I shouldn't cry... I don't deserve the pleasure of relieving myself of this pain.
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It was the start of a new day... The first official day back on their old stomping grounds. Evening passed by without disturbance as far as anyone could tell. They met in the hall, sharing a casual "good morning" greeting per usual, neither speaking of how their nights went. From the looks of it, both slept soundly.
But one should not be so quick to assume...
The dining hall was large: High-vaulted ceilings above, and enough floor space to sit almost 200 people. Despite this, the room was modestly furnished with a few chairs, a table for four (six if you squint), natural light coming in from cathedral-style windows, several moderate sized pedestals providing space for a number of ancient artifacts and plants. Some may assume royalty tread the grounds of this castle, but Master Eraqus was careful not to be too over-the-top with the interior design. After all, Keyblade Masters were to be thought of as anything but royalty. It was something he made sure to ingrain into the minds of his students.
Speaking of 'students'...
Terra and Aqua sat across from one another at the dining table, plates and silverware set, but untouched. The breakfast debate would go on like this forever at this rate, especially since both seemed to be drifting back into dreamland. It was Aqua to break the nap-spell first.
"I can whip something up for us, if you don't feel like cooking..." Terra was usually the one to prep breakfast- he considered it a specialty of his, as well as an activity he and the Master would bond over, after morning meditation... and Aqua was well aware of that.
He stared at her for a moment, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He stood up from his chair, and made his way towards the kitchen. "No worries, I got it." Their eyes met as he was turning away, attempting to reassure her with a wave of his hand. Whether or not it worked was a mystery to him, as he was out of sight before he could get a reaction. Closing the door between the rooms, he took a moment to look around. Everything was as it was since the last time they'd been here, almost as if no time had passed at all... Countertops and cabinets were dust-free, food and drinks were still fresh, pots and pans hanging near the stove. Whatever magic was put into locking this land away did the place wonders... thank goodness for that.
And he wanted to marvel over it. He wanted to ease into the simple routine of preparing them for the day, and to continue life where it left off, much like home did. Their unchanged, beautiful home. But it did change, Terra did not forget. He could feel his hands begin to tremble as he walked to the sink, letting the water flow crystal clear into the marble basin. Cupping his palms, he brought the cool liquid to his face for a quick wash. It was just then, he felt a sensation in his chest which prompted for another reaction: tears.
Quickly, he went to wipe them away, but to no avail... yet somehow, he knew it was going to be out of his control. Terra quietly gave in, leaning against the counter on his elbows, face buried in his hands, his subtle sobs drained out by the sound of the running water.
Aqua, however, was not unhearing. She stood with her back against the door, listening to her friend in his moment of grief. She so desperately wanted to see him, to help him. To let him know he wasn't alone. But something stopped her. There was a weight in her heart that was holding her back. Was it internally knowing that there was nothing she could do to ease the pain of his heartache? Or was it something else?
Like him, she missed their late mentor; the father figure to the both of them for all these years. Independent of that fact, even she knew their bonds differed slightly. The Master and Terra connected in ways she, admittedly, was envious of. It was nothing she let bother her in the past, and she wasn't about to let it bother her now. The reminder of it, unfortunately, did prevent her from going to comfort Terra. She felt as though she had no right to interfere. As if it would somehow taint the fragile connection he was left to cling to, perhaps she'd even break it.
And she didn't want to be the one to cause more harm. To make him hurt more, or to mask his pain with her comfort. It would only be temporary. She can't bring the Master back.
'But... what are these thoughts, Aqua?' she questioned silently, her own eyes beginning to well-up with tears. Immediately, she managed to hold back, shaking the idea of crying out of her mind. "No, I can't be like this... I..." fists clenched, she took a deep breath, "I shouldn't cry... I don't deserve the pleasure of relieving myself of this pain." She blinked suddenly, raising a hand to her mouth. "What... what did I just..." She went silent. Whatever these threatening thoughts were, she didn't like the feeling they gave her. With slight hesitation, she pushed herself away from the door, walked across the room, exiting into the hall, and towards the entrance to the castle. Before heading out, she glanced back to look towards the dining room, smiling sadly.
"Terra... I'm sorry." With her words left hanging in the air, she stepped outside, closing the doors behind her.
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A couple of hours passed since the failed attempt at making breakfast, but Terra felt a little better afterwards. He had searched the castle for Aqua with no luck. The lack of success brought him to the courtyard, where he began to follow the path to the summit. However, something told him to stop before he could continue on his way... "She's not there." Call it a hunch, but he just knew it. "If not there... then where?" He pulled his Wayfinder from his pocket, even though the timing for it was a little strange. Looking hopeful, "I know she's nearby... but can you tell me where?" As if to answer his question, a light gust of wind pointed him in the direction of the river sitting on one of the lower paths. He smiled, pocketing the charm, making his way to hopefully find her.
Aqua sat at the river's edge, lost amongst the greenery around her, as well as in her own thoughts. She wasn't doing anything interesting, just staring into the space ahead. The sound of approaching footsteps snapped her out of it, as she quickly turned to see her dear friend. As if she'd been waiting for the cue this whole time, relief turned into regret. Why didn't she stay to help him? "Terra, I-"
"I'm sorry, Aqua." She blinked, his apologetic regards floating around in her head. "I didn't make anything for us... I just got lost in there, a little bit... I shouldn't have kept you waiting for so long."
"I... what? Why are you apologizing?" Now was his turn to blink, tilting his head slightly. She huffed, crossing her arms as she stood up to face him properly. "I... heard you in there. I walked away, I should have checked in on you. But... I'm the one who should be sorry."
At first, he wasn't sure how to respond. She heard him the whole time? He was slightly embarassed, not used to having her see (or in this case, hear) him like that. At the same time, he was glad she wasn't judging him about it. What is really an appropriate response though? "Don't be. I would have felt bad about dragging you down with me."
For the first time today, laughter. "We go together. Though I feel like I'd be the one to drag you down, not really the other way around..."
"Huh..." An odd response, especially coming from her. She was quick to change the direction of the conversation, looking back down at the river's edge. His eyes followed hers, mesmerized by the flow of the stream.
"Lovely, isn't it?" He hummed in response, the sounds of the nature around them filling his eardrums. It was a fantastic sound. One he missed dearly, it only took him this long to realize it. And the sights... this world is truly beautiful. While the Master always made certain to teach and show appreciation for the natural world, it was really Aqua who inspired Terra to pay closer attention. The whole world is filled with life, and despite everything, it will continue as is. Ever changing, ever beautiful, and always there.
When he turned his attention back on her, he noticed her sudden change in demeanor. Light-hearted before, now seemingly more somber... "You okay?"
Without missing a beat, she answered him, disregarding his concern "what do you say we work on breakfast together?" She smiled shyly, fiddling with the edge of her sleeve, "I promise I won't run away this time."
Choosing to let her change gears, he smirked, "If you do, at least tell me, so we can abandon the cooking together," he responded cheekily, "We go together" he mimicked her from before, receiving another laugh from her end.
"Fine, but you need to stop doing that..."
Peace temporarily renewed from this morning's episode, they head back to the castle, conversing about the 'busy' day ahead. For now, they would leave the trauma behind them.
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