Their hearts will guide them, once again.

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The morning sun was bright, illuminating the Mysterious Tower in a sort of ethereal way. It had served its purpose as a sanctuary for those returning from the long battle against Xehanort and his disciples, and now only two remained: Terra, the once misguided apprentice, his heart no longer overcome by darkness. And Aqua, a Master with heroic intentions once lost to the darkness, back in the realm of light at long last, and adjusting.

Both of them, that is. Adjusting, and taking it all in...

They stood a few feet from one another in silence, facing the desk of Master Yen Sid, empty at the moment. The time spent in the tower was used to recover mentally and physically from their ordeals. It was determined early on that all those involved in any way should be preparing themselves to return to their respective worlds, and resume life as they last left it. The majority had already left, all with goals of their own...

Ventus, however, never made it back to the tower with his friends. He disappeared into the light, promising to return to this timeline one day. A promise that left Terra and Aqua feeling... at ease. Regardless, both knew it may take some time for normalcy to settle in. To be ready to return home. Even though they had each other, the absence of their friend and former Master left an unusual space between them.

Terra, turning his head slightly to speak to Aqua, happened to catch her as she began to doze off. The sound of quiet laughter was just enough to snap her out of it, attention now on him. "Sorry... guess I need to catch up on some sleep."

"You'll probably do better sleeping in your own bed." Nothing quite like the comforts of home. It was something they were both missing quite a bit right now. Just the thought of it made Aqua smile.

"I still can't believe we're going home... for real this time." It was something she only dreamed of these past few days. Even then, she couldn't seem to grasp the reality of it. Her smile suddenly faded, as another thought crossed her mind...

As if reading the thought directly, Terra's expression came to match her own. "A lot has happened since we left... but..." he looked toward her reassuringly, "returning home is going to feel like a breath of fresh air."

"Heh heh... I suppose, but..."

Both snapped back to attention when the door to the study opened, there emerging Yen Sid. He regarded the two with a bow, which was returned immediately by both. The sorcerer took a seat, studying them thoughtfully. Despite the passing of time, it did not seem to have any effect on the aging process. If there were any indications, it was in the eyes. They experienced so much in all these years, it was difficult to not notice the change.

"A curious thing..." the sorcerer muttered, barely above a whisper, yet loud enough for them to hear. "You are standing here today, ready to return home... have I assumed correctly?"

"Yes Master." They spoke in monotonous unison. A drastic change in tone, despite the lighthearted conversation they had just minutes ago.

"Very well." With a sweep of his right hand, a set of train tracks appeared just beyond the tower's entrance, the whistle of an engine heard in the distance. "I have opened a gate to the Lanes Between. Without your armor, it is too dangerous to use your Keyblade Gliders. Board the train. It will take you back home."

Aqua, to Terra's surprise, was the first to step forward. She hesitated a moment before speaking, "Master Yen Sid... I-"

"If this is regarding your status as a Keyblade Master, say no more." She paused, taking a half step back. "The time that has passed between then and now... has no reflection on your inheritance of the title of Master. You have overcome your weakness, and found your way back to the light. Although misguided, having fallen victim to the darkness in your heart... you overcame your struggle in the end, and helped to put a stop to Xehanort once and for all. You still are worthy of being deemed a Master of the Keyblade. Of this, I am certain."

She took his words in, and returned to her position beside Terra, nodding thoughtfully. "Thank you, Master..."

After a few moments, he turned to Terra. "Now, Terra... The late Master Eraqus made a point to see me before his inevitable departure..." The mention of their mentor's name caused their expressions to falter slightly.

"You... saw him?"

Yen Sid nodded. "He made a request... to have you re-test for your Mark of Mastery. He believes, with all his heart, that you have what it takes to earn that title." Terra's head dropped slightly, his eyes fixated on the floor beneath him. "He hopes that you will realize this someday."

"... he said that to you?"

"Terra..." Aqua interjected, catching him by surprise. "It's true, the Master had asked me to watch over you, all those years ago...", it wasn't a confession so much as it served as a small reminder, "but don't think for a second that he ever doubted you." She raised a hand to her heart, "And neither have I."

He studied her for a bit, not really sure what to say. He lacked a certain confidence in himself since coming back, the idea of falling to his darkness once again always lingering in the back of his mind. He wouldn't, that he knew for sure. But just the idea of it was enough to throw him off track. Fortunately, if it weren't for Aqua's encouraging words, he may be lost in self-doubt for who knows how long.

A considerable amount of time passed, prompting Yen Sid to stand, motioning for the two to approach the window. They did so without hesitation, examining the landscape around them. "Once you return to your home, you will have many choices to make... what you will do from here, and how you choose to live. Be it in the footsteps of the late Master, or perhaps... you will shape your own path." He turned to them, and smiled. "I trust that whatever path you take, it will be a most suitable one for the both of you."

Stepping back in unison, they take another bow. "Thank you, Master Yen Sid."

'Their hearts will guide them, once again'. "For now, farewell. And safe travels."

Yen Sid watched their departure from the tower. "The heart knows no limits... but even so... " his gaze travels upwards, eyeing a pair of stars twinkling in the dawn. "How far will the limits take them?"

Both stars shone brightly, eventually fading into the light of the morning sun.

:::

The train ride was long. Or seemed that way at least. Terra kept his attention on the stars in the distance. Every now and then, he'd check to see what Aqua was up to. He half expected her to be looking out the window as well, but also expected her to be dozing off. Instead, she's fixed her gaze on something in front of her. He peered down to see what it was, and saw nothing.

'... wonder what's on her mind.' She didn't talk too much about her experiences in the Dark World. What he did know was that she spent much of her time there alone, wandering, looking for some way out. What could that have been like? He couldn't say. While he had dealt with darkness first hand, hers was forced upon her. If not for the sacrifice she made to give him that second chance, she may not have fallen at all.

That fact alone is what made his heart ache. Thinking that this all could have been prevented... "Maybe in another universe somewhere..."

"Hm...?" Aqua hummed, tilting her head. He turned her way, not realizing that she was now staring at him. She was waiting. "What did you say?"

"Huh... oh..." 'Did I say that out loud?' he shook his head. "It's nothing. Just talking to myself."

"Oh..."

And once again, silence. But it didn't last long.

"I'm sure the idea of going back home is..."

"Nerve-racking," he finished, receiving a sympathetic smile from Aqua. "Truth is, I'm not really sure how I am... Maybe a little nervous." A pause. "... or maybe more. I wish I wasn't though."

"I see..." It was quiet for a while after that. Enough time had passed, so he prepared to continue the conversation, but then she spoke. "I wish Ven could've come home with us..."

There it was.

"... Me too." It was a bittersweet reminder that things weren't going to be the same when they did finally arrive. Between Ven's absence and the Master's, it would only be him and Aqua. While it being just the two of them didn't bother him in the slightest, he was apprehensive about how long it would take for them to get back into their own lives. What even were their lives like, before Ven? Before Master Eraqus?

Maybe neither of them ever thought about it, since their happiest memories existed when they were there. Together, as a family. If Terra had to guess, she was starting to think about it, too.

"Well..." he began, drawing her attention to him, "I guess we'll need to pick up some extra chores, then." She blinked a few times, before forcing a laugh. Rather than joining in, he leaned forward in his seat, getting a better look at her face. Her expression seemed hollow, almost as though she were somewhere else at that moment... "Sorry."

"Don't be. You're not wrong, after all," she chimed, a little more optimism in her tone. "Just as long as we alternate on the room cleaning... we can get things done in half the time."

"So... two weeks..."

"Terra."

"Am I giving us too much credit?"

Room cleaning was a one day chore.

:::

Another half hour passed, and they continued on with their light-hearted banter. Most of it being plans for when they got back, visiting the other worlds where their friends resided, damage control in the Lanes, just distractions. Anything to keep them from going silent again. But when they ran out of topics, quietness crept in.

"You know what we should do when we get home?"

"What?" Terra was curious. Her lips curved upward, a spark igniting in her bright blue irises, a look he was all too familiar with... and had missed seeing.

"A sprint to the summit. Maybe it'll help ease the nerves of being back home..." her suggestion wasn't a bad one. It was a good way to start things off again, just like old times. It was one of those activities they did long before Ven's arrival, even before becoming closer to Master Eraqus.

"Sure. I can't promise I'm in the best shape of my life... but I'll have to work on that. Especially if Master Yen Sid wants me to re-test again."

"I'll keep you in shape, don't you worry," Aqua teased. For once, he was going to let her poke fun at him without reprecussions. It was the least he could do; seeing her smile like that was a reward in itself.

"I won't, Master Aqua." She laughed briefly, looking a little embarassed.

"Oh, enough of that..." Honestly, she was still having a hard time accepting the title. At the time, it hardly felt like a victory, considering the circumstances of her win...

"Now or never. Because that's what I'm calling you."

"Haha..." The awkwardness was back to haunt them. Fortunately, it would be short lived, for in the distance floated the silhouette of a familiar place...

"Is that..." Terra turned to see what she was referring to. At the sight of the castle, they both look on in awe. "... There it is." Terra made sure to break the silence first, a feeble attempt at hiding his sudden anxiety.

"Yeah..." Aqua tugged at her Wayfinder, resting in the folds of her side-sash. It glowed with a familiar warmth, one that reminded her of home.

Terra then pulled his Wayfinder from his pocket as well, placing it over her own, clasping his hand over hers. "See? They really did bring us back."

"Terra..." He didn't throw his emotions around too often, but when he did, it was the sweetest thing. This small act was no exception. They both stood, the train coming to a slow stop. They approached the door, watching as it opened for them to step off. Deep breaths, one step after another, hand in hand...

As they touched ground, Terra smiled.

"Welcome home, Aqua."

She smiled back, turning to face the Castle they called home.

"Welcome home, Terra."

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