Hi guys! Hope you are enjoying the story!

I forgot to mention, I will be updating this story every other week unless something happens. I'm also updating a Transformers story on the weeks I'm not updating this one.

Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!

Chapter 2: Home

Gentle sunset light brushed across the trio's faces as they stepped out of the portal.

Familiar smells of fir trees filled their noses as the cries of familiar birds filled the air.

Home.

Terra saw it, just for a moment, dark and broken, like he'd last seen so long ago. But here it was, in all its glory.

The gold of the castle glimmered in the fading light.

"We're home."

Their feet carried them up the stairs they'd traversed so many times, past the large doors, and into a hallway they knew so well.

"Everything is back to normal." Terra smiled. "I saw Xehanort rip this world apart, but it's all here."

"The magic of this world fixed it all, and it had time to repair since it was sleeping for so long."

Ven paused, glancing down as his stomach churned. "Think we still have food here?"

Aqua laughed. "The food always restocked magically, so I'm sure we do."

"Great! I'm starving!"

Down the hall and up the stairs, they all looked over at the great hall. Aqua sighed, remembering the battle with Vanitas here.

And Ven waking once more.

Down another hallway, they came to a large kitchen, meant to serve at least ten people, or however many could live in this magic castle.

"What should we make?"

"Keep it simple," Terra walked to a cabinet. "I don't know about you two, but I'm pretty tired, so something easy would be nice."

"Sandwiches then."

"Sounds great."

In a peaceful silence, they all made their own sandwiches before sitting down at the table.

Out of habit, they left the head of the table empty.

Master Eraqus's place.

Ven broke the silence first as they ate. "Can we just talk about how weird it is to have skipped so much time? Because last time I saw Lea, he was my age."

"I remember meeting Riku, Sora, and Kairi when they were very little." Aqua set down her sandwich. "It's amazing to see what they've become. They're all so very strong."

Terra nodded. "I met Riku when he was little, and I just can't believe he has grown up to become a Keyblade Master."

"And Sora… I want to talk to him more when he gets back." Ven sighed. "I need to truly thank him for keeping me safe all these years and get to know him better."

"I'm still wondering how your heart went to him instead of back to your own body."

Ven took another bite before speaking. "I have an idea… when Vanitas and I were split apart, my heart was fractured. I vaguely remember a heart reaching out to my own. It was just a brand new one, a few hours old, but that heart joined with mine and repaired my heart. And when I lost my heart again, I felt that same heart and felt drawn to it… the heart that gave me a second chance once before."

Aqua and Terra looked at each other, eyes wide.

"Sora's heart rescued yours before?"

"Yeah…" Ven looked at them. "And Aqua, you saw what was under Vanitas's mask. I don't know if you saw, Terra, but he looked just like Sora."

"I know."

Aqua tapped her plate thoughtfully. "That would explain why they look alike. Vanitas was part of you, and when Sora connected with you, he also connected with Vanitas."

"Yeah." Ven sighed, slightly glancing to the chair next to him. "You know, I kinda wish Vanitas hadn't chosen to be darkness. I wish he could have come back with us, as himself. Instead of being stuck inside me."

Putting a hand on his head, Aqua giggled. "You have a big heart, Ven. Maybe one day he will want that."

"And with those replicas, we could give him his own body, and maybe we could be friends."

"Maybe."

Ven finished up his food and put the plate in the sink. "I'm going to see if everything is exactly the same."

"Alright." Terra stood up, looking at Aqua. "I'm going to go for a walk."

"Ok."

The young man stepped out as Aqua put her plate up.

Her feet carried her to her own bedroom.

It looked just like she left it.

A gentle yellow color with paintings of mountains on the walls. Cookbooks lined her bookshelf, and a pair of ice skates hung off the banister on her bed.

From her window, she looked out over the mountains opposite the training ground. The sun gave out its last rays, painting the mountains with gentle strokes of purple and pink.

Home at last.

Leaving her room, she could hear Ven's feet tromping around. He'd tire himself out and go to bed eventually.

Her feet led her back to the main hallway and eventually out the front door.

At the training area, she found Terra, sitting on the same cliff edge the three of them spent their last night here before everything happened.

"You alright?" She sat beside him.

"I'm fine." He stared up at the stars, a wet shimmer over his eyes. "I was looking for a place to make a memorial for Master Eraqus. And I think I know just the spot."

She nodded. "I think I know where you're talking about."

…

"It feels so strange, having control once again. Now that the adrenaline of battle has worn off, it feels like a dream. Like, if I wake up tomorrow, I'll still be under his control."

"You won't be."

"I know." His eyes met hers. "When Xehanort had me, I could feel the master's heart inside me. It was one of the few comforts I had. I didn't know where you or Ven were, but I did reach out that one time and spoke to you."

"When Xehanort tried to find Ven's location from me."

"Yeah." He sighed. "I wish he was here now. I wish Xehanort hadn't tricked me into fighting him. Maybe he'd still be here."

She took his hand. "What happened that day? I never found out fully. You said the Master tried to hurt Ven."

"He did, to stop the χ-Blade from forging, but I should have just grabbed Ven and ran. Xehanort said that Ven was going to force the truth of his origins out of the master. I arrived to find the master attacking Ven, and he said that if I stood in his way, he would destroy me too. But in the end, I think the both of us weren't thinking about our actions. The master admitted he was wrong, and I knew I was too, fighting the master like that. I should have left and returned later to talk to him when he'd calmed down. But then, Xehanort came and killed him. That's when he destroyed our world too, saying he would kill you and Ven."

Aqua bit her lip. "I'm sorry… I should've been there for you and Ven. We should have gone together to fight the Unversed. But we were all clouded by our own goals and problems. I'm sorry."

"I am too. So much of this was because of my jealousy of you. I was Master Eraqus's first student, and yet you surpassed me and became a Master first. I was jealous, and I let that consume me."

"And I should have tried to communicate more. I understand why you would think that I was spying on you, and I sort of was. I should have just talked to you."

The two of them looked up at the stars.

"But that's over." Terra let a tear roll down his cheek. "What's done is done and all we can do now is move on."

"And honor our master's memory."

"Yes…"

Their master… and the closest thing to a father Terra could remember…

And now he was gone too.

Terra's mind flashed to himself, much younger. Maybe, five or six years old, standing in front of a grave.

Beside him, a woman with long black hair took his hand with a sad smile as they both knelt before the grave.

The grave of his father.

Hope you enjoyed!