Adar couldn't stand it any longer, Aqua had been traveling on the Lanes Between for so long now, not getting to a single world, it was getting boring. Even worse, her light grew with each world, becoming more intoxicating with every moment. Adar wanted that light and the person it radiated from. It wasn't time yet but she just needed a little taste of it to stave the hunger off.
Aqua meanwhile was also getting tired of the seemingly endless trip, for it left nothing but time to worry about Ven and Terra. I won't believe Ven did all those things out of his own will, it must be the darkness tricking him into it… And Terra… he's probably worried sick about us right now on top of the stress of the mission…
Suddenly, she felt that same eerie presence she was getting used to and saw the Veiled Lady float into view in front of her. She gritted her teeth in anger. "You!"
All she did was offer her hand. "Come to me, my light! This meeting is long overdue!"
Aqua revved up her glider. "I'll say!"
The glider disappeared when the pathway closed, leaving the two to run into each other before rolling to the ground.
"Can we stay like this just a bit longer, precious?"
Aqua opened her eyes to find herself on top of Adar and stumbled back onto her feet, quickly summoning her keyblade. "Enough of this! Why are you trying to hurt my friends?!"
Adar slowly rose, placing her hands up as if about to turn herself in. "I already told you, don't you remember? It's for the good of our relationship!"
"There is-!" Aqua stopped herself from insisting there was no relationship between them whatsoever. She had no idea how the lady would react and strangely, it felt like she'd be lying saying that. It wasn't love, at least, not on Aqua's side. What was it? She couldn't remember. "I know what you've been doing to Ven, you've been leading him into darkness, just like you were at the exam!"
"It was me at the exam but… I don't know what you're referring to otherwise." Adar muttered, her veil covering her reaction.
"Don't play dumb, Ven's been hurting people because of the darkness!" Aqua cried. "But that isn't him, it has to be you, trying to make me doubt him!"
"Oh, Aqua, you don't need help from me to doubt him. You're already doing that."
Aqua's eyes widened in shock. She was… right. She had been doubting the boy ever since she left each world... She tried to reinforce her belief but it was greatly shaken.
"Aw, are you realizing Venty-Wenty is leaving you?" Adar asked, taking her shock as an opportunity to get closer. "Oh, allow me to take his place in your heart, cherish and worry for me as you do for him! Please, please?!"
Aqua suddenly summoned her keyblade, placing it to the woman's throat. "No matter what happens, my friends will always be in my heart, no one can replace them!"
Adar gritted her teeth in anger at the prospect of not getting the love she craved from Aqua, from anyone at all. "Your heart will change its mind… once I exterminate them!"
Aqua lunged at the woman in a rage. The two clashed before gracefully beginning to parry and counter each other.
Adar used a dark keyblade twisted and gnarled with dark red, wilted roses adorning it
She has a keyblade too?! The light half felt her confidence waning realizing the woman took every hit with stride before dealing back an equally devastating blow, some Aqua couldn't even dodge.
Adar's attacks were quick and frantic, fueled by the darkness and her excitement at such an exhilarating fight. Everything felt right like this, she and Aqua giving everything they had to each other in perfect balance and harmony. She felt safe, happy, and nearly at home. "You're so strong but you need to be stronger still, your light must match my darkness, only then can we be bound together in destiny's embrace! And fighting me now makes your light grow tenfold! How wonderful!"
Aqua knew her words were true, despite saying them in such a strange manner. Fighting Adar did make her stronger, she could feel it in her very heart. Adar fought like no one she'd ever faced, random, and unpredictable, she even matched her in magic, casting the counter spells with perfect timing and accuracy. Aqua would've normally loved the change if this was a regular match. But it wasn't. Adar wanted to destroy her friends, so Aqua had to destroy her first.
"Yes, yes! That's what I want!" Adar sang at seeing Aqua put more power into her fight. "Open your heart and embrace your light while I gift you my darkness, you feel it just as I do, you feel the missing part of you returning!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Aqua snarled even though she did. She was starting to feel complete like something had been missing and was finally beginning to return. Did this mean darkness was trying to invade her heart?! She grunted, releasing more light to combat it. She felt herself grow dizzy after that, stumbling out of the battle.
Adar turned to her in surprise, walking up as she clenched herself. "A-Aqua, what's wrong? We were having so much fun!"
"Get away from me!" Aqua yelled, shakily holding her keyblade up to defend herself. "I… I'm at my limit.. but I've almost beaten you just a bit more…!"
"Oh, of course! Your body's not used to you tapping into your power!" Her other half gasped, remembering how long it'd taken her own body to build itself up to master her darkness. She smiled gently, placing a hand on Aqua's keyblade, easily pushing it down to get closer. "Poor Aqua, you're so tired, here, let me help you rest…"
Aqua felt her eyelids grow heavy at that moment, her dizziness increasing as the spell washed over her. "No…"
"Shh, I've got you…" Her dark half whispered, catching her before she could collapse entirely.
Aqua didn't have the strength to resist the hold, part of her even begged to lean into it, she remembered this protective embrace from somewhere. A young girl's voice echoed in her mind as she remembered: "It's okay if you wanna sleep, Aqua, I'll keep watch while you do. I won't let the Master hurt us again…" The master? So, this woman… Adar, she now remembered, was a forgotten classmate when she was under Xehanort then? No, that didn't feel right, what was it?
Adar leaned her to one arm, gazing down at her adoringly. She didn't want them to be apart any longer. "Forget what he says, I can't wait any longer for destiny's embrace, I'll enact it myself!"
She summoned her keyblade, raising it above Aqua's chest.
Aqua could only watch helplessly, her weak body unable to move.
"Let her go!"
Aqua was transported away from Adar, hitting the hard ground behind her savior.
"It's going to be alright, you're safe now." A kind voice told her as she felt her energy restored with an anti-spell.
She was helped to her feet by a small mouse dressed in pink, she had big black ears and a golden keyblade decorated with bows and the royal crest that adorned her outfit.
Adar growled through gritted teeth, clearly using all the strength in herself not to obliterate the mouse on the spot. "He warned me about you, princess. Still, with all my darkness on my side, you're no match!"
"Maybe not alone, Adar," Aqua grunted, summoning her keyblade.
"That's right!" The princess cried. "We'll defeat you together! Someone who only uses the keyblade for their selfish desires doesn't deserve one at all!"
Adar glared between the two. It was one thing if Aqua was fighting her, it was a complete other if she was partnered with someone else. "She doesn't need you or anybody else to support her, not while I'm around! You're just another selfish thief taking my place at Aqua's side!"
Adar sent out a blast of darkness which Minnie quickly countered with seven ribbons of light that wrapped around it causing an explosion of heat.
The woman gave a snarl in anger, wincing away from the light. She ran at the mouse who leaped up to hit back the strike aimed at her head.
Aqua realized then she wasn't being engaged at all, Adar no longer wanted to fight her. She smiled, realizing her toughest enemy yet did have one weakness.
The princess sprinted across the blade before flipping over and hitting Adar with a cast of wind.
Adar held down her veil as she shot out a blast of glass shards. They showed a second too late what was behind her.
"Gggh!" She stumbled away, clenching herself as darkness began pouring from the wound on her back. "What is this..? Your stunning light… managed to burn me…"
"As with all in darkness, your power came from emotion," Aqua explained wearily. "It makes you lose focus. You were so wrapped up in your jealousy and anger, you set your sights on a singular target, the one who took me. You have to get better control of your-"
"Don't spout your master's nonsense. You worked so hard to get your emotions back after you were broken and yet he made you lock them away. It's his fault you didn't feel for me right away, because he made you block out the feelings altogether." Adar growled. She then smirked, walking up to her. Aqua backed away before she could touch her. "You saw how strong my feelings for you make me… That should be all the reason you need to embrace your own. You'd be so better off once you stop thinking with your head and start using your heart. Once you do, I know you'll finally love me and when you do, I'll be waiting."
Aqua felt her cheeks heat up at the word love as the woman faded away. How could she be so bold? She'd never heard anyone say they loved her, at least, not in a romantic way. She'd heard it a few times from Eraqus and Ven, only once from Terra who got so nervous about it he refused to say it again.
"Hey, are you alright?"
"Huh?" Aqua looked down to see her new companion and nodded quickly. "Oh, yes. Sorry, I should be thanking you for the rescue. My name's Aqua."
"I'm Minnie, apprentice to the great Yen Sid." Minnie smiled warmly, shaking her hand.
"It's an honor!" Aqua gasped. Yen Sid was one of Eraqus' old friends, he was said to be a great sorcerer and keyblade master. She remembered her own master and how he wouldn't have let her out to see the worlds. But he seemed less strict than Yen Sid from what Aqua had read who wouldn't have sent anyone anywhere if he didn't know they had what it took. Her master seemed like that now that she'd failed. "Your master must trust you a great deal to let you go out here alone."
"Oh, it's not like that." Minnie sighed, adjusting her bow where her crown once was. "You see, I heard the worlds were in trouble so… I ran away without telling him to help."
"Same with me..." Aqua smiled sadly, she couldn't help feeling a bit happier knowing even Yen Sid's apprentice rebelled at some points. "It's kinda lonely though."
Minnie suddenly took out a large star-shaped object about the size of her hand. "I didn't want to go alone, either. I did call my friends to go with me but the Star Shard whisked me away before they could arrive. It's supposed to take you anywhere you want if you know how to use it. Since I don't, it just kicks in whenever it wants to. But, I'm glad it brought me here if it meant meeting you, dear."
"Me too." Aqua smiled, bending down to look at it.
"You know, maybe it isn't by accident, maybe it's taking me where I'm dest- Oh!"
The shard suddenly glowed, engulfing them in light. The two were gone from the badlands, now in a place just the opposite: Radiant Gardens.