Chapter 31 – Good

Ven paced from one end of the room to the other, the shuffling of his shoes echoing across the walls of Merlin's Time Chamber. Right now there was no need for it to be anything but a room with some couches and chairs, so that was what it was.

"Ven, aren't you tired?" Aqua patted the spot on the couch next to her. "Here, you can sit here till the Master arrives." She was sitting awfully close to Terra, so there was plenty of room left on the couch. Which was fluffing itself out to look as appealing as possible, because of course Merlin had sentient furniture.

"I'm good." It was true, he and Aqua and the others (well, except for Kairi and Master Yen Sid) had only arrived back from their mission a little while ago. The barriers around the worlds were a lot stronger now, and the princesses were safely hidden again. And he supposed he should be tired. He was just too nervous to do anything but pace.

The Master was coming. He and Aqua hadn't seen him yet, except in Terra's heart, and—

Riku strolled in the room with Xion close behind. Xion handed Aqua a little paper package filled with suspicious-looking lumps, and Riku dug around in his pocket and pulled out some change. "We got the stuff you asked for, Aqua."

Aqua thanked them before taking a moment to peek inside. When Terra and Ven tried to look, she hid it from them both, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Uh-uh! It's a surprise."

Riku and Xion settled onto the bigger couch next to Donald and Goofy, and floating teacups brought them Merlin's trademark mystery tea. Roxas and Naminé were deep in conversation with Mickey and Merlin about what, Ven wasn't sure. Probably Xemnas and Ansem's ambush.

Ven still couldn't forget the gut-wrenching fear and panic Sora had experienced, because it had felt like someone had slammed him into a wall, too. Seemed like this link between them was here to stay. At least Sora's heart wasn't leaking pain left and right anymore though. Ven wanted to talk to him to see how he was doing, but he still wasn't allowed in on the plan.

Ven scowled and kicked the wall with his toe, only for the door to fly open.

"Master!" he cried, racing over to Master Eraqus and throwing his arms around him. Heart hugs just weren't the same as the real deal. Especially not when Master Eraqus hugged him back and said all sorts of mushy dad things he never would have before.

Then it was Aqua's turn, but she didn't mind the mushy stuff. And when it was over, she stepped forward, the Master's Keyblade in her hand. The Keyblade she'd kept safe for him for so long, the Keyblade he'd left behind for her as a symbol of his protection, his care. It was time to return it.

"Here you are, Master," she said, a gentle smile on her face.

Master Eraqus took it from her, letting his hand linger on it for a moment before allowing it to disappear. "Thank you, Aqua, for keeping it safe for me all this time."

"Eraqus," came Merlin's voice from across the room. He adjusted his spectacles and peered at Master Eraqus's robes. "You have it, don't you?"

Master Eraqus nodded.

"The room's sealed, don't worry. Nothing's getting in or out of here."

Master Eraqus cleared his throat and fished a small, tube-shaped container out of his robes. He went to the middle of the room and sat down on one of the chairs, and everyone settled in around him. With trembling fingers he opened the container and unrolled the scroll. The paper was frayed around the edges and discolored from age, but the writing was still clear. Probably because it was magic.

"On that land, darkness shall prevail and light expire," he began, his voice loud and clear like it always was when he read something out loud. It was the same as the part of the prophecy they already knew. He continued on, and everyone leaned in closer, watching as more words appeared before their very eyes.

"And when all hope is gone and the hour most dire

Lift your eyes to the heavens and see

The ruler of Kingdom Hearts rise to be

The power of life, the power of death

Commanding the worlds with every breath."

The room was dead silent. You could have heard a Stealth Sneak with how quiet it was.

"So, um, that means we still have a chance of winning, right?" Ven asked, looking nervously from Aqua to Terra. "We don't know who the ruler of Kingdom Hearts will be. Could be one of us."

"Could also be Xehanort," Roxas muttered. Ven wanted to groan. For sharing the same face, Roxas sure could be a Debbie Downer sometimes.

"Hey, that's a huge improvement over light expiring with no hope of anything afterwards," Ven shot back.

Riku raised his eyebrow. "Is it though? I don't know how I feel about Xehanort ruling over everything."

"That is his goal," Master Eraqus said. "But Ventus is right. The identity of the ruler of Kingdom Hearts is not specified. It could be one of us, or it could be Xehanort. It's up to us to make sure it isn't Xehanort."

Naminé chewed her lip, and Xion gave him a doubtful look. "But Master Eraqus—"

He held the scroll in the air. "Don't you see? This is hope, real hope. The future is already beginning to change, I can feel it. Perhaps before Xehanort was the fated ruler of Kingdom Hearts, but not anymore. We'll make sure it's not him. Light expiring doesn't have to be the end. Not of us, and not of the future we hope for."

All of that work, and only for this vague clue. But still, Ven would take it. He would take any chance of winning.

"Master," Aqua said, handing him the container so he could put the scroll back in. "I still think we're going to lose."

Yikes, was everyone here in the room feeling as bad about their chances as Roxas? Since when did that happen?

"But in losing win. Or have a chance at winning, anyway," Terra said, putting his arm on Aqua's shoulder. The crinkle lines on her face relaxed, and Terra smiled at her.

"That is correct," Master Eraqus said as he stood once more. "It is a heavy burden to ask of you when so much is at stake. But will you all join me?"

"Yes," Mickey said without hesitation. Donald and Goofy chimed in with their agreement, followed by everyone else. They made the final plans after that. Master Eraqus told Riku to fill Kairi in on the details later, and with that, he dismissed them all to make their final preparations.

"What will you do, Master?" Terra asked, remaining behind.

"Merlin, you wouldn't happen to have any spare stationary, would you?" Master Eraqus asked. "Something tells me Xehanort will be pleased to hear we're ready to meet him."

"Ven, read me that last line again, would you?" Aqua asked, tucking her hair out of the way. Terra couldn't help but admire the way it fell over her face. She was crouching by a black cauldron, and a low fire was lit underneath it. The concoction inside was crystal clear, and she slowly stirred it with a long wooden ladle.

Ven opened Aqua's Potions and Elixirs book and read off the instructions from the recipe tucked inside its pages one more time. "Add in the feather of the firebird, then stir the potion counterclockwise three times. The concoction will turn bright red. Take it off the fire and let cool, then store in an airtight container."

Aqua held out her hand, and Terra handed her the feather. His fingers lingered for a moment, enjoying how solid and real her hand felt. Too many times had she tried to hold his hand, only for his to slip through her grasp. Her eyes flickered briefly to his, then she put the feather into the potion and stirred it. It turned red, just like the instructions said it would, and he handed her the flask she'd prepared so she could pour the liquid inside.

"There," she said, nodding in satisfaction. "One Phoenix Down that I can use to make one of those special barriers I've been reading about. I wish I'd been able to grab more feathers, but there wasn't enough time."

Ignis the firebird wasn't big enough to make proper feathers for them yet, either. They'd have to make do with what they had.

"What's next?" Ven asked.

"How about some Elixirs?" Terra suggested, picking up the little bag of daisies he'd gathered earlier to show them.

"Good idea. I'll start preparing the base." Aqua stood, only for a light knocking at the door to interrupt them. She picked her way over the potion book and piles of ingredients to open it. It was Sora. Terra was glad he'd come by, because Aqua and Ven hadn't had the chance to talk to him yet since they'd left Destiny Islands.

"Aqua, I—"

She threw her arms around him. The water bottle and blanket in his hands fell to the floor as he hugged her back, and she launched into a list of inquiries about his health.

"You've been eating, right? And getting enough sleep, and exercising, and—"

"Yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I've been feeling a lot better lately." He bent over to pick the blanket and water bottle up, only for Ven to tackle him with a hug.

Sora laughed softly as he steadied them both. At some point in all of this he'd gotten taller than Ven. "You okay there?" he asked.

Ven leaned back to look him in the eye and smiled sadly. "Isn't that my line? And before I forget, Sora, Aqua and I never really got to say thank you for rescuing Terra. Sorry about that, but we really are grateful."

Something flickered in Sora's eyes, and Terra knew he couldn't let the moment go to waste.

"Sora, look." Terra put his hands on Aqua and Ven's shoulders and brought the three of them together. "This wouldn't be possible without you."

Aqua nodded, putting her own hand over Terra's. "There were so many moments when I was afraid I'd never see Terra or Ven again. But you made it happen, Sora. You made sure we could be reunited." She smiled softly, and Terra thought that her smile had never been so beautiful.

"We know the price you paid to save us," Ven said. "We never wanted you to suffer like we did, but—"

"It was worth it."

Terra couldn't believe his ears. Aqua and Ven's jaws dropped, and they both started to tear up as Sora continued.

"Not the part where I hurt Riku and Kairi. Never that. And the other stuff… it was awful." He shuddered, then paused a moment to gather his thoughts. "But seeing you guys all together like this? I look at you, and I feel like what I went through meant something. It wasn't for nothing. It wasn't pointless. For once, what Xehanort did didn't just lead to more suffering. Something good came out of it, too. Not because of anything he'd done, but because I wanted it to. Because I made it happen."

His voice grew stronger, more confident. "And I think that's the key to defeating him." He took their hands in his. "Terra, Aqua, Ven, we will make good come from this. That's a promise."

"Yes. We'll transform the darkness into light," Terra said.

Ven nodded. "Yeah. We won't let Xehanort ruin any more lives."

"And we'll help you restore the ones he has ruined," Aqua added.

In that moment Terra supposed there would always be evil in the worlds, just like there would always be light and darkness. But there was good too, good in this boy who had saved them, good in his friends and their friends, good in every small gesture of kindness and every big sacrifice.

And so long as even one person chose good, chose to help instead of hurt, there was hope for the future. And if two people chose good, or three, or even four, that decision would reach out to even the furthest world.

For while evil was powerful enough to make the stars go out, all it took to reignite them was one heart shining brilliantly in the sky.

Aqua dipped her toes in the water of the Fountain Court, relishing the feel of the cool liquid against her bare skin. Her stockings and boots and gloves lay to the side, and the water lapped at her feet as she gazed at the stars shining in the sky like hundreds of diamonds.

"Just as beautiful as they were in the dark realm. No, even more beautiful," she said aloud, to no one in particular. Sometimes, in her moments alone like this, she forgot that she was back. The habit of talking to herself had carried over from her time in the realm of darkness. So it was a bit of a shock when someone responded.

"But are they as beautiful as the ones back home?"

"Terra." For a moment, she almost felt embarrassed that he'd caught her stargazing alone like this, stockings and shoes stripped off and legs bare, even though he'd seen her in even less modest attire multiple times over the past few months. She cleared her throat and fumbled for her gloves. "Y-you know all the worlds share the same sky."

He sat on the little bridge next to her, taking off his shoes as well. "Mind if I join you? The Master's busy right now, and everyone else is off doing other stuff."

She swallowed and shook her head. It still didn't feel real sometimes, that Terra was here. She'd wanted him back for so long that she was afraid he would be snatched away from her again. Her eyes followed his every movement as he leaned back and raked a hand through his hair, a perfect little smile on his face as he closed his eyes and sighed.

"I'm glad we can spend one last night together," he said, his voice calm and soothing. "I never thought I'd get to watch the stars with you again like this."

"Ven should be here, too," Aqua said, though a strange part of her was glad he wasn't. Not because she didn't want him here, but because a small, selfish voice in the back of her head wanted Terra all to herself.

Wait, had she really just had that thought? Her face flushed. She hoped Terra couldn't notice her pink cheeks in the dark.

"He'll find us." Terra held out his Wayfinder and grinned. "Want me to signal him?"

"No, wait—" She put a hand over his to stop him, and his eyes locked with hers.

His voice was lower when he spoke, and it set butterflies loose in her stomach. "You don't want him to come."

"No, I do, just… not yet."

Her heart pounded in her chest. This was all new ground, expressing what she wanted so boldly.

It was funny, how she could handle battle after battle just fine and wander in the realm of darkness for years on end and come out alive. But when it came to matters of the heart, she felt completely out of her element.

He smiled, and she let out a deep breath.

"I understand," he said, brushing a strand of hair out of her face as his expression grew serious. "Aqua, I know I said it before, but thank you again for saving me."

Aqua's expression hardened. "Even though it let Xehanort carry out his plans?"

"Give yourself some credit. You gave him amnesia, and that delayed him until Sora and Riku could do something about it."

Aqua leaned against Terra's chest and sighed. "They've done well, haven't they? I'm so proud of them. Kairi, too."

Terra put his arm around her, his hand gently moving up and down her arm. "I can tell you've been training her. She's good. I'm glad your dream came true."

Aqua's cheeks flushed again, this time for a different reason. Terra had never really praised her before. Come to think of it, he and Ven hadn't even really congratulated her for becoming a master. They'd always just sort of taken her accomplishments for granted. Like it was expected that she did well, and when she did it was nothing out of the ordinary and therefore not praiseworthy.

Terra had changed, and while she wished he hadn't been through all the things he had, maybe some good had come of it.

"Well, I can't take credit for all of that. Merlin trained her first, and she's got plenty of raw talent."

Terra laughed, the rumbling in his chest pleasant against Aqua's ear. "Still not giving yourself the credit you deserve." He brushed his fingers through her hair. "Not that I ever did. Sorry about that, too."

She looked up into his eyes. "Remember how you told me I've changed? So have you."

"Well," he said, his voice gruff, "I had a lot of time to think about what was really important."

"Me too." She traced patterns into his chest, enjoying the way he tensed and then relaxed into her touch.

"Aqua—"

"Yes?"

"When all of this is over, what do you want?"

She pursed her lips, her hand curling around his shirt. "It's funny, Donald and Goofy asked me the same thing. I told them I wanted to train other Keyblade wielders and open a Keyblade Academy someday."

The more she shared her dream, the more realistic it seemed. She could make it happen. She would make it happen.

"Anything else?" Terra's eyes were beautiful in the moonlight, their steady gaze focused completely on her.

She smiled and poked his cheek, earning a surprised reaction from him. "You first. I've already shared one of my dreams, it's only fair."

"Well, you already know that I want to become a Keyblade master."

"Yes. And that dream will come true, I know it will. Any others?"

Terra looked out toward the cascading fountains a little ways away. "Aqua, I think… I think you already know what the other one is."

She tilted her head to one side. "No, what?"

He looked at her again, and she felt dizzy. Everything around them was a blur. All except for him. The breeze ruffled his dark hair, his eyes shining, a gentle smile on his face. He cupped her cheek, his calloused fingers rough against her skin. Aqua swallowed, not really believing this was happening.

"You. You're my dream, Aqua." His other hand went around her waist, and she gasped. He leaned in close, his breath tickling her cheek, and something inside of her snapped. It was with more enthusiasm than either of them were expecting that she met him the rest of the way.

His mouth felt exquisite against hers, and she threw all of her careful control and poise away at long last as they embraced. When his hand slid lower, a pleasurable shudder ran through her body. She felt safe in his arms, safe and whole. She wrapped her legs around him, and he moaned and adjusted his grip on her.

It wasn't enough. It was the closest they'd ever been, and she wanted him closer still.

But their shift in weight had thrown them off balance. They went tumbling into the water, and the sudden movement broke them apart. They sat up and stared at each other, chests heaving, eyes wide, water dripping from their faces and hair and clothes. The fact that they were halfway submerged hardly mattered.

Terra moved closer, one hand going back around her waist and the other weaving into the strands of her wet hair. She brought her hands to his face and took a deep breath. But then his eyes landed on something behind her. Even in the dark Aqua could see his face flushing crimson, and he let go of her and cleared his throat.

"Uh, hey Ven."

Aqua's own face flushed as she straightened her clothes and turned to face their unexpected visitor. Ven was bright red, his mouth hanging wide open.

"How long have you been standing there?!" Aqua demanded.

Ven plastered his hand over his eyes. "I didn't mean to spy, I promise! I was looking for you guys, and when I found you, you were— you were— kissing!"

Ven said that last part as if it were a bad word. Terra laughed, and the sound sucked all the tension out of the air. "Sorry about that. We should have given you a heads up."

Aqua nudged him. "It's not like we were planning on this."

Terra's grin was downright wicked. "Oh, you might not have been, but I was."

"Terra!" She gave him a scandalized smack. Just how long had he been—

"It's our final night before the big fight. I wanted to make it special."

And just like that, her embarrassment deflated, only to be replaced by an even more scandalous (and thrilling) thought. Just how special had Terra wanted their time together to be?

"All I can say is, it's about time," Ven said, giving them a teasing smile. "You don't know how exasperating it was, watching the two of you pine after each other for all those years. I was about ready to intervene myself."

"Ven!" Terra and Aqua said. He just looked at them with that stupid cheeky grin, and they couldn't help but laugh.

It was so good to hear their laughter again, to hear her own laughter. It had been too long. Ven joined them on the bridge, and the three of them gazed up at the sky, hands intertwined.

Together again at last, under the same stars. Perhaps it would be for the last time, but Aqua chose to believe otherwise. This would be the first of many nights together. It was a beginning, not an ending.

All the precious stars in the sky were shining down on them, each a world filled with limitless possibilities. That was what they were fighting for. The future. Their dreams. Both the ones that had already come true, and the ones that had yet to come to pass.

Those stars were a promise, and Aqua clung to it as tightly as she clung to Terra and Ven's hands. They would fight, they would win, and they would make their dreams come true.

For dreaming, which had once seemed so scary to her, had transformed into something beautiful and filled with hope. It was the light that made the stars shine with the brilliance of a thousand suns.

And it was within them all now. They were ready to face Xehanort for the final time.

A/N: I think many of you would agree that that kiss was long overdue... anyway, thank you again to Guest for your review and thank you to my regular reviewers! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Like I mentioned last week, we're getting into the final arc, and there is some violent content coming up. I'll still warn you all when it comes to the particular chapters, I just wanted to give everyone an early heads up.

See you next week!