Aqua arrived in a castle, thankfully in the right size this time.
She roamed the luxurious castle halls decorated with extricate tapestries and rugs, searching for Ven once again.
Every living thing in this castle, from the king to the youngest pup, was fast asleep.
It must be some kind of curse… Aqua thought to herself as she protected the vulnerable people from the Unversed. I wouldn't be surprised to find Ven amongst them, snoozing away, but I hope I'm wrong.
She opened another chamber and peeked in to find a beautiful room fit for royalty. She gingerly walked in after seeing something quite peculiar. A young man lay tucked in the bed, the only person who didn't look out of place sleeping.
"Stay away from the prince!"
Aqua twirled around to see three elderly women all in different hues. She noticed tiny wings on their back, they had to be fairy godmothers. "Oh, I'm sorry. I assure you, I mean him no harm."
"Who are you?" Asked one in red, clearly the leader of the trio seeing as she was front and center. She flew up, inspecting Aqua carefully.
"My name's Aqua," Aqua told her softly as the other fairies gathered around.
"Oh, she doesn't seem wicked, Flora. I can tell she has a pure heart of light, just like the prince." The one in green exclaimed.
Pure heart? So this man is one of the Princes of Heart, why couldn't I sense it sooner? Aqua wondered, turning to look at the slumbering man. And why would she compare me to someone so extraordinary? "He and everyone in this castle, why are they all asleep?"
"It's quite a long story." Merryweather huffed, crossing her arms. "It all started when Maleficent cursed the princess to sleep, we put the rest of the kingdom asleep until she could be awakened…"
"And she was, but, oh, then, Maleficent trapped him in an eternal slumber and stole his heart. Worse still, our dear Aurora is missing." The green one sighed in worry. "We worry Maleficent took her."
The red one finished the story. "We put the kingdom under again to not cause mayhem, it will stay just like this until Prince Phillip awakens."
Aqua listened thoughtfully before nodding. Ven was still missing but she couldn't ignore someone in trouble. "Maybe I can get it back for him?"
The fairies exchanged worried looks before glancing back at her. "That's impossible, Maleficent's home, the Forbidden Mountain, is a very dangerous place."
"Maybe for someone alone but we have one same goal that connects us, just like the sky over different wor-er, kingdoms. We have a connection now and with it, we are strong."
The fairies debated for a while but then nodded one by one.
"Well then, let's go!"
The three fairies and Aqua made their way through the forest which grew dimmer and dimmer as they grew closer to the evil fairy's lair.
"I was wondering how Maleficent managed to steal the prince's heart. I thought that sort of thing was impossible." At least, without the keyblade, but Maleficent couldn't know about that, could she?
"Maybe she got help from those new monsters that have been prowling around," Merryweather suggested with a shrug.
"New monsters? You mean the Unversed?" Aqua asked in surprise. The Unversed seemed mindless in their destruction, more driven by emotion than anything. They didn't have any motivation to create such an elaborate scheme… unless they were being controlled. Her mind flicked to the veiled woman. Was it a mere coincidence she and the Unversed appeared at the same time? "I can handle them, I'll have to if we're going to get the prince's heart back, right?"
The three nodded before they suddenly stopped.
Aqua turned to see a ghastly barrier of green fire blocking their path.
"How frightening…" Fauna whispered, hiding behind Merryweather.
Flora, the bravest of the bunch, flitted over, raising her wand. "Come on then! It's for Aurora!"
Her sisters joined her at that, the three clinking their wands together to break the barrier.
The little group hurried along, not noticing they were being watched.
Adar had stayed in this world ever since Ventus had first left. She had sensed Aqua's presence in this world the moment after and decided to wait for her out in the forest.
She wanted to go see the woman but she knew Aqua's attention would be elsewhere with getting the prince's heart back, Adar would just get in her way.
Normally, she'd be upset Aqua was so focused on it but Adar couldn't blame her, Phillip had a pure heart of light like her, she was destined to help him.
She remembered the moment half of Aqua's heart had been taken, leaving her as pure light and giving birth to Adar, pure darkness. She'd fought the urge to sleep like Aqua to protect her from Xehanort for the few days they were together. He claimed he wished them no harm, but how could she ever believe him after what he'd done? She wondered if Phillip had felt the same excruciating pain they had when his heart was extracted. "I hope you didn't feel it, Prince Phillip. People with pure and loving hearts like you and Aqua don't deserve such horrible pain. A horrible monster born of darkness like me though…"
She winced as pain shot through her when Aqua destroyed yet another Unversed. "We… deserve no less."
Her pain caused more Unversed to appear as she vanished into the darkness, intent on finding another world to terrorize.
As expected, Maleficent's minions weren't the Unversed. Instead, she fought strange pig and bird-like grunts wielding spears that were no match for her keyblade. She turned to the fairies. "I'll be alright. We'd better split up if we're going to save everyone. You three should find the princess, leave Phillip's heart to me!"
"Be careful, dear!" Flora called as she ushered the other two away.
"You too." Aqua nodded back. She turned to see she'd defeated all the monsters and sighed in satisfaction.
She looked around slowly for any sign of a heart and locked on to a bright light coming from a dark hallway.
As she approached the light, she could feel the warmth and love of the prince of heart beckoning her.
Finally, she found a glowing orb shining bright despite being surrounded by Maleficent's dark barrier of green flames. "This must be Phillip's heart…!"
Aqua summoned her keyblade and shot a beam of light at the barrier, collapsing it once and for all.
The heart floated gently upward before glowing with a bright light, blinding Aqua.
Prince Phillip offers a blonde-haired maiden, Aurora, his hand. "Don't you remember? We've met before."
"We… We have…?" The woman asked in surprise.
He nodded. "Why, of course. You said so yourself. Once upon a dream."
The princess smiled at hearing that, taking his arm in hers.
They sat closer together, Aurora leaning her head on his shoulder sleepily. "I never thought I would meet you, outside of my dreams, that is…"
"Who are you? What's your name?" The prince asked just as gently as before.
"Hm? Oh, my name… Why, it's…" She shuddered away suddenly, shaking her head. "Oh, oh no, I can't…! Goodbye!"
She attempted to flee but Phillip grabbed her in desperation. "Wait, will I ever see you again?"
She bit her lip, now realizing just how silly she was being. She was only running because her godmothers had told her to stay away from strangers. She was 16 now though… "I don't know, maybe someday…"
"When? Tomorrow?"
"Oh, no. This evening! At the cottage, in the glen."
With that, she dashed away, leaving the prince mystified.
Aqua stumbled out of the vision, touching her head. "That must've been the prince's memory…! So, they're shared dream came true."
She thought of her own shared dream with her classmates, wondering if it would come true too.
She shook the doubt away before turning to go.
Suddenly, a frightening voice filled her ears.
"Someone has released the prince's heart… Who could it be but you, my dear?"
Aqua slid to a stop when a burst of green fire shot from the ground. When it subsided there was a horned woman dressed in black and purple, darkness seemed to exude off of her. "You must be Maleficent…"
"Indeed I am." The woman whispered, walking up to the woman.
Aqua summoned her keyblade as if to say not a step closer.
"Such sickening light radiates from you as you hold the keyblade, you must be Aqua."
What? She knows my name and about the keyblade? Aqua tried not to show her surprise while the woman teleported to the top of the stairway. "W-Where did you hear about me and the keyblade?! You're not supposed to know anything about these things!"
"Perhaps not, but no knowledge can be forbidden to me, the mistress of all evil. I will use the keyblade to extract the other princes' hearts, just as your Ventus did for me before…"
"Ven?!" Aqua gasped, not even bothering to hide her shock this time. She stepped forward, placing a hand on her heart. "He was here… with you?! Maleficent, if you've done anything to harm him, I-!"
"Why would I ever harm someone I owe so much to?" The witch smirked. "For he was the one who stole Prince Phillip's heart!"
Ven's so sweet and kind, he wouldn't hurt anyone, especially not a strong light! Aqua gritted her teeth. "What you say, it's nonsense!"
Aqua teleported up to the woman and swung down with a yell. Maleficent dashed away in a ball of gold and black, appearing at the other side of the room. Aqua turned to face her.
"I was asked to leave you unharmed but it appears I have no choice!" Maleficent snarled, raising her hand to the heavens. Purple lightning swarmed her hand before crashing down all over the room.
Aqua dodged this way and that, thrusting out her keyblade.
Maleficent gave a growl in pain and her spell was sent off course, barely missing Aqua. Judging by the sleepiness she felt, it seemed the woman was merely trying to subdue rather than destroy her. Was she trying to capture her for whoever requested she came to no harm? If it was anyone, it had to be that veiled lady. Aqua shuddered at the idea of being that woman's prisoner, remembering her delusional idea of a loving partnership.
Maleficent teleported back to the top of the stairwell before firing a blast of fire at the woman.
Aqua created a barrier of ice around herself that melted far too quickly for her liking as Maleficent fired more and more.
The evil fairy smirked, knowing the woman would be defenseless once her shield was gone, she was using all her magic to keep it stable, after all.
The ice melted away, to reveal no one at all.
"What?!"
Aqua slashed the witch's back before she was quickly flung away.
The women grimaced through their pains to glare at each other deeply.
"Ven wouldn't steal someone's heart, not ever!" Aqua called to her.
"Perhaps not the Ventus you know, but he's begun to transform on this little journey of his." Maleficent retorted. She laughed seeing Aqua's eyes flit to the ground uncertainly. "Ah, so you already know…!"
If what that woman back in the Dwarf Woodlands said was true and he really did listen to that Queen… "He… I…"
"Aqua, don't listen to that witch!"
"Terra!" Aqua gasped, her heart leaping in surprise and joy.
"We know Ven better than anyone, certainly more than her." Terra reminded her, embracing her tightly.
"Yes, of course." Aqua nodded, her doubts dashing away.
The two turned to the evil fairy when she merely chuckled. "Your love for Ventus blinds you both to the truth: the precious little friend you protected all this time doesn't even exist anymore. He shall use the darkness as his guide rather than you, Aqua… Terra…"
Is that really true? Aqua wondered, placing a hand to her heart. Has Ven really abandoned Terra and I for the darkness…?
She felt a firm hand on her shoulder then and looked up to see Terra.
"Aqua, the master never intended for either of you to go out to the worlds." He whispered, trying to ignore the witch. "Please, you have to go back to the Land of Departure and wait. I'll bring Ven home before you know it."
Aqua felt her heart ache and she pushed his hand away. I can't stop look for Ven, the Veiled Lady is going after him because of me. "You don't understand… I have to find him before she does."
"But-"
"No. I told you and the master I'd bring him home without the darkness taking us, I'm doing just that!" Aqua reminded him.
His face flashed with worry for the slightest second, making her cheeks flush in embarrassment.
"You… You don't believe me. The master didn't believe either… That's why he didn't let me come with on the mission, right?" She bowed her head. Ever since the exam we've been breaking apart, Terra and I can't even go on the same mission anymore because I may fall prey to darkness….No, I won't, neither will Ven! "I'll prove to you and the master, Ven and I can resist the darkness, then everything will be right again!"
She turned away, sprinting out of the room to go to the next world.
"Aqua!"