Second Chance Universe(Series): Behind the Scenes.
Author's Note: Now we return to the other previous stories in chapters already made and posted. This time it revolves around Mickey's full reunion with Aqua after they and the others return from the Realm of Sleep.
I don't own anything here.
Back-Scene 6-"I'm so sorry": This takes place while Sora and Riku are within Vincent's heart in the final chapter of "Second Life"...
"So...how long is this gonna take?" Reno awkwardly asked after about three minutes since Sora and Riku entered Vincent's heart.
"Well, it's not gonna be five minutes, that's for sure." Cloud muttered in sarcasm.
"So how're Sora and Riku gonna wake Vincent up?" Zack inquired, rubbing the back of his head in confusion.
"To awaken Vincent's heart, Sora and Riku need to use the Power of Waking they achieved in locking the Keyholes of worlds that fell into the Realm of Sleep." Yen Sid spoke after retreating back to chair. "It is not the matter of how long it will take, but the matter of concentrating on fufilling their task."
Reno still looked confused and awkward as he shared a glance with Rude who's face remained blank, but the redhead didn't need his friend to make an expression as he sensed it more from his eyes behind those shades. Reno turned back to Yen Sid again and asked, "How can worlds fall asleep, and why were we awake in that boring white room that guy Xehanort or whatever his name was? How does that work?"
Mickey was the one who answered this time, because he said, "It's because like us, all worlds have hearts of their own. Worlds without hearts end up falling into darkness, and those who haven't been fully healed end up in a deep sleep within the Realm of Sleep. The only way to bring them back is to lock up the Keyholes. That's why Sora and Riku were there, as part of their Mark of Mastery Exam."
"This is different to the Mark of Mastery Exam both Terra and I took part in twelve years ago." Aqua admitted, having taken her place to sit next to the sleeping Terra. "When Master Eraqus tested us, the power of Waking wasn't involved."
"Neither was my Mark of Mastery. But I guess it's because it's different for every Keyblade wielder." Mickey shrugged, though his posture was awkward and somewhat stiff when he gazed at his old friend.
"Why am I getting a feeling like with Sora and Riku's exam that Xehanort messed up with hers?" Lea asked, a bit uneasily.
Aqua looked away, in what looked like guilt. "It's because...it's because Xehanort tempted Terra into giving his heart to darkness, so that-"
"So that Terra could be used as his vessel." Mickey interrupted, casting Aqua an apologetic glance when she glanced at him. "Xehanort told me, Sora and Riku this when we confronted him while trying to save Vincent. After that...well...I guess Xehanort lost his memory and was found by Ansem the Wise and became his apprentice...Or maybe he pretended to lose his memory and lied to everybody."
The King felt his heart ache painfully as he said this. It hurt so much that Xehanort had been alive within Terra all this time, and...and Mickey failed to see it. He should've known the name wasn't common nor a coincidence. But he just assumed that it was, and now he knew it was his mistake, the downfall and even worse, the Realm of Light had to pay that price. It brought everyone else involved, and he almost lost them. Radiant Garden fell because of his blindness. Ansem the Wise is dead because of the same blindness. Sora, Riku, Kairi, Lea, and Isa were unexpectedly dragged into this cruel path because of it as well. The worlds were put into danger since two years ago because he failed to see through that blindness.
"So...what's why Terra had silver hair earlier?" Lea asked, now even more uneasy and more than a little disgusted. Isa grunted and given the tone of voice, the redhead knew that his friend was disgusted by Xehanort's actions as well.
"That's so terrible. Why would Xehanort do such a thing?" Kairi gasped, horrified while Roxas and Xion both shared a horrified glance.
"We can only assume that Xehanort intended to extend his life, to see what would come after the Keyblade War should he have succeeded in recreating the X-Blade. To do that, he needed a younger, stronger vessel to make it come to pass." Yen Sid grimly answered, and both Mickey and Aqua nodded in agreement.
"So what is the X-Blade? Is it similar to any other Keyblades?" Cloud questioned, thoroughly disgusted of Xehanort's actions.
"It is the counterpart of Kingdom Hearts, the key in opening it. If opened, the Realm of Light would be consumed into darkness and cease to exist as we know it. Only this time...there would be no survivors." The powerful Sorcerer answered.
"That's sick!" Zack yelled angrily. "I don't care who this Xehanort guy think he was, but he's definitely a monster if he's willing to kill everyone in all of the worlds!"
"Indeed. Had it not been for Sora and everyone else, Xehanort would have caused a mass murder." Rufus nodded in agreement.
"Damn." Reno breathed in disgust and disbelief. "And I thought Hojo was sick, but Xehanort might as well be just as bad."
Lea nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's Xehanort for you. Ruins people's lives just to get what he wanted; no care for anything other than the stupid Keyblade War and whatever else that involves people being killed or suffered."
"Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if Xehanort took pleasure in making people suffer or killed." Isa nodded in agreement.
"That makes me scared of Xehanort even more even though he's gone." Goofy muttered, and Donald whimpered in agreement.
Mickey closed his eyes as he commented, "It's not easy to let go of the fear of someone or somethin' even though they're gone or from stories that aren't real."
"Forget Xehanort being scary even though he's just...I dunno, a monster, I guess? It's Chaos I'm freaked out about." Lea commented, shuddering slightly.
"Oh yeah...I almost forgot about that guy, or thing or...whatever it is." Reno shifted uncomfortably.
"Well, you're right about that." Mickey shivered himself, but when he looked at Aqua and saw her guilt-ridden expression, his heart ached even more as a memory came to him like a nightmare that repeated over and over.
Flash-back: During the events of "Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth By Sleep: A Fragmentary Passage" and "Kingdom Hearts 1"...
Mickey ran as fast as he could, to try and stop the large Heartless Wave from reaching Riku. But he was too far and was too slow, fearing that they wouldn't be able to make it. But to his shock and surprise, Aqua jumped, summoning her Keyblade and somehow trapped it in it's magical chains. Mickey skid to a stop and he gasped. She was struggling to hold it in it's place.
"Aqua!" Mickey cried out, making to help her.
"Go without me!" She yelled back.
His heart froze and sank. Aqua was sacrificing herself again...this time to save both Riku and himself! Mickey couldn't leave her! Not again! Not when he finally found her after looking for her, Ven and Terra for ten years!
"No, I-!" He was cut off when the Heartless broke free, now more furious than ever. Mickey couldn't move as he and Aqua were both caught off-guard. The Heartless Wave engulfed them both and Mickey screamed as he felt himself feeling like a giant was swallowing him whole, mixed up with berries like he was in a fruit salad bowl and a grip like the said giant was clasping him and squeezing him to death. He heard Aqua scream echoing his scream and at that split second moment, he was terrified.
Terrified that the Heartless would seep into their chests and pull out their hearts. Mickey could see Aqua a bit in front of him, and she looked just as buried and eaten as he was feeling. He tried to pull himself free from this wave Heartless, desperately trying to reach out to her. But the Heartless refused to let him go as they were hungry for his and Aqua's hearts.
'Someone help us!' Mickey pleaded in his mind, the shear terror of losing his friend and dying before he and Sora could save the remaining worlds slowly overcoming his mind. It can't end this way! 'HELP!'
Then, as if the Heartless were not interested in him, or perhaps the Keyblade of Darkness he inherited was protecting him that they feared it's power more than any regular Keyblade, Mickey felt himself being released and thrown out of the wave and screamed as he crashed onto the ground. But the darkness of those monsters did damage his shirt which disappeared into golden light. Pushing himself up quickly, he could only watch in pure horror as the Heartless Wave zoomed right through the door which led to the ruins of Destiny Islands...
With Aqua still held captive.
"AQUA!" Mickey screamed in despair and distraught as the end of the Heartless Wave vanished through the door which slammed shut and then vanished without a trace, leaving only a wall and him stuck in the area with Riku. 'NO!' He thought to himself in dismay.
Mickey couldn't believe it. His friend...one he hasn't seen in ten years and had just found...was gone. In the matter of minutes. He stood up and reached over to where the wall was, his heart aching in guilt and devastation.
"Aqua..." He muttered, the urge to cry for the loss almost overwhelming him. But then he remembered; she survived ten years in this horrible place. Her heart was strong. Full of pure light. Plus, she knew that the Door to Darkness had to be closed, and she had risked her freedom to save Riku and Mickey himself. In that respect, she...was a lot like himself. Aqua now counted on him to save the worlds.
'Don't worry, Aqua. I'll come back for you. I promise! Just...give me a little more time, okay?' He thought to himself as he renewed his resolve. Knowing what to do, Mickey turned and hurried to help his other friends as quickly as possible.
End Flash-Back:
'Except...I didn't come back for her...Xion was the one who saved Aqua. Everyone was put into danger because of me...' Mickey thought to himself. He failed his friends, and while everyone was safe and sound now...well, except for Sora and Riku who could potentially be lost with Vincent, Mickey couldn't help but feel like he was the worst friend anyone could have. Every mistake he'd made costed him his friends and other people in other worlds.
"Mickey? Are you okay?"
"Huh?" Mickey blinked, as Aqua's voice brought him back to reality. He gazed at her and realized she was now looking at him with vague concern, and so was everyone else. He then realized he must've been silent and reminishing longer than he intended. But was her face, and the fact he failed her...that made him decide he had to mend the bond he knew for certain he broke and hadn't meant to. The bond of their friendship.
"U-uh, Aqua? Can I...talk to ya for a few minutes? In private?" Mickey hesitatedly asked.
Not sure why Mickey felt the need to talk to her in private, Aqua suddenly felt it was important. Nodding, she stood up and the two Keyblade Masters excused themselves for those few minutes before heading out the door, leaving Kairi and everyone else except for Yen Sid to share concerned and confused glances.
The lower they went down the stairs, the more Mickey was struggling to steel himself for what he was about say and how Aqua would reactor. He was certain she was going to yell at him, for leaving her behind. Though while they haven't known each other for that long, Mickey had already sensed she was a forgiving type like he was, but...he left her behind, and it was eating him alive.
Once they reached outside, Mickey took a deep breath and shakily breathed out.
"Is something wrong?" Aqua asked once they were alone outside.
"It's just...um...do ya...remember the last time we met? I-In the Realm of Darkness?" Mickey began.
To his shock, she replied with confusion and apologetically. "No. I...don't remember meeting you in the Realm of Darkness. All I do remember was that I was wandering around there for a long time."
"W-what?" Mickey stuttered, his heart sinking faster than a sunken ship.
"What were you doing there? Did something happen?" Aqua asked.
'So she doesn't remember anything about the worlds falling into darkness...or even when she risked her life to save Riku and me.' Mickey thought to himself, which made his guilt increase. Not even memories were safe from that horrible place. Which means...he would have to tell her everything that she didn't remember...at least from his point of view.
Steeling himself up for it, Mickey began, "W-well...ya see...Um..."
He then told her from when he first entered the Realm of Darkness just like he did when they met up again, about what Aqua said to Mickey himself, the Kingdom Key-D, Kingdom Hearts and Sora and Riku, and finally, he reached to the part about when Aqua herself sacrificed herself to protect him and Riku and how the Heartless Wave trapped her back in the Realm of Darkness and Mickey had been helpless to help her, and that he made a promise to find her again. By the time he finished, he felt himself starting to hyperlate and on the urge to break down into tears.
Unable to gaze at her when he noticed her shocked expression, Mickey looked to the ground and closed his eyes, before he began to blurt out and cried out softly. "I-I'm so sorry, Aqua! I didn't mean to leave you there all by yourself! And I didn't even-I didn't even think that Xehanort had-had taken over Terra's body! If I did, I would've stopped all of this and everybody else wouldn't have gotten involved! That I'd save Terra, get you out and find a way to help ya' find Ven's heart!"
Mickey then lost his battle to hold it back and cried. It's been years since he cried liked this, and he really thought he matured enough to able not to do so. Turns out he was wrong about that too.
"It's all my fault! It's all my fault and I'm so very sorry!" Mickey sobbed, his tears falling freely and he didn't even borther to stop them. He knew for certain he was going to be yelled at; for abandoning his friend, and scolded loudly for crying like a small child but at the moment, he deserved to be yelled at, and didn't care if he was crying like this.
Which was why he was a little surprised when he felt her hand gently rest on his head. When Mickey looked up hesitatedly, there was no anger or betrayal on his friend's face. Instead, it was...sadness, worry, sympathy, and guilt...with tears forming in her own eyes as well.
"It's not your fault, Mickey." She told him, her voice full of tears. "I'm the one...who put everyone in risk. I wasn't strong enough to free Terra...and I hurt my friends more than anything...I couldn't save them or stop Xehanort...and I left you with such a heavy burden. To continue what I should've finished a long time ago...I'm so sorry, Mickey. And thank you...for not forgetting me."
"Oh, Aqua." Mickey sniffled, before he threw his arms around her shoulders and leaned against her neck. Aqua wrapped her arms around his body, holding him close. They were both emotionally wrecked, in more ways than one. But more than anything, they were about as close friends as they could imagine.
After what felt like an eternity, which in reality was about seven minutes, that both Mickey and Aqua let go of each other after calming down, wiping away their tears and smiled at each other.
"I guess we both needed to let it all out." Aqua said softly.
"Yeah, I think you're right. To tell the truth, I was so afraid that you'd be mad at me, even though I deserve it." Mickey replied, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "Gosh, Minnie always gets mad at me when I mess somethin' up or when I forgot our dates I thought I would be used to it by now."
This made Aqua giggle, "You haven't changed at all."
Mickey just laughed along with his friend, knowing that she was right. As they did, he felt the heavy burden and weight lift from his shoulders and his heart. He still felt guilty for what had happened, but Aqua was such a warm hearted person that she can be forgiving. Much like Sora. Mickey was glad...to have such good friends, and was glad...he was forgiven.
After giving each other a nod and ready to return to the others, Mickey and Aqua with warm smiles headed back to the tower to rejoin their friends, both old and new, to await the return of Sora and Riku and the awakening of Vincent.
Once that's done, then it was the matter of awakening Ven. The last person needed to be saved from hurt.
SECOND LIFE
SECOND LIFE: SECRET EPISODE
AND
KINGDOM HEARTS III: SECOND WAR.
A/N: To tell the truth, I kinda felt that Mickey was somewhat the main protagonist in Kingdom Hearts 3 and should've been playable. Come to think of it, I felt that he should've had his own episode story in "Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth By Sleep: A Fragmentary Passage" showing his journey in the Realm of Darkness and how he managed to get in before being reunited with Aqua.
See you in the next back-scene.