#maybe a bit of terraqua?

[mimiplaysgames]

The Bed Story, ch. 4 (Free Day)

Terraqua Day 2024, Day 4

Terra/Aqua | Terra/Anti-Aqua Rating: M Word Count: 6,125 @terraquaweek

Summary: Terra meets Anti-Aqua, and he's sorry for what they did and didn't do.

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A/N: Ahhh I had such anxiety attacks about publishing this chapter yesterday that I just didn't at all. So I'm a day behind with prompts. I told myself I would never use this plot point of finding Aqua's Keyblade in a fic again (save for one last fic that I have not published yet) and here I am... using it again. Oops. Either way, in this chapter, I got to play with a concept I've never done before and had a lot of fun with, so I still hope you guys find this chapter enjoyable.

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Information comes in bits and pieces. Terra and Ven align what little they’ve gathered in a comprehensible order, to get them started in the right place. Terra’s body was left behind in the courtyard Aqua and Xehanort had fought, in Radiant Garden. Then… something. Something happened that dragged Terra’s body away. Someone must have come by to pick him up. Who? Oh, this neighbor said Ansem the Wise found an orphan many years ago, okay. Funny to call someone as tall as you an orphan, but okay. Oh great, he’s dead. Now what? Well, who else was here? No idea. Wait, didn’t they say that castle once belonged to Ansem? Yeah. Let’s check it out. 

Once they get there: Wow, Terra. They do not like you. But do you know what this means? Yeah. Bingo. 

And this leads them to Xehanort’s peaceful old bedroom. The windows overlook Radiant Garden’s skyline, which is now stitched with pipes and electric traps as the city fortifies its own defense against Heartless. Some roofs need patching up but have to wait due to limiting resources. The city commission uses Ansem’s castle frequently for recovery and technological advances. Radiant Garden isn’t the same jewel—severely chipped, clouded, and gnarled, all while healing slowly. All while Xehanort’s bedroom remains… well, tranquil and undisturbed, to look out at such a beautiful view of the horizon, despite the ugliness. 

Xehanort’s bedroom has the same creepy juxtaposition: the dust has settled over his belongings, and it’s weird, because these were belongings Terra had touched, not Xehanort. Terra’s body, Terra’s touch. A worn out adventure novel with most of the pages bent in the corners sits on the nightstand table, waiting to be read again. That’s weird, because Terra adores that novel, too. Does that mean Xehanort and Terra have the same taste, or did Terra influence Xehanort’s taste? Then, there is this thick leather textbook with a bunch of equations. That’s weird, because Terra has no stars-damned clue what any of it means, but there are handwritten notes on the margins with, yep, some careful calligraphy that is Terra’s, and jutted rushed strikes of someone who thought too fast for the pace he wrote in.

Terra sits on Xehanort’s bed. Terra’s head had slept on this pillow here. Weird. Terra’s head. Here. And yet, infuriating. Terra’s head, safe in solace, all this time without him realizing. For years. The pillow is arranged towards the window, so when Xehanort laid down, he was able to watch the stars overhead before sleeping. Weird. Maybe Xehanort favored the stars. Or maybe Terra missed them. Terra’s bed back home was arranged the same way. 

For what it’s worth, the bed is squishy and invites a nap. Much better than the thin carpet in the Master’s study. 

Right now, the keepers of the Ansem’s castle are looking for a scientist named Even, who might know the whereabouts of Aqua’s Keyblade. Everyone else in the castle had said, Oh yeah. I remember some Keyblade. Dunno what happened to it. 

“So,” Ven says, poking a finger at a glass chemistry set. “You’re gonna tell me what’s going on with you?”

Terra considers taking the pillow home. It smells of patchouli, which isn’t a cologne Terra would have chosen, but it’s comforting. 

“About what?”

Ven rolls his eyes. “You know what. Show me.”

Terra extends his hand, but instead of calling Earthshaker, he tries for No Name one more time. Maybe being in this room will beckon it to come. Think about hunger, and Terra’s own satiation when he comes close to achievement. Think about the taboo. Taste it. Think about how full it felt, how delicious, when Terra wielded Darkness for the first time and felt like he could bend gravity. Think about how Aqua might feel this way now, drunk on power. 

No, don’t think about Aqua and how Terra let it all tear apart. 

Nothing happens.

“Earthshaker still won’t come?”

Terra lowers his arm. “No.” 

“I don’t get it.” Ven scratches his face. “I mean, I know that when a wielder changes, the Keyblade will change with them sometimes, but…”

Terra squeezes his own bicep. A bitter medicine to drink, and no sugar to help it go down. “Maybe I’ve changed in ways Earthshaker doesn’t approve of.”

“That makes zero sense. Earthshaker is yours.” Ven huffs. “That’s like saying you don’t want it anymore.”

Is that true? Terra rubs fingers to his palm, and considers the possibility. Why he tries for No Name over Earthshaker, exchanging his own essence for something better than what he can offer. Maybe it’s that he can’t trust anything he thinks anymore. No Name is stronger. Facts are facts.

And maybe Earthshaker is no longer Earthshaker anymore. Maybe all Terra has left are the remnants the Guardian digested. Something warped, and stupid, and Dark. Maybe Terra will never again feel what it’s like to hold an extension of Light.

“Can I hold your Keyblade?” Terra asks.

“Hm? Yeah, definitely.” Ven summons Wayward Wind, and the air in the room thaws with a blanket of safety. 

Compared to the length of Terra’s arm, Wayward Wind is a dagger, but sturdy. Eager, excitable, like it wants to fly and never touch the ground again. Terra feels compelled to twirl it in circles over and over, and it brings him childish joy to repeat this movement, like bouncing a yo-yo. While he does this, Ven grins, and Wayward Wind smiles back. There’s a sense of pick-me, pick-me deep beneath the surface, like when Ven raised his hand before Aqua and Terra did after the Master asked a question in class, desperate to answer it before they had a chance. Keeping up. Trailing behind. Keeping up. Trailing behind, always wanting to explore but caught in a cage. Beneath that, this belief that there’s a reason he was left behind. Deeper than that, maybe they were right.

Most importantly, when Terra stops the twirling, and adjusts Wayward Wind’s position in this fist, this expanse of hope quells everything else, knowing the sun comes out on the other side. For a Keyblade so small, it has more optimism than anything else Terra has felt in his life. 

“You’re a good friend to yourself, Ven.”

“I am?” Ven takes Wayward Wind back, but before he can say more, someone knocks on the door. That someone lets himself in. 

This someone is…

“Ienzo,” he says, reading Terra’s confusion correctly and re-introducing himself. Ienzo drags in a cart stuffed with a mountain of journals and reports on spiral bounds. He can barely look Terra in the face, so he addresses Ven. “This is everything Xehanort has recorded.” He clears his throat, and pats a neat stack on the side. “This here refers to the research you specifically requested.”

“Thank you.” Terra says, who was the one who requested the material, not Ven.

“You’re welcome,” Ienzo says to Ven. “Um…” He lets go of the cart, and begins to turn, then stops himself. He faces Terra but looks at the floor. “I suppose this research is your entitlement.”

“Excuse me?”

“It is rightfully yours.” He clears his throat again. “Or is it not?”

Ven gapes. “Sure,” he answers for a shocked Terra, then shoots a look at Terra that says, We’ll burn it all later. 

Ienzo lowers his voice. “Before I leave, there is one thing I wanted to say.”

Terra holds his breath. He would move to Xehanort’s desk so he can begin sifting through the pages, but he’s getting the impression that sudden movement would scare this guy away. 

Ienzo glances into Terra’s eyes. Looks away. Glances again. Looks at the wall. “You look so much like him.”

Ven groans. “It’s the other way around. Xehanort. Xehanort is the one who looked so much like Terra.”

“Of course.”

“It’s okay, Ven.” Terra delicately stands, and takes the leather journal at the top of the stack, where he meets Ienzo eye-to-eye. “Don’t take it personally. It is what it is.”

Ienzo nods too quickly, chin to chest. Before closing the door behind him, Ienzo steps back inside. With a hand on the knob, he says, “I want you to know, he made me feel like I was limitless. He was the one who showed me I could make anything, that I can even fly, and... And I am so sorry about that.”

Terra sits at Xehanort’s desk. The journal is extra-large, the same size of a textbook. A perfect fit for Terra’s hands. 

Master Terra. Xehanort uttered those words. 

“He made me feel the same.” Over his shoulder, he smiles at Ienzo. “No need for an apology.”

“Are we seriously considering this?” Ven asks about the journals when Ienzo leaves them alone, sliding the second-to-top journal off the stack like it smells. 

Terra opens the cover, and reads the date. Two years after Xehanort won.

Terra scans page after page—theory and history, most of it familiar from Fairytale lore, like what’s stored in Affairs of the Heart but legible. These read as summaries. Perhaps he was reminding himself of the basics. “We just need something, Ven.”

“But Xehanort?”

“He knew things we didn’t.”

Ven sighs. Ven understands—Xehanort knew things that hurt Ven more than anyone else, and none of them are found in old tomes.

“I can read these,” Terra says, realizing he’s asking Ven for too much. “You should go have fun. I heard they’re bringing back food carts.”

“Nah, I’m fine.” He’s not. “I want to help.”

“Okay. But if you start to get upset, you stop. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Ven moves over beakers on a shelf to make space for himself, and Terra goes back to the journal, only to skim through the final page and realize it’s not what he’s hoping for.

Next.

A thick folder of yellowing paper scribbled with equations, and no markers to translate what they mean.

Next.

A diary. Terra’s heart pounds. Does he want to know? His stomach churns something acidic when he flips through dates. He shouldn’t. He’s nauseous. He’s curious. These are emotions laid bare, Xehanort’s personal, not clinical, reactions to his experiments. He lists patterns. Glowing eyes for successes, glazed over when failures. There are descriptions of people Xehanort enticed to the dungeons, and—

Terra shuts the diary, and rubs his eyes. He touches himself: hands on wrists, on forearms, on his chest, on his face. This is his face. This is mine… despite being the last face these victims pleaded with.

“You okay?”

“Fine.” Terra sounds convincing enough, and only needs a moment. Reminds himself that not everyone flinches when they see his face. Ven smiles. Ven wants to see his face.

And Aqua...

“None of it was your fault, you know?”

Terra wishes these people had a more peaceful passing. “Thanks, Ven.”

Terra opens the diary again, and thumbs through pages that describe the experiments in too much detail. He wonders if Xehanort was aware Terra was there. But there is no mention of a shadow following Xehanort anywhere. He had no idea he had access to the Guardian for his use.

Not until his Heartless was formed years later. Xehanort’s heart remembered, even when his mind didn’t. 

Terra hits a passage, sounding like the vulnerability of an existential crisis late at night:

I yearn for an old friend I can’t remember, to pass these nights with.

And one more: What used to fill me with joy has left my heart bored. 

Are these passages talking about Eraqus? Or is this Terra’s influence, and they’re talking about Aqua?

“Ugh.”

Terra turns over. The chair can’t spin.  “What’s going on?”

“This.” Ven holds up a leaflet stapled together, damaged by water. Or fluids? It doesn’t look like blood. “It—” He looks like he’s about to vomit. 

“Here.” Terra takes it from Ven, and reads. Theories about the χ-blade, but one passage sounds about right: 

There is a validity to the argument that our hearts are not one source of power, but many sewn together. Light intertwined with Darkness in repressive knots. Not an object that draws a shadow in the presence of a light source, but threads twisted together. To separate the two is feasible, but imagine the difficulty to pull apart raveled yarn one thread at a time. 

To bind them back together, make them relink but in different places, like a puzzle cube, is ideal. This is where the true heart lies, where the soul of Man can be read: What piece is he willing to take out? How would he change? What would he learn if he wove it back together? 

Further than this, I would be remiss not to ask myself, after dreaming of memories I do not have: What would it take me to remove something of which I am not aware is there?

Related to this discussion, how does Man live on? What does it mean to give my share to another, and plant a piece in someone else’s heart? 

By what extension does this method become irreversible? Is that what I want?

A footnote:

I’ve done it. Braig has become my first successful attempt. I made certain that it would be near impossible to remove my Darkness from his consciousness. 

I dare not ponder the possibility of him sharing a piece of himself with me—that is out of the question. Seeing how he has changed proves to me that I must maintain all records of who receives my blessing. 

For the sake of science, we attempted to force my essence out. It threatened to destroy all his memory of me. 

To rule out correlation, I’ve attempted this on [name too damaged by fluid to be legible] and it was successful up until she lost all memory. The night after, she killed herself.  

Perhaps this is in relation to the fact that Braig fully accepted me. I need a different approach. I need a body with no heart at all—

Terra can’t breathe. He hauls a trash can and gags into it, but nothing comes out except spit. 

“Hey, you okay?”

Terra gags again, then swallows. He croaks, “Yeah.”

“It’s all bullshit.”

“Language,” he says, coarse. Vanitas. The curse words have to be Vanitas’s lingering influence on Ven.

“But what does it mean for Aqua exactly?”

Terra reads the words again, searching for an answer between the lines. But there’s no denying it. “The Guardian gave a piece of it—of me, my Darkness—to her. They’ve intertwined. That’s why she’s like this.”

Terra reads the passage again, looking for confirmation that this is so. Was Xehanort aware of Terra’s jealousy? Did his Heartless know? And took advantage of it? Jealous of her, then sabotaged her. Which isn’t… Terra would never…  

And yet, Aqua stands above it all, strong enough (stronger than Terra) to control a new Keyblade. There has to be hope there.

“But… when Xehanort tried to take Vanitas away from me—” Ven sniffs. He hasn’t been able to talk about Vanitas since they’ve come back. “Look what it did to me.”

“I remember.”

“Terra, I don’t want her to forget us.” 

Despite Terra’s own chasm spawning in his chest cavity... “She won’t.” Ven can’t quite believe it, either. 

“I mean,” Ven says, grasping for exceptions, “you were fine. Right? You kept your memory.”

Terra’s breath hitches. “The difference is…” Careful. “I fought him out. Didn’t I? You didn’t want to be separated. Aqua…”

Ven can’t, or doesn’t, want to accept that. He shakes his head. “You don’t know what you’re saying.” Then, without allowing Terra to reply, he says, “Rainfell will bring her back. We just have to find it.”

A knock on the door. This man introduces himself as Even. “His resemblance to you…” he says to Terra. “I apologize.”

For someone who is dead, Xehanort has achieved true immortality—living on in memory. Which includes Terra. He keeps Xehanort alive just by his heart remembering. 

Even leads them into the dungeons, a slow, meticulous crawl down a tower of stairs. Terra is grateful that Ven hasn’t read the diary. All the more blissful. These rooms ooze of Darkness, as if Terra has stepped into the Realm of Darkness with no armor. 

That may not be quite right. Aqua has told Ven the Realm of Darkness is numbing. This place is repugnant, shadows and ink seeping from below the doors. Terra has to cover his face to stop himself from breathing it in.

Even leads them to the end of the hall, where he pries open an electronically locked door with a machine in his hand. Something fancy to bypass some other fancy technological advancement.

“It’s here!” Ven says, running inside. Terra is more cautious, surveying his surroundings before taking a step. A simple throne room that means absolutely nothing to him and is never mentioned in Xehanort’s diary. “Terra, look!”

Among her armor strewn across the floor is a Keyblade. Different, sleeker, with a sharp edge to the blade, designed to strike something as narrow as a tendon with precision. Undoubtedly, this is Rainfell, updated. Terra picks it up, and is blessed with an image of a bright star among all stars, like one offset from a constellation. 

Rainfell recognizes him, and it sighs. It’s tired of waiting. It doesn't know why there is this hollow feeling simmering beneath the metal. Its essence is shallow, like tight breaths, exhausted but awake. Aqua’s star blinks—something within is alive. Rainfell has been a Keyblade of pure, blind faith, but this version is not faith, but conviction. This is what it feels like to have hope.

“This throne room?” Terra asks Even.

Even is deadfaced when he says, “It wasn’t part of the original blueprint. Xemnas built it.” 

Terra’s Nobody built it for Rainfell. Aqua’s star has never stopped lighting Terra’s way back, no matter what form he came in.

“Ven, here.” Terra lifts Rainfell over so they can both touch it. “Say hi, so Aqua knows we’re there for her.”

And when Ven does, he cries. 

~*~

Aqua can’t fix it: the narrow stained glass window in the hall on the way to the residential wing. It’s cracked, splintering her reflection into shards, her golden eyes sliced into knives.

The Master wouldn't be pleased with this, if he were alive. Aqua clenches her jaw. He wouldn't be pleased to look at her either, but Aqua prays to him all the same. I know I'm supposed to be a Master, but I still have questions.

She presses the pad of her claw to the shred between, willing her Darkness to fill the space and seal it together, but the glass breaks off and shatters into minuscule gems on the floor. Nothing in the castle does what she wants it to. She’s even tried to fix the bells so they can ring on the hour. They don’t. She can’t fix them. 

Shhhhh, dear, my dear, this place is not built for you. 

Her shoulder ticks. Every time one of those voices speaks, she resists the temptation to hit something. One clone, two, more, are in the hall with her. Terra and Ven can’t see them. 

Look at what you’ve done, the Second says to her.

It’s not my fault, Third says.

We’ve been alone for so long, the Fourth one says. When are they coming home?

You can’t stay here, says the First. You know it’s not good for you.

“Don’t say that to me,” Aqua says. When they speak, they have her stare at things, wondering if it’s her in the reflection of this broken stained glass, or if they’re all staring back. Is that just her reflection on the armored statues? Only her shadow on the walls? She can’t count sometimes. 

First says, But it’s true, my dear.

Though First has a point. Her shadows are the only things that don't run from her. And another point: as much as she longed to be with Terra and Ven again—

Especially Terra, Fourth says.

—Darkness and Light can't blend that well, can it? Has the Master been right all this time? Aqua groans from the thought. If the Master was right, then why is she like this? Destructive, scratching most of what she touches. Everyone stares at her scales. No one allows her peace. They keep her as close as an enemy.

Don’t make me feel anything, Third says. Please. It hurts too much.

“Aqua!” That’s Ven trying to find her. He has a knack of knowing where she is, perfect Light to perfect Darkness. That’s how it works, right? Suppress the Darkness so much it no longer exists, or let it take over.

Sweet little Ven, Fourth says. 

You’ll break his little innocent heart, First says. Why do you string him along? 

Don’t forget the barrier he put up, Second says. Neither of them trust you.

“Shut up,” Aqua mutters.

“Aqua,” Ven calls when he spots her. In his hand—Look. A perfect Light. The irony, Second says—is a ball of light. “Look what I made for you.” A sphere of fire contained within a tornado. “Neat trick, right? It’ll keep your hands warm.”

“Ven, that’s…” Sweet. Kind. Aqua cups her hands and accepts it. The flames are only slightly homely, a small campfire in the middle of a blizzard. 

Let her feel, Fourth says. I want to feel, too.

First says, No. You know what it does to her. 

“Thank you, Ven.” With him, her tone is muddled, tame, needy. She cups one of his cheeks and he… tenses. Stops himself from flinching at the sight of her claws. But how can she pull away? Ven is her brother—the very reason why she kept going. To wake him up. To see him safe. “That’s so considerate of you.”

Third: Well, you woke him up like you wanted, and look how he repays you. 

First: Making you feel you're too dangerous to be around.

Fourth: It’s nice to be cared for, isn’t it? He needs a hug from you.

Second: She’ll need to declaw herself, first.

“You’re welcome,” Ven says, his smile trembling. It’s like he’s expecting to be scratched.

Aqua lets him go. He needs to be reassured, and she knows just the thing. “Here.” In one free hand, she summons a swirl of Darkness, one to mimic his gift.

Second: You’re still scary.

Aqua tries smiling. It feels too vulnerable, and her muscles stiffen. Ven swallows with effort as he holds her gift to him far from his heart. 

“Really cool,” Ven says in a way that implies the opposite. Awkward silence. “Does it…?” He bends the Darkness into shapes. It’s malleable, and he nods, impressed. “Not bad.”

"Ven," she starts.

First, warning her: My dear.

"I care so much about you," Aqua says. She's not sure if Ven would accept an apology for brandishing a Keyblade against him in the heat of the moment.

Ven smiles, like a salve soothing her over. "I know."

For a moment, Aqua is at peace. Even when uncertain and wary, Ven’s smile is a balm. He’s safe, and he will always be safe under her care.

Then— 

“Ven, Aqua, you there?” Terra. His voice shatters every treasure of glass she keeps in the mirrors of her mind. There’s a deep need to listen to him crack a joke, even if she doesn’t, or can’t, laugh. A desire for him to tell her he needs her just as badly, and a fear that isn’t true anymore. Like drowning in sand, Aqua doesn't want to be so affected by every small gesture he does. But she is. Every time he’s around, Aqua’s heart bleeds. She can’t help it. Can’t stop it. Can’t fix it.

First: Oh, my dear. Can’t you see? You can’t stay. 

“Stop.”

“Mm?” Ven says, looking up at her. “Did you say something?”

Strapped to Terra’s back is Stormfall, but Aqua has known it was coming. Terra and Ven both have cried on it. She would have cried with them if she could.

Stars, Terra’s shoulders are so broad, his chest so powerful, his waist thick. The way he moves twists a scalpel in Aqua's heart: the even pace between his strides. Timid. Not the way they rush when he's confident. Or how his knees bounce too much when he's distracted with trying to impress. Timid, like a dog with a tail between his legs.

She feels the need to apologize to him, too.

Second: What for?

First: There isn't any reason.

Third: It should be the other way around.

Fourth: He already apologized. It wasn't enough for either of you.

The space under his eyes is dark. Sleep evades him, his tan face a little pale. And when he looks at her, his smile is tight, but his deep blue eyes betray him. She can hear the thump-thump of his heart. She’s an animal now. She knows when something comes alive when they see her. 

That last night before the Mark of Mastery, she should have stayed in his bed.

If you did, First says, you would have taken with you the memory of what his skin would have felt on you, around you, inside you. His warmth, his weight. You’ve forgotten, haven’t you? His smell. His voice.

That Keyblade… Second says.

He’s always had such a beautiful jawline, First says.

That Keyblade! Third says.

It hurts to look at him, First says. Doesn’t it? Don’t you want that pain to go away?

Terra does that chuckle when he’s nervous, the signal that she’s been staring at him too long. “Look what I have.” His bicep flexes when he reaches to pull Stormfall off his back. “Rainfell.”

Come home, First says. 

“It’s Stormfall now,” Aqua says. Her Keyblade croaks, as if reaching a hand out to speak to her, but Aqua doesn’t want to hear it. Stormfall can’t agree with an anti-heart, let alone an Anti-Aqua. 

Ven’s fire churns in her hands. It burns. Too much. She crushes the tornado and snuffs out the fire with her claws, when she doesn’t mean to. 

She can’t fix this, either.

Ven tenses. He lets go of her Darkness, and it dissipates. “Um…” 

“Ven,” Terra says, nodding his head to the side to indicate that Ven should leave and give them some space. Ven obeys.

When they’re alone, Terra plants a smile on his face. An olive branch. “Stormfall, huh?” He tests its weight, then offers the hilt. “Suits it nicely.”

Aqua doesn’t take it. “Does it feel any different to you?”

Terra raises his eyebrows, surprised by the question. “You don’t sense it?”

Hmm, Second one says. Do you notice Earthshaker is not near? 

Aqua swallows. “Barely," she lies.

“I think you’ll feel better when you hold it—”

Aqua winces. 

Third: When will he ever learn? 

“Why?” she asks.

“Why what?”

“Why do you want me better?”

Terra gapes, and Stormfall snaps her bite in his hand, making him flinch. He composes himself. “I… I don’t want you to suffer.”

Not quite. Stormfall says he wishes for things to go back to the way they were. “You want me happy.”

His eyes soften in a way that melts her. She’s known for years. It’s love. 

First: Is it really? Are you sure?

“Of course I do,” Terra says. 

“So happy that you’d want me changed?”

Terra inhales, then holds it in. “That’s not what I meant.”

“You want to know when Stormfall changed?” Aqua steps forward, when she shouldn’t. He smells like sandalwood. In the Realm of Darkness, there was no smell. Aqua steps again, when she shouldn’t. Terra, hold me. Is Stormfall telling him this? Of course, she can’t lie to her Keyblade. He’s closing the gap, stopping just short. “It transformed when I realized I had to fight you.”

Terra lowers his gaze to his shoes. 

“Don’t apologize,” Aqua says, recalling how discouraged she was when Rainfell transformed. How she questioned everything—her education, her path to Mastery—as a lie. How Stormfall told her to keep her head up. That there is an answer to find. How naive. She once chastised Terra for being so close to the Darkness. Look where she is now. “I would have—”

First: Don’t. You know what that will do to him. And what he will do to you. 

Terra’s brows furrow. “You okay?”

Aqua grits her teeth. “Yes.” 

He smiles when he means to cry, and Aqua has the mind to kiss his eyelids and wipe the tears away. “Okay,” he says. “What were you saying before? You would have done what?”

Made the same choice all over again. For you.

Her chest hurts.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” she says instead, desperate to keep her defenses up and ease the pain back into numbness. 

“I didn’t say you did.” He offers Stormfall again. 

Second: He does that. Nudges when he wants something and you’re busy. 

Third: Pokes when he wants something and you’re annoyed. 

Fourth: Questions you even when you’re right. It’s amusing.

First: My dear, you adore it when he does that. Careful—it’s going to hurt later when you want more and he can’t give it to you.

Terra smiles wider. It’s love. 

First: It’s—

Love. Shut up. Stormfall knows, though its link is weak. Terra is trying to hide it: Terra needs her, in the faintest whisper possible.

“I can’t take Stormfall,” Aqua says. 

“You can.”

Second, pointing: Look at him nudging.

“If Stormfall exists,” Terra says, “then by definition, you still have Light within you.” He finally exhales. “But that’s always been the case, right? A shadow can’t exist without Light, so, by definition, you are Light.”

Second: How preposterous. 

“Terra,” Aqua stresses, wanting to hit something. "Look at me.”

“I am.”

Stormfall gasps. It calls to Aqua. He’s about to say—

“Don’t say it,” Aqua says.

“Aqua—”

“Don’t—”

“You’re beautiful.”

First: Oh, honey.

Second: Ouch.

First, crossing her arms: He doesn’t have the privilege to say that.

Third: Why does that hurt so much?

Fourth: You are.

Beautiful… Even with these claws?

Stormfall betrays all of what Aqua wants to hide—it hurts, hurts, hurts, but Aqua wants it, and Terra feels it, so Terra wraps his fingers around the inner flesh of her wrists, over her scales. Touch me, so he does, gliding his hand up her forearm, brushing fumes from her skin, under her torn sleeves where he exposes smokey skin. Touch me more, and he pulls her in, embracing her. Terra plants his lips on her forehead, barely warm but there, and Aqua wants, and Aqua needs, and Aqua hurts. Aqua smells his sweat and sandalwood, and Aqua leans her face at his jaw, and his lips come to her eyebrow, and he kisses her there, and she kisses him too, close to the ear, and he digs his nose into her neck, and he opens his lips there, and Aqua wants, and Aqua needs, and Aqua hurts.

First: This is how you disappear. 

Second: Gut him. 

Third: Please, I can’t. All he does is make you want to cry.

Bury her, First says. You think you may want this, but when he leaves…

You are not Light, Second says. Not anymore. He’ll see that eventually.

No one is going to want your heart when they see what it’s really like now, Third says.

I love him, Fourth says. Can I keep him?

“I wish they would shut up,” Aqua whispers to his ear.

First says, We’re only looking out for you. 

“Who?” He pulls back and holds her by her bare shoulders.

She shouldn’t have said that out loud. That sudden empty space between—a stab now. That small warmth, all gone. “No one.” 

“Aqua?” He’s worried. 

Just hug me again. “I’m fine.”

“Here. Take Stormfall.”

She scoffs, wanting to push him. He always says things at the worst time, ruining everything. They were right. He can't accept her the way she is.

“So I can feel better?” She does push him. She wants to scratch, but stops herself. “You want to know why I’m like this?”

Terra looks like he’s been slapped on the face. With a low voice, he says, “I already know.”

“Is what I’ve done for you not enough?”

Terra squeezes his eyes, like she’s a monster in his closet he’s wishing away, saying, You’re just a nightmare. You’re only a dream. “I didn’t mean to make you feel that way.” 

“What more can I give you? What more do you want?”

And, as if he can read her mind (Stormfall, that bitch), he says, “I want you to stay. Don’t go.”

Aqua can crumble. 

First: Come home.

Second: Come home.

Third: You’re safe with us.

Fourth: Stay home. 

First: Don’t leave us. He doesn’t know you anymore. We do.

Aqua balls her claws into fists. Because of the scales, they don’t sting. She shouldn't tear her heart out for him. She shouldn't. “Terra, all I’ve had for years were memories.”

Terra’s eyes water, but he blinks, and it’s gone. “Was I a good memory?”

First: My dear, you’re going to cry. You know I can’t allow that. 

“Yes,” Aqua says quietly. Stormfall and his heart could fly with hope. But is it false hope? “But,” she says, hesitating. “I’m your worst mistake. Aren’t I?”

His eyes grow hard. Determined, ready to fight. This is the one and only thing he’s confident in. “You have never been a mistake, Aqua. Never. And while I’ve done stupid things that have hurt you, not one regret of mine was you.”

Second, pointing again: Look at him questioning you.

“You’re not alone anymore,” Terra says. He opens his arms, his chest in jeopardy for attack. “You have me now.” 

And she wants him. And she needs him. But she hurts.

First: All those years alone...

He reminds her she's Dark, wanting him to grovel at her feet for forgiveness. He's Light, brave and radiant. He’s disarmed her and dealt the hardest blow, leaving her raw and bloody.

Fourth: My love, be gentler to yourself.

First: She's truthful. She owes that to herself.

Aqua doesn’t want to be read, needing to keep her heart buried and still. But he reads her page after page, like he’s dug into the dirt and pulled her out screaming. For once, Aqua looks away. He’s going to be the last one standing this time. 

“Aqua, don’t leave.”

“I can.”

“Don’t turn your back on Stormfall.” 

“I will.” 

“How do you expect me to let you walk away?”

“You let go.”

“I won’t.” He follows her, and takes her elbow. 

She shoves him off. “What do you want me to do?” 

Again, that fighting glare. “Let whatever I hurt you with go.”

“No, I won’t.” Aqua raises her voice. 

“It’s not good for you!”

“I have a piece of you with me.” She cups her fist to her chest. “Finally, after all these years. And here you are…” She blinks, unsure of what weapon he has in his pocket to throw next. “After everything, I finally have you back… and you can barely look at what I’ve become.”

“I didn’t—”

“I can’t walk away and have nothing to remember you by. I will never let it go.”

“Then share it,” he says too fast. 

First: Poor thing. He doesn’t understand what he’s asking for.

They lock eyes, blue to gold, and Aqua can barely fight him off. He has a habit of knowing exact secrets when she doesn’t want him to know, saying the right things at the wrong time. He might as well pierce her heart with a needle. Share it. That’s all she wanted, to share this with someone else. 

But she can’t do that to Terra. But she can. But she shouldn’t. But she needs to.

She needs to? She needs him to stay far away from her, for his own safety.

“You want your answer? To Stormfall?” Aqua says.

Terra starts to say something, but she cuts him off. Aqua takes Stormfall, and it feels… too intimate, like being stuck in a tight closet with a distant ex-friend. But it knows something is wrong. Confusion, and this electric discomfort. Stormfall does not want anything to do with whatever Aqua is right now. This isn’t it. This isn’t right. 

Aqua can’t fix it. 

“This is your answer.” Because Stormfall does not accept her either, Aqua drops it. It clatters when it hits the floor. She hears Terra pick it up again, slowly, as if with care and reverence, as she walks away. 

His touch wants her to come back home. 

But where is home?

First: With us.

Where it’s cold.

Fourth: With them.

Where it’s warm. 

All she wants is a nightmare she’s familiar with, not one that scares her.

[strayheartless]

Don’t think I ever expressed just how much I really love Terraqua as a ship. Like there’s nothing about their vibe to me that says they are not so incredibly in love with each other. Like generally speaking I have never really been a straight ship girlie. I have a couple for shows I watch that I’m not in the official “fandom” for but like, but Terraqua is just a cut above the rest.

Because they give the same vibes as Soriku. These Two friends who have known each-other for nearly their entire lives, sharing space and loving and laughing. And sure, like with most KH ships it can be read as platonic but there’s just something about the way Terra and Aqua move in each others space, the way they look at each other that just UGH! It’s everything.

Don’t get me wrong I’ve been known to enjoy al little bit of Terrarium and Aqua flirting with Cinderella, but those two are just endgame to me. I think Partly it’s to do with how Aqua reacts to Zack Fair in the Colloquialism. When he says he wants a date she’s really flattered and doesn’t say no but the whole exchange is bracketed by this sense that She’s looking for Terra and therefore can’t, while Zack is kind of not quite Terra.

He’s physically very similar to Terra and Narratively speaking Zack kind of has that air to him in Crisis Core of the hero fighting against his own internal emotions about friendship and power. But he’s not Terra.

Maybe it’s a little boy-next-door, but I knobs of like that for them. This idea that they’ve been right there this whole time and they just had to see. And you only do see when dating and relationships start to become relevant to you. Zack saying “how about one date?” Is kind of like that coming of age moment in films where everyone’s starting to date and people are asking the min girl and she tries but she just wants to be with her best friend.

The best friend to lovers narrative is underrated with straight ships because the reality is, THAT IS WHO YOU WANT TO BE IN LOVE WITH!! If you are lucky enough to have a partner who is your best friend and gets all of your weird quirks it’s suck a amazing feeling. It’s like coming home to yourself, or the person who is literally a warm tension melting hug personified.

And that’s all I want for Terra and Aqua man… I just want them to look at each other and be like “damn I feel so lucky that I get to love you.”

Ughhhhhhh gods I just love them so much!

[nitewrighter]

86 and 99 Terraqua >:]

Send me a trope mashup!

86. I didn't mean to turn you on.

99. Magical accidents

Used to Aqua being the level-headed one of their trio, Terra becomes startlingly aware that Aqua is actually really hot when she's pissed off--and... okay, maybe he might have a bit of a thing for strong, intelligent, beautiful, blue-haired women yelling at him. He really doesn't mean to get her angry the first couple times, but somewhere down the line it's likely he unconsciously picked up on a couple of her triggers and maybe one or two of them might have slipped out while he was trying to explain himself.

It's all fun and games until someone inadvertently casts Meteor.

[a-crack-in-the-universe]

Endless Darkness

On the day of the Keyblade War, Aqua stands with the light keyblade wielders and faces down Master Xehanort and his Seekers across a sea of desert and stone. The old man is grinning smugly, his gold eyes alight in triumph as he looks back at them. There is no remorse for the pain he has caused them all with his convoluted plan.

Her blood boils just looking at him. This man is the cause of her agony, and that of Terra and Ventus. She longs to destroy him just as he destroyed her. She longs to rip him apart piece by piece and make him feel the agony she has felt over the past ten years because of him. Unfortunately, she is not the one meant to strike him down—Sora is—so she will just have to settle for watching him die. Besides, reaching Terra is a more important priority at this point.

She thinks she can see him, somewhere among the line of Seekers. They all have their hoods up so she cannot say for sure, but she is familiar enough with his shape and posture to take a good guess at which one he is.

When it begins, the sky darkens until it looks like night has fallen. Heartless and other monsters manifest themselves and launch themselves at the keyblade wielders, who begin to fight them.

Aqua ignores them all and makes a beeline toward Terra. Seeing her, he turns and runs, away from the main fight. She follows him. She knows that it is probably a trap, but she does not care at this point. All of her being is roaring, raging, focused on her need to get to him. And besides, she is not alone; she can feel Ventus a few steps behind her, begging her to slow down and think for a moment.

‘Terra!’ she snarls. ‘Stop running from me!’

It does not matter—he keeps running all the same. Muttering under her breath, she conjures up a dark lasso and throws it at him. It catches him around the waist and sends him off his feet. A strong feeling of satisfaction rises within her at his howl of anger. Good. The darkness runs up his body, paralyses him. Not for long, for he too is a darkness-wielder, but long enough. She lunges at him just as he breaks free.

Her tackle sends him sprawling. Enraged, he snarls at her words that make Ventus’s eyes widen; she simply smiles dangerously and grabs at his neck, squeezing until he is gasping for air. She ignores Ventus’ cries of shock and snarls at him, ‘Give us back Terra, or I swear I will crush you.’

His mouth moves to form a resounding ‘no’. She sees red, and her grip on him tightens.

Ventus’ voice cuts through her rage and brings her back to herself. ‘Aqua, wait! Don’t kill him! It’s Terra’s body!’

Of course… She shakes her head at herself. How could she have forgotten? Their main focus is rescuing Terra. They cannot free Terra if she has destroyed his body.

She does not realise that he is rendered unconscious until she loosens her grip and he does not fight back. Curious… She supposes that she must have been choking him for longer than she thought. 

She looks to Ventus, who is gazing at her with new eyes. ‘What now? How can we reach Terra?’

Ventus shrugs helplessly. Neither of them has the Dive to the Heart ability, and Riku and Sora are nowhere to be seen. It seems impossible. Frustrated, she kicks at the sandy ground and turns away.

‘We will have to carry him further away from the battle, at least,’ she decides, and moves to haul him to his feet.  

Suddenly, as she hooks his arm across her neck and shoulder, a set of images assail her mind: Three wayfinders in outstretched hands; her face, gold-eyed and silver-haired; and Ventus’ face. Her eyes widen in surprise.

‘Terra!’ She grabs Ven’s hand and puts it in Terra’s grasp. ‘Look, Ven! He is trying to reach us.’

Ventus’ eyes widen as he sees the images she has seen. Neither of them knows what they mean, but it becomes clearer as they are assailed with more images.

‘He’s… confused,’ Ventus says slowly. 

They look at one another with the same thought in mind. They must help him before Xehanort consumes him. But first, Aqua decides, they must carry him to a place of safety. They cannot be on this world when the X-Blade is forged.

‘No,’ Ventus says when she voices her thought. ‘We can’t abandon them! It wouldn’t be right.’

Right? She almost scoffs at that word. Since when has doing the ‘right’ thing ever helped them in any way? And besides, all three of them could be lost if they remain in the Graveyard any longer. The much wiser course would be to escape now, while they still can.

Still, she reluctantly yields to Ven’s intense glare and settles back down beside Terra-Xehanort’s prone form. ‘All right,’ she says grudgingly. ‘But first we must help Terra.’

‘Yeah.’ Ventus’ eyes blaze with determination. 

The two of them move to sit at Terra’s—Xehanort’s—side. They look at each other and nod, knowing without a doubt what they must do. They close their eyes and concentrate, until they move past the images flashing before their minds and into the muddled thoughts behind them.

Terra… Aqua’s breath hitches as she is flooded by his turbulent feelings. We are here.

Let us help you, Ventus adds.

What… I… Who...?

Listen to us. We will guide you. You are your own person, you are not Xehanort or part of Xehanort.  

Xehanort? No… I am nothing… no one… part of him…

You are you, they tell him in unison. Unique from Xehanort.

But the memories… they are not mine…

They are, they tell him. Your memories are your own. You only have to claim them.

I… I…

He falters. They concentrate harder, giving him what strength they have, until--

ooooo

Blinking and squinting, they find themselves standing on Terra’s heart-station. They see Terra immediately. He lies in the centre of the station, covered in shadows of darkness, groaning faintly as if he is in pain. (The painful echo in Aqua’s heart confirms it.)

‘Terra!’

Aqua falls to her knees beside him. As she does so she sees the chains on his hands and feet. Made of darkness, she thinks. They have a strange luminosity to them.

He does not answer. His eyes are closed; his head lolls slightly as she desperately shakes his shoulders.

‘Terra, can you hear me? Please answer me!’

‘What a sight,’ a familiar voice says mockingly from behind them.

Immediately she knows who it is. How can she not? It has haunted her dreams for months on end now. Slowly she rises and turns to face him.

‘Foolish Master,’ Xehanort says. ‘Still as misguided as ever. You cannot win. He belongs to me—as do you.’

She doesn’t lower her keyblade. ‘I do not belong to you,’ she says flatly. ‘And neither does Terra.’

‘Yeah,’ Ventus says, glaring at him. ‘Terra belongs with us and we’re going to prove it!’

He laughs. ‘Then do,’ he sneers.

They attack him, but again and again he covers himself with a dark shield before they can make contact with him. Each time she hears Terra cry out in pain.

‘You see?’ he says smugly. ‘You cannot defeat me without first putting him down.’

No… Shaking with rage, she swipes at him again, with the same result as before.

‘There is no other way,’ Xehanort says. ‘Put him out of his misery or leave him with me. From the look of him,’ he adds casually, ‘I am sure he would prefer the first option.’

She glares at him, hating that he dared to read her mind. ‘There is always a way! I won’t let you take him from us again!’

Frantically she searches her mind for something, anything, that could help. But all she can think of is Terra. Terra… That’s it!

Terra! We need you!

Xehanort glares at her, astounded. ‘You fool. Terra cannot hear you now!’

‘He can!’ she retorts back. ‘I know it!’ Terra! We can fight him together—the three of us!

She crouches before Terra, not caring about what Xehanort is doing. Ventus follows suit. Our hearts are connected. The three of us can do it! Now break free and help us!

For a long moment she holds her metaphorical breath as she waits. Please… she begs. Just come back to us. I believe in you. Ven believes in you. Just… come… back!

She caresses his cheek, willing him to wake up. Somewhere around her, she feels Ven do the same thing. Together they concentrate. And then they feel it: a glimmer of light, terribly faint, but there.

Terra! The word is shouted in unison.

…

Aqua… Ven… The words are filled with weariness and pain.

We’re here. Let us help you.

Shock, disbelief, and finally hope blossom.

How?... He’s strong…

The three of us are stronger. Now fight back!

I… I…

They feel him steel himself, and immediately bolster his light, showering him with memories. The day they met… the days they trained Ven on the summit… the days and nights they spent together, watching the stars. The night Aqua gave them their wayfinders, and the promise they made to one another.

By the time they are done, she can feel the tears staining his cheek. The chains disappear in a burst of light.

No! Xehanort’s voice echoed around the platform, furious and frustrated.

Aqua kisses Terra on the crown of his head and stands up to face the old Keyblade Master. ‘Leave, now,’ she says coldly. ‘Or pay the price.’

Xehanort’s eyes flash. ‘Then face the powers of hell!’

Before any of them can react, the station shakes violently. Darkness erupts from Xehanort’s figure, and spreads throughout the area, tainting it. With a thrill of horror, Aqua realises that the old keyblade master is about to destroy this heart-station and take them all down with it.

Aqua, Ven, you must go! Terra’s voice sounds in her mind, strained and panicking. This is not worth it!

‘No!’ 

She’s waited too long and lost too much to give up now. He and Ven are the only family she has left, and she will not lose either of them again if she can help it.

Of course, Ven refuses to leave them behind. She keeps a tight hold of both of their hands as the darkness rises higher and higher, spreads until the platform is consumed by it. With a thrill she feels the floor beneath them disappear, leaving them stranded in air.

They fall.

oOoOo

Sometime later, Aqua finds herself drifting back into consciousness on the sandy ground of the Keyblade Graveyard. Opening her eyes, she spies Terra’s still-comatose form. Her heart freezes as she senses the emptiness within him. No… Terra? 

‘Aqua?’

She turns at the sound of a ragged familiar voice, and sees his Ventus’ face on the other side of her. His blue eyes are exhausted; his face is filled with love and concern as he looks at her.  

Ven…

‘You stayed with us,’ she croaks out. 

‘It’s what friends do,’ he responds simply. ‘I would never leave you and Terra when I thought you were in danger.’

‘Thank you,’ she says simply. There is nothing else to say.  

Her eyes stinging with tears, she grabs hold of his hand, and reaches to take Terra’s. Both of them, here with her… it’s a dream come true. Is it truly over at last? She prays that it is. 

[oveliagirlhaditright]

What are your overall thoughts on the KH shipping community, and on a related note, do you think the series should have other romantic relationships such as Rokushi, Rikunami, or Terraqua, just to name a few notable ones in the fandom, or do you believe it be best to keep things more platonic than romantic so as to not add fuel to the shipping fire?

Uhh, what do you mean exactly about my thoughts on the KH shipping community? Like how chill or not chill they can be? Because if so, I think the fandom can be pretty bad at times, unfortunately. That might even be putting it mildly. One only has to look at how bad things got with the S*oKai vs. S*oRiku ship wars after KHIII--and even back after KHII--to see this. I think KH has even been labeled as one of those fandoms where "Ship Wars Almost Destroyed a Fandom", and I can definitely see why and kind of agree with that, sadly. But having spent some time in the B*uffy and F*FVII fandom, it's not as bad as they are. But only just barely not as bad, imo.

Though the fandom does seem to cool down between game releases, and major things happening to add fuel to the fire of either side of the ship war, which is nice.

All that being said, I'm definitely a KH shipper--and have my ships, of course--and want S*oKai to be canon, and think that it is.

And as for the other ships that you mentioned, I do ship R*okuShi and N*amiku. I also somewhat ship T*erqua (though I'm also okay with those two just being friends, and often times think the Wayfinder Trio might actually be written to just be purely platonic). And while I do ship R*okuShi and N*amiku, I also ship R*okuNami some, and these days I don't know which of those three ships are supposed to be more canon than the others, if any of them, truthfully.

I think I'd be okay with any of them happening at this point, but I don't know if I really need any of them to, either. And I almost feel like the less pairings, the better--though they could be open to interpretation, of course--since KH isn't about romance (though romance, like with S*oKai is certainly a factor in the series).

Like, as long as S*oKai happens, I'm good. And the rest I can kind of take or leave, because even though I do have some ships that I truly love with all my heart in this franchise (that are really OTP level for me), I don't need those ones to be canon in order to still ship them.

I also find that while I used to ship a million KH ships... I really don't anymore? It's mostly the ones that I think maybe have a chance of being canon, and then a few other ones even outside of that that I enjoy.

Anyway, I hope that this answered your question at all. If you want me to clarify anything, I can. And if you want me to tell you any of my other KH ships, I can do that as well!

Thank you for the ask!

Edit 1: Wait. I probably also ship Yozora/Stella (Nameless Star) and need them to be canon--and they surely are--because of my leftover Versus XIII feelings.

Edit: I guess I will go ahead and list the KH pairings I do ship here, after all

Sora/Kairi

Roxas/Xion

Riku/Namine

Roxas/Namine

Terra/Aqua

Gula/Ava

Ephemer/Skuld

I used to ship Player/Strelitzia, but the reveal that Player reincarnates into Xehanort may have ruined that some for me...

Yozora/Stella (Nameless Star)

Lea/Isa

Xehanort/Eraqus

Sora/Riku/Kairi

The fandom has really made me ship Xion/Namine these days

Edit: And Roxas/Xion/Namine

For some reason, I ship Xehanort/Vor a tiny bit

I think these are all the things I really ship these days...

Oh! And I really do like RiKai a lot. Can't forget I forgot that one.

[dreamdripdistance]

Aqua for the character ask? :0

YEAAAAYAYAYAYAYAY (goes insane at the mention of aqua) THIS ANSWER IS GONNA BE REALLY LONG SORRY

favorite thing about them: shes such a mum friend, like. she will have a full first aid kit in her bag and will bake you ur fave cookies when you feel bad. i just think shes extremely caring, even to a fault and shes extremely kind :) *blows a kiss for Aqua Kingdom Hearts my Beloved*

least favorite thing about them: as a caveat to the mum friend trait she has, shes quite controlling. we see this alot in her interactions with terra and its sad bc we know its bc of the pressure that was UNFAIRLY put upon her, but she lets that need for Control and Stability in her life get the best of her. also this is an issue with her writing, but she really didnt get much of a chance to even show her strength, especially in kh3. "youve seen me too weak" yeah nomura we have, she was gonna prove she wasnt but then why does she need to get saved by everyone else 5 minutes later??? whatever

favorite line: "mickey... youre too late" AAAAA FUCK EM UP AQUA she rlly deserved to finally snap, like yeah after being in Hell (tm) for 10 + years she deserves her 5 minutes of Evil

brOTP: AQUA AND SORA!!!!! OUGH THEY REALLY ARE SUPER SIMILAR!!!!! they rlly should talk and get to know eachother, because they have so much in common (ykno, the immense pressure and responsibility unfairly put upon their shoulders at a young age). also i think they should cook and bake together i think they would have fun, hanging out over freshly baked cookies and tea :'3

OTP: i dont rlly have an otp for her! tbh i dont think she has much of an interest in romance, shes kinda gotta get thru all the Trauma and the Keyblade Master shit first. terraqua is cute but i dont ship it, atleast not at this point in the kh story! (but the appeal of Himbo x Competent Woman is Great)

nOTP: iiiiim not a fan of her and ven or vani,,,

random headcanon: this is a bit random but i think she'd be into mmorpgs, like ven got her to play idk. kingdom hearts runescape or ffxiv and it became a lil guilty pleasure to play them with ven and terra if they had the time after training... maybe ive just been playing too much ffxv and i think this character trait is rlly endearing lmao... i just want the wayfinder trio to hang out wtf

unpopular opinion: i dont think i really have any unpopular opinions???? then again my Curated Experience of kh sure as fuck keeps me from seeing shitty opinions so idk

song i associate with them: i.... have a whole spotify playlist for her of music i think she'd listen to but id say show you a body by haley henderickx or all my daughters by dodie give me aqua vibes (esp all my daughters.... OUGHGHGHGHHH)

favorite picture of them: I HAVE A FEW..... BUT THISSCENE MAKES ME UGLY CRY SO ILL PICK THE SCREENSHOT OF THIS

[xiiiwayfinders]

You’ve liked some of my marvel posts so I’m assuming you know a bit about it, so for the fandom ask Marvel? 👀

If not then KH is fine too :D

I have seen several Marvel movies but it's been a while and there's a bunch that I haven't seen (though I recently watched Shang Chi and really liked it) so I don't think I know enough to do the ask game for it. I just kind of instinctively like almost all posts that show up on my dash lol

So for KH:

Favorite male character- Probably Axel, but Sora is close and of course there's some certain characters that have become my favorites in the past year lol

Favorite female character- Aqua! I just love her so much and I already knew I liked her as soon as I started playing BBS for the first time

Least favorite character- *long uhhh* I honestly don't know anymore, but probably Ansem The Wise or Old Man Xehanort

Favorite ship- I can't choose just one favorite but some are Leaisa/Akusai, Rokushi, Terraqua, and Marlar

Favorite friendship- Out of the characters who have interacted in canon, maybe Axel and Xion, or Aqua and Ven. Or Demyx and Vexen but I'm not sure you can quite call that a friendship lol

Favorite quote- Again I can't pick one but I love "They can take your world, they can take your heart, cut you loose from all you know..."

Worst character death- I'm not entirely sure what it means by "worst", but Xion's is so so sad and so is Strelitzia's, and also Zexion's death is just so uncomfortable for me. I think even before he became my comfort character. I don't know why, it's just so awful

This made me so happy you have no idea- Aqua being saved and Lauriam holding Ven. And Yeetus Vanitas

Saddest moment- "I'm asking you as a friend... just... put an end to me". And Xion's death. Also weirdly? When that Chirithy "disappeared" in Union Cross. I actually started screaming

Favorite location- Either Twilight Town or Traverse Town (I miss Traverse Town). Or Beast's Castle. Of course.

[fisherrprince]

You know your amazing Cowboy au on Twitter? I love it so much and I’m dying to know why Terraqua wants Ven so badly. Mind satisfying my curiosity?

I DO KNOW OF IT *SLAMS GIANT BOOK ON THE TABLE*

ok this requires a little bit of backstory - so Ven comes from a more or less Very Rich house, (wasnt born there but still) with Master Eraqus and Terra. Terra’s his big brother! Terra also doesn’t mean to, but still gets in a little trouble with the more dark-sorcery, devil-adjacent, hellfire and brimstone folks. Again, doesn’t mean to! But he has kind of a competitive streak and it gets messy in the shadier towns.

Aqua’s good friends with the Master, lives in the town below his mansion (It’s up on a hill). She’s also in the town’s version of law enforcement, though she’s really picking up on more bounty hunter business. Nothing happens in Radiant Gardens, and she’s not one to do nothing. 

It’s one of these times that Terra comes home in a foul mood, which is fine, it’s just Ven is worried, because he can hear little edges of panic. They get to talking, and Terra tells Ven not to worry about him, and maybe stay inside for a little, okay? So naturally Ven does not do that and goes outside. And (I havent thought the whole reasoning through yet you can add in what you wish, maybe he ran into Vanitas somewhere) WHOOPS There Are Literal Actual Demons Outside Screeching Something About Debt.

Uh, at this point, Ven is supposed to have died. But nah, there’s potential in him, thinks the devil, because he did just fight off screaming monsters for his brother. So he makes a deal.

(Of course it’s not a fair deal, who do you think you’re talking to?)

Ven is now bound by contract to hunt down 1) escaped demons and 2) said demonic creatures possessing perfectly ordinary people and put them the heck back, (which seems like a good deed, to be told to do by the incarnation of evil, right…? Don’t worry about it.) and 3) he can’t return to tell Terra what he’s done until he’s finished it. The plus side is, like how Vanitas was gifted a fiddle that attracts demons, Ven is instructed how to find materials to enchant bullets that will actually not kill the possessed party, just eject the escaped demon person soul! Like how your cleric hits you to heal you. Neat. Kind of. Sorta neat. Not really.

So when Ven goes missing, Terra freaks out, contacts Aqua, and the two of them go searching. Because one of Aqua’s possible bounties happens to be a prickly black-haired kid, really similar to one reports in town last saw Ven with… and since the both of them are worth a lot, both monetarily and personally… gotta find the boys! Boys who really don’t want to be found, because there was definitely an “or else” on the end of Ven’s contract

[lyssala]

I’d Love You for a Thousand More

Pairing: Terra/Aqua, Kingdom Hearts

Setting: Pre-Canon to Post Canon

Rating: T (Slight language & Slight Sexual Implications)

Words:  11209

Notes: HAPPY TERRAQUA DAY <3 My otp of otps I couldn’t not do something for them that was both different and special! SO this is actually a prompt and request fill. @ceelihearts posted that they liked the idea of Terra asking Aqua to marry him a few times (like Flynn and Rapunzel), they also mentioned it would be cute to include childhood too and I couldn’t stop myself hahaha Also a while back an anon asked me for an in canon proposal for them so here you go too, anon! I enjoyed doing this one a lot, I had to be super creative to think of ways this would be feasible hahaha I hope you guys enjoy it too!

Special thanks to my Jason who beta read this for me after I whined at how long it came out LMAO Thank you for dealing with me being an anxious mess the whole time you read it and giving me the help I needed <3

 AO3

I’d Love You for a Thousand More

Or the Five Times Terra Told Aqua He’d Marry Her and the One Time She Said Yes

I.

Terra hated the days Master Eraqus made them sit up in the library to study. Not only was it boring on a rainy day but even more so when the sun was shining through the windows, the green grass of the fields and high mountains in the distance beckoning him away on some adventure. There was literally anything else Terra would rather be doing than reading a dull book with no pictures. He huffed as he flipped the page of his book, the black words blending into the paper as one giant blur.

He propped his elbow up on the wooden table, placing his chin in his hand so he could stare out the window instead. It seemed cruel punishment to have history lessons on such a warm and sunny day. All he wanted to do was just go outside and actually do something. He was ten years old now; he should be able to have more combat training than reading.

Terra stuck his tongue out slightly as he looked to the book once more. Maybe if he just got through it fast, Master would let him go outside. He tried to blink the words back to focus, but a slight giggle made him look up.

Aqua was sitting only one chair away. She was only a couple years younger than him, but even she looked small in the big library chair. She had one hand over her mouth as she watched him, an amused expression in her blue eyes.

“What?” Terra grunted.

“You look like you just ate a bug,” she replied.

“I think I’d rather eat bugs than read this book.”

Aqua giggled again, looking back to her own work in front of her. She was better at this sort of stuff, so she probably didn’t hate every bit of this lesson.

Terra looked to his book again though this time feeling a little better. It was nice to at least have her here; it was really boring when he had to have lessons alone before she came to live with them. He didn’t really know what to make of her at first. He was alone before Master Eraqus came and then they were alone here. Terra was used to the quiet and doing things on his own even if sometimes it made him sad to not have anyone to play with. Then Aqua came and she was talkative and liked to hang around him and was like this walking ball of sunshine at all times. He found her annoying really; who was that happy all the time? It wasn’t till he heard her crying one night alone in her room that he thought she might’ve been as lonely as he was. He tried a little harder after that.

It was a few years ago though, and he couldn’t imagine not being her friend now. He found she made everything a little better.

Granted she couldn’t do his reading for him so she wasn’t helping there. He sighed, dropping his head into the book. “This is terrible.”

“It’s not that bad.”  

“It is too.”

“The faster you finish the faster we can do something fun.”

“I know,” he groaned, picking his head back up. “But it’s impossible.”

Aqua looked like she was going to respond, probably with some answer like “no, it’s not” or “Master wouldn’t have given it to you if it was” but instead Terra watched her eyes light up as she looked over her book.

“What?” he asked, leaning over to try and see what she was looking at.

“It’s so pretty,” was her only answer.

Terra couldn’t see it and she wasn’t holding it up to show him so he climbed into the chair next to her, sitting up on his knees to look over her shoulder. Aqua was tracing her finger over the painted picture in the book, a woman surrounded by flowers in a flowing white dress. Figures, despite the fact she didn’t mind mud or bugs she still liked the girliest things sometimes. Still, there seemed to be something familiar about this picture, like he had seen it before.

“What is it?” he asked.

“A wedding,” she said proudly, probably trying to prove to him that she was actually doing her work.

“A wedding,” he repeated. “Like in fairy tales?”

“Well, yeah, but weddings happen in real life too.”

He supposed that made sense. It was just that he had only ever seen weddings at the end of fairy tales when the prince and princess were finally able to be together. “What happens in it then?” Terra wasn’t really sure why he asked at first, but he figured it was a good way not to have to go back to his own reading.

Aqua got an excited look on her face as she flipped back a few pages. “My readings have been on traditions, especially with keyblade wielders, this section was on marriage and weddings.”

He wrinkled his nose; traditions usually meant you had to do them. “Wait, does that mean you have to get married?” He didn’t really know what went into being married but he knew the couple usually kissed, and that was gross.

She paused for a moment. “No, I don’t think so. It’s just a lesson on what it’s like. You should only get married if you’re in love with someone.” Aqua looked back down to the book, a picture of a man and women dressed in whites with their hands wrapped in some sort of cloth together. “And you have to be an adult. I think. All these pictures are adults so I guess they have to be.”

“Does that mean Master is married?” Terra asked. The thought had never occurred to him before now, but Master Eraqus was an adult after all.

Aqua looked up at the ceiling, a sure sign she was thinking. “No, I don’t think so. I think if he did we’d see whoever he was married to. You usually live together.” She flipped the page really quick pointing to a picture of jewelry. “And rings, as a symbol of the bond you wear rings. Master doesn’t have any rings like that.”

“That’s true.” Terra reached a finger up to tap at his chin in thought. “So what’s it like? You just dress up fancy and give each other rings?”

“Umm…” Aqua looked over the pages, turning it again. “Well, yeah, and you read an oath in front of witnesses. There’s something with the keyblades you hold, something to do with the magic. It’s like, once you perform the ceremony you’re bonded together forever both cause you love each other and through the magic.”

That peaked his interested more than the actual wedding, but he knew that was mainly because neither him nor Aqua had been able to summon a keyblade yet.

“And then…you kiss.”

Terra leaned back on the chair. “Sounds gross.”

“It’s not gross,” she said, almost more defensively than she needed to be.

He arched an eyebrow at her. “What? Do you want to get married?”

Aqua crossed her arms against her chest, looking away from him but he caught the hint of red on her cheeks. “I don’t know, maybe. I’m not an adult, I can’t say.”

He leaned in to poke at her side. “Yes, you do, don’t lie to me.”

“Terra,” she whined, but she was laughing, her smile making her eyes bright again. He liked it when she smiled. “It would be nice to wear such a pretty dress.”

“Still gross.”

“It’s not gross.” She turned in her seat to face him better. “It’s like…” Aqua paused, glancing away before looking back. “It’s like spending the rest of your life with someone who makes you happy, it’s like never being alone again.”

That admittedly did sound a lot better. He remembered what it felt like to feel alone in this big castle, and he really didn’t like that. Spending time with someone who made him happy seemed really nice. “Well, in that case,” he said. “I’d marry you.”

Aqua blinked at him.

“Without the kissing,” Terra clarified, sticking his tongue out a little.

She clasped her hands over her mouth as she started to laugh, but he really didn’t know what was so funny. “You’re silly, Terra,” she giggled.

“What?” he asked. “It’s the truth. If I had to pick one person to spend the rest of my time with, it’d be you. Would you marry me?”

Aqua pulled her hands away from her mouth, a big smile on her lips as she watched him. She looked like she was going to answer him but what the answer was he’d never know.

“Sounds like you’re doing far more talking than reading.” Master’s voice echoing off the bookshelves was enough to send Terra scrambling back to his seat as Aqua quickly turned to her book.

Terra could hear Master Eraqus’ footsteps as he walked closer to where they were studying but even then Terra couldn’t resist glancing over at Aqua. She looked up at him too, smile still on her lips. He quickly looked down before they got caught again but he couldn’t stop his face from feeling hot.

He wondered what she would’ve said.

II.

Terra barely had time to swing his keyblade to block the blast of ice magic flying at him. The force nearly pushed him back, blowing cold air all around him and making his face tingle from the chill. Aqua had taken quite easily to magic, but she sometimes was eager when it came to using it. Another shot came at him, causing him to duck to avoid it.

A little too eager sometimes.

He tried to compose himself and figure out where she was on the training grounds before she decided to fire more magic at him. Blue was easy to catch out of the corner of his eyes; also he was used to looking for it for the past ten years. She was skirting the edges, keeping her distance and always moving. She’d keep range until she felt like she could get the upper hand in closer combat.

Terra admittedly wasn’t as good with magic as she was, and he knew it, but he made up for it with his own strength. It was frustrating at first when he a kid who could barely hold his keyblade up when he summoned it; where as Aqua had no issues learning to fight with hers which was lighter and more agile. It took time for a scrawny twelve year old to build up the strength to be able to fight like he could now, but he held himself very differently now at eighteen.

There.

Aqua hurried past some of the rocks on the outskirts of the rink. He wasn’t great with magic but that didn’t mean he didn’t know how to use it; he quickly cast a fire spell towards her, sending it past her to hit the rocks. The impact was enough to knock her off her track.

Ven cheered from somewhere in the background but Master Eraqus must’ve shushed the blond boy because it was quiet again.

She skidded to a stop glancing over to Terra nd he didn’t miss the slightly impressed look in her eyes. It only lasted for a second because she was already coming at him. Terra met her, swinging his keyblade up to block her inevitable attack.

She jumped back slightly, her bangs falling into her face but she didn’t move to adjust. Aqua had only recently started wearing her hair short, saying it got too annoying when she was trying to fight. “Nice hit,” she said. “You surprised me.”

“Yeah, you too. Your ice magic is getting stronger, I felt like I was getting hit with a small blizzard,” he breathed, feeling a slight smirk pull at his lips. “If only you weren’t so afraid that you need to run away from me.”

Aqua arched her eyebrows, twirling her keyblade in her hand before grabbing down on it again. “Oh, is that how we’re going to play?”

He saw her feet shift, dust moving just a little. He steadied himself to brace his body. “Yep, you know it.”

She dove at him and if it was anyone else the speed would have surprised him but Aqua he knew. He was already there, pushing his keyblade against hers to knock her off balance. Granted, she knew him too so she landed just fine, darting around to his side to try and catching an opening. He wasn’t as fast as her due to the weight of his weapon but that didn’t mean he didn’t know how to use it. He swung it around blocking her attack, and pushing her back to harshly she skidded in the dirt, making dust rise up.

Aqua tried to use that to her advantage and come at him from the other side but he saw it coming a mile away. He moved out of her way, swinging his keyblade at her now open side. Granted it wasn’t open for long as she gracefully twisted her body, almost like she was dancing, his keyblade hitting hers with a metallic clang. Despite her quick movements, the sudden twist managed to tangled her feet, causing her to hit the ground and slide back a little.

“C’mon, Aqua!” Ven shouted. “You got this !”

“Ventus, hush now,” Master Eraqus said.

Ven probably mumbled a sorry but Terra didn’t pay attention. Aqua was already pushing herself up to her feet, darting at him. He recognized the words on her lips and quickly ducked before ice shards hit him in the face. He swung at her, nearly catching her legs as she jumped towards him but she avoided it, flipping off to his side.

Terra reached the back of his hand up to his forehead, brushing off the beads of sweat. They often found themselves in stand offs like this which is probably what happened when you fought with someone so much you knew almost exactly what they would do. It only made it harder since it was that much more difficult to get knocked down.

“Not always so fast, are you,” he said, knowing she’d understand he was only egging her on and not critiquing her.

A pause before a smile crossed her lips. “You’d know wouldn’t you?”

He moved at her that time. While she blocked him, the force of his weight made her slip back before she could catch her balance again. “What was that now?”

She snorted, rolling her eyes but her amused smile was still there. “Cute, really cute, Terra.” Aqua spun out of his hold, skirting off to the side of him and making him whip around, blocking her attack just in time. “Being fast works just as well as being strong,” she said.

Terra heaved himself at her, pushing her back so she slid in the dirt. “You’re strong too.”

“Not like you.” Aqua positioned her feet before she started to run at him.

He recognized the set up and really he wanted to help her more than he wanted to win. So he ducked slightly when she pushed herself off the ground. It was a fast moment but it wasn’t the first time she practiced the move on him. He was ready to push his keyblade against hers as she flipped over his head, giving her the momentum to be able to land on her feet on the other side of him.  

“That’s not true,” he said, swinging low towards her legs while she was distracted from her landing but she skipped out of the way. “Your strength just doesn’t come from the fact you had to learn how to throw this thing around.”

She giggled slightly as she ran to his side, trying to get a quick hit but he blocked it; a little awkwardly though causing him to lose his balance. There’s no way she didn’t notice, not when she intentionally swung at him again to try and get him to fall.

He steadied himself even if by doing so she managed a hit on him, nearly taking his breath out. Terra winced as the sudden pain in his side, but moved to block her next swing so it wouldn’t happen again.

“I don’t know,” she said though she sounded a little winded, and he knew the feeling. The sun was high overhead. How long had they been at this today? “Maybe it’s better that way.”

“What are you talking about?” he grunted, resisting reaching to his side to see how bad the bruise would be. If she knew he felt it, she’d use it to her advantage.

She ran up to him, spinning around as she cast a spell. He would’ve blocked it but he recognized the green hue to it. The pain in his side eased immediately; which she really wasn’t supposed to do so he hoped Master didn’t see it or she’d probably get in trouble. Aqua swung at him but he blocked it easily. “Guys don’t like strong girls,” she said simply.

If they hadn’t been in the middle of training and if Master wasn’t watching Terra would’ve dropped the fight right there. For a second he thought she was just trying to catch him off guard but when he pushed her back he saw the way her eyes dropped down ever so slightly. “What?” he asked. “What makes you think that?”

She shrugged but she ran off to the side. He thought she’d go back to running the perimeter to avoid what she may’ve let slip and not actually wanted to talk to him about. It wasn’t always like that, they used to tell each other everything but for the past few years it got…confusing. Ven was usually a good distraction, coming in when the air got too tense between them or when the smallest things seemed to make something feel awkward when it never did before. Terra swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched her. He understood why, but it’s not like knowing made it easier to come to terms with his feelings for his best friend.  

Aqua veered off course, coming at him from behind but he twisted around, the sharp grind of the weapons hitting each other. “Books,” she answered with her teeth gritted from trying to push him back. “Fairy tales, princes and princesses. They’re all delicate, pretty girls.”

He was the one who managed to get her to skid backwards. She caught her balance fine, reaching up to brush her sweaty bangs from her face. She didn’t look quite as determined anymore, maybe a little sad and he hated it.

This was probably why Eraqus told them they probably shouldn’t have full conversations while they were sparring; an old habit from childhood Terra supposed.

“I’m not like that.” she continued, gripping her keyblade as she cast a water spell towards him.

He had to dive out of the way to not get hit with the blast but scrambled up to his feet in time to black her next swing. “You’re delusional,” he grunted, trying to catch his breath as he held his keyblade up against her force. “You’re not delicate that’s for sure.” Terra pushed her off of him as she twirled slightly away from him.

He wasn’t sure what it was because he was facing down with Aqua, looking as sweaty and dirty as he was; they weren’t even alone as there were two people watching them for technique and skills. Maybe it was an effort to make her feel better when he thought it was the stupidest thing to be bothering her or maybe because he wanted to say them, he wasn’t really sure but he opened his mouth anyways. “But you are pretty, beautiful and strong and there’s nothing wrong with that. Guys still like that. I am one, remember?”

She paused, watching him, like she never expected him to say that.

He took it to his advantage and quickly moved towards her but she wasn’t that stupid; as he should’ve know. Her keyblade was up and ready to block him. He should’ve left it at that really. There was no need for him to open his mouth again, and yet he still did.

“Anyone would be lucky to marry you. I would be.” It didn’t even make sense as he said it. “I mean to marry you. I’d be lucky to marry you…well, someone like you is…what I mean.”

Aqua was staring at him, wide eyed and maybe a little confused. It didn’t even make sense to him and he was the one who said it. He pushed her backwards, mostly to get out of this situation that had his face feeling like it was on fire.

He expected her to bounce back up but she didn’t. She caught the ground with her hand, dropping to one knee as she held her stomach; apparently in his panic he hit her a little too hard. It wasn’t that she couldn’t handle it but he tried not to do it on purpose.

“It’s over!” Ven shouted, probably getting the okay from Eraqus to let the match end there.

Terra could hear the younger boy’s feet pounding towards them in the arena but Terra still couldn’t breathe; mostly because his stupid words were ringing in his head. He dismissed his keyblade and slowly walked to Aqua who was still panting, face towards the ground. Returning her earlier favor, he cast a quick healing spell on her before he reached his hand down to help her up.

Aqua dismissed her keyblade as she look at him. Her face was unreadable for a moment but she gave him a smile. “Nice match,” she said, reaching her hand up for his.

“Yeah, you too.” He pulled her up to her feet just as Ven ran over, exclaiming something so fast that Terra could barely understand him.

Aqua was quicker in understanding, giving Ven a nudge against his chin before she dismissed her keyblade. “Oh, yeah? You liked that?”

She looked over to Terra, who was unsure what he should say or if he should say anything at all. Aqua gave him a smile, a reassuring one almost to say, “the match and everything was just fine, don’t worry”. She turned to respond to Ven and the footsteps of Master Eraqus got closer as he’d want to go over their spar.

Aqua never brought it up what Terra said, and neither did he.

III.

His heart was pounding in his chest as he sat up in bed, sweat caked on his forehead even though it wasn’t very warm out. His legs were tangled in blankets, head swimming as he tried to blink in his surroundings. The window was open, blowing in a light breeze as he tried to calm his breathing.

He was home, in his room, just like it was before. It was the same bed, same night stand, same castle; he was home. His nightmares were still so vivid the lines blurred sometimes. In them he was still trapped, imprisoned unable to move, or to even speak. All he could do was watch in vain as Aqua and Ven were tormented at Terra’s own hands over and over again.

“Terra,” her voice called, his door swinging open. Aqua sounded worried, and her facial expression matched the sound when she stepped into his room far enough that he could see her in the moonlight. She paused, as if she wasn’t sure if she should keep coming to him.

It was a dream, it was just a dream, he repeated in his head. Even though he was still having a hard time catching his breath, the concern that shone in her eyes was enough. He could never dream up her looking at him like she cared so much for his well-being; his dreams were never that kind to him. He rubbed one hand over his face, the other gesturing for her to come over since she was probably waiting for his consent.

Aqua walked slowly, till she sat up on his bed, her legs almost brushing up against his. She didn’t say anything and neither did he; just his heavy breathing as he tried to calm himself down. It was admittedly easier when she was here. He might’ve still been working through what had happened to them, but everything was always better when Aqua was here; that never changed.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his throat was dry, like he hadn’t had water in days. “Did I wake you?”

She hesitated, pulling on the long sleeves of her shirt absent mindedly. “I wasn’t asleep.”

He nodded but it didn’t really make him feel any better. He saw the dark circles under her eyes to know she was telling the truth. Yet she was also leaving out the part where he must’ve been talking or shouting for her to even come in here in the first place. He decided he didn’t want to know whatever the case might’ve been.

“Nightmares?” she offered.

“Yeah,” he breathed, dropping his hands to his lap.

Aqua nodded in understanding but didn’t say anything else, she just sat there with her legs tucked up underneath her. He couldn’t tell if there was something she wanted to say or she was just worried about how he felt.

“You can go back to bed,” he said, realizing only after that he didn’t want to make her feel like she had to. “Ah, I mean, I don’t want to keep you up, I’ll be okay.”

She perked up a little bit, giving him a sort of smile. “That’s not how it works,” she tutted. “You know that. You used to keep me company when I had nightmares after I came here. I’m here to do the same.”

Terra leaned his head back against the backboard of his bed, feeling a little bit of relief that the air felt a little more normal between them. “I’m not sure sneaking down to the kitchen at two in the morning can solve this one.”

“I’m very offended that you don’t think food can’t solve everything.”

He snorted, a smile pulling at his lips despite his exhaustion. “Would you like to prove me wrong?”

“Don’t I always?”

Terra paused for a second but he saw the laughter start to bubble up in her even if she tried to keep it quiet. It was impossible not to laugh with her. “Fair point,” he said.

“I’ll be right back then,” she said as she kicked her legs off the bed, heading towards the door. Aqua stopped short though, turning back to him; this time he knew there was something she wanted to tell him. He knew it by the way her fingers fiddled with the hem of her shirt, the hesitation in the way she bit at her lower lip, the slight fear in her eyes at what she didn’t want to admit. “I…um…”

Aqua didn’t need to finish the sentence for him to understand. The castle was too dark at night for her not to remember being alone and lost. Terra felt a sting of pain in his chest; he never wanted her to feel afraid in her own home.

He kicked the blankets back, pushing himself out of bed. “I’ll come with you, okay?”

She nodded, her face looking relieved; if it was because he was coming or because she didn’t need to ask he wasn’t quite sure. Aqua followed him out of the room and he made sure to keep his steps even with hers. If she should start to feel lost at least there was a warm and real body there to remind her she was safe.

“Where’re you going?”

Terra paused to turn his head back down the hallway, Aqua stopping with him. He supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised at the blond hair and blue eyes poking out into the hallway. Ven looked a little tired but his voice was clear which was probably a sign he had been awake too.

“Kitchen for something to eat, wanna come?”

“Yeah!” Ven said far too excitedly for this hour.  

Terra turned back to start to walk again but was nearly knocked over by a force hitting into his back. He had to scramble to catch Ven’s legs as he grabbed onto Terra’s shoulders, Ven pulling himself up to sit up on Terra’s back.

“Do you feel better?” he snorted, catching blond out of the corner of his eyes.

“Yep,” Ven said, popping his lips on the word.

Aqua tried not to laugh but she wasn’t doing a very good job. She reached over to pull down Ven’s shirt where it had bunched up in his effort for a piggy back ride.

For a moment, it seemed so normal as they walked he familiar path they had so many times especially late at night. It used to be just be Terra and Aqua, and then Ven would tag along if he was awake to catch them. They knew all the quickest ways, which stair creaked loud enough to wake Master Eraqus, what foods wouldn’t smell too strongly for the aroma to float through the castle. Even though it was just the three of them now, Terra still skipped the creaky step and Aqua still pushed open the dining room door in the way she knew it wouldn’t make any noise.

Ven reached over to flick on the kitchen light, before jumping so his feet hit the ground. “I know exactly what to eat.”

“Of course you do,” Terra said, gesturing for Aqua to sit at the small table they had set up off to the side while he headed for the stove.

Ven pulled open the kitchen door and held out the remains of the chocolate cake Aqua baked yesterday for no reason other than she wanted it. He sat down next to her, removing the plastic though careful not to smudge the chocolate frosting on top.

“Plates?” Aqua asked but Ven shook his head.

“No, we eat cake like men, straight from the pan.”

“Okay, men,” Terra snorted as he filled a pot up with water. “Do you eat it with your hands too? Or do you want forks?”

Ven paused for a second. “Forks please.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Terra reached for the drawer pulling out two forks to pass to Aqua who was chuckling. Granted, there wasn’t much better than eating something Aqua made at two in the morning straight from the pan, he knew that from plenty of experience.

Ven seemed to think the same as he sighed in contentment, reaching his fork for another bite.

Terra turned the stove on, getting the water ready to boil while he pulled open the cabinet filled with small vials and little bags. Most of the food had to get tossed since magic couldn’t preserve things from going bad after twelve years but he tried to restock some of their tea leaves when he could; especially ones that were calming to help with sleep. He pulled a few bags down and reached for three mugs that were drying on a nearby rack.

“There’s some cookies in the fridge, Terra,” Aqua said, covering her mouth slightly as she finished her bite. “I made them for you.”

“Well, thanks, I’ll grab them in a second.” He opened the first bag, pouring out what he needed to make a nice chamomile blend into the familiar clay pot that would hopefully soothe some of the restlessness they all had. Granted the two them were downing sugar right now so he wasn’t sure if this would do anything; as long as they were happy.

“Hey, Xion asked me a weird question the other day,” Ven said, barely audible because of the food in his mouth.

“Oh yeah?” Terra asked, looking up from the tea to glance at Aqua who was already looking back at him. To be fair, the things they had been through and the things new found friends had been through was the definition of weird. It really could be anything, but that didn’t stop the question from making the nerves in his stomach tighten. Aqua seemed to feel the same.

There were a lot of questions, and very little answers.

“Yeah,” Ven swallowed the bite of cake. “I meant to tell you earlier but I forgot.”

“Well, what is it?” Aqua asked, in an encouraging way, letting him know that they needed to have conversations about anything; she knew just as well not talking to each other is what got them into far bigger messes than they could’ve dreamed.

Ven reached take another forkful of cake. “She asked me if you guys were my parents.”

Terra fumbled the bag of herbs, knocking way too much into the pot. Aqua had a similar reaction as he could hear her choking slightly on her cake. That wasn’t exactly the question he was expecting.

“Which I mean, I told her no, cause you guys aren’t even that much older than me,” Ven continued, sitting up on the chair on his knees for better reach of the table. “I asked her why she thought that cause it was such a weird question, you know?”

Terra was trying to pour the tea leaves back into the bag and fix his mistake but he glanced over at the table.

“Oh?” Aqua asked, still trying to recover herself. “What did she say then?”

“She said that you guys just seemed like parents the way you looked out for me and everyone after, you know…” He paused for a second to get more cake. “After everything that happened. I asked her if maybe she meant you guys acted like you were married, cause you’re too young to have kids.”

Terra nearly dropped the bag of leaves again but he managed to keep it steady. He grabbed another blend to pour in but glanced over to the table. Aqua was still picking at the cake but he couldn’t see her face from here.

“Ah, Ven, you do realize you have to have, ah, a special relationship to get married right?” Aqua asked carefully.

He still had a mouth full of cake as he grinned at her. “Yep.”

When did he turn into such a smart ass? Terra was about to speak up to change the subject that was currently making his face feel hotter than it needed to be. Thankfully, the water broke to a boil next to him as a good distraction. He was well aware that his feelings never changed but now was really not time to face all of that head on.

Terra reached over to grab the pot and pour the water carefully into the teapot.

“Don’t talk with food in your mouth,” Aqua said, but it was very lighthearted; probably her effort to change the subject.

Ven audibly swallowed his food. “Yes, mom.”

“Ventus.”

It was too late, he had already dissolved into laughter because he apparently found himself hilarious.

“Alright, alright,” Terra said, carefully carrying over the mugs and the teapot as it brewed with the leaves. “How about balance the sugar some?”

Ven made a face but he grabbed a mug anyway. Terra placed one in front of Aqua but she was already moving out of her chair heading for the fridge. He put the teapot on a coaster between them to wait a few minutes longer but before he could even sit down on the chair next to hers, there was a plate of cookies placed in front of him.

“Dark chocolate and walnuts,” she said, sitting down again to pick up her fork.

“Gross,” Ven said, wrinkling his nose.

“Yeah, well, what if I said that cake you love so much was gross,” Terra snorted, pulling the plastic back so he could grab one of the cookies.

“Blasphemy.” Ven pointed his fork over to Terra.

He rolled his eyes but took a bite from the cookie. It tasted as to be expected from one of Aqua’s baked goods; which was in short, delicious. She should know this by now, but she was watching him for his reaction regardless. Maybe it was because it had been so long so wanted to make sure she could still do the things she used to or maybe because she was worried about him, he wasn’t sure. Terra looked over to Ven who was also watching for a reaction; Terra gave the blond a wink.

“Aqua,” he said, holding up the cookie slightly. “These are so good, I’d marry you right here and now.”

She stared at him for a second, but Ven quickly erupted into laughter making Terra crack a smile at her. “Oh, you two,” she said, though she had started to laugh too. “Don’t let anyone tell you you’re not brothers.”

“See,” Ven said. “Terra agrees.”

Aqua didn’t say anything else, she just took another bite of cake while he popped the rest of his cookie in his mouth. He reached forward to grab the teapot so he could pour it in the mugs.

A joke, it really had been a joke to make the both of them laugh. It worked well enough but at the same time Terra felt a warm feeling in his chest that had nothing to do with the hot tea he was pouring for her.

He moved to pour Ven’s cup before Terra went back to his own. He knew right now they were still figuring out how to get control of their lives again right now, wounds had to be healed, and a sense of normality had to be found. Everything else could wait; it didn’t stop his breath from hitching in his throat when she looked over to him, holding her mug to her lips.

“Thank you, Terra.”

“No, thank you,” he paused as he leaned back in his chair with his own mug. “For looking after me.”

She gave him a smile that almost made the nightmares seem like a distant memory. “Of course, that’s what I do.”

Ven was ignoring the tea and still going for the cake. “You guys are so sappy.”

He was adamantly ignored, though Aqua did reach over to push at his head lightly. “Drink some tea,” she said instead. “You’ll get a stomachache if you eat too much of it.”

The nights were still so dark, and the future uncertain, but Terra knew they’d make it through together; like they always had before. Aqua kept one hand on her mug but reached the other under the table, finding Terra’s so she could lace her fingers through it. She gave him a squeeze, a reassurance almost as if she could read his mind.

Ven was blowing at his tea. “I saw that.”

IV.

The sun shone in through the window in Terra’s room, bright enough to make him wince even though he was still comfortable in bed with his eyes firmly closed. A part of him knew that meant he slept in way too late, but he was too warm and the blankets were too soft for him to care.

He rolled over onto his side and mostly expected the rest of the bed to be empty since it was already sunrise. Even in his half-awake state he was pleasantly surprised to feel a warm body still tucked under the blankets. She was usually up so much earlier than him, he didn’t expect her to still be in bed.

Not that he was about to complain. Terra wrapped his arm around Aqua’s waist, pulling her back against him and letting his face burying into the familiar scent of her vanilla shampoo. She chuckled slightly, reaching a hand up to brush by his cheek and into his hair.

“Good morning.” Her voice still sounded sleepy like she hadn’t even been awake for that long.

“Morning,” he mumbled into her hair. “I wasn’t expecting you to still be here.”

She hummed, fingers gently rubbing against his head. “What? I can’t be lazy like you?”

“I’m not lazy. I just like sleep.”

She laughed again and he couldn’t keep the smile from pulling at his lips. His days were so bright now that even the nights weren’t as hard. Granted, going to sleep with her by his side and knowing she’d still be there in the morning helped significantly. When she did get up before him, she never was too far away. Terra still wasn’t sure if he had actually done anything good enough in his life to deserve her but as long as she kept smiling and laughing like she did now he wouldn’t question it.

“Well, I hope you slept well, cause it’ll be a busy day.”

“Define busy.”

“We have the meeting to determine if there’s a need to reopen the schooling element here and if the castle is suited to hold students again.” She paused for a moment, probably to stifle a yawn with the way she was breathing. “The other option being to open the castle as a sanctuary for travelers to stop on their way through the worlds. It’ll depend on many different things so it’ll probably take a good part of the day for discussions and choices.”

Terra made a snoring noise.

She swatted him on the side of his head but he felt her laughing. “Stop it,” she snorted. “You signed up for this, Master Terra.”

“Yeah, well, Master Eraqus should’ve been more upfront about how many meetings I’d have to sit through when I was a kid.”

“He knew better than that.”

Terra laughed as she gently started to play with her hair again. He may’ve joked but this was the only life he ever really wanted. For a while there it didn’t seem like this would ever be possible yet here he was. He’d go through a million meetings if she was sitting next to him.

She wasn’t wrong through. They were standing on the brink of another life changing event. If they decided there were enough kids being able to summon keyblades again then the school would open its gates once more. There would be new responsibilities as both teachers and heads of the worlds that would be thrown at them. They wouldn’t be the only ones since they weren’t the only masters who even lived here. Riku and Kairi both agreed to be willing to stay here to teach where Ven and Sora preferred to be out in the field to explore and help people; though both were willing to commit part time should they be needed. Lea and Roxas were more conflicted, not sure anyone would want to learn from them and the other half of their family and friends lived in Twilight Town. On the other hand if the castle would function as a space for weary keyblade wielders to rest then not much would change really.

“How much time do we have?” he asked, really not wanting to move yet.

“Depends,” she said. “What time we need to be there, or what time someone will come and get us for breakfast?”

“Banking on the latter.”

She chuckled but fell silent, lacing her fingers with his hair. He pressed a kiss to the back of her head, no desire in him to be anywhere but here.

This would never be old. He lost her for so long, thinking he’d never get her back, something he’d never take for granted again. It just…was always her, and it always would be. He felt warmth fill his chest just at the thought, letting out a sigh.

Aqua twirled her fingers against him slightly, her acknowledgement she heard him.

He had come back from the brink of the worst, his hands stained with terrible things but she welcomed him home with open arms. It took time, and recovery, but it was always done in understanding and in love. It’s what it was. He loved her more than he knew how to say; even in the simplest moments, laying in his bed joking about their potentially long and boring day. He wanted to have long and boring days with her forever. He wanted her to know that.

Terra’s mind was still hazy from sleep, from the unique warmth she brought him, from the desire to just spend the rest of his life with the woman in his arms. The words were out of his mouth before he even knew it.

“Marry me.”

Aqua didn’t move, she just continued to carefully play with his hair.

He snapped his eyes open when he realized what he actually said aloud. Panic crawled up his throat so fast he had to swallow the lump that formed there. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, else but nothing came out.

Did she even hear him? Did he want her to have heard him? It wasn’t like he didn’t mean it; he knew that without a doubt. But at the same time that wasn’t exactly how he ever thought he’d ask her. He didn’t even think far enough ahead to know he didn’t have a ring or anything to give her.

She rolled over under his arm, turning so she could face him and he had to swallow hard again to face the reality of this situation.

“Is that your tactic to stay in bed longer?” she asked, a teasing look on her face.

Oh, okay, she thought he was just joking. It was a weird sense of utter relief and disappointment.

“Did it work?” he asked instead, hoping the heat in his face wasn’t as apparent as it felt.

“Almost,” she said, nudging her face up to kiss him.

That was admittedly better. He reached a hand up to her cheek, holding her there so he could kiss her back. She moved her hand down to his shoulder, fingers trailing down his arm. Aqua slid up closer, pressing herself against him. He dropped his hand to her hip, slipping under her shirt to hold her lower back firmly. The soft noise from her lips already had heat swirling in the pit of his stomach, forgetting his momentary embarrassment easily enough.

“You’re not making it easy,” he breathed as she pulled back enough to pepper her jaw with kisses.

She hummed, tracing circles on his skin while she arched her head back for him. Before he got a chance to do much more, he felt her kick his leg over her waist and push her weight into him. Terra pushed himself up on his elbows when his back hit the bed. Aqua sat up, her legs on either side of his hips, giving him a grin that took his breath away. He ran his hands up her bare legs, until he reached the hem of his shirt she was wearing.

“Maybe I don’t want to make it easy,” she said.

He reached a hand up to the back of her head, pulling her down until her lips were on his. She groaned, her hands sliding up his shirt.  That was about the last of his willpower.

Until there was a loud knock at the door.

Aqua leaned her forehead against his with a sigh. Figures, he wasn’t sure why he was surprised.

“What?” Terra grunted, though he made no effort to actually move.

“You guys are taking too long,” Ven whined; which almost sounded strange since his voice was lower than it ever used to be and yet still so very Ven.

“So?” Terra asked.

“So I’m hungry.”

“You’re plenty capable of making your own food, Ventus.”

“How dare you deprive me a chance to have breakfast with my two favorite people.”

“You burnt the food you tried to cook didn’t you?”

Ven paused. “In my defense, I listened to Lea.”

Aqua chuckled as she tilted her head to press a quick kiss to Terra’s lips before she untangled herself from the blankets, to slip off the bed. “We’ll be right there, Ven.”

Terra reached up to rub at his face. He didn’t even have to have kids of his own to understand what it felt like to be a parent.

It was quiet outside but there also weren’t any footsteps walking away.

“Yes?” Aqua asked as she slipped on the leggings she had been wearing the night before.

“I don’t trust you.”

She rolled her eyes enough to make Terra try not to laugh. She grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door open, revealing Ven standing there with one hand slapped over his eyes. It was strange to see Ven taller than Aqua; a part of Terra always thought Ven would stay small but it wasn’t the truth. Growing up is what kids did.

“You’re being so dramatic, shoo,” she said, pushing him lightly into the hall. “I’m coming.” She looked back to Terra who still hadn’t moved. “We’re coming.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, kicking his legs over the edge of the bed to push himself up.

Aqua was poking at Ven in the side to get him to start moving. Yet it was clear by the way he was laughing and swatting her away without actually walking, he was waiting for Terra to come too. He ran his hand through his hair as he stood up, stretching his arms over his head. Ven had started trying to tickle Aqua back, which she was always very weak to, her laugh ringing through the hallway as she tried to get him to stop.

Despite being pulled out of bed somewhat against his will, he still felt a smile on his lips. His own words rang in his head; that was the only laugh he needed to hear for the rest of his life. Next time he’d actually be prepared and ask her right.

V.

Destiny Island really was beautiful. Not only for the tropical trees, the familiar star shaped fruit, the warm ocean air, but also the waterfall splashing into the blue sea, the white sand that never got too hot. Then there was the vibrant sunset that would set over the horizon casting the most stunning colors Terra had ever seen. Romance admittedly wasn’t his strongest point, but he figured a sunset on the beach was a good place to start.

Now if he could only stop feeling like he was going to possibly vomit on the soft sand it might make it a little better.

He could hear the laughter behind him, the others either playing on the beach or snacking on the food that laid around. It wasn’t anything to celebrate really, just another year of lives lived to the fullest. It became a loose tradition to spend a day on the beach together at least once a year. It was a day when no one had to work or were traveling or too busy; just time to relax with the people you loved really.

Terra watched the waves crash against the beach as he sat in the sand, just out of the water’s reach. The breeze was both warm and cool at the same time, the salty air reminding him of all the times he came here; including the very first time. Riku and Sora were near babies and now they had been to hell and back. Well, they all had Terra supposed.

If he would’ve turned around he knew he’d see Ven hanging from one of the tree branches while Kairi tried to throw food up at him so he could catch it in his mouth. Lea would be lounging nearby, usually never too far from the food. Isa probably sitting up listening to both Xion and Sora exclaim stories Isa heard a million times but would never say otherwise. Riku and Roxas sparring with old wooden swords on the beach while Namine watched on from the sidelines. Aqua would be nearby braiding flowers into the younger girl’s blonde hair.

While the people who visited changed as time went on as they grew from children to young adults, the island never changed. It was still the same ocean, same beach, same feeling of peace, same tropical flowers, same bridges, and the same star shaped that grew on the trees here. Its legend was where Aqua got the idea for their wayfinders, something that helped them all when they needed it the most. He figured it was about as good of a place as any to tell the person you loved you wanted to be with them forever. It was pretty and symbolic, that was romantic right?

Terra didn’t feel particularly romantic; in fact most of the others - including Aqua - had spent most the day asking him what was wrong. Guesses ranged from eating something that made him feel sick to coming down with some sort of fever, but really he just didn’t know how to do this. He wanted to, that wasn’t the issue, it was coming up with something good enough to say that actually expressed how he felt about her. He didn’t even know if he had the right words. A part of him really wished he had talked to Ven first, he was much better at this sort of stuff. Then again the reason Terra didn’t tell Ven was because then Aqua would know before Terra even got a chance. Secrets weren’t Ven’s strong point.

The wind blew off the waves, making Terra’s hair blow around. It was long enough that he could pull it back a little which provided at least some relief from the heat of the island. He sighed as he watched the colors from the sunset illuminate the skies. It really was beautiful.

He heard footsteps in the sand behind him, but one side glance at long legs told him who it was. Aqua sat herself down next to him, already wearing a sweater over her shirt and shorts to keep her warm as the heat of the sun started to fade.

“Hi,” she said, leaning her head down against his shoulder.

“Hey.” He leaned his head over hers while she snaked her hands around his upper arm. Terra almost wanted to close his eyes and just fall asleep. “All done making sure the kids don’t accidentally kill each other?”

“That’s a full time job so they’re on their own now.”

He snorted, a smile pulling at his lips despite his heart nearly feeling like it was going to pound out of his chest. The sunset was going on, everyone was distracted. Aqua was with him now and he could feel the small wooden box he made in his pocket; it was as best as it was going to get.

“Is something bothering you, Terra?” she asked, her voice a little softer than before.

“Ah, no, not at all. Today has been really nice.” Of course, Aqua would always notice if he was acting any different than the normal way he did. It was nearly impossible to pull anything over her eyes.

She lifted her head, making him turn to look at her. Her forehead was a little furrowed, like she was worried. “You just seemed distant, or upset.”

He reached a hand up to rub at the wrinkles, making her laugh instead. “I’m fine, don’t worry so much. I’d tell you if something was wrong.”

Aqua was still smiling as she considered his words and seemed to believe him in the least. “Okay.” She looked back ahead, leaning her head on his shoulder again. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Very,” he said though it wasn’t so much in reference to the sunset, but the reflection of the sunset in her face.

“I could live here.”

“Like right here on the beach? Just set up a room and a bed right here?”

She swatted at his arm. “You know what I mean.”

“Is that really what you want?” he asked. “To live here near the beach?”

Aqua paused for a second, a small sigh falling from her lips. “No, it’s nice to visit but I love our home more.”

His throat felt a little dry as he knew he had a lead in here. Okay, it was okay, he was pretty sure she’d say yes, so he had nothing to worry about. Right? Though he supposed if she wasn’t ready she could say no.

Oh yeah, that thought process didn’t help him feel better in the least.

“Ah, yeah, me too.”

She hummed but didn’t say anything else, eyes just watching the sun start to sink below the horizon.

“It wouldn’t really matter though,” he breathed. “Anywhere with you is home.”

“Oh, that was pretty smooth.”

“Thank you,” he snorted;. She was the one person he never had to worry about having a conversation with, so why should this be any different? “It’s true though. Any place, any time, doesn’t matter.”

She started to trace some circles on his arm as she lifted her head, eyes looking to him with that soft smile of hers on her face. “Me too.” Maybe she knew, he couldn’t really tell. It was possible she’d know what he was trying to say without having to say it.

Terra shifted slightly, trying to make his pocket easier to get to without being obvious about it. “Do you remember when we were kids? And we had to study all those old traditions?”

Aqua nodded slowly, like she was a little unsure what he was getting at but was still being encouraging about it.

“You told me about weddings and I told you it sounded gross.”

She laughed aloud, recognition in her eyes. “Yes, you were so insistent.”

“I was ten, what did you expect?” he asked, unable to keep the laughter that bubbled up in him down. Maybe that was the nerves too; just a few more words, that’s all he needed. “I still said if I had to pick anyone, I’d marry you.”

She didn’t move or blink, eyes just watching him. His hand was nearly shaking as he tried to reach for his pocket, the words he said in his head a million times on the tip of his tongue.

Until he suddenly felt a torrent of water dump down over his head.

He froze. His hair was sticking down onto his face, and shirt and shorts already seeping with water. Even the sand under him was sticky with the excess water. Aqua gasped as she moved to quickly push her now wet hair from her face. He felt disoriented for a moment, but the hysterical laughter snapped him out of his surprise real quick.

Terra reached up to brush his sopping wet bangs from his face, turning around just in time to see Xion and Sora quickly toss empty buckets off to the side, with Roxas looking none too innocent behind them. All three of them were still laughing but slowly backing away like they knew what was probably coming.

It was impossible to be mad looking at their gleeful eyes as they laughed without a care in the world. Even though they just interrupted something he had been trying to get the courage to do all damn day. There was a time when these kids couldn’t be kids; they couldn’t laugh so freely and they couldn’t be teenagers. Terra could never get mad at them for just being happy to live life. That was all he was doing after all.

“It was their idea,” Xion snickered.

“What?! It was not!” Sora said, reaching over to push at her. “Entirely my idea.”

“Entirely,” Roxas repeated with a snort.

Aqua huffed as she shook her hands to get the excess water off. She didn’t look mad either, in fact she looked like she was going to start laughing at any second in pride of them being able to sneak up so soundly. “Ready then?” she asked, and he didn’t have to question what she meant.

Terra pushed himself to his feet. “You better hope you’re fast.”

The three cried out as they turned to run along the beach.

Terra reached a hand down to help Aqua up, before letting his feet slide in the sand to chase after them. She was on his heels, running just as fast.

He had been trying to pick the perfect time and moment, with the best setting. But as the kids ducked under one of the bridges, pushing each other alone while they laughed Terra thought maybe he didn’t need to pick the right moment. It would just happen when it was supposed to. Aqua was laughing next to him as the sun almost disappeared into the ocean, the stars and moon popping up in the sky. Ven was shouting out condolences to the trio who were still running away. It was still a good day, and would be a good night. Everything could still wait, time wasn’t an issue anymore.

For now, he had some teenagers to throw in the water.

VI.

There was nothing like the night sky in the Land of Departure. Terra could go to a million different worlds and the stars would never compare. He supposed he was biased though; he spent his whole life looking up at the stars with Aqua. Then Ven a little later on, and then the kids who would come to visit or stay with them here.

Sometimes he’d watch them from his room, sometimes from Aqua’s room when he had snuck in late at night, sometimes from the training areas on the cliff, or the windows of the library. But he thought his favorite might be from the fields in the summer time, when the nights were warm and the grass was green and fresh. From there it was almost like there was nothing but sky and stars. Again he could be biased since Aqua was currently sitting in front of him, nestled between his legs as her back rested up against his chest. He was leaning back slightly, hands propped up in the grass behind him as he watched a shooting star shoot across the sky.

“There was one,” she said, pointing upwards. “Did you see it?”

“Yeah, I did. What number is that now?”

She leaned her head back against his shoulder, her hair tickling his nose. “Three,” she sighed but even from his angle he could see the smile on her face as the moonlight reflected in it.

“Did you make all your wishes?” He tried not to yawn, knowing if he did she’d want to back inside but it was a long exhausting day so he knew he didn’t do a very good job hiding how tired he was. Still, the peace outside with just her was relaxing; he didn’t want to leave yet.

“Couldn’t tell you if I did.”

“I think Master  told us wishes don’t come true if you tell someone else, so he’d have a break from us telling him how much we wanted to be keyblade masters.”

Aqua chuckled. “That isn’t the only thing I wished for.”

“Oh yeah? What else did you wish for then?”

She turned her head to look over to him. “This.”

“What?”

Aqua shrugged. “Even when I was younger, I wished for a time when we could sit under the stars and not have to worry about anything else.”

Terra pushed himself up, moving his hands to wrap around her waist, making her giggle when her pressed his cheek to hers. “So even when you were a kid you had a crush on me, huh?”

“Stop it,” she snorted, reaching a hand up to push his face away. “You already knew that.”

“Yeah, can’t say I didn’t wish for the same thing once upon a time.”

“Ohh?” she said a little sing-songy “Terra had a crush on a girl.”

He squeezed her making her laugh again. “I did, even though she drove me crazy sometimes.”

“Only sometimes?”

“I’m being very generous.”

Aqua chuckled as she leaned her head against his, a small sigh on her lips. It was quiet for a moment; just the sound of the crickets, the wind in the grass, the animals in the forest hidden from view.

“Terra, are you happy?”

At first he thought he didn’t hear her right. “What? Of course I am. This is what we always wanted.”

She shrugged, clearly not convinced enough with his answer. “I know, but we didn’t quite get here how we thought we would.” Aqua paused for a moment. “And they were childhood dreams, people change as they get older. Dreams change sometimes.”

“Have they changed for you?”

“No, no,” she said. “They never have. I’m happy, I’m very happy, but I want you to be too.”

It was a simple question really; making sure the person you loved was happy with life. Yet it was such an Aqua thing to worry about. He almost wondered how long it had taken her to actually ask him. It would be easy to answer her, to reassure her that he was happy here with their lives. He was, that wasn’t even a question in his mind, but the weight in his pocket was suddenly heavy, reminding him of its presence.

He waited and waited for the moment that would strike him the most; even taking the ring from the box so it wasn’t quite as obvious what he kept with him. This time though he found he wasn’t even nervous as he reached for the ring, pulling it out until he could hold between his fingers in front of them.

“My dreams have never changed,” he said.

She didn’t say anything, she just watched the way the small jewel caught the moonlight.

“Aqua?”

She made some sort of choked noise he assumed was her trying to answer him.

“Will you marry me?”

This time the noise was almost more like a choked cry, but she was nodding her head. “Yes, yes, of course.”

It seemed his nerves kicked in the last second nearly fumbling the ring. “What, really?”

“Yes, really, dummy,” she laughed, reaching one hand up to rub at her eyes. “I love you.”

Careful not to drop it in the dark field where Ven would absolutely never let Terra live down, he slid the ring on her finger. He didn’t even really have time to process what happened before Aqua turned in his arms. She wrapped hers around him so tightly she knocked him off balance, falling backwards into the soft grass.

Aqua pushed herself up, watching him with a smile he always got used to as one for him, eyes glistening in the moonlight. Terra didn’t always know what his path was, if he’d make the right choices if he’d make the wrong choices. This one, this one he knew was right.

“I love you too.”

She leaned down to kiss him as he reached his hand up through her hair. In that moment he thought even a million years wouldn’t be enough to tell her how much she meant to him. Since the day a six year old, blue haired girl walked in through the doors of the castle and taught him what it was like to have a friend, a companion, and a partner.

Terra was still more than willing to try.

[totallynotlx]

Music Prompt: Terraqua – Little Bird & Cold Coffee by Ed Sheeran

Inspired by @chachacharlieco​‘s Terraqua art. Aight. I’ve been hit by the writing bug. Thank you for the feels *sobs* 

Not sure if this is good enough since it’s been years since I wrote some decent enough fics/prompts but hnnnng the scene just keeps on replaying in my head and I couldn’t help writing it aaaahhhh

----

Terra hears a soft knock on his bedroom door. His eyes open slowly and he stares at the ceiling for a moment. He was trying to get some sleep but it has been hours and he hasn’t slept a wink. It felt weird, being in his old room, wrapped in warmth and not in darkness. He’s been in it for so long that being in the realm of light seemed new to him.

He looks at his bedroom window. It was late at night. Who would knock on his door at a time like this? Maybe Ven… clutching his pillows and asking if he could sleep with me tonight. He thought and chuckles to himself a bit before getting out of bed. Who am I kidding? Ven’s not a kid anymore… He chastised himself before opening his door, revealing Aqua instead.

“Hey.” She smiles. “I hope you don’t mind me barging in…”

“But Master, I was sleeping soundly till I heard you bang my door.” He whines teasingly. Aqua laughs and slaps him playfully on the arm. “So… what’s up? Something bothering you?”

“Nothing really. I just wanted to watch the stars again… I wanted to call Ven but he’s already asleep with Chirithy and I didn’t have the heart to disturb them.” She fidgets…? Huh. I guess even Aqua fidgets.

“So, you barge in my room instead?” He smirks and she gasps.

“You make it sound so bad!” She exclaims as Terra laughs heartily. She smiles at him for a moment before placing both of her hands on her waist. “You want to go or not?”

“Of course, Master.” Aqua rolls her eyes at his remark.

“Stop saying that!” She exclaims again before turning around with Terra following closely behind her.

They walk through the corridors of their beloved home and he realizes how much he had missed it. He hadn’t paid attention to it before and now he realizes that he loved every bit of it. From the intricate designs in the corridors, the white and gold colors, the stained-glass windows, the main hall, everything. He sighs and smiles to himself. It feels so good to be back…

They both head out of the building and out to the entrance of the castle. Stars glittered the night sky and he sighs once again, taking the sight in.

“You’ve been sighing a lot lately.” Aqua comments, descending down the stairs.

“I can’t help it. After all that happened, I can’t help but appreciate everything I have now. I don’t when it will be taken away from me again so I want to savor it.” He explains as she heard her laugh softly. “Oy. What are you laughing at?” He asks as she stopped midway to sit down.

“That’s so not you.” She giggles before dreamily looking at the night sky. “It’s so good to be back…”

Terra smirks. “Now look who’s talking!”

Aqua laughs at him before sitting beside her, watching the night sky. “Ven is probably going to be upset with me calling you out like this.” She remarks but she doesn’t take her eyes off of the night sky.

“Oh he will be. You’d best be prepared.” He jokes and scoots closer to her. Aqua doesn’t seem to notice as her eyes were glued to the stars. He looks at her lovingly, how the stars were reflected in her eyes. How in the worlds did he and Ven have this strong woman to guide them back? He smiles at her, shifting uncomfortably. What is this feeling…? Ah. Do I…? Really? Me? Do I even have the right to say that?

“Are you cold?” Terra was so deep in thought that he couldn’t help but jump at Aqua’s sudden question.

“Nah. I’ve been too accustomed to the darkness to be cold…” He remarks, leaning back and enjoying the view of the night sky. “It’s been so long… I missed this.” How I missed you.

“Hm?”

Terra clears his throat. Did he just say that out loud? “Looking at the stars. Together, like when we were children.” He recovers.

“Yeah. With all that’s happened, I’m glad it’s finally over.”

“Although, there was one thing that I realized from all this and I was stupid enough to not see it earlier…” He remarks, his hands were suddenly trembling. Why didn’t he realize it sooner? When did it come to him? He doesn’t give a damn now. What he knows is he is now sure of his feelings.

“What was it?”

He clasps both his hands together to keep them from trembling. He takes a deep breath before answering. “How much I love you.”

Aqua lets out a small gasp before he looked at Terra, a blush quickly spreading on her face. “I…”

“Aqua, I love you.” This time she looks at him, his blue eyes meeting hers. He scoots closer and takes one of her hands. “I mean, I understand if you don’t want to give an answer yet. I know I’m not worthy to be beside you after everything but this,” he takes her hand and presses it against his heart, “this feeling, I know it’s real and it’s only for you.” He smiles at her softly, as if imploring for her to reconsider him.

Aqua’s eyes began to water and she shakes her head. “Terra… You are worthy. Sure, we were led astray but we’re here. We’re back, back to the light. And that strength to move forward despite the mistakes we did in the past is commendable.” She caresses his face. “You, out of all of us, is the worthiest. You had the strength to keep going, to keep your promise, to make things right. You didn’t lose yourself entirely to the darkness Terra… and I’ll be here to remind you that.”

With that, Terra pulls her close, tenderly embracing the girl that didn’t give up on him. “You are my light, you’ve always been.” He whispers, his hands brushing her hair softly. He slowly broke the embrace only to put his forehead against hers as he wiped the tears from her face.

“Together. Always.”

----

“But if i kiss you will your mouth read this truth

Darling how i miss you, strawberry's taste how lips do

And its not complete yet, mustn't get our feet wet

Cause that leads to regret, diving into soon.

And i'll owe it all to you, oh, my little bird”  

+

“Tell me if I’m wrong

Tell me if I’m right

Tell me if you need a loving hand

To help you fall asleep tonight

Tell me if I know

Tell me if I do

Tell me how to fall in love the

Way you want me to”

----

Aight. Ouch. I was having second thoughts on posting this but I couldn’t help myself... Also, I’m not sure if the setting was Land of Departures or Mysterious Tower but I kinda chose LoD since it is their home ^^;

[writinginavacuum]

On Sweeter Tides

Terra is the captain of a proud ship full of marauders. It's no surprise that people across the seven seas want to join his crew. How was he to know that one boy would be the start of such a grand adventure?

Written for Terraqua Day 2019

Words:10k Rating: T Read it on AO3!

Terra leaned his weight against the sturdy wooden railing, staring out toward the sunset as it dipped itself into the ocean horizon. His hair, scraggly and the color of damp, fresh earth, blew in the wind that surrounded the ship as he pondered the reflections of light on the water’s surface. How had things gone so wrong so quickly? It felt like just last week that he’d been sitting in some pub at the end of the world, grinning ear from ear as he’d bragged about how great his crew was.

“Best damn crew on the seas,” he’d boasted over a flagon of warm, cool and refreshing against calloused palms. “Nothing could stop us.”

But he’d been wrong, hadn’t he? His damn mouth always served to get him into trouble. First with their newest crew member, and now with this.

Terra scrubbed his face with his hands, pressing his palms into his eyes until bright spots danced against the blackness of his eyelids. It wasn’t even their fault, he reasoned. Terra had let himself get ahead of all his carefully laid plans, full of confidence and warming rum and the laughter of good company. His crew was easy to brag over. He had a crew of warriors, from Lea (who lived for cannonfire like he’d been born with a cannonball as a twin) to Sora, a scrawny boy who wielded a sword with something like insanity in his grip. They even had a great doctor in Even, who had put together men Terra swore wouldn’t survive the night. And there there was Ven, his first mate, a man always eager and ready to take on the world. He climbed rigging like nobody Terra had ever seen, except maybe their new recruit.

---

They’d picked the new guy up a few months ago, in a small seaside port. He was calm as he approached the crew in the inn, one of the only people not giving the raucous group of men side eye as they enjoyed their first day on land in weeks. Terra noticed that while the young man had been trying to appear confident, his body language implied that he didn’t want to be noticed. By them? Or by the others in the bar? Terra wasn’t sure, and the young man had approached before Terra could give it any further thought.

“You looking for any new crew?” the young man asked, settling himself down in an empty chair across from Terra. The captain looked the boy up and down slowly. He noticed the softness of his jawline and the softness of his arms. His hair, the unusual color of a clear sea sky, was cropped unevenly, falling in pieces around his face. He looked like a child, Terra thought, the kind of boy who had never seen a day of hard work.

“Sorry,” Terra said, leaning back in his chair. “Ship’s full.”

The boy looked crestfallen for a moment, the delicacy of his face even more pronounced in his defeat, before the boy gathered himself visibly and sat in the seat across from Terra, much to Terra’s surprise. Usually the people he turned down either threw a fit or sulked away in shame.

“Room  for a drinking partner, at least?” the young boy asked, already waving down one of the ladies from behind the bar. “First round’s on me.”

Terra, never one to turn down a free mug of ale, shrugged. What was the harm in drinking with the boy, after all? It wasn’t like the boy would change Terra’s mind, and Terra had no problems with drinking on another’s coin.

“Alright then,” Terra agreed as he leaned forward again. “Terra. Captain Terra Maduro.” He held his hand out across the table. The boy’s grip was firm.

“Aqua,” he replied. “Aqua Maki.”

Terra resisted the urge to snort at the feminine name. No wonder the boy seemed so desperate for some adventure. “Mum wanted a little lady, aye?”

The boy laughed as he fished for a couple coins from the pouch at his pocket, exchanging it to the woman carrying two mugs of ale. He passed one over to Terra before lifting the other, tilting it toward Terra in a mocking salute. “You don’t know the half of it.”

Terra laughed and downed half his mug. Across from him, Aqua did the same. Terra took in a moment to soak in all the things he enjoyed about being on land- the warm fire in the grate, the sound of people he didn’t know laughing and living their lives around him, the steadiness of the ground. It had been a while since his crew had been to port, and after tonight, it would be a while before they were again. They were scheduled to make a supply run, something that would take a month or two at the least if they didn’t allow themselves any distractions.

They had never made a trip without distractions before. Terra doubted this trip would be the first.

From behind him, someone shouted his name before colliding heavily with his back. Terra jerked forward, nearly choking on his mouthful of ale. A cacophony of noise heralded the entry of his whole crew into the bar, headed by Lea and Sora. Everyone enjoyed port days, taking their chance to eat and drink their fill.

“Who’s this?” the weight on his back asked. Terra recognized the voice immediately.

“Ven, meet Aqua. Aqua, my first mate Ven.”

Ven grinned at the young man and released Terra’s neck, much to Terra’s relief. He rubbed his neck while Ven looked the new boy up and down.

“Is Aqua going to be joining us, then?” Ven asked. Aqua shook his head before Terra could even say anything.

“Nah. Ship’s full, I hear.” Aqua said. Terra ignored the slight bite in his voice. He’d dealt with much worse as captain of a ship than some stranger’s annoyance.

Ven shrugged, clearly already tuning out of the conversation in favor of the bar where flagons of cold ale were being poured. “Nothing to be done then, I suppose.”

Aqua knocked back the last of his ale, then stood with the empty mug in his hand. “You got it. C’mon, I’ll get another round.”

Terra watched with slight confusion as Aqua headed to the bar with his pouch already open. The confusion became surprise when he fished out a couple of gold coins and paid for his entire crew’s drinks. Who was this stranger? Where did he get the coin to spend like this?

Still, he would never be the kind of man to turn down someone else’s generosity, especially not when it involved free booze, so he pushed himself away from the table and went to join his crew. He’d enjoy his last night on shore for a while, even if it killed him.

---

The sun streaming through open portholes was enough to rip Terra, slowly and painfully, from his slumber and into consciousness. Terra grit his teeth, the slow rocking of his ship threatening to send his roiling stomach into rebellion. He swallowed heavily against the bile. Don’t throw up. Don’t throw up.

After a few moments, the immediate nausea began to subside and Terra felt like he could maybe stand up and face the day. Well, maybe not the whole day, but at least face the mess cabin long enough to get some water and maybe some food. After that, he’d retreat to his cabin until he absolutely had to show his face. Captain’s privileges.

He took a moment to look at himself in the small mirror in his room, taking in the slightly sallow look of his cheeks, the stubble showing its face along his jawline. He looked a little bit like death. It’d been a while since he’d drank like that, with no regard to his crew racking up a bill they couldn’t afford to pay. They might be pirates, but Terra tried very hard to avoid injuring innocents in the process. But their guest for the evening, Aqua, seemed to have the kind of deep pockets necessary to support a crew looking to party like they hadn’t seen dry land in months. (Which they hadn’t.) If they ever landed in that tiny port town again, he would have to find the boy and thank him for his kindness to his crew.

Terra rubbed his face, took a deep breath, and opened his cabin door to let the hellish light in. Immediately, the sun tried to stab him in the eyes. Terra frowned, ducking his head and darting half-blind in the direction of the mess cabin, where he hoped Sora had made something that would absorb all of the alcohol threatening to come back up. He was expecting the usual chaos of his crew in the morning, squabbling over the last of whatever Sora had made for breakfast that morning. He had a gift for turning preserved sea faring food into things that were almost edible, especially comparing to eating hardtack for three months in a row.

He wasn’t, however, expecting to find their patron of the evening before sitting in the center of the throng, happily telling stories and enjoying his breakfast with his crew.

Ven, who was sitting next to their new guest, grinned over at Terra and waved him over to join the crew. Terra, after a moment’s pause, elected to take his seat.

“Why the hell is he on my ship?” Terra hissed to Ven as soon as he took a seat. Ven, who was halfway through spooning out a portion of breakfast, look confused.

“Whaddya mean, ‘why is he here’?” Ven responded. “You invited him on.”

Terra frowned and stood up, grabbing Ven by the arm and janking him out of the mess hall. His stomach roared in anger, threatening to allow last night’s drinks a reappearance. When they were safely outside the hall, he turned on Ven.

“I did not invite him on my ship,” Terra said. Ven shook his head, leaning back against the wooden wall and putting his hands behind his head.

“Well, invited is a hard word, I guess. Do you not remember what happened last night?” Ven asked, a mischievous smile on his face. Terra paused, licking his dry lips and trying to remember anything about the night before. He remembered the conversation at the bar, telling Aqua that there was no more room on the ship. He remembered Aqua offering to buy their drinks for wasting his time. He remembered drinking- a lot of it, his whole crew indulging on Aqua’s seemingly endless pockets. But after that…

“Not really, no.”

Ven laughed, pushing himself away from the wall and offering Terra an impish grin. “Well, he challenged you to arm wrestling.”

Terra rolled his eyes. “I don’t want a play by play, Ven. How did he get on my ship?!”

“I’m getting there!” Ven said. “He challenged you to arm wrestling on one condition. If he won, you’d let him come along.”

Terra stared at him for a moment, his brain refusing to catch up to the reality that the scrawny boy sitting in his galley had actually managed to beat any of his crew at anything strength based, let alone him.

“You’re joking.” Terra said flatly. “This is a joke.”

Ven shook his head. “Nope. You were plastered, and he beat you. So stop throwing a fit and go welcome our new crewmate. While you’ve been sleeping,” Ven emphasized the word sleeping like it was a dirty word, “I’ve already given him a tour.”

Terra groaned. He would rather do anything other than invite this new person to his ship, but what choice did he have? If Ven said he’d given his word, then his word he would stand by.

But it didn’t mean he had to like it.

---

Terra had been telling the truth when he’d said his ship had no vacancies, but at the same time, a promise was a promise. Terra might be a pirate captain, but he never went back on a promise he made, and so Aqua became the newest member of his ragtag crew. Much to Terra’s surprise, Aqua fit into his crew rather well. His ability to swing from place to place on the mast was already nearly equal to Ven’s, with a grace Terra didn’t think Ven would ever learn.

Truthfully, everything Aqua did seemed to be with a strange grace, like he was a dancer living his day to day life. Without any definite place to put him, Terra simply assigned him to help out around the ship as necessary. Some days, Aqua worked alongside Even in the medical bay, cleaning up the messes from treating the others. Other days, he practiced his swordplay alongside Riku and Sora, usually losing but occasionally getting enough of an upper hand to disarm one of them before the other would have him by the throat.

“He’s pretty good,” Riku confided in Terra over dinner one evening, about a month and a half after . “I’m not even holding back on him anymore.”

Terra nodded, looking across the room to where Aqua was chatting with Even, taking notes as they talked about something Terra couldn’t hear. Aqua and Even had gotten very close over the last month and a half on the ship, with Aqua spending much of his time in the infirmary helping Even prepare poultices and fresh bandages, learning to deal with minor aches and pains of life on the open seas. He was fitting into Terra's crew just fine.

Finding him a place to sleep had been hard. It wasn't like he could just add room for another hammock somewhere. The ship had a finite amount of space, and Terra couldn't just make more where none existed. Aqua had ended up sleeping in a hammock strung up in the storage room, separate from the rest of the crew. Terra really hadn’t been all that apologetic about it, since he’d tricked his way onto the ship anyway, but Aqua didn’t really seem all that hurt by the separate living quarters.

Terra sighed and rubbed his face, turning back to Riku. “Do you think he could hold his own in a real fight?”

Riku grinned. “They have to catch him first.”

From outside, an alarm sounded out. There was a moment of silence as the dining hall went completely still, listening for any sort of sound, waiting for a silent cue.

The whole ship rocked with an impact, the wooden timbers creaking from the force, and it was like a fire was lit beneath the room. As one, the whole crew leapt from their chairs and benches. Terra vaulted his table, pulling the sword that was ever present at his waist and leading the charge up the stars and onto the main deck.

“We’re being boarded!” Sora called down from his spot on the top of the mast before grabbing a rope and sliding his way down to the deck. “Starboard side- it looks like Xigbar’s ship!”

Terra grit his teeth, adjusting his grip on his sword as he turned toward the side Sora indicated. Sure enough, he watched as another plank landed heavily on the side of the ship. He could see, faintly, that the impact the ship had suffered appeared to be some sort of hook stuck into the side of the ship, keeping his ship trapped against the side of the enemy ship. On the other deck, Xigbar stood amid the chaos of another crew all in black, an eyepatch covering his right eye. As if feeling Terra’s eyes on him, he turned and slowly grinned. Slowly, like the world was moving at half speed, he raised a gun and aimed it at Terra’s ship. His mouth moved as he said something taken by the wind, but the effect was immediate. With a roar, the opposing crew climbed up onto the boards connecting the two vessels and stormed the ship, swords raised toward the sky.

Terra’s crew quickly fell to battle with the opposing side, the deck filled with the sounds of swords clashing and the occasional scream of pain or terror. Terra felt no fear as he cut through the enemy crews toward the place of boarding. His crew would have is back, just like they always did. Terra trusted this crew with his life.

He knew Xigbar had been hunting for him. The pirate had never forgiven Terra for the last time they’d met. Xigbar had only intended to scare the young captain, trying to intimidate him into giving up the valuables that lay in the belly of the ship. He had never meant things to come to blows, not really. But Terra had been young and inexperienced, a first mate promoted after the loss of his own captain, Eraqus, who had treated Terra like his own son. Terra had been grieving him, terrified of losing anybody else in his little family, and when Xigbar brandished his sword at Ven, well…

Terra didn’t remember much else after that moment, but when he came back to himself, the ship was clear and his sword was soaked in blood and viscera that Terra was afraid to examine too closely. His crew had respected him more after that moment, but at what cost?

Terra finally reached the planks, his sword and coat both splattered with blood, and climbed up onto the plank.

“Xigbar!” he bellowed across the gap between the boats. “Showing your face around here again was a bad idea!”

Xigbar smirked, taking a position on the opposite side of the plank. Where Terra took a position of strength, all muscle ready to stroke, Xigbar looked completely at ease. The hair on the back of Terra’s neck prickled. Something was wrong. They might as well have been old friends catching up. “As if.”

Terra paused. “What do you want, Xigbar?” he asked. His fingers twitched on the hilt of his sword. “Here for me to take your other eye?”

A frown crossed Xigbar’s face, and behind it, a shadow of something much darker, far more dangerous. Terra tightened his grip. “You know what they say on the seas, Terra,” he said. “An eye for an eye.”

Terra lifted his sword. “Come take it if you can, then.” Xigbar laughed, a sound with no mirth. Terra fought off a shudder, keeping his eyes on Xigbar.

From behind him, Ven screamed. “Terra!”

Without even thinking, acting solely on his instincts to protect his brother, Terra looked away from Xigbar.

It was just for a second.

He hadn’t even meant to.

“Terra!” Another voice screamed. He heard footsteps.

Something slammed into him. From across the gap, he heard a deafening bang.

Terra hit the ground with a loud, painful thud. A warm weight sat heavy on his chest. His shirt felt wet. His head was spinning.

From around him, there was cheering and the sound of many feet. The other crew was retreating across the planks, chased after by various members of Terra’s crew. The whole world was shivering around him. The weight on his chest really was quite warm. It would be nice to take a nap here. His eyes drifted closed.

Hands on his shoulders. Yelling. “Someone get them to Even!”

His shoulders being shaken. Pounding in his head. The weight vanished amid the sound of feet.

A gentle hand on Terra’s shoulder. His ears were ringing.

“Terra?” Ven said quietly. His shadow shifted, blocked out the light, and the pounding in Terra’s head eased a little. “Terra, are you alright?”

Terra groaned, his head coming up to clutch his head. Was he alright? He took a slow mental check. He could still feel his limbs. Nothing seemed terribly in pain other than his head.

“I think so.”

Ven sighed in relief and gave him a tight hug. Terra slowly pulled him closer. They’d been like brothers their entire lives, training until Captain Eraqus to become true men of the sea. When Eraqus died, Ven had gone a little… off. Grief would always be hard for Ven, a boy made of so much sunlight, but for a while it was like a zombie had come and replaced Terra’s brother. When Ven finally started to reemerge after months, it was like seeing land again. He couldn’t even imagine what would happen to Ven if something happened to him.

Speaking of happening to him…

“Ven,” Terra said as he pulled away from the embrace. He politely pretended that he couldn’t see the tears dripping down Ven’s cheeks. “What happened?”

Ven wiped his eyes and visibly gathered himself, grabbing Terra’s wrist and dragging him toward Even’s office. “Xigbar tried to shoot you.”

“What?!” Terra yelled, dragging Ven to a stop. “Did he miss or something?”

Ven shook his head, yanking against Terra’s arm. “No. Just missed his target.”

Suddenly, everything clicked into place, and then he was the one pulling Ven along as they ran. His head pounded in protest, but Terra ignored it. There were far bigger problems to face right now.

“Who did he hit, Ventus?” Terra asked, already fearing the worst. Would it be Sora laying on that cold wooden table, blue eyes turning gray as the life drained away? Or would it be Vanitas, who always threw himself into danger, blood matting his black hair? Or would it be Lea or Riku or Isa or Roxas or any of the other men who called him captain, who trusted him to lead them safely?

If any of them died, it would be his fault. He might not have pulled the trigger, but it was he who would have their blood on his hands.

“It’s Aqua.”

---

When Even finally allowed Terra to enter the surgery room, the sun had already set over the horizon. They’d anchored as soon as they could, off a tiny deserted island, to give Even the steadiest seas possible. Even had locked himself in his surgery immediately, kicking the men who had carried their crewmate into the hall before they even had a chance to get more than a passing glimpse of the wound. Riku, his eyes somber, confided in Terra that Even had looked panicked as he ushered them all out of the room, already grabbing tools and herbs from jars and boxes lining the surgery walls.

Terra waited, still as a statue, just outside the room. A few of his crew had come at various times to try to tear him away, offering him food or drink or a chance to rest, but Terra refused them all.

Aqua. Why had Aqua done this? He was new to the crew, new to this life, just a child looking for adventure on the open seas. Truth be told, Terra saw a lot of himself in the boy, though they were probably rather close in age. He remembered, faintly, what he had been like when Eraqus had agreed to bring him aboard. He and Ven had both been children, barely old enough to lift a sword. No good in a fight. But Eraqus had taken them on, trained them in the ways of the sea. He’d taught them to read the stars and wield a sword, to fish for their meals and weather a storm. And yet, when Aqua had come to him to ask for the same, he had turned the boy away, treated him as a burden and nothing more.

How was he honoring his master’s memory?

And now here he was, waiting for news of a boy who had risked his very life to save Terra’s, though Terra felt he deserved it not at all.

Terra hated waiting.

He tapped his foot absently against the wooden beams of the floor, exhausted eyes staring without seeing at the surgery door as it slowly opened. Even stood behind it, wet to his elbows in blood. His once-cream linen shirt was stained dark, red already fading to brown in places. Even cleared his throat and Terra leapt up as if he had been burned. Even looked exhausted.

“How is he?” Terra asked, his voice low. Whether it was in reverence of the dead or reverence of the ill, he didn’t know.

Even sighed. “Better come inside and see for yourself.”

Terra was apprehensive about entering the man’s private space- he kept his surgery off limits except in truly dire situations where he had to bring dead men back to life- but acquiesced. Even did not look like he was in the mood for any sort of argument, and he was probably in possession or a fair few very sharp objects. Terra entered.

The room smelled overwhelmingly of blood, sharp and metallic. Beneath that, he could smell the wood fire Even used to clean things that needed to be cleaned, and the smell of herbs and bile. Aqua lay on the table, his shirt cut open to expose-

Terra turned away immediately, a blush rising to cover his face.

Even, even through his exhaustion, managed a slight smile as he closed the door behind them. “You see my problem.”

Terra scrubbed his face, feeling ever so slightly insane. “How did- I mean- he’s a woman?!”

Even shook his head. “Apparently so.” A slight tinge of humor slipped into his voice. “Do I need to cover her up, or can you control yourself, Captain?”

Terra flushed, but shook his head. “I’m a man, not a beast Even. I’ll be fine. How is she then?”

Even moved closer to the body, pulling back the cloth to expose a roughly sewn together patch of skin. “Well, she’s alive. It looks like the bullet didn’t manage to get deep enough to do any permanent damage. I managed to fish out the bullet and sew up the wound.” He sighed, moving to run a bloodstained hand through his hair before stopping himself. “Only time will tell if it was enough.”

Terra groaned. “Why would he- she think this was ever a good idea?” But even as Terra asked, he couldn’t help but remember the way he was as a child, watching the ships come in and out of his little portside home. He had been just the same, waiting for his chance. And when Eraqus had offered, he’d jumped for it with both hands.

Aqua joining his crew hadn’t been an accident. No, something like this would have required planning on his- her part. To buy men’s clothes, to hide her body, to cut her hair short and choppy… Everything she’d done had been for a reason. She found him in that tavern for a reason. She picked him for a reason.

Could he really blame her for chasing her own freedom on the ocean, just as he’d done?

Terra sighed and turned to Even, who seemed to be waiting for a decision of some sort from Terra.

“Don’t tell anyone what we’ve discovered,” Terra said. He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it further. “For all we know, he’s exactly what he claims to be.”

Even nodded, looking over Terra’s shoulder at the body lying on his table. “Understood, Captain.”

Terra looked back one last time, taking in the body lying motionless on the table, the slow rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. This woman had lied to him and his crew for months, pretending to be something she wasn’t, and yet she’d also risked her life for her captain, just like any of them would have.

But damn if she hadn’t made his life way more complicated.

He left, closing the door gently behind him and leaving Even to his work.

---

It took about a week for Aqua to recover enough for her to move around the ship with any sort of freedom. Even had manufactured her a sort of cane for her to use while hobbling around the ship. Most of the crew treated her like a sort of hero, going out of their way to ensure she was taken care of despite her protests. Terra couldn’t help but be proud of his crew as they banded together to take care of one of their own in every way they knew how. And yet, there was a part of Terra that could not forget that they had been lied to, that their whole relationship was built on a false foundation.

Aqua seemed to have no idea that Terra knew. In fact, Terra suspected Even already knew about her secret in the first place, which would explain why Aqua seemed so close with the old doctor. Terra spent most evenings that week weighing his options, debating with himself whether he would confront Aqua over the lie or allow her to continue to live her lie in peace. Both options seemed worth pursuing, with each having its own benefits.

One night, about two weeks after she had been injured, Aqua took the choice out of his hands.

She approached him over dinner, a little shaky without her cane for the first time in a couple of weeks, but steady enough on her feet. She stopped at his table and leaned close enough that Terra could feel her warm breath on his ear.

“Can I talk to you tonight, Terra?” she whispered. Terra wondered how he had never caught on to the lilt in her voice, the distinctly feminine sound in the way she said his name. Or maybe it was just him, hyper aware suddenly that she was a woman so close to him. He shook it off, instead choosing to slowly nod without looking away from his meal of fresh caught fish. Aqua sighed and continued on her way toward her usual table with Even, sitting across from him with only the slightest wince of pain. Even caught Terra’s eyes on their table and raised an eyebrow, forcing Terra to look away.

“You’re blushing,” Ven noted with a wry smile. Terra shook his head, turning toward Ven.

“You’re seeing things,” he responded. He ripped apart the fish on his place with a little more gusto than usual.

That evening, when watch had been set and the ship was quiet, there was a knock on Terra’s cabin door. He was unsurprised to see Aqua waiting outside his door. Silently, he stepped to the side and waved her in. Terra wasn’t the type to be self-conscious of his room- he kept it pretty neat all things considered, and most of the crew understood that when you lived most of your year in a small room on the sea, sometimes things happened- but something about Aqua’s eyes roving the room make him nervous. He’d seen her space. She’d cleaned and organized the storage room over her first month, sorting things in such a way that she had somehow ended up with more room than anyone save Terra and Ven. Her room was immaculate.

Terra swung the door closed behind her, swallowing down the nerves (because why on earth should he be nervous when she was the liar in the room?) and leaning against the wall.

“What did you want to talk about?”

Aqua fidgeted with her shirt. Terra was aware of how small she looked, despite her body showing the signs of months of manual labor. She looked so very different from the day when he’d picked her up by accident in that little port town. Her skin was sun weathered, covered in freckles and redness. Her hair was lightened by the sea breeze to the color of the sky on a clear, cloudless day. Her limbs showed the muscle of a crewman who had adjusted to the hard work of day to day life on a ship. Perhaps most importantly, though, was that when he looked at her, he saw the person who had risked their life to save his. She deserved his patience. She deserved a chance to explain herself.

He took a deep breath and centered himself.

“I wanted you to know the truth.”

Something in him exploded.

“The truth?” He asked, taking a step forward. Aqua swallowed nervously, taking a small step back. “You want to tell me the truth? This should be good. You lied your way onto my ship, and now you think I’m worthy of telling the truth to?” He took another step forward, forcing her to back up further. “You’ve pretended to be something you’re not for months, hiding it every step of your day from everyone you worked with, and now that you’re injured you’ve decided you don’t want to keep secrets. Is that it?!”

By this point, he had her backed into a wall, pressed between his body and the cold wood of the wall behind her. He could feel her breathing, rough from panic, and the way she leaned away from him, trying to shrink away. A small, vindictive part of him hoped she’d start crying. He didn’t know how he was supposed to feel about everything that had happened, about being saved from death by a girl he barely knew, about being lied to for months about the person he was starting to consider a friend. If she’d start crying, maybe he would be able to come to an easy conclusion. But she wasn’t going to start crying. She was going to meet his eyes, waiting for whatever punishment he would dole out to her.

Terra grit his teeth, his hands balling into fists before slamming into the wall on either side of her head. She flinched, just a bit, but stood steady.

“I saved your life,” she said softly, so softly Terra nearly missed it over the sound of the ocean outside. “I’ve never pretended to be anybody other than who I am.”

“You’ve lied!” Terra yelled, his face close to hers. How could she not understand? How did she not get that she had told them a lie, pretended to be a man when she was anything but?

“I never claimed to be a boy,” she said. “You all made that decision on your own. I simply allowed it.”

Terra bit his cheek, trying to swallow back the hurtful words threatening to bubble out. How could she stand like that, tall and proud? How was she not afraid of him?

“I should throw you off my ship at the nearest port for treason.”

Aqua tilted her chin up, the faintest smile of rebellion on her face. “You should. But you won’t.”

Terra slammed his fist into the wall next to his head, causing her to jump. “Not a word to another member of this crew,” he growled. “I won’t have you inciting a riot on my ship. When we pass by your island, you will be returning.”

Aqua’s face fell. Nothing Terra had said so far seemed to affect her, but this… this seemed to do it. “No, please. Terra, I don’t want to go back.”

“Well,” he replied, pushing away from the wall to give her space. “You should have thought of that before you used deception to gain access to my ship.

“I beat you fair and square,” she protested, “and I’ve saved your life!”

“And you clearly intend to hold that over my head forever,” Terra said, “though I don’t remember asking you to do so. My decision is final.” He opened the door to his room, looking back at her. “Your honesty is appreciated. It’s why I don’t throw you off of this ship right now.

Aqua looked at the door and outwards onto the deck and slowly shook her head. For the first time that evening, Terra could see fear in her eyes. “Please, sir,” she said quietly. Her voice wavered when she spoke. “Please don’t send me back.”

Terra eyed her, seeing again the scared boy he had once been when he had begged Eraqus for a space on his ship. When he blinked, though, he was again looking at the woman who had lied to him, tricked him and his crew into giving her a place in their hearts and home.

Was he mad at her betrayal? Or just that he’d been foolish enough to be tricked?

“Get out of my cabin, Aqua.”

Silently, her hands shaking, she walked past him and out into the darkness of the ship. Terra watched her until she vanished below deck toward her bunk before slamming the door with more force than he intended to, listening to the echo of the thud until it was forgotten by his memory. Terra threw himself down onto his bed and stared upward at the ceiling, contemplating just how his life had suddenly gotten so complicated, how he had ever ended up in this position, and resolutely not thinking about how soft and warm her body had been against his, pressed between his heat and the wall.

He wasn’t doing well at any of those things.

Terra hated himself for losing his cool like that, but what other choice had he really had? Who was she to wander into their lives and throw it on its head? Who was she, really, to throw herself in front of a bullet meant for Terra, to make him worry for her, only to let it be known that she wasn’t who she had claimed to be all this time?

Who was she to make him feel like this?

Terra rolled over, burying his face in the feather pillow, and sighed.

Who was she?

---

Terra saw very little of Aqua for the next few weeks. In the light of day, having had some time to calm down, he could see that he’d maybe taken things a little too far. He tried to find Aqua, to apologize for his reaction, but she seemed to be refusing to be found. He asked what felt like the whole ship, but nobody seemed to know where she was. Sora said she was learning cannon care with Lea. Lea claimed she was practicing her swordsmanship- swordswomanship?- with Riku. Riku said he saw her helping Even clean the surgery. Even saw her climbing the mast with Ven to check the rigging. It was like she didn’t exist, like she had vanished off of his boat.

It was, quite honestly, pissing Terra off.

First she had the audacity to save his life, and now he couldn’t even find her to apologise for his reaction?

(Terra refused to think about how a lot of his predicament might have been his fault. It was easier to concentrate on what Aqua had done to contribute to the situation.)

After a few days of fruitless hunting, he decided he needed to tell Ven. The whole crew didn’t need to know- who knew what their reaction might be?- but keeping things from Ven was harder than he’d expected. Ven, his right hand man, his first mate, deserved to know what was happening.

Terra was expecting a lot of things when he told Ven. Freaking out, anger maybe. But laughter was not on Terra’s list.

“Are you done yet?” Terra asked with a bit of annoyance, watching Ven chuckle to himself on Terra’s bed. Ven held up a finger, still laughing for a moment more, before finally calming down.

“I thought you were going to tell me something important, Terra.” Ven said, leaning back on the bed. “The whole crew’s known that for weeks now.”

“They’ve what?!” Terra exclaimed, nearly dropping the mug he was holding. “Who told them?!”

Ven shrugged, looking supremely unconcerned. “They pulled her shirt open to staunch the bleeding. Kind of hard to, well…” Ven blushed slightly, trailing off.

Terra stumbled for a moment mentally, trying to figure out how he should respond to this new information. “Why did nobody tell me?”

“Well,” Ven said, “you kind of have a track record of flying off the handle.”

Terra thought back to pinning Aqua against his cabin wall, yelling in her face, punching the wall behind her, and reluctantly acknowledged that maybe, just maybe the crew had a big of a point. “Were you ever going to tell me?”

Ven shook his head. “It was Aqua’s secret to tell. After she saved your life, we were glad to keep it. She might be a lady, but she risked her life for you, after all.” Terra hated to hear the admiration in Ven’s voice.

“Ven,” Terra said. “I… may have made a mistake.”

“What else is new?”

Terra frowned. “I’m serious.”

Ven smiled. “We know.”

Terra looked at him for a moment ,confused, before it hit him. Everyone telling him that they’d seen Aqua places where she clearly hadn’t been. Which meant…

“Oh,” Terra said.

“Yeah. Oh.”

“I need to apologise, don’t I.”

Ven nodded, laying back with his arms over his head and staring at the ceiling. “I don’t know, Terra. Do you?”

Terra sighed. “Yeah. I do.”

Ven took a moment, staring up at the swaying lantern, before sitting up and looking over to Terra. “I’ll let her know that you’re ready to be reasonable.”

“Why am I not surprised that you had something to do with this?”

“Because you’re smart, Terra,” Ven replied, already halfway out the door. “It’s why you’re our captain.” He paused at the door to grin back at Terra, all sunshine and smiles. “Just try not to mess up this time, okay?”

Terra shook his head, a small smile on his face. “I’ll do my best.”

Ven laughed and vanished out the door. Terra took a seat at his desk and pulled some papers toward him, trying to look busy. He had no idea how long it would take for Ven to find Aqua, let alone convince her to come back to his room.

It took much less time than Terra had expected, honestly, before there was a soft knock on his door.

“Come in,” Terra called.

The door swung open slowly to reveal Aqua, looking defiant. Terra had worked with enough people to see the twinge of nervousness hidden behind her eyes. Still, Aqua held herself tall as she walked in, kicking the door closed behind her.

“Yes, sir?” Aqua asked as she threw herself down into the chair opposite Terra’s. “Here to threaten me with the plank again? Or maybe interested in yelling at me some more?”

Terra sighed, pushing the papers he was working on to the side and leaning across the table. “I’m sorry.”

Aqua’s eyebrows went up. “What?”

“I’m sorry,” Terra said, “for yelling at you. You didn’t deserve that.”

Aqua tugged on a loose thread of the chair she was sitting in, looking a little off-balance, like this wasn’t how she expected the conversation to go. “Um…”

Terra stood, moving around the table and kneeling in front of Aqua, bringing them nearly eye level. Aqua looked down at him, her eyes wide and so blue, and Terra was abruptly struck by the realization that she really was rather pretty, in a way. She wasn’t delicate by any means. The ocean had well taken any softness from her body and her face. But her eyes shone like sunlight on a calm ocean. Terra became aware of how dry his mouth was, forcing himself to swallow. Aqua’s eyes darted down before refocusing on his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Terra repeated, his voice low, “for the way that I’ve treated you these last few days. You saved my life. I don’t know what was happening on your island, but I know what it’s like to need to escape your life.” He moved closer, just a little, between her knees until his hands were resting on her clothed thighs. Aqua shivered at his touch, and Terra was uncomfortably aware of the way her leg felt beneath his hands, of the electric current he was imagining between them. It’s just because she’s a woman. There was nothing else to it.

Aqua licked her lips, and Terra wanted to do the same. He took a deep, steadying breath and focused again on her eyes.

“We won’t take you home,” he promised. Aqua inhaled sharply, her eyes lighting up, and Terra was quickly distracted by how beautiful she was when her eyes were full of light.

“You promise?” Aqua whispered.

“Promise,” Terra replied. “And I never go back on my word.”

There was a moment, a heartbeat where they stared at each other, eye to eye, and was she moving closer or was he? He could see the freckles across the bridge of her nose, the flecks of dark ocean blue in her eyes, and Terra thought for one fevered moment that she was going to kiss him before she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him to her chest. Terra panicked, his face pressed into her skin, before he realized she was shaking. He ripped his mind away from how close he was to her and wrapped his arms around her stomach. He wasn’t used to comforting girls, but it really couldn’t be much more different than comforting boys, right? She was still his crew. Just… with a couple of extra needs. He could handle that, right?

Right?

---

Wrong.

It was so much harder to deal with her now that everyone knew she was a she. Or rather, now that everyone was willing to admit that she was a she. Before, when Terra had been forced to look at her as a he, as a crewmate and nothing more, Terra could ignore the little things that unsettled him. He could ignore the curve of her lips when she smiled, or the way her clothing brushed along her curves. He could pretend he didn’t notice her eyes following him, that he wasn’t aware of the way she would challenge him when the others listened blindly.

When she was a boy, he couldn’t want her. Not so much because he had a problem with noticing a boy like that (for he was sure at least a couple of his crewmates saw each other in a similar light) but because he was worried of giving her away. He couldn’t like her as a boy because she wasn’t a boy.

But now? All bets were off.

Now, when she moved so gracefully through her day to day tasks, Terra was free to notice the way her muscles coiled as she pulled herself along the mast’s rigging. He could admire the way her chest shone with sweat over the top of her loose shirt as she lugged cannonballs from one side of the ship to the other under Lea’s ever-watchful eye. Now, when Aqua was allowed to be herself, Terra could look at her and want.

It was killing him.

He had never had anyone on his crew challenge him the way she did. He had grown used to his orders being obeyed without question, without hesitation. Now, though… Aqua was the first to call Terra out on his ideas, to question if he’d thought everything through. (He usually hadn’t.) She loved calling him out. It was infuriating. It was ridiculous.

It was hot.

Every time she did it, stepping up with those icy eyes, his mind flashed back to that night in his cabin, where he’d pinned her against the wall, felt her body pressed against his. Sometimes he felt like he might be burning alive.

One afternoon, about two weeks after they’d let the truth be what it was, their ship landed in port in another nameless town for a shore day. The whole crew loved shore days, taking any chance they could get to stand on solid ground and eat some fresh food. They were all men (and women, now) of the sea, but that didn’t mean they didn’t love a chance to feel some sand between their toes once in a while.

As the crew stormed the shore, cheering and waving their money pouches, calling to each other where they were going, Terra stopped Aqua from chasing after the rest of them. She looked confused, her short hair smoothed back by a bandana, her nose reddened from the sun, and Terra felt his heart constrict a little bit. It’s just because she’s a girl.

“Yes, captain?”

Terra rolled his eyes. “Oh, so now you call me captain. What happened to Terra?”

Aqua smiled, her eyes sparkling just a bit in the sunlight. “Figured I’d better be on my best behavior now that you’re letting us ashore, sir.”

Terra laughed, crossing his arms across his chest. “Watch yourself on shore, Aqua. Pretty girl like you?”

Aqua frowned, just for a moment, like a shadow crossing her face, before her original smile returned. “I think I’ll be fine. Beat you, didn’t I?”

“Ah,” Terra fumbled for a moment, realizing now what his comment might have sounded like. “I- I didn’t mean you couldn’t take care of yourself, I just, uh-”

But Aqua didn’t seem interested in an apology. Instead, she just gently patted his shoulder and strolled down the plank and into the shallows surrounding the little island. Terra watched her go until she was mostly out of sight, then sank down behind the railing of the ship and banged his head against the wood.

“Stupid idiot.”

Of course she would take that poorly. She’d hidden who she was to go sailing on a pirate ship, and the second she was allowed to be herself, Terra was throwing around the idea that she couldn’t handle a measly little port stop? She’d let herself be shot for heaven’s sake.

God, Terra was an idiot.

He sighed, staring at the deck for a moment, before taking a deep breath and heaving himself to his feet. This time he’d apologise to her properly. He wanted her to see that he didn’t think of her just as a pretty girl.

With that in mind, he headed down the gangplank and started the trek into town. How he would apologise to her, he didn’t know, but he’d be damned if he didn’t figure it out.

Except, he realized as he walked the streets of the small market, he had no idea what to get for a pirate lady he might have a not-so-tiny crush on.

He stared aimlessly at a booth of trinkets as the market bustled around him, taking in a tray of little necklaces and wreaths of flowers. What did you get a girl who was also a pirate? He usually got Ven new swords or training books. Sora loved candy- maybe he should buy her some candy? Isa enjoyed books, but Terra didn’t know if Aqua liked to read, or what kind of books she read if she did, so that seemed like a bad idea. Maybe he should just get her some flowers?

He shook his head, turning away from the booth and continuing up the road. No, he was trying to apologise, not court her. What in the world would a bouquet of roses get him, other than slapped?

As Terra was about to give up hope, a small booth set back from the road caught his eye. He paused, almost without thinking, to try to take note of whatever had caught his eye. The woman behind the counter smiled warmly at him, beckoning him closer. Terra, not wanting to seem rude, walked over.

“Good afternoon,” the woman greeted him. She seemed young, in her late twenties, in a loose-fitting pink dress. Flowers were woven throughout her brown hair, dyed blonde in places by the island sun. Terra murmured a greeting back.

“Can I help you find something?” the woman continued, still smiling that soft, warm smile. Terra shrugged.

“Probably not.”

“Well,” she said, “I can at least try? Sometimes all you need is an ear to hear.”

Terra almost said no, thanked her for her time and left, but something about her demeanor seemed to promise that she was genuine. And without thinking, he opened his mouth and let the whole story fall out. About the boy who beat him in an arm wrestling match he couldn’t remember. About his master’s death and how that same boy had saved Terra from the same fate. How the boy turned out to be a girl in disguise. How Terra had hurt her with harsh words and harsher actions. How he just wanted to make it up to her.

The woman listened patiently throughout his whole story, only pausing long enough to wave as a passerby or help somebody look through her inventory. When Terra had finally finished telling her what felt like his life’s story, the sun was beginning to set and the market was winding down, many of the vendors closing up for the day. Terra sighed at the sight of the setting sun. His day ashore was wasted, and his chances to find something to apologise to Aqua with were shrinking by the minute. Still, he noted with surprise, he did feel lighter after having told the stranger his story, like something had been expunged from him.

He attempted to apologise for taking up her time, but the girl just smiled.

“It was my pleasure,” she said as she began to pack up her own shop. “This might sound strange… but you remind me a lot of a boy I once knew.”

“Was he as much of an idiot as I am?” Terra asked. She laughed.

“Sometimes. But, much like you, he had his heart in the right place.” The woman reached under the table and pressed something into Terra’s open palm. “Now, here you go. For your lady friend.”

Terra tried to protest, tried to give her some of the gold in his pouch, but she would have none of it.

“Please,” she said every time he tried, “there are some things you can’t buy with gold. A heart like yours is one of them.”

After trying fruitlessly for a few more minutes to convince the woman to take his cold, Terra finally acquiesced and put the small item in his pocket.

“Thank you,” Terra said. “What’s your name?”

She smiled, handing him a small bouquet of flowers from the top of her stand before closing up the small stand for the night. “Oh. I’m Aerith.”

Terra shook her hand with a small smile. “Terra.”

“Well Terra,” she said as she slung a small bag over her shoulder. “Sounds to me like you have a ship to get back to, and an apology to present.” She waved at him and started down her path toward home. “Good luck!”

“Yeah,” Terra said, looking down at the bouquet of flowers he was holding. “I have a feeling I’ll need it.”

---

Terra was not the first to return to the ship that evening, but he definitely wasn’t the last. After grabbing a book, he settled himself on a thick crate in the storage room, waiting for Aqua to inevitably return to her bunk long enough for him to catch her. His plan was simple: wait for her to return, corner her, apologise, give gifts. Foolproof.

Of course, most foolproof plans aren’t.

Terra waited for an hour. At two, he was starting to get antsy. By three, he had finished his book and was fiddling with some broken netting he had found in a corner. After three and a half hours, he hauled himself off the crate, deciding to give up for the night. He’d just try again tomorrow. He started up the stairs, only to collide with Aqua who seemed to be paying no attention to her own walk down. Terra’s arms went around her without thinking in an attempt to keep them both from falling.

“Terra?” Aqua asked in confusion. “What are you doing in my room?”

“Ah,” Terra said. He was trying very hard to focus on her question. He was also failing. “Well, I was, uh…”

Aqua huffed, pushing at his hands. Terra let go, allowing her to take a step back.

“Well?” she asked.

“I, um, wanted to… apologise to you. For earlier. What I said.”

Aqua stopped, crossing her arms. “Okay?”

Terra fidgeted under her gaze, only to remember the thing in his pocket. “Yeah. I, uh, got you something. To apologise.”

“Really?” Aqua uncrossed her arms and took a step down. They were almost eye level like this. “What is it?”

“Well,” Terra began. “I’m not sure.” Aqua laughed incredulously.

“How do you not know what you bought?”

“I didn’t… buy it exactly.” Terra scratched the back of his neck. He hoped he didn’t look as helplessly clueless as he felt. “It was given to me.”

“Then cough it up,” Aqua said, holding a hand out expectantly. “Let me see the secret apology gift.”

Terra reached into his pocket, pulling out and depositing the small token into her hand. Whatever it was, it was wrapped in cream colored cloth. Aqua ran her fingers over the delicate material, taking in the lace edges, the softness of the silky fabric.

“A handkerchief?”

Terra cleared his throat. “I think you, um, unwrap it.”

Aqua slowly unwrapped the package, and two shimmering stars fell out of the package into her hands with the chiming of metal and glass. There, resting in the palm of her hands, were two stars: one blue like the oceans, the other red like a sunset. Between the two stars was a small piece of paper.

“What’s this?” Aqua asked, holding up the blue star. The candlelight in the room cast soft indigo stars on the wooden walls. Terra gently plucked the piece of paper from on top of the second star. When he flipped it over, he found delicate, curly handwriting.

“Something’s written here,” Terra said. Aqua lowered the small star, moving to his side so she could read over his shoulder.

To whomever receives this,

These small charms are called “wayfinders.” Where we come from, they’re given as a promise between people. They represent an unbreakable connection, the kind that is written in the stars. As long as you and the people you care about carry them, nothing will ever be able to tear you apart. Zack and I made these years ago, when we were young and in love. Now, we don’t need them anymore, so I wanted to pass them along to you.

I hope that they can do for you what they couldn’t do for us.

All my love,

Aerith.

Terra finished reading the note. From behind him, Aqua made a quiet sound that Terra couldn’t place. He turned to look at her, only to see that her eyes were shiny. She was staring down at the wayfinder in her hand.

“An unbreakable connection…” she whispered.

Terra reached out and gently placed his hand over hers, pressing the orange star between their palms.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. I’m sorry I insinuated that you couldn’t take care of yourself.” He pulled her closer, gently, giving her plenty of a chance to get away from him. “I’m sorry I’m no good at hearing what you have to say sometimes.” Aqua was looking up at him now, her eyelashes shiny in the candlelight, and Terra knew he was about to do something that they both might regret come the daylight, but here in the dimness of the supply room, he didn’t think he could stop himself. He didn’t think he wanted to.

“But I’m trying,” he said. “I’ve never had another person challenge me before, not like you do. I’ve never had to deal with someone so beautiful and capable at the same time.” He could see Aqua’s cheeks flush even in the low light. He hoped that was a good sign. His arms tightened around her waist as her hand slowly came up to rest at his shoulders, her fingertips tickling along the nape of his neck in a way that made his whole body feel warm.

“I’d like to keep trying,” he whispered. He could feel her breath on his lips. Her eyes were half closed. “If you’ll let me.”

There was a moment of silence. Then two. Three moments that felt like an eternity waiting there in that half-lit room, but Terra was going to let her make that last tiny step. He had crossed an ocean to reach her here. She could move the last few inches.

She sighed, soft and low, and brushed her lips against his. Her hands twined gently into the loose hairs at the base of his neck, pulling him down the last half an inch to press her lips fully against him with a soft little sound that might have been a moan, and Terra thought his whole body might go to flames as he tightened his hands on her hips and crushed her body to his.

They only kissed for a few moments, there in the darkened stairwell, surrounded by the sounds of the ocean and creaking wood, but for Terra it felt like a small eternity, hidden there in the heart of the ship with the stars pressed between their palms.

He could spend the rest of his life just like this.

When she pulled away, Terra missed her immediately. He fought off the urge to pull her back to his chest, to tilt her head back and kiss her until she was dizzy, and instead let her go. There was a small bit of him that was proud of the way she swayed on the step as he moved her hands down to her hips to steady them, his orange star still firmly in his grasp.

Aqua licked her lips, a little starstruck. Terra carefully stepped up until he was standing even with her, enjoying how small she felt in his arms and how much he knew that should would kick his ass for even thinking that.

“Not to be forward,” Terra murmured once Aqua seemed to have recovered, “but if you’d like to stay in a real bed for the evening… I could probably make space for two.”

Aqua swallowed. Terra wondered if she could see what he was thinking in his eyes. He hoped she did. He hoped she knew what he was offering. He hoped she said yes.

After a moment, her shock faded, only to be replaced by a wry smile Terra knew too well.

“Well, captain,” she said, already moving to grab his wrist. WIth a gentle tug, she started leading the way upstairs. “Who am I to say no?

[xnymphae]

terraqua

Auntie J’s Armada

The ship is my: ..OTP?? Maybe?

I consider this ship’s feelings: Mutual | Mixed | Strange | Awkward | Platonic | Sibling-like | One-sided | They don’t really like each other |

I’d consider the relationship: Healthy | Awkward | Abusive | Doesn’t work properly | They’d never get together |

Children: No | Yes (Ventus counts right?) | They’d think about it

General Opinion: Okay, so… I go by Auntie J but I may as well go by Auntie Gay because 💕GIRLS💕!!! And the majority of the ships I go for in all my fandoms are F/F ships… But this is one big exception. And it’s all because of Kingdom Hearts 3. Lots of rambling and SPOILER ALERT UNDER THE CUT!!!!!!!

With just Birth By Sleep, it’s clear that Terra and Ventus mean the world to Aqua. With Ventus, that bond is very obviously a mother/son sort of bond, but with Terra, it’s a bit more ambiguous. Are they more sibling-like? Or is there some romance hiding in their hearts? I honestly couldn’t tell. And my gay ass was all about that AquaxCinderella moment. 

0.2 gave us a poignant scene between Aqua and Terra that laid just a bit more romantic subtext onto things, but it was still pretty ambiguous. But then KH3 happened… And we get that moment where Terra is finally himself again. The way he looks at Aqua, and that line he says are positively dripping with romantic undertones. And when you draw a parallel with one of their interactions in Birth By Sleep, one very obvious conclusion can be drawn: In Terra’s eyes, Aqua is his dream. Aqua is his light.

But it’s not just on Terra’s end, no. There’s a scene in Birth By Sleep where, upon meeting 626 and Jumba, Jumba mentions how 626 met Terra, who said that the Wayfinder he carried was precious to him, very important!! And Aqua’s reaction is so heartfelt, almost bashful, because she made it for him and it still means so much to him despite the recent strains on their bond! 

Then we hit 0.2. Her first reaction upon seeing Terra? She reaches for him. Not just for his arm or his shoulder, no, she goes for his hand, a much smaller, but much more meaningful target. And it happens again in 3. At the very end of the game, when Terra comes face to face with Master Xehanort, he moves towards him. And instantly, Aqua grabs his hand. She doesn’t want to lose him again. She doesn’t want him to go.

But he stops. He turns. He looks at her so gently, as if saying ‘I’ll be okay.’ And she relents. She lets go of his hand after some hesitation. And he faces Xehanort without giving in to anger or vengeance. He allows Eraqus to manifest and give all of them closure, after over ten years of pain and suffering.

Before KH3, I would have easily written them off as sibling-like, but there’s just too much substance to their few interactions in KH3 for me to not see the very real love between the two. Sure, that love may still be familial, and I certainly don’t plan on forcing a romance between Aqua and any Terras I may write with… But, if romance is the way things go in threads between them, then I support it wholeheartedly.

[a-crack-in-the-universe]

I have a lot of feels about Terra, Aqua, Terraqua, Kanan, Hera and Kanera right now. :’( It would’ve been great if TerrAqua and Kanera could meet one day, because I think they share some similarities. For one thing, both Aqua and Hera appear to be very dutiful and focused on their jobs, maybe to a fault. And Kanan  reminds me a bit of Terra, for whatever reason. 

I can really imagine Aqua being scared of pursuing a relationship with Terra, because after everything she went through post-BBS she would be afraid of feeling loss again. And considering her and Terra’s jobs as keyblade wielders, she doesn’t know what will happen to them in the future. So she delays admitting her feelings to him. Then one day TAV are adventuring and end up on the Ghost in the GFFA (post-Rebels). Hera and Aqua get to know each other and end up having a nice chat during which Hera tells Aqua that she should admit her feelings already before it’s too late. 

[wayfiind-a-blog]

drabble ; nightmares

this is lowkey a self-indulgent terraqua drabble but shush

It’s so dark. So unbelievably dark and cold that Aqua feels as if she’s endlessly drowning. And perhaps it could be bearable if it were quiet – she could float in the silence and wait it out until she became part of it herself, but it isn’t. There are voices, insidious and oily as they slide in and out of her ears, whispering to her to give in to the darker feelings she does such a good job keeping locked away in her heart. Their desires for her to let go, to give in, weigh on her and force her to sink further even as she tries to fight back. The more she fights, the more they laugh at her about inevitability, remind her of the darkness she fought so hard against and almost lost to. They taunt her that they will be waiting, always watching in the wings for the exact moment that she slips and gives in and they will ravage her heart so completely she will never claim it again –

She doesn’t realize she’s begun screaming until it cuts off abruptly as her eyes snap open and the sound trails off into a desperate gasp. So scattered are her thoughts that it takes a full minute of panic settling before she remembers where she is. She’s home, in her room where she’s lived for so long training alongside the two people who matter most to her. One of them is standing next to the bed now, face etched in worried lines that shadow his face even more in the dark, barely illuminated by the moonlight coming through her window ( she hasn’t slept with the curtains closed since they came home ).

“Terra,” she whispers, voice jagged and raw with exhaustion and fear. There’s an apology in there somewhere too, unspoken but presented to him because she knows this isn’t the first time he’s had to shake her awake in the darker hours and save her from herself. But he just bends down next to her bed, hand sliding from her shoulder to her hand, clasping her shaking grip in his steady one.

“It’s okay Aqua, it’s okay. You aren’t there anymore. You’re home.” Terra has always been the steady one, and it’s no wonder he’s named for the steadiest element of all. He truly is her grounding force, and even after the things they’ve both faced that hasn’t changed. If anything, he’s become stronger, supporting all of them while still trying to heal his own wounds. He tries to act like he isn’t as bothered by the recent events as her and Ventus, but she sees it every day, and it’s this knowledge that brings guilt on like a tidal wave at how gentle his voice is as he tries to coax her mind back into reality and out of the dark past.

“I wish it would stop,” she whispers. It’s all she can manage, too tired to raise her voice further. He doesn’t ask her to elaborate. They all know it’s been months now that Aqua’s dreams have frequently been interrupted by horrid visions from her time lost to the shadows. She’s woken both of them screaming, or been found in the morning with circles almost as dark as the night she spent awake.

“It will. It’s just going to take time.” She doesn’t have an answer to that. They sit in silence for a while, him on the edge of her bed, her clutching the covers to keep herself from slipping away again. He doesn’t let go of her hand either, only changing his grip so that one of his can rest comfortingly on her curled up knees. He’s the only one who’s been able to touch her for extended periods without her skin crawling – not even Ventus has made the cut somehow. Perhaps it’s because he too carries the mark of their fight against the dark, has also been made impure by the cruel fate they suffered all those years. And he even more so than her.

They stay like that for so long she loses track of how close to sunrise it is. All she knows is the moon has dipped, signaling the imminent ascent of the sun when he rises, muttering something about how she should try to sleep again. He’s leaving, which she knows he should because they both need rest, but without conscious thought her hand snaps out, grasping onto the nearest part of him she can reach. She tries to be strong but she can’t, not with the fear of falling back into that nightmare so close at hand. So she swallows her fragile pride and grips him tighter as she makes a selfish request.

“Can… Can you stay with me? Please?” When he hesitates, she pats the sheets next to her with her free hand. “Just like old times, right?” And he can’t deny her, not really, when she looks so defeated and so terrified of what his answer will be, so he gives her the only reply he can.

“Okay.” The relief that sweeps across her features is almost comical in its magnitude, but he knows how genuine it is so he says nothing else as he rounds the bed and maneuvers carefully under the covers next to her. Silence falls again as she lays back down next to him, a nervous murmur starting up in her stomach, this time unrelated to the dreaded dreams she’s avoiding. This time it’s from being next to her oldest friend in bed, just like they used to do when they were young but somehow entirely different.

But she ignores it for now, denying when it makes her heart flutter as he takes her hand again, focusing instead on the comfort that befalls her from the contact. And he pretends that nothing is amiss when she moves imperceptibly closer to him, and he invites her even further with an arm around her shoulders. There are no more words between them as the seconds tick by and then the sound of Aqua’s breathing is the only thing in the room.

It’s the first night in a long time that her sleep is dreamless. And when she wakes up in the morning, she clings to him just a little bit tighter, feels his grasp on her pull her just a bit closer, and she feels a spark of hope that maybe, just maybe, she’ll be alright.

[terraqua-archives]

Archive Update

We are pleased to announce that the archive has been updated, with 58 new pieces added. This brings the total normal of works archived here up from 245 to 303, and we’re happy to tell you that all works are complete in status, so no need to start fretting about lack of updates.

We really trawled through a lot to find some of these stories, so hopefully you’ll be able to find something that is completely new to you, or maybe you’ll stumble across an old fave!

We’ve also given the Word Count Pages a bit of a reshuffle because some pages were simply growing too big for their own good. Below are the new Word Count Page Titles, along with the total number of works that fall into that category.

Under 500 Words: 28     

500 – 750 Words: 23     

750 – 1,000 Words: 31

1,000 – 1,500 Words: 32     

1,500 – 2,000 Words: 34     

2,000 – 2,500 Words: 33

2,500 – 3,000 Words: 16     

3,000 – 4,000 Words: 22    

4,000 – 5,000 Words: 21

5,000 – 10,000 Words: 22     

10,000 – 30,000 Words: 20     

More than 30,000 Words: 21

Remember, to find the lists of stories along with their summaries, ratings, and word count, click the menu button in the top left, then click on Menu, and finally Pages, where you will find a choice of word counts. Click the one you want and voila! Terraqua fanfic galore!

And here are all of the 60 new works added, sorted by word count. Click the word count heading to be taken to that page, where you can see all the stories in that category and read their summaries.

Under 500 Words    

Carnal by so-i-grudgingly-joined-this-site

Words – 106   Rating – E

Carry Me by so-i-grudgingly-joined-this-site

Words – 145     Rating – G

Make Me by thedeliverygod

Words – 170     Rating – G

Kiss Me by thedeliverygod

Words – 247     Rating – G

Heartbeats by apljooce

Words – 256     Rating – M

Wake Up by Salve-SiS

Words – 319     Rating – G

Abort by Salve-SiS

Words – 358     Rating – G

Drunken Kiss by WashiEaglewings

Words -372     Rating – T

Follow You by Crimson.Haven

Words – 411     Rating - T

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500 – 750 Words      

What Happened Doesn’t Change Anything by vintage-aerith

Words – 518     Rating – G

Stargazing by MrPudding

Words – 591     Rating – G

Support by Salve – SiS

Words – 591     Rating – G

Secret by writinginavacuum

Words – 634     Rating – G

Amor Vincit Omnia by Repliku14

Words – 661     Rating - G

A Reunion Kiss by WashiEaglewings

Words – 669     Rating – G

Rainy Days by Starry Requiem

Words – 693     Rating - G

An Unexpected Kiss by Magical Black Cat

Words – 717     Rating - G

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750 – 1,000 Words

Quiet Me by basedaqua

Words – 769     Rating – G

Clockwork by apljooce

Words - 825     Rating – G

Star Speckled Sky by cakeengland

Words – 924     Rating - G

Conjure by Kpivos

Words – 925     Rating - G

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1,000 – 1,500 Words

Pretty by Akarichii

Words – 1,022     Rating – G

In Vino Veritas by naxek

Words – 1,058   Rating – M

Like Candles by prototyping

Words – 1,072   Rating – G

Old Habits by destiny-weaver

Words – 1,105     Rating – G

50 Sentences by 1wingedangelX

Words – 1,175     Rating - G

Waiting by sesshiefanatic101

Words – 1,266     Rating - G

You Are Beautiful by cakeengland

Words – 1,282     Rating - G

Breakfast in Bed by Gohan Roxas

Words – 1,436     Rating – T

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1,500 – 2,000 Words

Bad Dreams are Over – Part 1 by stormcrowthegrey

Words – 1,500   Rating – G

Needless to Say by Crimson.Haven

Words – 1,638     Rating - T

Two Pieces by faithandbravery

Words – 1,729   Rating – G

Even Masters Need Haircuts by tsukasayuki

Words – 1,782     Rating – T

Bad Dreams are Over – Part 2 by stormcrowthegrey

Words – 1,789     Rating - G

The Witch & The Knight by spirit-of-creativity

Words – 1,826     Rating – G

The Same Dream by theresnolimits

Words – 1,917     Rating - G

Last Rites by pineovercoat

Words - 2,000     Rating – T

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2,000 – 2,500 Words

What Makes You Beautiful by YawaraHayashi

Words – 2,107     Rating -  G

Steal My Heart by dikemon

Words – 2,135     Rating - G

Furtive by dante-k

Words – 2,444     Rating - G

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2,500 – 3,000 Words

A Fine Line by TheMissAdventurer

Words – 2,542     Rating - T

The Three Times by 1wingedangelX

Words – 2,570     Rating - G

I Can’t Bear to See you like This by basedaqua

Words - 2,695     Rating – G

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4,000 – 5,000 Words

Forgive the Children We Once Were by Araine

Words - 4, 198     Rating – T

I’m Burning for You by Dakk Tribal

Words – 4,471     Rating – G

If Only by Mystics Apprentice

Words – 4,531     Rating - G

Escape by AnHeiressofaSOLDIER

Words – 4,597     Rating - G

Where Earth and Water Meet by fairiegirl2992

Words – 4,673     Rating – G

Fix You by pikachu203

Words – 4,694     Rating - T

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5,000 – 10,000 Words

Isn’t It Wonderful by AnHeiressofaSOLDIER

Words – 6.072     Rating - T

Confusing Dreams by WishingDreamer5

Words – 7,951     Rating – G

Our Hearts Connected by xDarknessAngelx

Words – 7,086     Rating – T

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10,000 – 30,000 Words

Dramatic by 1wingedangelX

Words – 11,972     Rating - T

Reminiscence by tsukasayuki

Words – 12,488     Rating – T

Royalty Romance by Jiemme

Words – 14,241     Rating - T

Enchanted by Sabathiel

Words – 18,527     Rating – G

Beauty and the Heartless by The Silver Magician of Chaos

Words – 25,046     Rating – T

----------

More than 30,000 Words

You’re Idiots, The Both of You by Lyssala

Words – 67,040     Rating – T     Chapters - 20

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If any of the links are not working or link to the wrong story, please do let us know and we’ll try to sort it out ASAP.

And remember, if you’d like a fic list made based on a certain topic, or just fic recommendations in general, we’re more than happy to help. All you have to do is ask!

———

Read. Enjoy. Review.

----------

[katara0524]

I got tagged by the lovely @romy350-romyakari to share 10 hints/words/phrases about my current WIPs, so let’s dive into this hellhole of ideas lmao

1. Finishing up some older ideas from pre-KH3, some of which aren’t really relevant anymore but I’m gonna do anyway.

2. KH3-2, aka the girl-centric DLC/side game we all need

3. Lots and lots of headcanons and inside jokes (mostly about the Wayfinder Trio + Vanitas and a bit of Terraqua because I have a LOT of feelings about them o k a y)

4. Possible Terraqua kiddo??? idk man just a thought

5. Some good ol RWBY girls uwu

6. Original content.....maybe....possibly..... (i have a story I want to tell, and some characters I want to show off, but I gotta work up the courage to actually share them with the world asjfkdhkl)

7. New icon FINALLY

8. Make some progress on that RWBY-KH crossover that I’ve neglected to even look at since May of last year (oops)

9. Try making animatics??? I want to do some KH ones with audio from RWBY Chibi, but we’ll see

10. I need to branch out into my other fandoms, so I’ll attempt some fanart of like Houseki no Kuni or My Hero Academia or some shit like that lmao

I’m a lonely bitch with no friends so I won’t tag anyone haha :’) If anyone does wanna do this though, go right ahead!