I should have mentioned this in an earlier chapter, but for those who haven't read The Xehanort War, in that fic, I've established that Terra and Aqua have harbored romantic feelings for each other for years before Birth By Sleep, but they never acted on them out of fear of how Master Eraqus would react. Then in TXW Aqua found Eraqus' will which basically said "Terra, Aqua, I know you two have feelings for each other. You don't need my approval to be in a relationship together." Just a heads up since that will be explicitly mentioned this chapter.

The chapter title is a reference to the Doctor Who quote "silence will fall when the Question is asked."

Only one more chapter left in Regroup and Rebuild, ladies and Gentlemen. After that, I'm going to take a break for a few days and then get started on Ripple Effects.

Episode 31: Silence Will Fall

The Land of Departure – Residential Wing Atrium:

August 31, 2015

Terra smiled as he looked up from the book he was reading at the blue-haired woman sitting beside him. With Ven spending the night at his parents' house, the two older Keyblade wielders had the castle to themselves. Since Terra was a horrible cook, they'd gone out to eat at a quiet little bistro in Radiant Garden followed by an evening swim in Atlantica. While he wished that Master Eraqus was still alive, the one thing he enjoyed about having the Land of Departure to themselves was that he and Aqua didn't have to be afraid of hiding their feelings for each other anymore.

They'd harbored crushes on each other for years, and they had both admitted it to each other years ago. But they'd never become a couple out of fear of how Master Eraqus would react. But then Aqua found their mentor's will in which he left a note informing them that they didn't need his approval to be together. They'd been dating ever since. He snapped back to the present when she leaned over and gave him a kiss. He blushed. I love her so much, he thought to himself as he put his hand on her shoulder.

But does she care about me as much as I do her? What if she doesn't want to do this? What if I screw up and forget my speech? What if…? His worries stopped as he put his free hand in his pocket. Don't worry, he told himself. Even though we weren't dating, we've been close for years now. He took a deep breath to calm himself. He could do this.

"Hey Aqua," he began, fighting to keep his voice calm and hide how nervous he was. "I know we've been only been in a relationship for a little over a month, but I can't imagine my life without you in it." Aqua blushed at this pronouncement, although not nearly as much as Terra. The twenty-one year old was mentally cursing himself for sounding so cheesy.

"Thank you," Aqua replied warmly. "I feel the same way about you." Oh come on, Aqua, she chastised herself inwardly. That sounded so corny, and Terra knows it too! She was unaware that Terra was mentally beating himself up over the exact same thing, and vice versa.

"There's just one thing I want to ask you," he managed to say after a few more minutes of internal debate. Aqua looked at him curiously.

"What is it?" she asked. Terra took a deep breath as he turned his body, intending to slide smoothly off the couch in order to finish his question on one knee. But he failed miserably and fell off the couch, landing flat on his back on the carpet. A small velvet box tumbled out of his pocket as he made contact with the floor. Aqua couldn't help but chuckle as the absurdity of the situation, only for the laughter to die in her throat when Terra opened his mouth.

"Aqua will you marry me?" he blurted out. Aqua stared at him in shock as she registered in her mind what he'd said. As he pulled himself off the floor, he picked up the little velvet box and opened it to reveal an engagement ring. Silver and sapphire. Blue and silver to match the color scheme of her Keyblade and armor. For a moment, both of them simply stared at each other. One in stunned surprise and the other in a combination of fear and hope.

"Yes," she gasped as she pulled him up off the ground and gave him a long, passionate kiss on the lips. "I was willing to spend eternity in the Realm of Darkness because I couldn't let you die," she said when they finally came up for air. "Did you really think I'd say no when you finally asked?"

"I was really nervous about actually saying it out loud though," Terra replied. "I had a whole speech prepared and everything. That was so embarrassing."

"It was still really sweet," she reassured him with another kiss. "I love you, Terra. And nothing will ever change that."

"I love you too, Aqua," he whispered back as they came up for air once more. "I love you so much." They both smiled as they broke apart long enough to make their way into Terra's bedroom and close the door. They told Ventus the news when he came home the following morning, and their youngest friend simply offered his congratulations and asked when the wedding would be. And why he had to find out thanks to the lack of a tie on the door.

In the course of Regroup and Rebuild, I've had SoKai chapters, RokuShi chapters, ship tease for Lea/Elsa, Riku/Namine, a little bit of Vanitas/Namine, and chapters that focus on multiple Disney Animated Canon pairings. I figured it's time TerrAqua got some focus before I finished off this fic.

For anyone wondering their ages, Terra's 21, and Aqua turned 20 shortly after the end of The Xehanort War. I know some of you probably feel like they got together a little too quickly, as I mentioned above, I established throughout TXW that they have feelings for each other and they became a couple when Terra was freed from Xehanort's control (which happens halfway through the story in my fic). I figured that with the worlds finally at peace and the fact that they've already settled down to live in and maintain the Land of Departure, Terra would feel comfortable popping the question.

And before anyone says anything, Terra and Aqua slept in Terra's bed. They did not sleep together in that way (not before the wedding at least). Ven just came home and went looking around the castle for them, opened the door to Terra's room, saw them on the bed and immediately assumed that they did. I thought it would be a funny way to end the penultimate chapter.

In the next and final chapter, Roxas, Namine, and Xion embark on their first day of school ever.