Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

Pursuit

Chapter Five – of Revelry

As soon as the ship touched down at their destination Zack leaned his head back with a grateful sigh. "That wasn't so bad!"

Angelo gave an argumentative woof and wiggled free from Rinoa's hold in order to worm her way between the row of seats to the front of the cockpit where Terra was finishing up with the shut down sequence and Ven was waking from a light doze. The brown dog reared up on her hind legs to get a better view out the window, careful not to place her paws on the dash where there were countless buttons and switches. She barked excitedly and the men on either side of her suddenly tensed and looked to her as though they were both just then noticing the canine. "And just who are you?" Terra questioned, eying Angelo suspiciously.

Aqua rolled her eyes, her own doze wearing off as she sat forward. "Terra, don't tell me you're just now noticing the dog?"

Terra turned in his seat to glare at his wife, though his sour look didn't last long and his expression softened. "Things have been kind of chaotic." He had felt torn and guilty for not offering her any reassurance when she had seemed so shaken, but at the time their son had needed the comfort more. He held her gaze for a silent exchange and Aqua answered his concerned inquiry with a steady nod of her head, her sky blue eyes clear and bright. Terra smirked and nodded back, knowing his wife was fine, although it didn't surprise him, after all, she had been through much more trying events in the past. His attention was drawn back to the dog as Ven had begun laughing and writhing in his chair when Angelo assaulted the blond's face with a vigorous round of licks as though the keyblade master had been dunked in gravy.

"Her name's Angelo, Dad," Eraq informed his father matter-of-factly while attempting to lean forward against his seat strap and reaching for the dog earnestly. "She's really friendly!"

Terra raised a dubious brow as he watched the dog maul his friend. "Is that what you call it?" He thought he heard Rinoa and Aqua stifle a round of laughter but he didn't spare them a glance when he found himself face to face with the dog, and Terra had an uncomfortable moment as dark brown eyes studied him carefully. "Stay back, I don't need a bath."

Angelo tipped her head with a whine and sat down to stare at the dark haired man as though waiting patiently. Ven was beginning to recover from his hysterical laughter and had proceeded in attempting to wipe away a generous amount of slobber from his person. "Dad," Eraq admonished from behind and leaned around his mother as she worked at unfastening his seat belt. "She wants you to pet her, don't be rude!"

Aqua chuckled at the boy's wording and Terra raised a brow, barely taking his eyes off the creature currently staring him down. "Is it even possible to be rude to a dog?" As if in answer, Angelo placed one demanding paw on the armrest of Terra's chair and woofed softly, her brown tail wagging expectantly. "No licking." Terra charged her firmly and aimed a pointed finger at her before hesitantly moving his hand to give the canine a quick pat on the head.

As soon as Terra retracted his hand Angelo barked happily and darted back through the cockpit to Rinoa. "Don't worry Terra, she's only like that with certain... personalities," the dark haired woman told him, sending Ven a suggestive glance and a giggle. "Apparently Ven is one of those."

"Great," the blond muttered as he was still working at ridding himself of the slime. "Can we get going already? I've got things to do, places to be!" With one glance out the window at the countless rides and attractions it was quite possible he was contemplating plowing everyone down in his path to get outside.

"Then let's go!" Zack howled excitedly and was the first to disembark since he and Rinoa were the closest to the exit. She and Angelo trailed behind him at a more sedate pace and Aqua moved out of the way to allow Ven passage. She had learned long ago to stay out of his way when he felt like he was getting left behind. When she and Eraq finally made their way out of the ship, with Terra following right behind as he pushed one final button on the hull to close up the ramp, Aqua noted with a wry smile that Zack and Ven had already run off to the nearest attraction with all the bottled up exuberance of their inner teenagers.

Rinoa and Angelo were still nearby, both of them peering around at the chaotic mess of vibrant colors, music and noises of the surrounding town which had been converted into a constant festival year round. Aqua took stock of the area as well. Things had certainly changed since the last time she visited. There were so many more attractions and rides, not to mention some of them were just plain big, and there was no way her son was getting on any of those monstrosities. She instinctively pulled Eraq closer, though she looked down in question when she realized he had already been abnormally close. He was looking around at all the colorful activity with a reserved apprehension when he should have been beaming with excitement and tugging at her arm with an intent to run in every direction at once.

Frowning, Aqua knelt down to inquire. "Eraq, what's wrong?"

The boy took one more paranoid look around before turning his eyes on his mother. "What if he comes back?"

Aqua tipped her head in question but realization quickly dawned and she looked up to Terra briefly. "You mean Hades?" The boy shrugged and nodded and Aqua smiled reassuringly. "It's alright Eraq, we're in a different world now. It's safe here and he won't follow us."

Eraq kept his gaze locked on his mother, his mind absorbing her words though his expression didn't relax until his father knelt down and placed a hand on his head. "She's right Eraq, and I already told you, I won't let anyone hurt you, alright?" The boy nodded and his hold on his mother's hand relaxed as Rinoa and Angelo drew near.

"I think Angelo's ready for a passenger," Rinoa announced and gave the dog a silent command, to which Angelo woofed and lowered her front end in a play bow, her tail wagging excitedly. "Hop on Eraq!"

Aqua released her hold on him and Eraq instantly moved to engage the offer but he hesitated and turned back to his mother for permission. "Can I?"

She smiled and nodded, making a dismissive gesture, though she frowned as soon as he turned his back. Once again she felt a pang of frustration that her words alone hadn't been enough to placate her son's worries, that once again he required his father's reassurance in the end.

She hugged her torso and watched longingly as Eraq left her side. He was still so vulnerable..., and small. He still wasn't even three feet tall yet and couldn't weigh more than thirty pounds. She wondered how it was even possible for him to still be so small, especially considering who his father was. But both she and Terra had debated the matter and decided that he still just needed some time before he shot up like a weed. For the moment though, his small size was a boon, for otherwise his canine mount wouldn't be able to bear his weight.

The boy was currently listening to Rinoa's instructions before he tentatively threw one leg over the brown saddle and gently took two fistfuls of the dog's neck fur in his hands as purchase. He shrieked with delight when Angelo barked and stood up from her bow, hefting the small boy without too much trouble. Eraq laughed and clung tightly as his canine mount began trotting and romping around, circling Rinoa excitedly.

The sight brought a small smile to Aqua's lips, though her thoughts were still bothered, her countenance still dwindling, something that did not go unnoticed by her husband. She felt his tentative touch at her elbow and turned to see his concerned, cerulean orbs were watching her carefully. "What's wrong?"

She offered him another half-hearted smile and shook her head. "It's nothing, I'm fine." She didn't really think that would deter him but she couldn't exactly tell him how she was jealous of the confidence their son had in him, or that she resented the rift of such confidence that had opened up between her and the boy when she wasn't looking.

Terra looked like he was about to pursue the matter when Rinoa objectively cleared her throat nearby, the boy and the dog making all manner of noise behind her as Angelo tried to twist around to lick her rider's face. "Angelo and I can watch him for awhile if you want," Rinoa offered, giving the parents a sympathetic look. "You two seem like you need some time alone."

Aqua shared a look with Terra and they both nodded their compliance, though she was more hesitant. She was sure he would try and wheedle an answer out of her but at the same time she felt that maybe a little time away from her son would give her some time to think and clarify her frustrations. "Eraq, be good," she called after the departing trio. "And listen to Rin." She wasn't sure if the boy heard her as the noise of the attractions probably muffled her voice but she wasn't especially worried about him, since he was generally always obedient without having to be told beforehand.

"It's not nothing," Terra said, pulling her attention back to him. His arms were crossed over his chest stubbornly and his concerned gaze had melded with a curious determination. "Something's bothering you."

Aqua sighed in defeat and dropped her gaze from him momentarily; she would have to tell him something. She decided on a matter that had been nagging at the back of her mind, something she had yet to ponder over completely. "It's Hades," she half-lied, already feeling guilty and yet she wasn't ready to voice her concerns about Eraq yet. "Why would he threaten Eraq if he knew he couldn't follow us?"

Terra was silent for a moment, watching his wife closely, almost as if he had detected her façade for an instant. "I'm not so certain that was even a threat. I think he just likes to get under people's skin. He's demented like that. Besides, there's no way he could have followed us here."

Aqua nodded compliantly. It was true, out of all the many worlds, there was no way Hades would have guessed their destination. And even then, that was assuming he actually had been plotting something. Even Rinoa and Zack had brushed off the notion, and they had spent much more time in the god's presence over the years. She shook her head to clear it of any negativity. She'd had enough drama for one day. Fronting the brightest smile she could muster, Aqua reached out for her husband's hand and looked around briefly. "Where to first?" She felt a warm contentment flutter in her chest and wondered how long it had been since they had spent any alone time together.

Terra responded in like and grasped her hand with a grateful smile on his face, glad that his wife had finally retreated from her brooding thoughts. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving!" He promptly led the way to what he hoped was the food court. "And then I want to take Eraq on some rides. Especially that big one on that network of tracks over there."

Aqua thought for sure she felt herself pale visibly as her dark haired husband gestured toward the big metal monstrosity she had been cringing at earlier. "Oh no, Eraq isn't going anywhere near that death trap," she insisted firmly and pinned him with the most serious look she was capable of when he turned to her with a pout. "You know it will only scare him."

"Alright." Terra sighed in defeat and let his shoulders droop dramatically. What good was having a son if you weren't allowed to traumatize him every now and then? His eyes suddenly lit up with a sly glint. He would just have to settle for the next best thing. "I'll just have to take Ven and Zack then."

With a bright blue ice cream in one hand and Rinoa holding onto the other, Eraq walked along beside her, happily licking his treat as they perused by the many booths and games on either side of their path. Angelo trotted along with them, taking a much needed break from carrying the extra weight of the boy on her back.

They had spent a lot of time exploring and trying out various rides, but the one Eraq was especially fond of consisted of carts and crashing. He liked the carts and he liked the crashing, but most of all he liked being able to control the thing, although he didn't care for that uncomfortable helmet they made him wear... Now, as they made their way down the lane of booths, Eraq decided Rin was one of his new favorite people. She wasn't bossy like most grown ups and she even acted like a kid herself half the time. In fact, she reminded him a lot of Aerith back home, not to mention she had the greatest dog in the whole world! A thought suddenly occurred to him and he peered up to the dark haired woman with a hopeful expression. "Hey Rin?"

"Hm?" the woman responded distractedly and looked down to the boy with a smile. "What's up?"

"When we go back home, are you and Angelo going to live there from now on too?"

The boy's bright blue eyes glowed with sincere concern and Rin tipped her head, feeling her smile widen into a grin at his adorable expression. "I don't know yet. Maybe."

"Oh," Eraq said, head drooping and dejected as his ice cream was all but forgotten in his hand. "I'll be sad if you and Angelo leave."

"Well!" Rin said suddenly, released his hand and bent down at the waist, hands on hips in an expressive display. "We can't have you sad, now can we?"

Now at eye level with the woman, Eraq only managed to gape at her in confusion, which for some reason caused her to make an odd screeching noise before he found himself being scooped up into a tight hug. "You are just too cute!" Rinoa exclaimed to the world, causing Angelo to bark excitedly in response to her quick movements and high volume. "I might have to stay with you guys just because of you!" She grinned at him and promptly set him back down, hands replaced to her hips as she waited for his response.

Eraq had to be honest, he liked Rin, he really did, but he could do without the cuddling. Come to think of it, Aerith did that too! But for some reason, it only felt right when Mom or Dad did those sort of things. Suddenly feeling embarrassed, the boy looked around for a distraction and found a huge, lumbering figure up ahead. "Woah!" He took off toward the figure, causing his babysitter to blanch and nearly fall over with surprise.

"Hey, hang on a second Eraq," Rinoa called after him and gave chase, giving Angelo a pointed look. "Angelo, intercept." With a yip the dog pulled away to catch the boy but he was already standing a few feet away from the looming figure and staring up at him in awe. Rinoa scrutinized the large form as he turned to regard the boy with a bothered glance, his facial features resembling a cat, or was it a dog? Rinoa tipped her head, confused. It was really hard to tell, though he did have small, pointed ears, a definite cat-like feature. His face was drawn and chunky, and if one had to be completely honest, he was just plain ugly. He stood upright on two legs and he seemed to be busy tending to the garbage cans nearby. Rinoa smirked at that; leave it to Eraq to find an interest in the janitor and not the countless attractions surrounding them.

The cat-like person flinched back when Angelo drew beside the boy and barked at him for running off but Eraq ignored her and continued to peer up at the giant before him. "Wow Mister, you're really big!" he all but shouted in amazement, causing the cat-person to raise a brow and Rinoa to cringe as she knelt down beside the boy.

"Eraq," she spoke carefully, sparing an apologetic glance up at the janitor. "That's not always a compliment. You should apologize."

"Huh? Oh n-no, that's not necessary," the cat-person said nervously, his voice deep as he took a few steps back and waved his huge, gloved hands in front of him as though he suddenly remembered something. "No harm done."

Eraq looked to Rinoa for an instant with a look of disbelief and confusion. "But why? Being big is a good thing!" He looked back to the cat with an earnest expression. "I bet nobody picks on you huh? My dad's big too and nobody messes with Dad!" He paused for a short few seconds, long enough for the huge cat to blink and Rinoa to close her eyes in a nervous smile. Eraq was generally pretty quiet, but boy, once he got the notion to ramble, he certainly let it all out. "Hey, are you working? I bet you're hungry! Here, you can have this!" The boy reached up to hand over his stick with the half-eaten ice cream melting down its length and the cat-person hesitantly reached out to accept it. "You look like you work hard. My mom works hard too!"

The huge cat blinked again, unable to work up a reply of any kind in response to the child's aimless speech, though he seemed somewhat fascinated by the attention and the gift, even if it was a sloppy, though friendly gesture.

Rinoa gave her charge a nudge. "Eraq, he looks busy, we should let him get back to work, ok?"

Eraq frowned at her but nodded obediently and turned back to the giant cat one last time and waved goodbye. "Sorry to bother you Mister!" And with that, the boy was off and running again, with Angelo yipping along at his heels, leaving Rinoa to trail after them.

Before she set off she cast one more apologetic glance over to the cat-janitor but he was gazing off in the boy's direction with what seemed like a sad expression and what appeared to be a single tear streak down his long face. Rinoa tipped her head curiously at that. Did this creature not have any friends? Was he so lonely that a simple friendly gesture from an innocent little child actually touched his heart? She shook her head, discarding the thought; she had just imagined it, surely.

Along with the new attractions and expansions, Aqua had noticed one other variance once she and Terra had traversed the town a bit. For one thing there were a few more inhabitants... A lot more actually. Aside from some familiar faces from her last visit, such as the unusual, though equally endearing animal-people, the rest of the populace seemed to be composed of moogles, all of them either tending to the countless booths or providing maintenance on the various rides roundabout the town.

Ven and Zack were off gallivanting around somewhere, no doubt stirring up all kinds of trouble for the moogles while Eraq was in good hands being entertained by Rinoa and Angelo. And at the moment, well, Aqua wasn't exactly sure where Terra was leading her but in all honesty she really didn't care. It was nice to simply walk along at his side, her right hand interlocked with his left and just be with him for once. It had been so long since they'd had a chance to just talk about nothing in particular and cast aside all the worries and concerns from their responsibilities back home.

She smiled up at him contentedly and gave his hand a slight squeeze, which prompted him to meet her gaze with a content smirk of his own, their mutual thoughts exchanged wordlessly between them. Aqua had forgotten how much she enjoyed being with her husband, and although Eraq's absence seemed foreign to her, it was a nice respite from the day to day trials of parenthood. Not to say she didn't already miss him after only a couple hours of separation, but her time with Terra alone just seemed special somehow. Neither variance was better than the other, just different. She could only liken it to when she would instruct her class in the keyblade arts using Master Keeper. She loved equipping her late master's keyblade because it made her feel confident and safe, as though he were still watching over her somehow. On the other hand, she would always revert back to Rainfell when not training the children. There was just something special about her old partner, something familiar and soothing... Like her time with Terra right now.

She was so lost in thought that she almost didn't hear the call from a side-street. "Aqua and Terra? Is that you?"

Aqua glanced over to see a familiar little mouse, fully dressed in her royal garb and crown as she approached. "Your Majesty, it's so nice to see you again!" she exclaimed with delight, a warm fondness washing over her as the queen drew before them. "What brings you from the castle?"

"Oh, I like to take a walk through town once a day just to check up on how everyone is doing." Minnie tipped her head up at them curiously. "What about you? What brings you two to the kingdom?"

"We're on vacation," Aqua said after sharing a pleasant look with her husband. "And this seemed like the safest place to bring our son."

"Your son?" Minnie seemed genuinely surprised for an instant before noting their interlocked hands. "Oh! That's right, Mickey told me that you two got married and had a son. I'm very happy for you both!" She looked around briefly in question. "But where is he?"

"He's with a friend," Terra provided, though he trailed his own survey of the area. "Speaking of Mickey though, where is his Majesty? He hasn't come to visit Radiant Garden for a long time."

Minnie's delicate eyebrows drew together in a serious expression. "Well, a few days ago, Riku stopped by to deliver his report on the other worlds. And after he left to tell all of you at Radiant Garden, Mickey departed to make his own investigations concerning the other worlds."

Aqua shared another look with Terra, one of concern. "You must be worried."

Minnie shook her head and offered up a brave smile. "Not really, he's always come back from his adventures and the situation isn't nearly as dangerous as things have been in the past."

There was a moment of silence as Aqua nodded and Terra seemed deep in thought until a loud bell chimed once from a large clock tower near the castle, signaling the top of the hour. "Oh!" Minnie nearly startled herself. "I have to go back, I've already been away too long." She looked up to both keybearers in earnest. "It was so good to see you both again. Do say hello to Ventus for me?"

"Sure will," Aqua replied with a fond smile. "Take care your Majesty."

"We haven't had any sightings of heartless here yet, but do be careful, both of you?" Minnie was already hasting off toward the castle, her question rhetorical as she had already turned her attention away from them.

Aqua watched the little queen depart for a moment before she felt Terra tug at her arm, once again leading her down the street. "Terra, just where are you taking me?" She still couldn't say she cared that much, but she was becoming rather curious with how determined he was to get there, wherever there was.

"That," Terra told her, pointing to a large, obnoxious banner that hung from poles on each side of the street.

Aqua scrutinized the sign with a dubious expression. In big, bold, and brightly colored letters it read: Big Race, Bring Munny, Win Prizes! And she could only assume a Moogle designed the sign. She regarded her husband with a sour look. "Racing doesn't really interest me."

"Oh?" Terra turned to her and brought his other hand up to her chin, his eyes and tone flaring enticingly. "Would you rather do something else?"

"Terra," she warned, purposely drawing out the last syllable, though she couldn't help smiling wryly at his suggestive offer. "Behave."

He merely scoffed at her admonition and released her chin to continue pulling her along with him down the street. "Then we race, unless you can think of something better to do."

Aqua chose to keep any more objections to herself after that.

When Rinoa and Eraq finally met up with the others in the games and rides section of town, Aqua was sitting on a bench and the three men were standing around as if they were waiting for them. "There they are!" Ven announced and waved at the approaching trio.

With her charge running off from her side again, Rinoa breathed out a tired sigh, grateful that she didn't have to chase after him anymore. Eraq trotted up to his parents and tugged at his father's pant leg excitedly. "Hey Dad, guess what? I met this really big cat-guy and he looked hungry, so I gave him my ice-cream, but he didn't talk much, so I don't know if he liked it."

Terra tried to follow his son's ramblings but he found himself tipping his head to the side and raising a puzzled brow before kneeling down and ruffling the boy's already messy charcoal blue hair. "And just what was this big-cat's name?"

Eraq frowned at the inquiry, his excitement fading like a light-switch. "Oh, I don't know his name."

"Eraq," his father groaned with a stern expression. "If you make a friend, you have to know their name."

Eraq nodded solemnly, eyes downcast for an instant before rebounding like a jackrabbit and peering back to his father in earnest. "I'll do better next time!"

"I'm sure you will." Terra chuckled lightly, sharing an amused look with his wife before giving his son's jaw a gentle chuck. He stood and glanced up at the sky, assessing the time of day before regarding his wife again. "Meet up at the hotel in two hours?"

Aqua nodded in agreement and the three men moved off towards the huge, screeching contraption that they intended to ride, Ven and Zack posturing the whole way. Eraq was about to follow after them but Angelo grabbed him by the scruff of his thick vest and trotted over to deposit him at Aqua's feet. The boy frowned and watched his father depart before turning a pout on his mother. "Aww, I wanted to go with Dad." Granted, he loved spending time with Mom, but the ride looked like a lot of fun...

Before the boy's mood could plummet any further, Aqua held out a handful of gold orbs and pushed them into his small hands. "Go play some games Eraq," she told him whilst giving Rinoa a sympathetic glance. "I think Rin needs to rest, it looks like you wore her out."

As if to prove the point, Rin flopped down beside Aqua with a huff and a grin. "Could hardly keep up with him!"

Aqua smirked as she watched her son's eyes light up at the heap of munny in is hands. Thankfully the gold orbs were the currency in Disney Town, so she didn't have to synthesize it into anything specific. "Go, have fun," she told him when he seemed to hesitate. At her prompt however he took off like a flash, munny orbs spilling in his wake.

Aqua smiled after him, shaking her head at his careless exuberance. Angelo whined and paced nearby, seeming bothered and confused. "Go with him Angelo," Rinoa ordered, giving the poor dog some mental relief, as she apparently had been torn between staying with her master or following after the wayward child. Angelo barked gratefully and padded after him, even attempting to pick up a few stray munny orbs in her maw along the way.

Both women sighed exasperatedly as the dynamic duo of boy and dog reached the first game booth. "It's strange," Rinoa started, catching Aqua's attentive gaze. "He's the most adorable, well mannered little boy I've ever met, and yet, I've only watched him for half a day and I'm more than ready to give him back."

Aqua nodded and her smile twisted a bit. "I've come to realize that's precisely why a child has two parents, not because it's a requirement but rather for the sake of sanity."

Rinoa turned to her blue haired companion with a curious attention. "Terra seems to handle him really well, though. It's almost as if he would spend every minute with him if he could. In fact, I got the feeling he would have liked to take him on that suicidal motor monster if he could have."

"I'd say you've got him pegged pretty well," Aqua admitted vaguely. Although she could have explained that Terra did just so, spending almost every waking moment with the boy back home, she knew if she started down that train of thought she was going to plummet straight back into that mire of depression again. Instead, she decided to steer the conversation in another direction. "Rin, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Hm?" The dark haired woman turned to her with a curious attention, smiling as she had been watching Eraq use Angelo as a ladder to get into the seat of a game.

"When you confronted Hades before, it seemed like you had a personal grudge against him." Aqua gave her head a cant, regarding her companion gently. "May I ask why?"

"He-" Rinoa's words hitched in her throat and she scowled with determination before trying again. "He hurt someone dear to me."

Aqua nodded solemnly and took a thoughtful moment before replying. "Was it the same person you're looking for?"

"No," Rinoa answered. "The person he hurt, will never come back."

"I'm sorry," Aqua said softly, her own voice cracking as she thought of her old master. After a sincere moment of silence Aqua looked to Rinoa curiously. "But the person you're searching for, what's his name?"

Rinoa smiled at the question, her mood quickly lifting as she raised her eyes skyward. "His name is Squall."

"Squall?" Aqua repeated, a question more to herself than anything. That name sounded really familiar and she was sure someone back at the Academy would say it periodically, but she honestly never paid too much attention when they did. It was aggravating, really. If only she could remember who said it, and more importantly, to whom they said it to.

"Do you know him?" Rinoa asked, her brown orbs shining with hope as she searched for any recognition in Aqua's face.

"I'm not sure," Aqua answered hesitantly. "I recognize the name, but I can't remember who it belongs to." She offered the dark haired woman a sheepish smile. "You'll just have to come with us and look for him yourself."

The two women sat and talked for awhile and watched as Eraq darted from one game booth to another, Angelo barking happily and trailing after him. Aqua related the Academy's way of life and its various goals and main purpose, and explained its different aspects, like the master-apprentice system. She was expressing her concern for Eraq and how she worried about who would end up being his master once he turned nine, when the boy came running up to them in that moment, Angelo panting along at his heels. "Mom!" he huffed excitedly as he halted in front of her and held out a stuffed animal for her to see. "Look what I won!" Aqua eyed the object with a dubious tilt. It looked just like a moogle but it was black, and she was almost positive all moogles were white, at least, all the ones she had seen were white. "I'm gonna name him Kupo!" the boy announced with the biggest grin as he brought the plush toy back to hug tightly.

"Is that so?" Aqua cooed at him, amused. "You don't think that'll be confusing when we go home?"

Eraq frowned for an instant and held his new toy out to inspect it more closely, quirking up an odd expression before turning back to his mother. "That's silly Mom, my Kupo doesn't look anything like your Kupo."

"Oh," Aqua scoffed dramatically and turned a playful look to Rinoa, to which the other woman giggled. "You're right, how silly of me."

With his point made clear, Eraq clutched at his new toy and tugged at his mother's sleeve. "Mom, can we eat now? I'm hungry!"

Aqua smiled down at him then, watching as his bright blue eyes peered into her own with an earnest plea. She decided in that instant that even though he required his father's reassurance along with hers, he still looked to her for everything else. As his mother, she knew she would be forced to eventually come to terms with the fact that he would always need to take away specific elements from both parents, so really, there was no sense in moping about the subject any longer. "It's that time already is it?" she asked him rhetorically as she glanced up at the darkening sky. "Let's get you something to eat, and then it's bedtime for you." She and Rinoa stood up from their bench and Aqua reached out to take her son's hand as they headed off to find dinner.

"Aww, but I'm not even tired yet!" the boy whined with a plaintive frown aimed up to his mother as he teetered along beside her, apparently unaware that his legs were giving out from all his running around throughout the day.

Aqua and Rin shared a knowing look as they both turned a smirk down to him. "We'll see if you still feel that way after dinner."

Apparently the guys had been thinking the same thing after their little adventure together, because they all met up to eat together. Zack didn't look like he was too enthused about eating after he had left his stomach on one of those ridiculous death traps, whereas Ven and Terra seemed no worse for wear and dug right into their food as though it were a competition.

After the party had finished eating they headed for the Disney Town hotel at a lazy pace. Ven and Zack were arguing about something insignificant, Rinoa was gazing up at the dark sky, seemingly lost in her own thoughts while Eraq's head was drooping as he rode along on Angelo. Terra caught Aqua's hand in his and she leaned in to rest her head on his shoulder as they walked. "This was a good idea. Everyone's had so much fun already."

"And you?"

Aqua cast a sly look up at him, somehow knowing exactly when his mind derailed into the inappropriate realm. "I'm content. Leave it at that."

Terra chuckled softly, though Aqua still felt the reverberations pass through his chest and across to his shoulder where her head rested. "What, you don't want to hear what I have in mind?"

"Not especially, no." The blue haired woman raised her head when she heard the others talking about their rooming arrangements for the night. Naturally, she, Terra and Eraq would be sharing a room but it sounded like Rinoa had just agreed to share a room with the two bachelors. Of course, they would each have their own separate beds but Aqua still couldn't say she approved of the situation. Not that she had any right to say anything really, since she and Terra had traversed the worlds together completely unchaperoned for almost a month before they got married... She still didn't like it though. "Are you really ok sharing a room with these guys?" she finally piped up, and stepped away from Terra's warmth to sweep a suggestive glance over Ven and Zack, which caused both men to yawp in response, taking her question like a direct insult to their outstanding chivalric record. "Terra could always bunk with them if you'd be more comfortable with me and Eraq." She tried to ignore the frown-turned-glare that popped onto her husband's face but was unsuccessful when she felt his grip around her hand tighten ever so slightly.

"I'll be fine," Rinoa assured her. "Zack knows better than to try anything, and as for Ven," she paused, smirking. "Well, Angelo will eat him if he tries anything funny."

Ven seemed affronted on multiple levels at those implications. "Rin, I really don't think Angelo is big enough to-" he gasped when he suddenly felt the dog's powerful maw clamp down on his forearm with a gentle though firm pressure, tail wagging playfully. "Ok, ok, I take it back! You're in charge, Angelo."

Angelo released her hold and gave a dominant woof before trotting onward while giving the boy on her back an affectionate nudge in an attempt to keep him awake.

Eraq yawned grandly, his body drooping as he was nearly parallel with the dog's neck and head. "Mom, can Angelo sleep in our room tonight?"

Before Aqua or Terra could reply, Rinoa bent down at the waist and poked the boy's cheek playfully. "Hey buddy, Angelo only sleeps with me, but," she stretched out the last syllable as she looked up to the boy's parents. "You can sleep over with us if Mom and Dad say its ok."

Eraq perked up at that, seeming to dispel his sleepiness somewhat as he turned to peer up at his parents, hopeful. "Can I?"

They in turn shared a contemplative look and Terra merely shrugged indifferently, leaving Aqua to hesitate with apprehension. They had already reached their destination and entered the fancy building as Zack headed to the front desk to procure the rooms. "I suppose."

She had barely got the words out when Eraq threw his arms straight up in joy and bent back down to hug his new best friend around the neck. "Yay! I get to stay with Angelo tonight!"

Rinoa chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm, placed one hand on her hip and made a lazy gesture with the other. "This kid is way too easy to please."

"I don't know," Zack muttered to her as he led the way down a hallway with their rooms paid for and keys in hand. "He just met you today and already you're letting him sleep with you. I'd say he's pretty clever." He flinched and cowered when the dark haired woman elbowed him in the gut and pinned him with a glare. "Ow, ow, ow!"

"What was that?"

"Nothing! I didn't say anything!"

"Thought so."

Zack scrutinized the woman mutinously though they both knew he didn't have a vengeful bone in his body. He stopped in front of two doors, one across from the other in the small corridor, and opened one to see three medium sized beds lined up against one wall along with a small bathroom to the side. He handed Terra the other key and yawned as he was the first to step into the open room. "I'm going straight to bed, and I think my stomach hates me for life." Those intense rides were a bad idea and Rinoa's recent assault on his abdomen wasn't helping either.

Rinoa filed in after him but Angelo, who still had Eraq on his back, paused when Aqua knelt beside them while Ven drew beside Terra with a sly look on his face. The blond's mouth popped open to surely utter something inappropriate but Terra clipped him with a swift swat across the head. Ven in turn shoved at him but Terra caught him in a sleeper hold, they struggled back and forth for a moment yet neither uttered a single word.

Aqua ignored them, focusing on her son once again. "You sure you'll be ok? We'll just be in the room right across the hall if you need us." She knew she was being overprotective, but she felt especially on edge after their encounter with Hades. However unlikely, even if he did find a way to follow them here, Ven and Zack would be close by in the same room with Eraq, and Angelo seemed to have been able to sense the dark lord even before he materialized. Honestly, the boy couldn't be in a safer presence and she was determined to accept that fact. Still, there was a residual nagging in the back of her mind but she could only guess that it was related to Eraq's new desire to be independent from them, although that was largely due to his new attachment to Angelo.

Eraq nodded fervently and hugged the canine around the neck. "I'll be ok, I've got Angelo." The dog in turn whined happily and twisted around to give the child a lick.

Aqua couldn't help but smile warmly at the exchange; the pair seemed truly inseparable. "Alright, be good for Rin.., and Angelo," she mended after the dog yapped at her pointedly. She padded into the room, reached around to catch her passenger by his vest and dropped him on one of the three beds, yipping and licking the boy affectionately as though he were her own pup in a human's body.

Aqua had to swiftly step out of the way when Ven was unceremoniously shoved through the doorway. "I regret nothing!" he announced, his wild hair mussed up more than usual.

"Ven," Aqua sighed out. "You didn't say anything."

"Didn't I?" the blond seemed thoroughly confused for an instant before shutting the door with a final exclamation to his dark haired peer. "We finish this tomorrow!"

Aqua shook her head with another weary sigh; she didn't even want to begin to understand the complexities of Ven and Terra's arguments or the reasoning's behind their ridiculous horseplay. "Everything is changing," she remarked as she waited for her husband to unlock the door to their room.

"Aqua," Terra admonished with a tilt of his head. "He's one room away, it's no different than our apartment back home."

"That's not what I mean." She frowned, chancing a glance back at the other door with a longing ache in her heart. "He's growing up right in front of me but I feel like I've fallen behind somewhere along the way. Like I'll wake up one day and he'll be gone."

Terra breathed out a soft chuckle as he stepped into their temporary bedroom, his wife trailing in behind him. "Aqua, he's five, he won't be going anywhere for a long time. Besides, once he turns six you're going to see him more than I will."

"But that's not good enough," the woman snapped, her temper flaring, not at her husband but at the topic. "He needs me to be his mother, not just his teacher."

"Hey," Terra spoke softly and placed both hands on her shoulders to hold her attention. "We'll worry about the future when we get back home. But for right now..," he paused for an instant, his voice turning sly as he brought one hand to lift her chin and dismal gaze up to meet his. "You're all mine."

"I'm not sure I care for that tone."

He angled his head down to kiss her briefly, his lips curling into a devious smirk against hers. "And just what are you gonna do about it?"