chance meetings (are where I'll find you), a kingdom hearts fanfic

Title: chance meetings (are where I'll find you)

A/N: For the Re:Mind zine! A very random rarepair, but I thought it'd be fun to write these two very lost women together.

Summary: It was strange. Only keyblade masters could cross the boundaries between worlds. Yet, Aqua was certain she'd this wasn't the first world she'd seen this black-haired woman in.

…

Travelling into another world never failed to amaze Aqua. Each place was utterly unlike the last, whether it was the people, the location, or even the food. She wondered how many she'd have to visit before she found one that was similar to another, before she stopped being awed by all that she saw.

Aqua took a deep breath, inhaling all the strange new scents, and hoped that day would never come. The world she was in was a dry, sandy one. She could taste the heat with every breath, feel her skin burn from the sun. Yet, for all that, it was a lively one. People bustled to and from the marketplace around her. Each stall carried a different spicy smell and Aqua slowly wandered from one to the other, taking it in.

Her mission, as important as it was, could wait a few minutes. At the very least, she wanted to know what that strange, round, orangish-red fruit was. Meat sizzled on a grill nearby and her stomach grumbled, discontent. It wouldn't hurt to buy a little, would it? She could even bring some back for Ven and Terra.

Spurred by her friends' smiles, she turned on her heel and made a beeline to the booth.

And was almost tackled into the ground. The only thing keeping her upright was her reflexes. Stumbling backwards a few steps, Aqua pinwheeled as she tried to keep her balance. "Woah!"

"Ouch!" The other person wasn't as lucky. A black-haired woman stumbled back as well, recoiling from the sudden collision. Unfortunately, a barrel stood behind her and she fell over it, crashing hard on the ground.

Now steady, Aqua rushed over the woman. "Are you okay?" she asked, holding out her hand.

"Yeah, just a little dazed." The woman chuckled self-deprecatingly before accepting her hand.

Aqua pulled her up. For someone in the desert, her clothes looked utterly stifling—all black and leathery. Despite her shorts and sleeveless shirt, she couldn't possibly be comfortable in that get up. "You look hot."

The woman stared at her blankly.

Immediately, Aqua flushed. "I mean, your clothes, you look like you're hot in them. That's not, it's not that—" you're not hot, she almost said, cutting herself off. She'd spent too much time in the sun, it was the only explanation for such a blunder.

Luckily, the other woman was unfazed. Chuckling, she tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear. It was cute. "No, I understand. It is a little hot, but I don't plan to be here that long."

"In the sun?" Aqua raised a brow, perplexed. Why did a resident of this world even have such clothes? They looked nothing at all like everyone else's.

"Uh…I…I guess, yes." The woman rubbed her wrist nervously. Before Aqua could press, she added, "I'm sorry for bumping into you like that."

"It's fine." Aqua waved her hands in front of her. "I should have paid more attention."

"No, no." She shook her head, frowning. "It was all me. I…" She looked away, toward the more crowded streets. After a few minutes, she turned back to Aqua. "I'll make it up to you, later, okay?"

Aqua chuckled. "I won't-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the woman ran down the street. "Sorry, I have to go!"

"Be here later…" she finished awkwardly to the air. By now, the mysterious woman was long gone, blending in with the crowds. Hand on her hip, Aqua sighed. "Well, I guess Ven will like this story, at least."

"Terra," Aqua shouted, but her friend disappeared before she could get a word in edgewise. Standing on the stairs to a white castle, she gazed forlornly at the spot he'd just been standing. Despite the cheerful music behind her, her mood was ruined.

Sometimes, she wondered if she should have just lost that stupid match. The only thing winning and receiving the title Keyblade Master had given her was heartache. Terra hadn't looked her in the eye since then and she wasn't sure how much longer Ven would.

Her fingers dug into her skin as she clenched her hands into fists. This wouldn't do. There was no time for self-pity, not when she could do something about it. Maybe Terra wasn't falling into the darkness. Maybe she could save him if he did. The only way to find out was to investigate this world, to find out what he'd done and to achieve her mission at the same time.

Gritting her teeth, Aqua turned around and marched up the castle steps. Its doors were thrown wide open, music and light spilling outside. As she got closer, she spotted several couples twirling across the large ballroom. The women's large dresses looked like roses as they spun. Tearing her eyes away from them, Aqua scanned her surroundings. There were more women lining the walls—actually, the whole ballroom was filled with far more women than there were men. Strangely enough, they all seemed focused on a dejected man sighing softly as he sat on a throne-like chair. He had to be the guy who owned the castle.

It was suspicious. Aqua frowned, studying the man. Did Terra have something to do with this? She scanned the room once more, checking the long, food-laden tables, the graceful dancers, the long staircase. Nothing in here stood out otherwise.

"What did you do?" she mumbled, crossing her arms. The only person who could give her answers then was the prince. Walking around the edge of the ballroom, she avoided the crowds as she approached. Just a little closer—

Aqua fell backwards when she bumped into something hard. "What the—"

Before she could fall, a strong hand clamped around her arm, keeping her steady. Aqua blinked as she stared up into the warm red eyes of her saviour. "Thanks."

"It's nothing." The black-haired woman smiled as she helped steady her. "Think of it as making up for last time."

"Last time?" Aqua realized why those eyes had looked familiar. Even now, the woman was wearing those same leather clothes, though this time there wasn't a stifling heat trying to cook her alive. "Oh, you're that woman from before."

"Ahaha, yeah." The woman rubbed her neck, looking utterly sheepish. "I'm Tifa. We have to stop meeting like this."

"Aqua." She chuckled, glad to finally have a name to go with the face. Still, something was off about this. They had met in a different world before. Just how had Tifa travelled here? Nothing about her seemed like a keyblade master. "How did you—"

From the corner of her eye, she noticed several women start to stir. The dejected man stood, looking ready to leave, and Aqua cut herself off. There wasn't time for this. Turning around, she waved before she sprinted. "Sorry, I have to go."

Aqua used to have two constants in her life. Now, she wasn't sure if she even had one. Behind her, a fountain gurgled happily, the water lightly spraying her as she sat by it. On a normal day, she would lean closer, watching the refracted light in its shallow basin. Leafy vines crawled up the nearby walls, remembrances of the forest despite the city that sprung up around her. Yet, Aqua couldn't find her usual joy in admiring all of that. No, she ignored it all, opting to sigh as she studied her wayfinder charm. At one point it had meant the world. Did Terra and Ventus even have these anymore? Was she the only one clinging to the memory?

It killed her that she didn't know the answer to that now. The more she'd travelled from world to world, the less certain she felt about anything. There was a darkness brewing within Terra, one that Ventus refused to see, and she prayed that Ventus was right. That Terra wouldn't be consumed by it all and head down the path of ruin. When had it gotten so complicated?

"When did it get so complicated?"

It took Aqua a long minute to realize that no, she hadn't said what she was thinking aloud, and no, she hadn't said it all. Snapping her head up, she gazed around the nearly abandoned courtyard before landing on a familiar black-haired woman sitting on her right. Shoulders slumped, staring dejectedly into the fountain, she was the mirror image of Aqua's own feelings.

Scooching closer, Aqua waved. "Hey! Tifa, right?"

"Huh?" Tifa stared at her for a minute before smiling slowly. "Oh, you're Aqua right?"

"Yes!" Aqua grinned, happy that she'd gotten it right.

"I can't believe we met again." Tifa turned slightly, angling herself to talk to her better.

"Well, now that you bring it up…" Aqua resisted the urge to fiddle with her fingers. "I didn't either. How are you travelling between worlds?"

"Oh. Uh." Tifa rubbed her neck, chuckling nervously. "Let's just say it's...magic."

"Magic?" She'd heard of maybe one guy who taught it, and last she'd heard, he hadn't taken a new pupil in decades.

"It's…complicated…" Tifa trailed off, her shoulders sinking slightly. "Very complicated."

Feeling pity, she reached out and squeezed her shoulders. "I know that feeling. My life's been pretty complicated these days, too."

Tifa smiled, relaxing slightly. "Glad to hear I'm not alone." She chuckled, a rough sound that was utterly endearing. "Sometimes it's easy to forget that, when you're in the thick of it."

"I try to take a break when that happens." Aqua gestured at the fountain behind her. "This is my favourite spot in the city, it's so pretty."

"It's a nice place," Tifa agreed, looking around once more. Her expression gentled. "I don't really get enough time to sight-see, but I'm glad for what little I do get."

Not enough time? Aqua bit her cheek. As curious as she was, she didn't want to pull up more sad memories. They had enough of those as It was. Instead, she wanted to do something cheerful, for once. Getting up, she extended a hand to Tifa. "I can give you a tour, if you want."

Tifa stared at her hand for a moment before grabbing it. A tingle ran up Aqua's arm at the contact. "That sounds great." Tifa giggled. "You know, I used to be a tour guide, when I was a kid."

"Really?" Aqua smiled. "Don't judge me too harshly then."

Aqua spotted black hair. She was getting better at it now, at finding Tifa amongst the crowds. They'd crossed paths several times since Radiant Gardens, and she looked forward to each meeting. No, she was starting to expect it. Humming, she briskly walked over to her friend.

Friend. The word didn't quite feel right, but it was all she needed right now. One friend. Her other two had abandoned her, had abandoned everything they'd stood for, and she was glad there was one person she didn't have to remember that with.

"Tifa!" she greeted when she was within earshot.

Tifa spun around, tense. Spotting her, she relaxed and laughed. "Aqua! You're here too?"

"Yeah." Aqua gestured around her. "Though this has to be the most fun place I've seen."

Honestly, almost nothing else could compare to the large, permanent carnival set up just outside the castle in this world. Around her were various lights and sounds, the laughter of citizens as they played and lost games. The scent of nuts and sugar drifted from the stalls, and she felt hungry.

"Yeah, I have to give it that." Tifa rested her hands on her hips as she looked around. "It's such a bright, cheerful place. I wonder if they have any problems. That said…"

Aqua got her message. "I don't understand the talking animals either." Aqua pursed her lips as she scanned her surroundings. Nearby, a humanoid cow and dog chatted amicably, looking all the while like any other couple she'd seen.

"I've been to some strange worlds before, but this one takes the cake." Tifa shook her head, looking more amused than concerned. "I wonder if I'll ever stop getting surprised."

Aqua stared at her. How long ago had it been since she'd thought that? Felt that? She'd spent so much time running from world to world, trying to clean up after Ven and Terra, trying to bring them home. She'd forgotten what it was like to just enjoy a place, to feel awe at it all.

"You want to look around together?" Aqua suggested, clasping her hands behind her back. It was odd; she felt nervous, and there was no reason to.

"Together?" Tifa perked up. Grinning, she looped her arm through Aqua's, pulling her close. "Can't imagine anything better than that."

Neither could Aqua.

There was only darkness around her. Whether her eyes were open or closed, what Aqua saw remained the same, so she just kept her eyes shut.

Just where had they gone wrong? When had Terra stepped off the trodden path, heading into darkness? When had Ven stopped trusting her? When she thought about the past few weeks, the pain and anguish she'd gone through, she couldn't figure it out. Maybe it had happened when she wasn't looking.

Or it was a series of small things, and she just hadn't looked hard enough.

It was too late now. Somewhere in a castle, Ventus slept. Somewhere above her, Terra floated to safety.

She prayed someone would wake up Ventus.

She hoped Terra would walk back into the light.

Aqua opened her eyes. The darkness around her felt thicker, and soon she'd be at the end of her journey. Just what awaited her inside the shadows, she didn't know. The colour around her was darker than Tifa's hair, and her heart ached at the memory of her smile.

She wouldn't see it again. They wouldn't bump into one another ever again, wouldn't tell each other jokes and encouragement. Where she was going, there was no easy return.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I wish I could have said goodbye."

There was no time in the darkness. There were just shades of grey, a distant light, and a path that led to nowhere. The only thing Aqua could do was follow it, hoping that one day she'd reach that light or an exit.

That, or die at the hands of one of these monsters. Small golden pinpricks stared at her unblinkingly as she trotted along. They were all waiting for their chance to attack. Aqua looked around, weary. She wasn't sure what would come first, if they'd kill her because of a careless mistake, or if she'd let them out of despair.

It was hard, too hard, to remember what the world was like here. She'd already forgotten what Terra sounded like, what Ventus looked like. Even colours had faded away. The only thing fixed in her memory were determined, kind red eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Aqua forced her tired feet to keep walking. Somewhere in that light, Tifa waited.

All Aqua had to do was reach it.