catch his name – Denahi thought he was pretty funny - but he had a serious temper. The spirits didn't take too kindly with him, and thought he needed to learn patience."

He continued to laugh, which made Aqua stomp her foot. "So then what happened?"

Terra wiped his eyes. "In order to teach him patience, the spirits turned the Master into a chipmunk that the friend was forced to watch over."

"No way." She giggled, imaging a chipmunk-version of Eraqus sitting atop the shoulder of whoever this mysterious person was. Weirder still was imagining the Master, who was such a serious man, going on such a crazy adventure.

"Makes you wonder what kind of interesting stories he refuses to tell us," Terra said, catching his breath.

She looked down at the leather journal, its pages open to Terra's last entry, which was short. "I wonder if he has a diary of such things. There has to be a photo album somewhere."

"I don't think I want to piss him off more than we already have."

"I'm glad we at least have a record of something," she said, tracing her fingers along his scratchy handwriting, which caught her attention.

It's beautiful, Aqua. It must have taken you days to make it. I haven't seen those crystals in forever! I think it makes it look even better. Thank you. I'll hang it up wherever you want to me to put it.

I know exactly what you mean. But I think we will be okay. The Master always said that it's important to watch out for each other. That's what I felt I was doing when I lied. I don't ever want to regret doing that. You're usually better at understanding some of his more obscure lessons than I am. I know you'll look out for me too.

That's why we'll always be best friends.

P.S. I'm broke. Do you mind sending me some of my allowance next time you send Mog? I keep it in the second drawer in my desk.

It was calling her work beautiful, a word she never heard him use. And that he said they would always be close. Aqua felt her heart beat hard, and she had the urge to cry a little. She didn't understand why, exactly, but she kept herself from doing so.

She looked up into his deep blue eyes. There was a gentle smile on his face, and she figured that if Terra wanted to smile this way from now on, she would prefer it over his old one.

And what exactly did wanting that feel like? She didn't have the word to describe it, and it was too much for her to even spend time thinking about it.

She leaned forward to meet his lips with hers, feeling that he puckered with her. It was short and sweet, her first kiss. But she liked it. He was warm, and smelled of the sandalwood he showered with, along with the natural nutty aroma that always graced his skin.

He was close enough to see herself reflected off such a dark blue. To see his long, wispy eyelashes. Terra breathed sporadically, and attempted to contain a smile. He laughed nervously and scattered his eyes around.

"What was that for?" he asked. He grabbed his forearm and tightened his grip around his wrist.

"I… don't know? We're best friends, and I thought you were showing me so much…" She faltered, unsure of what she was trying to say. Affection?

Terra stared hard at her with wide eyes and a smile frozen in surprise, letting out his breaths in anxious bursts. Rubbing his arm and turning away from her, he said, "You're such a dork, Aqua."

"Why?" She began to follow him.

"No, don't follow me," he waved his arm around, laughing through his breaths.

"You don't want to spar anymore?"

He was walking up the slope that harbored the cliff side hiding the chest, not removing his grip on his wrist, like he was inching away and didn't want her to notice something. "Nah, not now. Maybe later."

She sighed, exasperated.

Flipping to the pages at the end of the journal, she carefully folded his drawing into the book. She thought about the story her mother told her, of when her father kissed for her the first time at the county fair. And how happy it made the both of them. How hard it was for her mother to keep herself from squealing with excitement.

Aqua decided that she needed to read better books.

At least it was with Terra, who wouldn't judge her for it. And he would still be her best friend, regardless.

Wrapped in its tarp, she gently placed their journal back into the chest, for the next time they needed it.