Chapter 2: Youth


Aqua kept her distance from the child who clearly knew they were being followed.

The child still hadn't responded to her offer, and she figured they probably won't. The child preferred to be alone and seemed to follow a routine every time Aqua watched them. They cleaned up the streets littered with those blank sheets of paper, pushed boxes to the walls to act as footstools towards heights they couldn't reach, and then smashed a few crates for items, and then they'd sit by the fountain for quite some time, staring in a far off space. When they were finished, the child would venture into a specific house at the end of the day and remain there until they're ready to start the routine all over again.

Not once did the child talk or regard her.

On rare occasions, the child did break off their routine and climbed a cliff side filled with flowers. The field of colorful flora was breathtaking to look at, almost miraculous given that all plant life back in town was withered; save for the plants around the fountain, which Aqua figured was special to the child.

She tried to bring it up to the child, but they kept silent as usual.

Now familiar with the child's routine, Aqua eventually grew lax with her supervision. She greeted them every time they woke then left them alone for the most part. She simply waited for the child to return to the fountain and try to strike conversation. Until one day, the child didn't come. Aqua waited the entire day or at least what she considered a day, and didn't see a single tuft of hair from the child. She scoured through the town, once again panicked at the thought that something may have happened to them.

She found them running away from a small group of Heartless. Aqua quickly intercepted the monsters, giving the child time to escape on their own. They hopped over the boxes and scaled the walls beside them without difficulty before disappearing behind the rooftops. Impressed by the sudden display of athleticism, she followed after them.

Aqua double jumped over the houses and landed just a few meters away from where the child dusted themselves off. The child stared at them for a while, but didn't say anything. Aqua figured they were impressed, as well as confused by her. "Where did you learn to scale walls like that?" she asked to make conversation.

The child huffed, dismissing the question and resumed walking. Aqua sighed. She really needed a lot of patience with this one.

Despite the child's reluctance to talk or reveal anything about them, Aqua was able to get some impression off them based on their behavior and miniscule facial reaction. The child may not like her company, but there were rare times where they seemed to tolerate, or even seek her presence. They would wait for her to catch up, or even steal glances towards her direction as though trying to figure her out.

Aqua also learned that the child was quite smart and resourceful. They've somehow mapped out areas in town where the Heartless frequented and guided them out of those alleys, or rooftops, as much as possible. If they couldn't go around them, the child would distract them with instruments that lead them away from their position, and kept them there long enough for them to escape. If those failed, the child was agile and quick enough to dodge their attacks like they were familiar with it.

Throughout her stay with the child, Aqua only raised her whenever Heartless randomly spawned around them. The child didn't seem bothered by her assistance, and only nodded to her as a way of thanks. They still didn't talk, but progress was progress.

They wandered across a boardwalk leading into the market and Aqua happened to look up to catch a massive tower in the distance. An annex connected both buildings from each other, and between them was a large clock. Purple gears rotated in a timely and well-coordinated fashion which swung a purple colored pendulum with a golden arrow head underneath it.

It was the same building she'd seen before this world formed beneath her feet. "Has that tower always been there?"

The child looked over to the building in question and stared for quite a long time. Their eyebrows creased, as though repressing a terrible memory. "Sometimes," they finally said.

Aqua gasped, shocked by the child's sudden verbal response. It was the first time the child has said anything in response to her questions. It was short but it was leaps of progress. She didn't know how long the child would welcome this conversation and wanted to make the most out of it. "It's beautiful."

"It's better during daybreak," the child said without looking back to take in more of the impressive tower. "But it's not like we'll get that anymore." They left for the park down by the lighthouse, leaving Aqua alone to once again feel sorry for their predicament.

She missed the sun.

Taking one last look at the clock tower, Aqua closed her eyes to imagine the sun caressing her skin and held the wayfinder to her chest. She whispered out a silent wish to the unseen stars before running after the kid with renewed motivation to get the child to talk again.

"You still haven't told me your name," she said once she caught up with them.

The child kept their focus up ahead, and didn't seem like they would answer her as they walked over the railings and onto the shore. Aqua watched them feel around for stones under the sand, before they looked up, eyes almost empty. "I don't have one."

Aqua blinked. "What do you mean?"

The child nonchalantly shrugged. "Oh come on," Aqua said, disbelieving. "Everyone has a name. Surely you have one of your own."

The child scoffed at Aqua's words like they were funny. They flicked another rock across the nothingness then watched it fall endlessly in the abyss. Aqua settled beside them and continued, "You know I can't just keep calling you 'kid', I just need a name to call you with, and then I'll stop talking. I promise."

She raised her pinky up for the child to take, hopeful that they would accept it. Unfortunately for her, the child was not interested in making cheap promises. They turned away and grumbled something in a foreign language. "Call me whatever you want."

"That won't work," she tried to reason. "I'd like to know you, and this town, if you'd allow it. I'd like to also know what happened to you. It could help us find a way out. Don't you want that?"

The child frowned, clutching the stone in their hand tightly as they considered the thought. Their eyes met for a second and the child sighed. "I don't know who I am."

Aqua paused. Her eyes grew wide at the horrible realization. "You – you don't remember?" The kid shook their head and threw the last rock off into the sea of shadows. "Do you remember anything else?"

They shook their head.

Aqua covered her mouth, disturbed. The child had amnesia, and suddenly, everything about their behavior made sense. Their odd routine was probably memories from their past that they never bothered to question. Their reluctance to answer any question she had was a mixture of stranger anxiety as well as not knowing what to answer. Aqua felt stupid. She should've considered that possibility first.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

The child shook it off as though not knowing didn't bother them as much as it should, or did.

"But don't you live here?" Aqua pressed, the child flinched and hugged themselves defensively. The air around them grew cold, almost like prickling small icicles across their skin. "What about your family? Your friends? Don't you miss them?"

The child shut their eyes, refusing to entertain any questions and stormed past Aqua to escape her. As they did, Aqua's breath hitched. A wave of pain and anguish phased through her similar to how the Darkness informed her of its current state. She turned to the child, alarmed, but was held back a sudden suffocating amount of darkness building up in her chest.

Aqua fell forward, clutching her chest as darkness suffocated her with its unexplainable rage. The tips of her fingers started to grow cold sending her into a shivering fit. The child looked down at her briefly before climbing back into the park. Aqua forced herself to stand and follow them. This Darkness was too strong, too furious. The Heartless would surely come, and the kid would be left defenseless in this area.

Aqua stumbled across the railings and quickly crossed the distance between her and the kid. She grabbed their arm and pulled them into a tight hug, which made the latter tense at the unwanted body contact. "I'm sorry. It wasn't my place to say all that. I was just worried for you. You woke up in a world like this, all alone and confused, and here I was looking for answers from you, when you have the same questions as I do."

She bent down to their level and pushed some strands of hair away from the kids face to reveal tear filled eyes. Their lips trembled as they avoided any more prolonged contact with Aqua. The Darkness grew even colder - Afraid. "I know it's scary, not knowing anything and waking up here, but I'm here now. I'll keep you safe. I promise. I'll help you find yourself again. If we can't I'll help you start all over again. We'll go together."

The child's eyes snapped towards her. "Together…"

Aqua nodded. "Yes, together." She reached out her hand for the child to take this time, and the latter looked down at it. They shakenly reached out to hold Aqua's hand but they stopped halfway. Aqua looked up to the kid as they pulled their hand back.

"I can't leave," they said.

"Of course you can… You and I will. We're not supposed to be here, both of us."

The child slapped Aqua's hand away. "Stop acting like you know me! Leave me alone!" They ran a great length across the park before they fell on the knees, trembling and clutching their head.

The Darkness pulsed in almost complete sync with the child's hiccups. Aqua placed a hand on the kids back and tried to help them up. She was met with another angry outcry. "Stay away!"

A massive wave of emotions phased through Aqua that sent her thoughts all over the place.

First it was anger, then it was grief, overwhelming guilt, then the hate.

She had the strongest urge to fight and rampage. To let lose all these emotions out in the open and let it wreak havoc. She wanted to take back everything that was stolen from her by any means necessary. If she had to burn a world for it, she'll do anything, anything to get them back. She'll do anything to get it all back.

Aqua breathed as the Darkness let her go. She held her chest to calm herself down and regain her bearings, sorting out her true emotions and those that were not. This was… new. The Darkness never influenced her thoughts this much before. If it stayed in her heart and mind for longer, she would have fallen, and corrupted.

Aqua's attention snapped to the child. If she was affected by this wave of Darkness then they should also be too. "Kid!" she cried as the child, who lay unconscious on the floor, was now covered in a familiar blanket of purple energy.

Aqua called for her blade and immediately cast a healing spell on her small companion. Green light overlaid the purple glow until both dissipated. She let out a sigh of relief when the child seemed to stir a bit in their state.

The darkness stirred around her at the same time. It felt somehow calmer than the last unprecedented attack. Aqua watched the child, curious, and reluctantly probed against the dark. She focused her attention around the child and was surprised to feel the same muted silent darkness around them.

She pulled her hand back, terrified. Who was this kid?

Flashes of dark purple light pulled Aqua out of her thoughts and into defensive mode. She sent a large wave of magic to push back the heartless circling around them and quickly picked up the child in her arms. Even though she questioned the child's identity and their connection to the Darkness, she could never, in good faith, leave them to die here.

A hoard of elemental Heartless blocked their only exit and fired simultaneous spells towards them. Aqua dodged right and quickly raised a barrier around her. She cast another barrier over the first one after an earth core almost broke through it. She threw the barrier out, slamming its hardened glass surfaces on the weaker enemies which vanished into darkness upon contact.

Aqua blocked a Fluttering's winged blade with the body of Master's Defender, but was unfortunately thrown back by a speeding Fat Body. Aqua cried as she was thrown towards the railing while the kid skidded across the grass.

An elemental shot a fireball towards the kid and Aqua immediately sprung a barrier around them. Aqua dashed towards the elementals and quickly got rid of them. She slid inside the barrier then placed a hand on the kid's shoulder, whose eyes fluttered open.

The kid cried, panicked, after a Fat Body smashed its belly into the barrier, then turned to Aqua, confused.

"Our luck ran out. We need to get out of here. Can you stand?"

The kid frowned, studying the enemies that continued to hack its way into the barrier and bit their lip. They looked guilty about something, and Aqua had a vague idea why. She crouched down in front of them and said, "It's okay. We'll be fine. I promised to keep you safe right?"

The child nodded.

"Good. To get out of here, you'll have to follow what I say, do you understand?" The child's mouth quivered, but nodded nonetheless. "When I drop this barrier, I'll send them as far as I can while you run. Find a place to hide and stay there. Once I clear them, I'll come find you."

They tilted their head as though to ask how.

Aqua smiled. "I'm sure you'll think of something." She raised her keyblade and gathered magic at the tip. "Ready?"

The child stared at the keyblade for a moment before they kneeled on one leg, prepared to run at Aqua's signal. They caught Aqua's eyes nodded firmly.

Aqua pushed the barrier out and the Heartless began their assault. Aqua cast a vortex of wind over her head, sucking nearby enemies towards the center of the small cyclone.

The child ducked low and ran forward, rushing towards the tunnel that opened into the marketplace. They jumped over shadows scampering on the ground and dodged. They tripped on their own legs when a hoard of yellow eyes shadows emerged from the exit and blocked their way out. The pillar of shadows dove for them, but missed when the latter rolled to the side and tried to jump over the railing.

An endless darkness greeted them from below, and the child cursed. No way out. "ARGH!" they screamed when a shadow swiped its jagged claws across their arm.

Aqua cast another barrier at the child but was interrupted by an attack from behind. She captured shadows inside the barrier instead, which, either way, saved the kid from dying. Annoyed by their growing number, Aqua swung her blade in a circle then flipped high into the air. She gathered magic at the tip of her weapon while pointing it to as many Heartless as she could. Once at max capacity, Aqua shot a salvo of rainbow-colored orbs towards their numbers. One by one the Heartless retreated. She dropped back to the ground and twirled in a pirouette to redirect the remaining magic she had left towards the wall of pillar of shadow blocking the child's path.

The lengthy pole shattered into hundreds of smaller shadows, and Aqua cried. "Keep going!"

The child picked themselves up, cradling their wounded arm close and headed for the tunnel. They briefly stopped to look over their shoulder at Aqua, worried. Aqua cut through another Heartless and was thrown back by a counter attack. The child curled their hands into a fist, frustrated with their own powerlessness, and ran.

As soon as the child left, the Darkness around her grew lighter and calmer. The Heartless oddly retreated on their own, while others seemed at a complete loss on what to do. Intrigued as she may be with their unusual behavior, Aqua finished them off. After the last one vanished in a puff of smoke Aqua dismissed her blade and looked around.

The Darkness returned to being deadly silent again. She frowned. Something is definitely going on here, and that child was involved with it somehow.

Aqua found the child in the same house she'd found the photographs and green diary in. She spotted one of their flower pots in front and spotted them boxed off like a scared kitten underneath the staircase. There was a first aid box laid out in front of them with tissues blotched in blood.

They tried to heal themselves. Aqua wistfully and carefully sat beside them. The kid flinched at her proximity but didn't raise their head. They mumbled out a soft apology.

"It's not your fault," she said.

The child sniffed and slowly lifted their head while their lip trembled, too afraid to say something. "Don't force yourself. It's been a rough day. I can wait till you're ready. How's the arm?"

They fiddled with their sleeves, and winced when they pulled it up. There were three swollen gashes on their upper arm, and smaller cuts all over. "Nothing a little magic can't fix," she assured them and cast a healing spell.

A faint glow of green and gold covered them as pure energy coursed through their body to give them new life. The cut in their arm mended itself and left a smooth patch of skin behind. The kid looked up to Aqua gratefully, yet once again did not say it aloud

"We should both get rest," Aqua said while she pulled her arms up. She'd already hit her limit. "I bet there are some beds upstairs."

The child glanced up the stairs and guided Aqua towards a room in the middle. When they opened the door, a small mischievous smile graced the child's face. Aqua frowned at the child sized bedding and sighed. "Beggars can't be choosers."


Aqua jolted awake when the ground violently shook beneath her. Brittle dust rained over her from the hanging lights and floral vases that swayed with the momentum. A building crumbled outside, and the state of a ruined world dawned on her.

This world's time was over.

Aqua quickly ran for the child's room to escort them out, but was shocked to find them missing. Their bed was hardly slept on. They ran away from her. Cursing herself and the child's stubbornness, Aqua bolted for the door. She stopped just before she could exit the front door and glanced at the green book on the table.

She grabbed it without second thought then jumped through the door before the building fell on top of her. Aqua rolled down several steps before she could catch herself to stand. Ignoring the blisters, cuts, and bruises on her limbs, Aqua leapt to the roof for a better vantage point.

A large portion of the town's outskirts have already returned to darkness, while the rest was in the process of breaking down. The clock tower rang loudly, calling Aqua's attention towards it. She needed to find the kid fast. She couldn't be sure if the Darkness would be kind enough to drop them in the same world once it's changed.

The upper half of the lighthouse broke and fell off into the abyss while Aqua leapt off to the avenue. She quickly made her way into the marketplace and was greeted by a single shadow Heartless blocking the only way into it. She held the keyblade close to her side and took small, cautious steps towards the enemy. Something about it felt different...

Help.

Aqua's eyes grew at the sudden voice in her head and whipped around looking for a child. The voice didn't sound like her companion and was a pitch higher.

Help them.

Aqua's breath hitched and slowly turned her attention to the shadow creature with eerie golden-yellow orbs for eyes. She didn't want to believe it, but the longer Aqua stared at it, the more she felt like this Heartless was the one calling to her.

The shadows antennae twitched and the darkness around them suddenly felt different. It wasn't that burning hot sensation whenever the Darkness was in frenzy, but that empty silence that greeted her when she entered this world.

A wave of loneliness brushed past her heart, attempting to influence her again, which reminded her of earlier - when the child got angry. Much like her, the child's imprisonment in the Realm of Darkness allowed them some form of control over it. It was much more than what she could do, but she was not certain if the child was aware of it.

Did they send this message to her? She stared at the Heartless again and dismissed her blade in good faith. "Do you know where they are?"

The fountain. Save them.

Aqua ran past the Heartless, which made no attempt to move, and silently thanked it. More Heartless appeared in the market but she didn't bother to take the time to finish them all. After she cleared half of them, an electrifying static energy pricked the back of her neck.

A large mass of shadow dashed from her left and Aqua fired a quick succession of fireballs at it. She was thrown back by an almost invisible force over the ledge and crashed into a mountain of crates.

She pushed herself upright, and ran for the long stairwell that led to the fountain plaza; eyes still peeled for the hidden enemy. The static crackled behind her ear again, and Aqua dodged on instinct.

Red glowing eyes snapped towards her and jumped towards the buildings, hiding once again. Aqua raced the enemy to the top, her attention glued unto the red orbs in the darkness. The Heartless charged at her from behind and Aqua protected herself with a barrier, which she sent out to retaliate.

The polygonal shaped attack bounced off like rain over an umbrella because of the enemy's insane speed. Aqua cried out as the enemy hit her once, and twice, and then sent her rolling back down the foot of the stairs.

She cast a cure on herself and stood her ground. If that thing wasn't going to let her pass through, then she'd kill it first. The moment the creature rushed to her location, Aqua teleported out of the way and fired an offensive trap. Several magic circles appeared on the ground next to her, and she waited for the Heartless to come take the bait.

The Heartless charged from the front and Aqua jumped away out of the way. Explosions forced the creature back, and dispelled some of the shadows that cloaked the rest of its massive body. Flashes of white light sparked underneath the shadow creature which burst into a pillar of light. The creature howls upon receiving damage, and Aqua disappears in a flicker of light. She reappears with another spark and slams her weapon unto the creature. Aqua attempted to disappear for the third time but was smashed to the side.

The Heartless charged forward and Aqua teleported behind it and fired a few spells. The creature dashed to meet her head-on again, and Aqua ported behind it again slashing her blade across its body.

The Heartless roared and dispelled its hide to reveal a large black and dark purple Heartless with blue markings etched on its face and body and a jagged mouth. Dark magenta spikes ran down its back and large chains hung from its clawed forelegs.

Aqua recognized this Heartless. She's faced this type of Heartless before. It was difficult to take down, but not impossible. Once the Dark Hide leapt with its claws for the attack, Aqua fired three quick fireballs towards it then followed it with a blast of lightning. Aqua pirouetted in the air and summoned a thin layer of ice around her as she spun. Sheets of ice encased the enemy before Aqua sent it flying.

Aqua activated Spell Weaver and rapidly landed six slashes unto the enemy. She summoned large ice crystals in the space between her and the Heartless as the latter spun with fire on its skin. The crystals shattered on Aqua's command and sent both her and the Dark Hide in opposite directions.

A trail of white fog separated them from each other as fire met ice in the air. The Dark Hide roared in anger and immediately got back on its feet to tackle Aqua out.

Aqua rolled out of the way and raised a barrier. The Dark Hide swiped the homing spell viciously to the side and spun around with fire. Aqua took a step back, burning the hems of clothes and singing a bit of her skin. She quickly healed herself then followed with a flurry of thunder spells, and multiple parries of reprisal attacks.

She cast a spell and managed to capture the Dark Hide. Time seemingly slowed around her, and Aqua teleported into multiple points around the Heartless to strike it as much and as hard as she can. She threw out a powerful lightning spell and let a surge of green energy flow through her.

As soon as the drive form kicked in, Aqua pirouetted on her left foot and raised her keyblade for another quick barrage of physical attacks.

The Dark Hide bound towards her with great speed, prompting Aqua to plant another set of explosive traps before it. The Heartless dodged them completely and met the keyblade head on. Aqua threw the Heartless into the and teleported directly above. She smashed it back down to the ground. She pointed her blade at the enemy and called forth spikes of energy that pierced through the Dark Hide's skin, stopping its movement completely. The energy burst in a powerful shock wave which sent Aqua back a couple of steps back.

The Dark Hide cried. It seemed to multiply when its eyes suddenly appeared in more than one place. It lunged for Aqua, who dodged accordingly, then started running in circles around her. Red, green, and purple streaks of light trapped Aqua inside a small ring that showed disorienting after-images of the Heartless. Aqua waited for the Dark Hide to pounce but was too slow to catch it.

She got hit thrice, prompting another healing spell to get herself back on her feet. Fully expecting the same dash-and-run technique, Aqua waited for their move then cart-wheeled her way out of every attack. When the colored rings disappeared, Aqua turned her to the sky and was sent back to the bottom of the stairwell again after the creature slammed its weight to the ground.

The Dark Hide rushed after her from multiple sides at a terrifying burst of speed, leaving after images in its wake. Aqua raised a barrier around her, but could only keep it up for a bit because the continued force applied against it was too much.

Aqua rolled to the side before it could break then fired an onslaught of fire attacks, which seemed to faze the Heartless for just a second. She kept on throwing flame based spells like she was dancing on fire herself. With every hack and slash of her blade, the beast retaliated with fire of their own. Soon enough the Dark Hide hit its limit and dissolved back into darkness, crying out as it did.

Aqua fell to her knees, exhausted from overexerting her magic and stamina, while the Darkness also seeped away from her energy to form the next world. Black circles around her sight pulled her to sleep but Aqua fought to stay awake

She needed to find the kid. She needed to help them.

"Just a few more," she said, "a few more, please."

Aqua forced herself to climb the long flight of stairs and fell forward upon reaching the end, far too spent to move a single muscle. Her eyes fluttered over the fountain, where the kid knelt in front of a familiar Shadow.

"It's going away," they cried. "It's…. dying, b - because of me. It's all my fault… Chirity – I –"

The Heartless' antenna twitched and a burst of Darkness flew out from its center, cracking the floors beneath them. The child screamed, pained and agonizing, as Aqua too was eaten and dragged down into the abyss.

Once there was something, now there nothing.


A/N: Oh my god. This chapter took so long to re-write. Consider this an apology confession. I actually have this written as a one-shot initially but I couldn't stomach 14k+ words in a single chapter so I divided it into five, but silly dumb me, somehow deleted everything she wrote for what happens after the newly intended chapter 1. And while I remember how the story progression goes, I had to start from scratch. And so here we are. Like months late from update. I'm so, so sorry. I also had to re-write this chapter like three times because I wasn't happy with the tone I had going, this one is the closest I have to being happy with because of the fight in the end. I freaking hate writing fight scene but I like how this turned out.

Let's play a little game shall we, can you, my dear readers, figure out which magic attacks I have Aqua use? Save of course for the drive forms. This should be easy. Next chapter should be up whenever I finish it, but it should be soon. So review and follow/favorite to get your updates steamy hot, hot, hot. Thank you for all the reviews for the first chapter btw, they have greatly motivated me to finish this story.

Sushi Out!