a note from anne;;

in this story, at the time of birth by sleep, ven was fifteen, aqua was seventeen, and terra was nineteen, just to clear things up.

For all those countless years, Ventus had been dreaming and waiting.

Most of the time, he stood at his Station, staring wistfully at his Wayfinder and mourning the friends he had lost. At first he imagined them home again, rebuilding it, continuing life without him. But, after a while, he was struck with a peculiar vision, which spurned the endless cycle of dreams, memories, and flash-forwards.

Aqua was first. He saw her wandering along the shore of a dark, sullen beach, the gray waters frothing and illuminated rocks lining the sands. Her eyes, oh, her beautiful eyes! So crisp, so crystalline they had been! But, as he gazed upon her current face, those wonderful, stunning orbs were no longer there. Replaced by the flattest of sapphire hues, the most lifeless of shades. No spark of life in her stunningly blue gaze, not a touch of joy that had always been there when he had known her. Only despair. He gasped and reached towards her, but she didn't see him. Only held her Wayfinder tightly to her chest and bowed her head sorrowfully.

How did she get here? How could such a sweet, compassionate being end up in such a forsaken place? Ven gawked, watched her walk, even her steps appeared to be taken so hesitantly, as if she was forcing herself to continue! This could not be Aqua. She would be walking boldly, so confidently, with her head held high and her delicate eyebrows arched down in determination.

But he saw her impish nose, he saw her shell pink lips, he even saw her azure locks chopped short and spiked at the back of her head. Still so statuesque, still so elegant in every move she made, but melancholy, cheerless as her only emotion. She continued her sad trudge along the shore, while Ven ran after her, grabbing at her sashes and trying to get her attention. Finally he let out a cry of frustration.

Aqua froze.

"I-is anyone here?" She murmured, summoning…Master Keeper. Ventus staggered back a couple steps at the sight of his master's Keyblade. But the most shock to him was her voice. So heartbroken! It sounded as if she would collapse in sobs any moment, and that made the blond boy lean towards her, trying to grasp her hand. "Aqua…" He whispered despondently.

The young woman jerked her head to the side, and the slightest flash of hope in her eyes, just a prick, warmed Ventus at the sight. "Ven!" She cried, turning wildly around as if looking for him.

"Aqua!" The younger male grabbed at her arm, but came up fruitless. He slumped dejectedly.

"I'm not really here, Aqua. I don't know why you're here, either. But I…I don't want you to look so sad. Can you brighten up a bit? Just for me?"

Aqua looked as if she'd seen a ghost. Not a frightening ghost, though, not a creepy apparition in the dark. But the spirit of an old friend, a long deceased brother. A joyful, yet shocked expression. "Ven…don't go…don't leave me here." A tear trekked down her cheek, and she placed a trembling hand over her heart. "Please."

Ven yearned to wipe away the droplet of water on her radiant face, but he resisted. "I'm sorry…Aqua. I can't stay for long, but don't be sad. Keep fighting, and one day I'll be with you again."

The vision began to fade, and Aqua ran towards him, or probably where she thought his voice was coming from. "VEN!" She sobbed, sinking to her knees. Ventus stepped towards her, but then she was gone, her and the dark, somber beach. He was back at his station, confused as ever.

He saw no dream of Terra, which terrified him. He had known he should have asked Aqua of the man, but the woman's distressed state had overwhelmed him. What had happened to him that was so terrible that he could not be seen? Not be contacted? Not even a glimpse of his whereabouts? Of course the boy worried for his friend, but somewhere, deep inside, he knew Terra was still alive in some way.

Just like he was certain that one day he would one day escape this lonely prison and reunite with the both of them.

If only he could bury his face into Aqua's neck again, hold her close and apologize, apologize for all he had said to her back in Radiant Garden. He had been so fiercely loyal to Terra, that he had overlooked the grief in her eyes as she informed them of the Master's instructions. The bitter words had taken their toll, even though he had disregarded it then. The flash of agony that rolled through her gaze like a storm cloud had disappeared in similar fashions; not a trace of it left after it had run its course. Replaced by clear blue skies of gentle compassion.

He pitied Terra, as well. His bitterness towards Eraqus for not naming him a Master had weakened their bond; even so, it hadn't wrecked it completely. Aqua had told him that Master Eraqus had discovered Terra as a newborn child, barely alive, left carelessly on the frigid steps of the castle wrapped only in a threadbare blanket in the midst of Winter. The Master had always wanted children of his own, but by the time his dream of becoming a Keyblade Master had been achieved, there was simply no chance of that. So he took little Terra in, raised him as his own son with a firm yet kind hand and trained him in the art of Keyblade wielding. Five years later Aqua was added, a feminine touch to the household, though Terra had always playfully told her that things were much more fun before her. She had typically counteracted with 'Fun maybe, but clean? No Terra, when I first met you, I was genuinely frightened by your stench.'

Ventus had envied their bond himself, but they both made sure to completely include him in every way possible. Whenever they trained, even though they were more advanced in their wielding skills, they took the time to show him techniques that they used, even assuring him that once he reached their level, they would teach him how to perform spells and attacks themselves. They would go easy on him in duels, that is, until he caught up with them, then they sincerely just barely won. Except a few times when a triumphant Ventus had having a particularly lucky day.

Dodging and surprise attacks were Ven's specialty. Aqua was moderately good at it, but her strongpoint had always been spells and magical miscellanea. Terra was truly terrible with the agile side of fighting, instead relying on his brute strength to overwhelm his opponent. And usually that worked, but often times Ventus would outsmart him, like dive underneath a winning blow and counteract with a quick dash behind the bigger man. Terra was intelligent, that was for sure, but he was slow in terms of attacking. Unlike Aqua, he learned by doing, instead of spending night after night reading spellbooks and the like.

Once again trapped at his station, Ven took out his Wayfinder and held it tightly with both hands. "Aqua…Terra…one day we'll be together again. Promise."