There were few things Aqua was afraid of, especially after spending more than a decade in the Realm of Darkness. Darkness was not one of them, at least, not anymore. Years and years ago, her master instilled a fear of the darkness, drilling in its evils as hard as he could. Heights weren't exactly something she feared, either. She feared what heights could bring—falling.
Falling was unpleasant, leaving her stomach high above her, yet, still churning in her belly. Falling brought the possibility of crashing on hard earth or painful waters below. The armor helped soften the sharp winds that would have buffeted her face. She didn't like the unknown that came with falling. Whether it as an easy landing or one that would end with… just that.
Beside her, Ven reached for her. She used a burst of magic to grab for him, just barely touching his fingertips before he fell out of her reach, screaming as he was pulled into the darkness below. She turned to Riku, who still fell only a short way above her. She wasn't going to be separated from all of them. She raised her blade, casting Magnet to pull herself and Riku to each other. He yelped as the Magnet spun then, knocking them around. She gripped the boy, holding onto his arm tightly as the spell wore off. As He held onto her she could feel his fingers digging into the chinks in her armor. He was panicking.
It was something she'd never seen from him. She'd seen in plenty in Sora, but Riku always tried to be strong. He refused to show fear or weakness and now, with Kairi having fell before them, the separation sent him into a frenzy.
"Kairi!" he yelled. "We have to get her!"
"We will!" Aqua assured him, looking down as the ground neared them. She prepared to cast reflect to protect them from the blow. "We'll find them! Calm down! Okay? Stay close!" She pulled him in as they twisted into a dive.
He wrapped his arms around her and suddenly, it was dark. The wind was silenced and she felt a pressure, which helped calm the sensation of falling. She gripped the boy tightly, knowing the earth was close. There was an impact, of course. A hard one. But, the darkness Riku wrapped them in absorbed the blow, cushioning their landing. When the dust settle, the darkness pulled back, and Aqua rolled away from Riku.
They were able to walk away from this fall unscathed. Panting, she turned to face the exhausted boy who saved them. The fall had created a crater in this patch of land, deep enough that the earth beneath them began to crumble. She grabbed Riku and pulled him from the loose gravel as it fell away. Where he sat was now a gaping hole, falling into dark nothing. They climbed out of the crater to more solid land before collapsing, relief knocking all of the air from Aqua's lungs.
They'd survived the fall. If she knew her friends, she knew they would be just fine as well. They were strong. Aqua watched Riku pull himself to his feet, clearly struggling to stay up on his own. She imagined the magic he had put into that cocoon of darkness would have wiped him out. He pulled off his helmet, looking around. She would take a minute to do that, too. Once she could get her bearings, that is. Everything was still spinning.
"Kairi!" he called, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Kairi, answer me!"
Silence pressed around them. Aqua sat up, taking in their surroundings. She couldn't sense anyone anywhere near them. All she could feel was… darkness. And it wasn't the same darkness in the Realm of Darkness. From the same source, yes. But this darkness felt… absolute. Not the kind Riku depended on to protect his friends. Not even the same kind that took her friend, the boy she had grown up with. This was worse than all that.
Standing up, she could see it in Riku. Darkness clung to him, pushing itself into his wide-open heart. She gasped, grabbing his helmet. "Put this back on," she instructed as she shoved it over his head. He struggled for a moment, not quite understanding.
"It's dangerous," she explained. "This is the sort of darkness that will pollute your heart. Your armor will protect you."
"As best it can, anyway," he pointed to a few cracks in his chest plate and forearm bracer. "Think you'll be okay?"
Aqua checked herself over. There was a chunk missing from her shoulder and she knew her back had a cracked dent in it. She could feel it pressing into her shoulder blade. "It's cracked, but it should protect us well enough. We have to clear the air and fast."
"By sealing the Final Keyhole," Riku nodded.
"Hopefully, that will do it." Aqua walked over to the ledge, looking down at the pitch sphere beneath them. Seeing this… she hadn't anticipated it. She thought maybe Radiant Garden was at the center of the vortex, not… whatever that was. "You saw it, right? Think we can find it in this mess?"
"Maybe if we head towards that light," Riku suggested. Aqua followed his finger that pointed in another direction. In the distance, she could see a glimmer of light. For a moment, she thought Sora! But it couldn't be him. This wasn't the same as the light she had seen radiating from him in the Realm of Darkness. Yes, it was like a star on a cloudy night, but she didn't think Sora's light could shine as brightly here. It wasn't the Realm of Darkness.
Sora… she prayed he was safe. He had discarded his helmet as soon as the Organization had shown up. If he was without the protection of his armor, what was going to happen to him? Would his light be able to fend off the darkness that would try to consume it? She had to believe in him. She had to believe he was strong enough to fight the darkness and win.
Together, her and Riku began to move. It was slow and arduous, much like their wanderings in the Realm of Darkness. They had to jump from one patch of land to another and it was exhausting. Riku would call for Kairi, not able to forgive himself for letting her out of his grasp.
Riku sort of reminded her of Sora in a way… it seemed he, too, had a separation anxiety of sorts. Sora was definitely unable to handle being separated from Aqua or DiZ for too long. Being with them for his entire life, he couldn't handle the stress of the unknown. DiZ surmised it had to do with before Sora was found. He was alone in the darkness for an unknown amount of time. Sora equated Aqua and DiZ leaving to being abandoned and left alone once more. And Sora most certainly could not handle being alone (oh, boy—Aqua had to find him and soon).
Riku and Kairi could be separated, sure. They'd gone on separate mission with Donald and Goofy and they got on just fine. But it seemed when Riku was uncertain of Kairi's safety that was when the anxiety set in. He needed to know she was going to be okay. He needed to know she was safe and alive otherwise, he began to panic.
The eerie silence unnerved Aqua. Riku's shouts were welcome to break it, but wasting energy wasn't something they should be doing. The fact that Heartless were nonexistent here set off alarms. What exactly was this place of darkness where not even the Heartless would tread?
Eventually, the two of them needed a break. The light in the distance stayed right where it was—in the distance. It seemed to stay at a fixed point and she wasn't sure exactly what it was. But she knew if their friends had seen it, they, too, would follow it. So, eventually, they would cross paths or meet at the light.
Riku was reluctant to sleep. But this place wasn't the Realm of Darkness. They didn't need to sleep in cycles or for anyone to stay up and keep watch. Aqua and Riku slept for a short time—nerves kept their senses on alert and the slightest movement woke Aqua. They maybe slept a few hours before they began walking again. But it was enough to reinvigorate them and get them moving at a faster pace.
It was when they settled to sleep for a second round that they found another sign of life. Looking up at the floating debris above her, Aqua noticed one with nothing but a tree, roots dangling beneath the dirt, and a leg hanging over the edge. The color of the boot… gray and black—Ventus! She pushed herself up, jumping and using double-flight to get to the tree. She landed in the grass in front of the boy, kneeling in front of him.
It was Ven! He was here! He was alive! She barely registered Riku landing behind her as she took Ven gently around the back of his neck, shaking him a little. "Ven? Ven, are you okay?"
"Uh, Aqua," Riku rounded to the side of the tree. Her tunnel vision had prevented her from seeing the other boy leaning against the tree, also sleeping. "I don't think that's Ven."
She leaned to her left to get a better look. She froze when she saw the tuff of blonde hair and the soft, boyish features of her friend as he slept. The boy she shook was awakening, yawning and stretching. If Ven was there, then…
"Aqua…" Sora leaned forward against her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her. He yawned again, never quite the one to jump out of bed after waking up. "You found us."
"Sora?" Riku inquired as he crouched in front of Ven. "Where's Ven?"
Panic rose in Aqua's throat. What did he mean? Ven was right there in front of them! He couldn't have… not again, right?
"Safe," Sora pulled away from Aqua to look between her and Riku. "He's okay, I promise. He just needed a shelter for a little while." Sora stopped, grabbing Aqua by her elbows, clearly sensing her distress. "He gave me his armor because mine broke. The darkness was swallowing his heart without it to protect him. He's okay Aqua. I promise. When he's strong enough to be on his own again, I'll let him go." She could practically see his bright, reassuring grin behind the mask.
"It's not like last time. We know where he is and I know how to release him. It might take a little bit for his heart to repair itself, but I'll help him along like last time. And it won't take another decade." He laughed. "Maybe a week or so. Once we get out of here."
"Are you sure?" Aqua asked, holding on to the boy tightly.
Sora nodded. "Definitely. It's not that bad. He'll be just fine, I promise."
Aqua trusted Sora more than she had trusted anybody in her life. She trusted him more than she had her own Master. Not because he had done anything in particular to earn it, but he was just so honest, it was hard not to put all of her faith in him. When they were in the Realm of Darkness and he promised he would get them out of there, she didn't want to believe him. But that grin… she couldn't help it. Sora had always been her beacon of hope.
And she supposed not without reason. He did get them out of the Realm of Darkness. He had woken up her friend that had been sleeping for so long. She, for some reason, believed he had the power to free her friend from Xehanort's grasp. But how?
DiZ once told her he believed Sora could save everyone from the hurt. All he had to do was be himself. Was that enough to save Terra?
So, once again, Aqua trusted Sora with Ven's heart.
"You haven't seen Kairi, have you?" Riku asked. Sora pointed to the light. Aqua furrowed her brows, not quite sure she followed. "She's there?"
"That is her," Sora said. "Her light is so pure, it cuts through the darkness."
"Then why aren't we getting any closer?" Riku asked, frustration in his tone.
"Because she's moving," Sora explained. "Which means she's okay. It also makes it really annoying because we're moving at the same pace as her, so we'll never catch up."
The three of them looked towards the last member of their party. Aqua wished there was some way to contact her and tell her to stay put. It would help them a great deal and would ensure they all stayed together. It was even a miracle that the four of them had met so soon in this vast realm. With Kairi so far off and constantly moving, Aqua wondered how long it would take to catch up.
The three of them rested before heading out again. Sora hitched Ven onto his back, content with carrying the extra weight. Then again Ven didn't really weigh that much, which Aqua could certain attest to. Still, it made their travel slower, even with Sora's extra agility which lent to moving the other much easier than if Aqua or Riku carried him.
It took them three more rests until they'd finally caught up to her. She stood before a freestanding heart-shaped mechanism that shone green, red, and blue. Her armor was hanging off of her in pieces, her hair was pulled back into a tangled mess, and fresh wounds cut into her skin. She held her borrowed Keyblade, her back to them as they approached.
Riku practically flew at her. He called her name, warning her of his incoming as he threw his arms around her. Aqua was glad to see she was safe, though wondered how she had gotten hurt. Sora set Ven down, leaning him against a control panel.
"Kairi," Riku awkwardly fumbled for words as he pulled away from her. She laughed, putting a hand on her hip to smirk at him.
"Aw, were you lost without me?" she teased.
"No, I—"
"No, no. It's okay. While you were hopelessly wandering the darkness, I sealed the Keyhole." Her smile faded, turning back to the mechanism. "But… I guess it wasn't the source of all this darkness. It helped some, but…" she holstered the blade, crossing her arms. "It's still here. And nothing's been restored."
"So, that means…" Riku started, waiting for someone to fill in the gaps. If the Final Keyhole had been sealed and the darkness still choked the World, then what exactly was the source of it all? Something around here, most certainly. Just… what was it?
"Oh," Aqua walked to the edge of the mound they stood on, looking down into the darkness. Sora followed up behind her, following her gaze.
"You think it's down there?" he asked.
"It makes sense," Aqua nodded. "It's the center of all of this." Oh, boy. This meant more falling. Again, she couldn't see what was at the bottom of it all. She wasn't sure if she would even land or even if this was possible to survive that kind of darkness.
"Sora," Aqua turned, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Stay with Riku and Kairi. Watch after Ven for me, okay?"
Sora laughed. Why did he always have to do that? Why could he just listen to her when it came to things like this? She couldn't bear to see him get hurt. She didn't know what she was going to be getting into and she didn't want him anywhere near this. He was starting to sound like Ven: defiant and recklessly impulsive.
"Sora, please!" she pleaded.
Sora, of course, wouldn't hear a word of it. He crossed over to the sleeping boy, hoisting him onto his back once more as he turned to Riku and Kairi. "Ready?"
"For… uh… what exactly?" Riku asked.
Sora shrugged. "Who knows?"
"Then, definitely yes." Kairi clenched a fist with determination.
"Alright!" Sora waved at arm, beckoning the two of them. "Then let's go!" He ran, leaping over the edge to fall into the darkness. Riku and Kairi grabbed one another's hands as they ran after him. Aqua shook her head, following them.
How could she call herself a Keyblade Master when her students wouldn't even listen to her? She clearly had zero command over them. Why did she even bother trying to tell them to stay out of danger?
This descent was different. It was slow, steady, and familiar. She felt a sense of dread wash over her as she remembered her descent into the Realm of Darkness. It was much like this, the darkness pressing around her once again in it's cool embrace.
But it wasn't the Realm of Darkness they landed in. They touched down, standing before a massively ornate white door that stood open, darkness pouring from within. Sora was already approaching it, bent over with the weight of the body he held. He jumped back as Heartless darted out, fading into the darkness around them.
"I think we found the source," Sora called back to them.
"Well, let's close it!" Kairi ran ahead, Riku on her heels.
Sora set Ven down on the soft snow. Aqua knelt down, brushing hair from the blonde's face as he slept. It was almost over. And he'd be able to wake up and hopefully never have to go back to sleep. She looked up at Sora who dismissed the armor, setting the shoulder guard in Ven's hand.
"Sora—"
"It's okay here," Sora looked around. "It's… an inbetween world. Surrounded by a thick layer of darkness. It should let up when we close the door."
Aqua pulled off her helmet, understanding what he meant. It was like breathing fresh air after being trapped in a small room for days. The darkness no longer pressed against her, which brought nothing but relief.
"Hey, guys!" Riku called. "We could use some help. This door is kinda heavy."
Sora and Aqua ran over to it, throwing their weight against it. Aqua pushed the right door with Riku as Sora pushed the left with Kairi. Their combined strength wasn't even enough to make it budge. Aqua's feet dug into the ground, pushing and pushing until they realized it was no use.
Riku took a step back, looking up. Realization seemed to have dawned on him. "There needs to be a key on both sides." He breathed.
"What?" Aqua wasn't sure she heard him correctly. Before she could stop him, Riku ran through the open door, summoning his Keyblade.
"Riku, what are you—" Kairi started. The doors began to close.
"Hey," a voice from the other side said. A hand darted out, grabbing the door to pull. "Come on. I know a couple of Keyblade Masters can close one lousy door."
"Cloud!" Kairi cried.
Too many things were happening at once. The doors were actually closing and, just as they caught a slim glimpse of Riku and the man with a red cloak, Sora slipped through the crack. Aqua reached for him, trying to stop him. No. No, he couldn't go through. Neither of them should. All three of them should be on this side. That side was… They were going to….
Sora grinned at Aqua as he slipped out of her grasp. "Someone has to show them around," he laughed. "Lock the door behind us, okay?"
Aqua felt hot tears burn her eyes as the doors finally shut. She pulled out the Keyblade she had inherited, raising it high above her head. She had to do this. She had to lock them behind the door. It was the only way to close it for good.
Her Keyblade glowed. There was a loud locking noise. The door disappeared in a shower of light and before them laid a path towards infinite darkness.
"No…" Kairi shook her head, looking up at where the door was. "No, they can't just… Aqua, where did they go?!"
Her throat squeezed as hot tears ran down her cheeks. She'd lost him and who knows for how long. The boy she'd taken as a student. The boy she trusted with every secret and every plan. The boy she thought of as a little brother and her best friend.
"The Realm of Darkness," Aqua whispered. "That was a door… that lead to the Realm of Darkness. Where Kingdom Hearts resides."
Kairi twisted to face her. "What?"
"They were trying to use the power of two different Kingdom Hearts." Aqua explained as she walked over to Ven, hoisting him onto her back. "When they realized trying to pull Kingdom Hearts from the Dark Realm wouldn't work, they decided to try to make their own using the hearts of men. The Kingdom Hearts in their world that is still incomplete."
"What about the Kingdom Hearts you saw?" Kairi asked. "The one the χ-blade summoned."
"That is the true Kingdom Hearts." Aqua figured. She couldn't be certain, but maybe that was it. "Ven sabatoged his plan. He needed a force of light and a force of darkness to clash and… well, Ven shattered his own heart to make sure Xehanort couldn't use the χ-blade."
Kairi turned back to the path, where the door had once stood. "… Are they going to be okay?"
Aqua, to be honest, had no idea. But Kairi was worried. She was scared she might have lost her friends for good. Aqua smiled, walking up to her. "They'll be just fine. They have Sora, who knows that Realm well. They'll come back."
Kairi heaved a sigh. As Aqua approached her, the ground beneath them shifted, the snow melting into sand. Kairi almost lost her balance, as earth broke free from the platform they stood on. Aqua caught her as she steadied herself. The sand around them grew, pulling them away from the darkness where the door once stood.
Kairi cupped her hands around her mouth as she yelled, "You boys better come back, you hear me?!"
There was no way for them to hear her, beyond that door that had already vanished, but Aqua had faith Sora could bring them home, much like he brought herself and DiZ back from the darkness. Perhaps that was why Sora followed Riku through the door? To make sure he and Cloud had made it back safely?
Blue lights begun to rain down on them. Beyond the horizon, there was a burst of light. Around them, palm trees popped into existence, like a pop-up book. Kairi stepped back as water lapped at her feet. Aqua took in the distantly familiar landscape, recognizing it as Destiny Island. The lone survivor of this world was being brought home as it was pulled from its place in the darkness.
The two watched in amazement as the brilliant lights brought the rest of the world back. Aqua chuckled, jostling Ven, who still slept on her back. "You really should see this, Ven. It's the most beautiful meteor shower I've ever seen."
She remembered his love of the stars. How she knew he'd be outside the moment a star streaked across the sky. If there were a hint of a falling star, he'd be on that cliff for the best view. Many times, she'd find him sleeping outside when he left to stargaze. Astronomy was his favorite subject and possibly was the one thing that got his attention more than training.
"I guess…" Kairi chewed her lip. "We're stuck here for a while, huh?"
"I'm sure your friends will find us," Aqua assured her. "Mickey, Donald, and Goofy should be realizing the stars are coming back. And I think the first place they'll think to look for you is here."
"We didn't even…" Kairi hugged herself. "We didn't even tell them where we were going. After everything we've been through, we just couldn't… we couldn't drag them into this mission."
"I understand." Truth be told, more people would have complicated things. They had been separated. More bodies to hunt down would have made things more difficult. There was just enough of them and a light bright enough to guide them. And, since the three of them didn't have armor to protect them, they might not have made it out of that place intact. It was safer for them to be left out.
"What do we do now?" Kairi asked, turning to Aqua like she had so many times.
Aqua never saw herself as a leader. When the role was thrust upon her, she was certain she wasn't doing too well with it. She was uncertain about many things and being seen as someone with all the answers put so much pressure on her. Kairi seemed to have done well before Aqua showed up. Maybe she should hand things back over to her.
"For now… we need to find a place where Ven can sleep peacefully." Who knows how long he'd sleep for? Could Sora give him back his heart from the Realm of Darkness? "I can't take him back to the Land of Departure… er… Castle Oblivion." For obvious reasons, of course. Once they were able to leave this island, she planned to seize back her home from the Organization. She wasn't going to let them have it.
Then, Kairi smiled. "I think I know just the place."
This one's a bit long to make up for some of the shorter chapters. A lot happens in this one, but there's also a lot of time passing and no one wants to read about some wanderings in the dark, right?