Aqua shared the bittersweet news about Terra during their Gummi Ship ride to their next destination: Riku's home, Destiny Islands. Since they were currently out of leads, he thought it would be a good time to check in with his parents.

Lea teased him about it, but Aqua respected the sentiment. If she had taken the time to report on her progress to Master Eraqus, she would have seen him at least one more time before… well. Life for keyblade wielders was dangerous. As much as the weapons' power gave one a sense of invincibility, it only took one wrong moment for everything to fall apart.

So she didn't complain about the detour. Besides, as they disembarked on the beach of Destiny Islands and she felt the ocean breeze surrounding her, she felt that same light that she had the first time she'd visited. Something about this world was just special.

"Ugh, I gotta get me some new clothes." Lea tugged on the collar of his coat. "Somebody warn me next time before you drag me to any more worlds covered in dirt and sand."

"I don't know why you've kept that for so long. You won't be using dark corridors for a while," Riku pointed out, heading for the little wooden boats tied beneath the dock.

Aqua followed, glad that her boots were tall enough to keep out the sand. Part of her wanted to pull them off and feel the sun-warmed grains between her toes, though.

"Well, the fairies don't offer to remake everyone's wardrobe," Lea huffed. "And I haven't exactly had time to go shopping…"

"You can go while I stop by my house, if you want."

"And end up with some crazy beach-print shirt? Hard pass."

Riku rolled his eyes as he tugged on a rope, pulling the boat onto the sand.

"You spent all your munny again, didn't you?"

Lea might have been blushing, but it was hard to tell since he'd gotten sunburned so badly at the Keyblade Graveyard. Aqua had been protected by Riku's reminder to wear sunscreen.

"Of course not," he huffed. "I'm just… saving it, that's all."

"It was the ice cream in Radiant Garden, wasn't it?" she said. She'd been mostly absorbed in her own thoughts then, but she remembered Lea showing up with the sea-salt flavored treat every time they searched the castle together.

"It's one of the only worlds that has it!" He threw his arms in the air.

Riku dug in his pocket for a moment, then flicked the redhead a sparkling yellow gem.

"There. No excuses now."

Lea blinked at it, then at Riku, then grinned and pocketed it.

"You're going to ask me for some kind of favor later, aren't you?"

"Just the usual one. Keeping your big mouth shut."

Lea just laughed instead of arguing. It was probably the smell of salt and tropical flowers lifting their spirits, particularly after a day in the silent Keyblade Graveyard. Though Destiny Islands was just as warm, and humid on top of that, the air was still easier to breathe.

Riku began picking at the rope tied to the tiny boat.

"We're really riding in that thing?" Lea asked Riku. "We couldn't have just parked the ship on the other island?"

"And crushed someone?" Riku raised an eyebrow. "There aren't any good parking spots over there."

"'Course not," Lea muttered, glaring at the boat as if it were the reason he was broke, and not his ice cream addiction.

Aqua had to laugh. If Van were here, he would likely distrust the rickety-looking boat even more. She grasped her Wayfinder, wishing he was here no matter how much he would probably dislike this bright world and all its water. The charm was still warm, though she had left Terra behind yesterday, and the sun here hadn't had enough time to heat it. Maybe it just resonated with the light of this world too?

Lea hovered as Riku finished undoing the knots. "You sure we'll all fit in there?"

"I didn't take you for such a worrier, Lea."

"I'm not!"

"Uh-huh." Riku smirked.

"Whatever." Lea turned away and unzipped his coat halfway, then tugged it up over his head.

Aqua suppressed a snort at his binder, which had the word "SPICY" printed on it in bold red script. She could picture Terra wearing something like that, if he hadn't gotten top surgery so quickly.

"Classy," Riku deadpanned.

"Hey, if we fall in, I'm not going down in this thing." Lea shook his wadded-up coat.

It might have been nice to feel some sun on her skin, too. They were at the beach, after all. Maybe she should give in and go shopping with him, get out of this full-body suit…

No, she could hardly finish the thought. She would wear the suit until she found Van. Changing now would feel like giving up on him.

She couldn't do that. Not yet. Even if they seemed farther away from succeeding than ever before…

"Aqua?" Riku asked. He had looked up in time to catch the moment of despair on her face.

She forced a smile, then realized she didn't have to. These were her friends. She could be honest with them.

"Sorry. I'm just worried about finding Van."

Riku nodded. "We're still going to come up with another plan. We can regroup at my house after I talk with my parents. They'll understand."

He tossed Lea one of the oars, and Aqua the other. Lea made a face.

"You really want me to row?"

"Yep. Master's orders." It might have been a joke, but it was a little hard to tell with Riku.

"Master of being a pain in the butt…" Lea muttered, just loud enough for Aqua to hear.

"Don't worry." She smiled. "I'm a Master too. Let me handle this."

Riku gestured for them to climb in, and they squished as well as possible, Aqua taking the back, Lea in the middle, and Riku in front.

If Lea had known that her version of "handling this" involved shooting a jet of water behind them to propel the boat forward, she doubted he would have agreed to it. It was worth it to see his face turn green under his sunburn and to hear Riku actually laugh out loud for once. The tiny boat sliced through the waves as if it were born for speed. Despite fearing that Lea might end up puking on her, she relished the rush of the wind in her face, the ocean spray in her hair. Sailing like that, it was easy to believe she could do anything. Even rescue Van from the darkness.

They didn't capsize. That didn't stop Lea from screaming a few times when they jumped a particularly large wave. No, in spite of the excitement, they made it safely to the opposite shore, where Aqua gently slowed them onto the sand. A few kids building a sandcastle took a look at them and then scrambled away.

Riku laughed and climbed out.

"Thanks, Aqua."

Lea flopped over the side like a half-dead fish.

"Uuuuurrrrghhhh…"

Aqua shared a potion with him in apology. It didn't stop him from threatening under his breath that he'd spread her secret about Van, but she didn't believe him. As much as he'd mess with her and Riku both, he was too nice for that.

Now that the threat of getting soaked was over, he threw back on his coat, which he'd somehow managed to keep mostly dry. He left the gloves in his pockets, though.

While Riku led them into the thick of Destiny Islands proper, Aqua reveled in the sights, sounds, and smells. Mountains rose behind a quaint red-roofed village, where people young and old walked leisurely through the dirt streets, as if the concept of hurrying hadn't been invented yet. Maybe it was the soft cawing of seagulls in the distance, or the smell of someone roasting burgers over a fire, but the unrushed feeling sunk into her as well.

It was strange how certain worlds could have such strong feelings. Could it have anything to do with their hearts? If the stars were world's hearts, shining down like millions of lanterns, then she would bet that this was the brightest.

Soon enough they arrived at Riku's house, which was… well, just like all the other houses around it. She should have expected that, shouldn't she? Just because he was a Keyblade Master didn't mean he lived in a castle. Those days were far in the past.

She hung back with Lea, but Riku didn't pause. He rapped twice on the door and walked right in.

"Mom! I'm home!"

Aqua and Lea shared a look. It said something like, "Do we go in?" Or maybe, "Wait, Riku actually has a family?" Sure, he'd said they were going to visit, but for some reason Aqua hadn't realized he was going to bring them to his actual house. With his actual family. Ven and Terra and the Master were her family, but she'd never been introduced to someone else's mother or father. Were there any customs of respect she was supposed to show? Riku would have told her if there were, wouldn't he?

"Hey, you guys can come in," Riku called back from inside, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Oh! You brought friends this time!" A woman's voice exclaimed, and then suddenly she was in the doorway, a tall, silver-haired lady with wearing a simple white t-shirt, flaring jeans, and wide hoop earrings. Her smile brought out the creases of age in her tan face, but still it was bright enough to be the cause of all the light on the world.

"Hello," Aqua said tentatively. Should she bow or something?

"Oh, and one of them's a girl!" Riku's mom gushed before swallowing Aqua in a hug that could have crushed bones. Riku had certainly gotten his muscles from somewhere.

"Mom," Riku groaned. "Agh, it's been so long, I should've known she'd get like this…"

"What's her name?" The woman asked, releasing Aqua just in time for her to breathe. "Oh, sorry, sweetie, I suppose I can ask you myself, can't I?"

"Um, I'm Aqua," she said.

"And I'm Lea," Lea added, holding out his hand. "Got it memorized?"

Riku's mom completely ignored the invitation for a handshake, instead wrapping the taller Lea in a hug just as tight as the one she'd given Aqua. "Lea! It's great to finally meet you, Riku has told me so much about you!"

"...He has?" he croaked out.

"Of course! He wouldn't forget to tell me about his first apprentice!"

Lea's eyes bulged, and not just from the force of the hug this time.

"Apprentice? Your apprentice?"

Riku crossed his arms and smirked. "Who babysat you those first few months when you could hardly summon your keyblade?"

"Hey! I'm the one who babysits! Sheesh, I'm older than you!"

"Come in, come in!" Riku's mom swept Aqua and Lea inside.

The house had soft carpet that squished under Aqua's boots. She wished again that she was barefoot, like Riku's mom was now. Aqua was probably tracking in enough sand to build a castle.

"Mom…" Riku protested. "I know you're just trying to help, but we really just came by to regroup…"

"Then you can 'regroup' over some fruit salad and pot roast. I made some last night when we had Kaze and Hikaru over for dinner."

"Sora's parents? Has he come home lately?" Riku asked as they sat on stools around a circular kitchen table.

Aqua tried not to show her nervousness at the unusual situation, but Lea was grinning now that he wasn't being hugged to death. Maybe this was normal.

"I'm afraid not. Kairi has, though. Unless she left this morning, she should still be in town."

"That's good to hear," Riku replied, even as Lea suddenly went pale. Weren't he and Kairi friends though? "We'll stop by later if we have time."

"My little hero, always so busy." His mom smiled sadly, setting a giant bowl of chopped fruit on the table. "At least you make time to come home now and then."

"It's the least I can do after making you worry for a whole year…"

Despite Aqua's initial nervousness, Riku's mom quickly made her and Lea feel at home, serving them a warm lunch and chatting with them and Riku about their travels. She didn't pry into the exact nature of their mission, thankfully. Instead she asked about the worlds they'd visited recently, where Aqua was from, how Lea's training was going. When the meal was finished, Aqua offered to help wash dishes, but it was Riku who turned her down.

"I'll take care of it. You and Lea can hang out back if you want, I'll be out in a little bit."

She wanted to insist, but realizing that he might just want some time alone with his mom, she complied.

The backyard wasn't fenced in; the swath of swaying grass butted up against a hill of rock that blocked anything from being built behind it. A few palm trees also skirted the lawn, casting long shadows in the late afternoon sun. Due to this, despite still being close to the center of town, it still managed to feel secluded.

"I forget that some of us still have families," Lea mused, lounging against one of the trees. "Most of them do, actually. Riku, Sora, Kairi—heck, even Mickey's got a family back home. Hope the Queen's doing alright…"

"Do you know why she had to call Mickey home?" Aqua asked, remembering the urgent business the King had had to leave on.

"Something about Maleficent again. I didn't hear all the details. I was a little busy trying to make sure you didn't get attacked by darkness in your sleep." He shrugged. "I'm sure Mickey can handle it. He and Sora have taken care of her before."

Aqua nearly missed his later sentences, busy as she was trying to understand the first one. She sat under the shade of the tree and dropped her head in her hands.

"Maleficent? Seriously? Does no one just stay dead?"

"Yeah, I thought she would've kicked the bucket ages ago too." He shrugged. "She gave the Organization trouble a few times. Not me personally, though."

"Well, she had enough personal trouble for me." Aqua sighed. "She's the first one who manipulated Terra into using his darkness. Besides Xehanort, anyway. If it weren't for her…"

"Well, maybe Mickey will save a piece of her for you." Lea smirked. "If you've got time for a little revenge-sidequest, I'm sure he wouldn't mind the help."

Though the offer was tempting, she shook her head.

"No. I have to stay focused. If Mickey can handle it like you said, then I don't need to go chasing a grudge. Van needs me more."

"Fair enough. Riku didn't want to get your hopes up, but that's one of the reasons we decided to come back here. He said Vanitas and Sora are connected somehow, so there was a chance that if he came back to the light, he'd end up here. Small chance, but it's where Riku and Sora ended up when the Realm of Darkness spat them out." He shrugged.

"That was sweet of him." Aqua smiled.

That made a little more sense too, not that she would have minded if Riku's family had been the only reason for visiting. She didn't know where else to go, and Destiny Islands was a far more pleasant place to camp than Castle Oblivion or even Radiant Garden.

"I just wish I knew what to do now…"

She stared up through the leaves. The sky overhead was gaining the pinkish tinge of late afternoon. Lunch had taken longer than she'd expected; they'd probably need to spend the night here. She had slept a little on the Gummi Ship, but Riku hadn't had that opportunity.

"Yeah, about that," Lea began a little awkwardly before settling down in the grass next to her. His fingers absently plucked a blade of grass and began twirling it. "I've got an idea, actually."

"You do?" she asked.

"Hey, don't sound so surprised." He flicked the grass blade at her. "I've had it for a while, actually. Since Riku did his whole dive-in-and-fix-your-heart thing."

She sat up a little straighter.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?"

He picked another piece of grass, but this time shredded it with his thumbnail.

"I did, to Riku. He wasn't exactly thrilled about it."

"...And why's that?"

"Maybe I should let him tell you." He nodded towards the porch, where the wooden door swung shut behind Riku.

"What is it this time?" Riku asked, sitting down with his legs stretched out and reclining back on his palms.

"I figured we should tell Aqua about the plan I had. Unless you've got a better idea."

She looked between the two of them, wondering what was going through their heads. What they'd been hiding from her. Who were they to reject any possible way of rescuing Van? And then: if they were debating it, how dangerous was this possible plan?

"Alright," Riku relented with a sigh. "There is one other place that Xehanort was connected to. The World That Never Was."

The way he said it, he expected the name to set warning bells ringing. Instead she gave him a blank look.

"Is there a problem with that?"

"Well, the last two times Riku and I were there, we almost got ourselves killed. So yeah, a little." Lea shrugged. "It was the Organization's home base, before Riku and Sora took out the Boss. Then it got a little… What's the word? Sleepy?"

Riku rolled his eyes at the attempted joke.

"It's in the Realm of Sleep now. Halfway, at least. Xehanort hijacked my Mark of Mastery Exam to bring us there, but it was even more transient than the other Sleeping Worlds. It's not stable."

Realm of Sleep? Aqua knew of the Realms of Light, Darkness, and Between, but not Sleep.

"So… can we go there?" she asked. "Or is it too unsafe?"

"That's the thing. I'm not sure." Riku frowned. "It could have deteriorated even further since we were there last. Or Xehanort could be there."

"Or it could be completely empty, since their whole time-travel thing ran out," Lea countered. "I only brought it up because she deserves to know. Her armor could be there."

"You really think there's a chance?" Aqua asked.

"As good as anywhere else we've checked," Riku admitted. "Possibly better. Xemnas did live there for years."

"Then I have to go." She started to stand, but Lea grabbed her wrist.

"Whoa, slow down. You think you're going to just fly there on your own?"

What was she thinking? She wasn't, really. Riku was the only one who could fly the Gummi Ship. They couldn't leave this second, anyway. It was just motivating to finally have another clue, one that even Riku found promising.

If dangerous. And she still wasn't back to one hundred percent...

"Sorry." Her face reddened as she forced herself to relax.

"There's no way to fly there, anyway," Riku said. "We'd have to Drop."

"Fancy magical sleep," Lea whispered an explanation from behind his hand.

"Err… alright." She decided that asking questions would probably only confuse her further. "When can I go?"

Lea laughed. "You say that like you're going to leave us behind. Come on, you know us better than that."

"But, if it's dangerous—"

"Then it's all the more reason to call in backup. Right, Riku?"

Though he looked annoyed at having to agree with Lea, Riku nodded.

"We've faced danger before. Besides, I wouldn't know how to send you in alone; I can only Drop myself. We'll need Mickey or Yen Sid to get all three of us there."

Aqua stared into their faces, trying to read them. Lea was grinning with his usual nonchalance; Riku's expression was firm and determined. Even though they were friends, she didn't expect them to be so ready to jump into such a dangerous endeavor.

Life is always dangerous for keyblade wielders, she remembered her earlier thought. At least this time we get to pick which dangers we're willing to face.

"Well, in that case… thank you." She smiled. "So when do we leave?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. That'll give us some time to rest and stock up on whatever supplies we need." Riku stood and brushed the grass from his pants. "I'll have to contact Yen Sid from the Gummi Ship too. I'm sure he'll be willing to help, but it would be best to check first."

"Sounds good to me," Lea said. "So, are we crashing here tonight?"

"I guess you can stay here," Riku replied, like he hadn't really thought about it. "Aqua, maybe you can stay with Kairi, since she's in town."

"If that's alright with her," she said.

Honestly, she would be fine sleeping on the beach, or in the backyard, or literally anywhere. There wasn't a spot on these islands that could be less comfortable than the Realm of Darkness.

After ironing out a little more of their plan, they decided to head over to Kairi's house to make sure it would work with her. As they were walking, though, Lea announced that he really wanted to go buy some new clothes before it got too late, and cut off down a side street before Aqua or Riku could stop him.

"I hope he keeps out of trouble." Riku sighed.

"Is he really that worried about seeing Kairi?" Aqua asked.

"I doubt it. Probably just doesn't want to meet her parents. Kairi's too forgiving for her own good, but that doesn't change the fact that he kidnapped her."

"What?" Aqua balked. Somehow she'd missed that part of the story, but Riku filled her in as they walked.

"...and somehow we all made up." Riku chuckled. "I never would have thought they would both end up as my apprentices…"

He led her onto another porch, knocked, and this time waited for the door to open. Aqua was a little afraid another enthusiastic parent would answer, but it was Kairi herself who greeted them.

"Riku! Aqua! It's so good to see you!"

She hugged him first, then her. It was a little shocking, considering they hadn't spent much time together, but the friendly gesture still brought a smile to her face.

"It's good to see you too, Kairi."

"How did you get back from Merlin's?" Riku asked. "Cid didn't let you fly a Gummi Ship by yourself, did he?"

"No, Mickey brought me. He's traveling again, trying to track down Sora's journal that Maleficent stole. He had some time to take me with him, since I've finished all the training Merlin can give me."

Riku did a double-take. "You—wait, you're finished?"

"Uh-huh!" She grinned and clasped her hands behind her back. "With Lea out of the way, I could actually focus for once! Where is he, anyway? He didn't get so annoying that you had to ditch him, did he?"

Riku smiled. "I did consider it, but no. He went to go buy himself a shirt. He'll turn up again eventually."

"Well, since I'm not grounded anymore, can I come with you three? I might be done with my official magic training, but I'm still going to have to work hard to catch up with you and Sora!"

Kairi's face was so hopeful—it reminded her of Ven, the times he'd wanted to come with her and Terra. The times right before she told him to go home. She could even see that concern on Riku's face, a diluted version of what she'd felt then.

"She should come," Aqua found herself saying, interrupting what was sure to be a denial from Riku. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her, but she stayed firm. "I think having a Princess of Heart along would be helpful."

Kairi's grin widened, but Riku still looked thoughtful.

"Come on!" Kairi punched his shoulder playfully, though he jumped a little in surprise at the force of it. "You're supposed to be my Master, right? I'll learn a lot more from experience than from sitting around here. That's how you learned, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess, but—" His eyes darted to Aqua for a second.

"And you better not say it's because I'm a girl, because she is too." Kairi folded her arms smugly. Aqua chuckled.

"You know, I'm technically the senior Master here," she said. "And personally I think we could use more girl keyblade wielders."

"Alright, alright," Riku finally conceded. "But we're about to be going somewhere very dangerous. Be sure you have plenty of Potions and Curaga commands."

"I will! Thanks Riku!" She threw her arms around him again, and was about to run back into the house, when she realized something. "Oh. If you weren't planning on inviting me along, why did you stop by?"

"Aqua needs a place to stay tonight," Riku explained.

"If it's not too much trouble," Aqua added, a little embarrassed. If Riku hadn't suggested it, she would have just camped on the beach, even if she had to do it alone. Then again, maybe it was for the best that they not leave her alone again.

"Of course not! It'll be like a slumber party!" Kairi beamed at her. "You can come in now, if you want."

She glanced back at Riku, who shrugged. There wasn't any more planning to be done tonight, she supposed.

"Sure, that's fine with me."

They waved goodbye to Riku and Aqua followed Kairi inside. Her house was different from Riku's—softer and older-looking, with lacy curtains, floral couches, and pale wooden floors.

"Thanks for sticking up for me back there." Kairi smiled as she led Aqua up a creaky staircase. "I'm sure I could've convinced Riku eventually, but it would have taken me a lot longer."

"It's no trouble." She smiled back. "We're all stronger when we're together."

If only she had realized that before, when Ven had wanted to travel with her. But she'd only been trying to follow the Master's orders. She couldn't have known how much more danger she was putting him in by leaving him alone.

"I hope so. I want to keep training, but I don't want to hold the rest of you back." Kairi pushed open a door, leading into a tidy pink-walled bedroom. She sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the spot beside her for Aqua to sit.

"You won't be," she assured her, taking the invitation to sit. "I meant it when I said we could use a Princess of Heart on our side. Our team could use a little more light to balance us out."

"Well… I don't know about that." She brushed a lock of red hair behind her ear. "I'd like to go visit the other Princesses sometime and learn how to use those powers, but I haven't had the chance yet."

"I didn't mean that," Aqua clarified. "I just meant… well."

Now that she realized what she did mean, it was difficult to admit out loud, especially considering she still didn't know Kairi that well. She cleared her throat.

"I could use a little more light to balance me out. Riku and Lea have been able to help me fight the darkness, but I thought you might be able to show me how to strengthen my light."

Kairi blinked. "You wanted to learn from me? But you're a Keyblade Master."

Aqua laughed a little and shook her head.

"Becoming a Master has only taught me how much I still need to learn."

"I guess I could see that," Kairi replied thoughtfully, then smiled. "I'm not much of a teacher, but I'll try my best. What do you want to know?"

What did she want to know? It was only when faced with such an obvious question that Aqua realized how ridiculous her idea was. What about light could be taught? It was something you felt, something that grew inside you.

There she'd gone again, looking for another secret when she knew there was none. She couldn't just become a Princess of Heart.

She sighed, eyes downcast.

"I don't know. I just… I wish I could be like you."

"Why?" Kairi asked, trying to understand. "There's not much to being a Princess of Heart, really. People try to kidnap you, mostly."

That got a little chuckle out of Aqua, though she immediately felt guilty for it. It was easy to forget what Kairi had been through.

"But you don't have to worry about darkness, right? What does that feel like?"

Kairi rubbed her arm and shrugged.

"I wouldn't know. I was born that way, wasn't I? But I think I feel just like everyone else. I still get angry sometimes. I still feel scared. I don't think that's darkness. I think it's just being human."

Aqua thought about that—thought about Ven. He had been like an artificial Prince of Heart, in a way, and he had been angry and scared and hurt plenty of times. Too many times.

"If that's the case… then what does light even do?" The question came out more desperate than she intended. She had just spent so much time, so many years, learning about the importance of light, and of destroying darkness… but none of it made sense anymore.

"I don't know for sure, but I think it's what connects all of us." Kairi swung her legs and looked up at the ceiling. "I think it's how my letter found Sora, and how my heart found his when I was sleeping. I think it's what friendships are made of." She laughed a little. "That sounds silly, doesn't it? I'm just thinking out loud."

"No, I get it," Aqua said, pulling out her Wayfinder. "Our light… it's what connects us."

The blue charm was glowing, as if in agreement with her words. It had been doing that a lot recently. Was it connecting with her newfound friends?

"Terra, Ven, Van… that means there's still light in all of us. No matter where you are." Her hand tightened around the warm Wayfinder.

"That looks a lot like my lucky charm," Kairi noticed. "You're not from the Islands, though, are you?"

"No. I'd just read about them in a legend." Aqua held it up to the window, so the red sunset filtered through it, turning the clear blue to a soft violet. "I made one for each of my friends, so that we'll always be connected."

"Are you close to finding any of them yet?" Kairi asked. The eternal question.

"I hope so," Aqua whispered. "I really hope so."

XXX

Spending the night with Kairi was more enjoyable than Aqua had expected. They talked and made crafts—some origami keyblade designs Kairi had been working on in her spare time—for a while, and then Kairi asked if Aqua could teach her any new attacks.

They took a walk down to the beach as the last rays of sunset fell and the stars twinkled into view. A few carefully placed Fire spells kept the night at bay while they practiced. Though she tried not to show it, Kairi seemed a little disappointed that Aqua specialized in magic. Kairi had a good grip of spells and was able to pick up Thundaga Shot and Magnega, two commands that had been beyond Merlin's ability to teach, but she was far more excited to try out physical attacks. Unfortunately, most of the physical commands that Aqua knew were either too basic to be interesting or were combined with too much magic for Kairi's level. The only one she was able to share was Barrier Surge.

"You would have liked Terra's style, I think," Aqua mused quietly, observing Kairi's firm stance and solid strikes as she moved through a kata Riku had taught her.

"What was that?" Kairi paused to ask.

"Oh, just thinking. Here, if you change your stance just a little bit..."

Eventually they had to call it a night, mostly because they knew they'd regret it in the morning if they didn't get some sleep. Well, Kairi would. Aqua's body still wasn't quite adjusted to the normal cycle of day and night. She'd thought she would hate the darkness of night after spending so long in it, but she found the starlit beach just as peaceful as her former midnight walks in the Land of Departure. It was almost like old times.

By the time they arrived at Kairi's house, her parents were home but asleep, but someone had left dinner in the refrigerator for them. Well, for Kairi, but she generously split her portion with Aqua.

"Won't your parents be worried about a stranger sleeping over in their house?" Aqua asked later as Kairi rolled out a sleeping bag on the floor.

"I'll explain in the morning," she said. "They're always relaxed about me and Selphie having sleepovers. They might even be glad I've found another friend. There aren't many other girls my age on the islands."

"Well… if you're sure," Aqua conceded.

Kairi had insisted she take the bed, despite her protests the floor would be just fine, so she slipped off her boots and into the covers. She was instantly grateful for Kairi's generosity—the mattress was much softer than any in Castle Oblivion, or any she'd slept on since returning to the Realm of Light, for that matter.

Kairi switched off the lights and snuggled into her sleeping bag, but Aqua could still see her smile in the dim moonlight.

"Thanks for everything today, Aqua."

"It was a pleasure. You're going to make a great Keyblade Master one day." Her smile was bittersweet. Though Riku was better suited for the job, part of her wished that Kairi could have been her apprentice.

"Thanks. That means a lot." Kairi rolled over so she could face Aqua better. "And thanks again for letting me come with you. I've wanted to help my friends for so long, I almost never thought it would actually happen."

"I could almost say the same thing," Aqua murmured to herself. Then, louder, "I think you've helped them already. Riku and Lea speak very highly of you."

"I'm sure they do, and that's great, but it's not the same as being there with them, you know?" Kairi sighed.

"In that case, you've at least helped me. I think today is the most I've been able to relax in a long time." She yawned deeply, as if her body wanted to prove it.

Kairi laughed a little, but then it turned into a yawn too. "Well… you're welcome. I guess we'd better get some sleep, huh?"

"Yeah. Big day tomorrow." Aqua smiled as she closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Kairi."

"Night, Aqua."

She heard Kairi roll over, and soon after came the steady sound of breathing. In spite of her body's fatigue, though, Aqua found her mind wasn't quite ready to turn off. Meeting Terra's armor had stirred her heart in a way she still hadn't quite recovered from. Hope and despair mixed together within her, like agitated oil and water, never quite able to break free of each other.

Terra will be alright, she told herself. I'm not abandoning him. I'll be back as soon as I can save Van…

If Van was even alive. It was easy enough to keep up hope in the daylight, with the distraction of pressing forward, but when she was alone with her fears…

There was no point in wondering. One way or another, she would find a way back to the Realm of Darkness, and then she would know.

She rolled over in Kairi's bed and felt something sharp poke her hip. Her Wayfinder. It did that sometimes if she wasn't careful. She unlooped it and held it up, as if she would see something other than darkness through its blue glass.

"An unbreakable connection," she found herself whispering. "Wherever you are, Van, I'm always with you."

Maybe for the first time, she realized that wasn't just because of their Wayfinders. Like Kairi had said—light was a connection. He had found his light, and she still had hers. That was how she knew she would find a way.

She was about to tuck the charm away again when it began to glow. Dimly, at first, like a star shielded by clouds. As she squinted, it grew brighter, until she was afraid it might wake Kairi. She pulled the blanket up over her head to keep in the light.

The glow pulsed gently, and then, like a whisper…

"I love you, Aqua. I miss you…"

She gasped, peeking out from under the covers. Kairi was still asleep, her back rising and falling steadily with each unconscious breath. There was no other source for those words but the charm she held in her hands.

"Impossible," she whispered as water clouded her eyes, blurring the Wayfinder's light. "Van… is that you? Can you hear me?"

Her breath hung in her lungs. She waited, heart strung out with the seconds, beating in time with the pulsing glow. Then each pulse grew dimmer and dimmer, weaker and weaker, until finally the room was as dark as before.

Her hands shook. Slowly she emerged from covers, sitting up, resting the Wayfinder in her lap.

"Am I already asleep? Is this all a dream…?" She bit her tongue, as if the pain could prove this was real. She had felt pain in enough dreams to know that wouldn't matter. "Van…"

It had been his voice. Quiet and whispering as it was, she would recognize it anywhere. Those words, though… she could hardly imagine, hardly hope, that he would say them.

"But I want to," she murmured. "I want to believe…"

"Someone once told me… there's power in just believing…" She remembered Terra's words. She had been believing, she had been hoping, that Van was still alive—but it was a fragile hope. Now, when there was finally evidence to justify it, would she throw that hope away?

She let the tears flow freely, but for once, they were tears of happiness. She pressed the Wayfinder to her lips and whispered back.

"I love you too, Van. I'll be there soon."