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Aqua kept walking. She was cold. After so long of being lost in the darkness, she learned her best bet was to just keep walking. Never stop. Otherwise those… things would descend and she ran the risk of being overwhelmed. She had to keep moving.
She stopped walking for a moment. She was back in Castle Town. She still couldn’t believe that it had fallen to darkness. She had no idea if Cinderella or the mice were okay and it broke the heart she’d felt go still. She had no idea how much time had passed since she sacrificed herself to save Terra. Time in the Realm of Darkness was still. Never moving. The darkness could be so lonely, so she had to kill the part of herself that hurt over it. She just had to keep going.
She started walking again, following the path. She had her destination, the Castle of Dreams. She’d been mistaken for a princess there once. The memory almost brought a smile to her face. Almost. Somewhere in her heart, she found the distorted, crystalline formations of this world beautiful in a horrifying, hopeless way.
She stepped into a plaza that connected to the bridge. It began to rumble violently before a stream of those things flew out. It coiled and flew around for a moment before forming into a tower of demonic darkness. Hey, that’s a good name for it. Demon Tower.
Aqua conjured the Master’s Defender, ready to fight. She shouted as she launched at the Demon Tower, swinging her masters Keyblade and cutting through many of the little Shadows that made up the Demon Tower’s whole. She ducked, dodged, and cartwheeled out of the way of each of the conglomerates attacks. She deployed her barrier for the attacks she couldn’t get out of the way of.
It was almost routine. Sure, she’d never fought anything like this up to now, but that didn’t mean anything. She had long since learned to analyze and predict so she could save as much energy as possible. She’d need it. But this thing was tougher than she had anticipated. It was shrugging off even her hardest hitting spells.
She grunted as she was struck again, being knocked airborne in her barrier. The barrier fell after a moment and before she had the time to redeploy it, she was hit full force by the Demon Towers attack. She screamed as was flung back before striking the wall hard. Her vision went white for a moment, her head lolling side to side on her shoulders.
Her mind wandered for a fraction of a second. She remembered something, someone.
How about this? I become a hero and we go on a date?
Zack?
“Fire!” A massive fireball from behind Aqua struck the tower, making it recoil and spin away from her as it moved in for the kill. Aqua took her chance, hopped to her feet and raised her weapon to the sky.
“Thunder!”
A massive bolt of lightning came down, obliterating the core of the Tower and forcing it apart. She watched the monsters fade away, panting heavily. She cast Curaga on herself to stop her head from bleeding anymore. She wiped away the bit of blood that had seeped out as best she could.
“That Fire spell was from someone else…” She turned and started looking around. “Hello!?” She got no answer, almost starting to hyperventilate. “If you’re still there, thank you!”
What Aqua didn’t see was a figure standing in the shadow of a building, watching her. Aqua…
Over time, Aqua felt herself being followed. And not by those monsters. She saw it a few times. A shadow in the shape of a man. She kept walking for a time, finally coming to the end of the Castle of Dreams in the Antechamber.
Her pursuer came around the corner, doing their best to keep hidden, but that was when they saw that Aqua was gone. What?! Where did she go?! She couldn’t have just vanished!
“Hyaa!” The figure ducked as Aqua’s Keyblade slashed through the air above their head, rolling forward. They turned to look at the Keyblade Master as she brandished her weapon. She advanced, barely giving the figure time to pull his weapon, a massive sword, to defend himself. Their weapons clashed loudly and quickly, filling the dark chamber with bursts of light.
“Gah! Aqua, stop, it’s me!” The figure screamed as they clashed again. Aqua was surprised by the fact she couldn’t push him back. He was physically stronger than her and his skill was nothing to sneeze at. Now, it was up to her to figure out how to proceed.
She growled as they turned, pushed away from each other and clashed again. The man started to push her back. “I don’t know who you are, so why are you following me? How did you even get into the Realm of Darkness?!”
“Is that where we are?” He asked before getting slugged in the face. “Okay, ow! Cheap shot much!?” He exclaimed as he was then kicked in the gut before taking a hard spinning kick to the head, sending him rolling across the floor. “Son of a-”
“Now,” A light appeared at the end of her Keyblade. “Who are you?” She brought her weapon to her opponents throat, illuminating his face. Her bright blue eyes widened and she recoiled like she’d been struck. “That can’t be. You… I left Olympus and you were still there.”
“Jeez, thanks, Champ, for the ass kicking. But, if I had to choose who was gonna kick my ass, I think I’d rather you over Terra again.” The man said as he stood back up. He was taller than Aqua now, about a full head taller.
Aqua was starting to hyperventilate again. This man had dark hair, bright blue eyes, and a body an Adonis would kill for under black military grade body armor. He was older now than when she had seen him, but there was no mistaking it. “Zack?”
He smiled charmingly. “Hey, Aqua. Still thinking about that date?” His smile faded as Aqua’s pretty blue eyes rolled back into her head and she fell forward. “Aqua!” He caught her as she fell, pulling her into his arms. Her head lolled about as she went limp in his grip. “Fantastic, Zack, first person you find in this hell and you make her faint. Where’s the bedroom in this place?”
…
Aqua groaned softly as she shifted about. Her head hurt. Her body hurt. Everything hurt. But this bed was soft and… Wait, bed? She sat up in the bed quickly, looking around and conjuring her Keyblade. Why was she in the master bedroom of the castle? Where was Zack?!
She yelped as someone knocked at the chamber doors, aiming her weapon at it. The door opened and a head of dark hair poked through the opening. “Morning, Sleeping Beauty. Emphasis on the ‘Beauty’ part, of course.” Aqua flushed lightly at the compliment, but she kept her weapon aimed at the boy… man. The man. Zack was so much older than the last she’d seen him. How much time had passed? He walked in fully, carrying a tray of food in his hands.
“Are you gonna kill the guy bringing you breakfast in bed?”
“Haven’t decided yet. What happened?”
“Well,” He set the tray down on a table. “You attacked me after you figured out I was following you, then, when you figured out it was me, you passed out. I brought you here to rest. You looked like you needed it.” His smile vanished and he stepped forward towards her, making her lift the Keyblade higher.
“Stay back.” She started to back away, trying to keep distance between them. “Zack, stay back, I don’t want to hurt you, but I will!”
“If you were gonna attack me, you would have by now.” He gently grasped the Keyblades blade, pushing it away from his body. He stepped in closer to her, the young woman starting to visibly freak out.
“You’re… you’re real. You’re not a fake my heart created. But… how, why?” She froze up entirely when Zack wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. He was so warm. So much warmer than anything she’d handled since she got here. She’d forgotten how it felt to have someone hold her. She was shaking as the Keyblade disappeared from her grip.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry it took so long. Had I known, I would have been here much sooner.” He said, cradling the now crying woman in his arms.
“You shouldn’t-you shouldn’t be here, Zack. Why would you do this to yourself? Why?” She asked, sobbing hard into his chest.
“Does a guy need a reason to be alone with a pretty girl?” She smiled and laughed beyond the tears, simply nestling into him. It was… so nice. It felt wonderful, just to have someone to hold her, to have someone to hold.
They sat down and started eating, talking. About what happened after she left Olympus, how she got in the Realm of Darkness, and what this hell had been like for her. She found out that it had been eight years since they met. Eight long years, trapped in darkness. Zack talked about going home, joining the SOLDIER program, becoming basically super human and of the girl he’d met and dated for a while. Aqua felt an odd feeling bloom in her chest. She was jealous. She’d never been jealous before, not like this.
But, Aerith sounded like a sweet, wonderful girl. Some of the stories he had made her laugh so hard, it was almost hard to breathe. He made her smile, he made her laugh. She felt… She felt like a girl, a woman with him. With Ven, or even Terra, she felt like the doting sister, and with Eraqus, she felt like the prodigal daughter. She’d never met anyone that made her feel like anymore than that or like a warrior of the Keyblade.
He’d compliment her and she’d blush, he’d hold her hand and she’d let him, he’d make a joke and she’d laugh, he’d brush hair out of her face and she’d lean into his warm touch. He made her feel better than she had in so long. She felt her heart stir in ways it hadn’t… ever, but it was still nice to know she still had one.
“I hope this isn’t a dream.” she whispered.
He hummed a bit response. “Well, if it was, I’d hope you’d dream up a better guy.”
She shook her head. “I don’t. You’re wonderful, Zack.”
“Are you sure you aren’t just saying that because you’ve been here alone for eight years?”
She chuckled a bit. “Maybe. But that doesn’t change how my heart feels. I haven’t… felt happy in so long. Please-”
“I’m not going anywhere.” He said, cutting her off and shifting his hand so their fingers interlocked. It made her blush brightly and look away, but she still remained leaned into his broad chest. “What’s up? You act like you’ve never held a boy’s hand.” When she didn’t answer, Zack’s face turned to shock. “Wait, have you-”
“It’s… hard to date when the only people you know are your surrogate father and brothers.”
Zack sucked in a breath audibly. “Nope.” He let Aqua’s hand go and stood up, making her squeak in surprise when she tipped over. She looked up at him, her eyes showing just how frightened she was of being alone. He just smiled brightly. “I think it’s time I show you what a real date is like. Wait here. I’ll be back, I promise.”
Aqua wasn’t sure if she wanted to trust him, but for now, she did. She watched him walk out of that bedroom, scared that she might never see him again. Scared she’d be alone again. She did some mental exercises that Eraqus drilled them on while she waited. She wasn’t sure how she sat there, but when Zack returned, she almost couldn’t restrain herself from launching into his arms.
“Okay, it’s ready. But, you need to close your eyes.” She lifted a brow as she stood. He clasped his hands, as if begging. “Please?” She looked skeptical, but she didn’t argue, simply closing her eyes. When Zack moved behind her and clasped his hands over her eyes, she titled her head a bit. “Just being sure.”
She bit her bottom lip. She didn’t notice it before, but he smelled of fresh forest air after a rainstorm. It was a very pleasing smell. They walked slow with Zack carrying her down the stairs. She worried for a moment about the monsters, but he told her she didn’t need to worry.
“I’ve learned a lot since we went our separate ways. My mentor taught me how to cast barriers so powerful, a dragon wouldn’t even scratch them.”
“I hope this mentor knew what he was talking about then.” She said.
He laughed. “Well, he did kinda go crazy and almost kill me, but that’s neither here nor there.”
“I think that’s here and there, Mr. Zack.”
“Fair.”
“I normally am.”
“No, I mean. My name. It’s Zachary Fair, Zack Fair.”
“Zack Fair, huh? That’s a nice name. Okay, First Class SOLDIER Zack Fair, where are you leading me?” Aqua asked with a laugh.
“Just wait. You’ll find out.” He lead her down further, slowly. Aqua was getting increasingly more anxious for a bit until they finally came to a stop. He moved his hands down from her eyes to her hips. She shivered a bit at the intimate contact, but didn’t pull away. “Okay, open your eyes.”
She did and her heart almost stopped. It was the courtyard of the castle with a table in the center. The entire courtyard was ringed in brightly lit candles, offering a beautiful contrast to the dark world around them. The fountain had some floating lights in it. Even if the flames weren’t actually flickering, even if the candles didn’t melt down, frozen in time, it was breathtaking.
“Oh my goodness.” She whispered, covering her mouth as tears spilled from her eyes. There was even fresh made food on the table, though she had a feeling that Zack hadn’t made it.
“We’re lucky that that food had already been prepared. I can’t cook to save my life.” Suspicions confirmed. That didn’t detract from what she saw. Not at all.
“You did all this… for me?” she asked.
She heard him give a scoffing chuckle, gasping lightly as she felt his arms wrap around her midsection. “ You deserve it and so much more. Come on.” He stepped around her, offering his hand to her. “This world is dark and violent, so let me give you a light to shine on it.”
Her hand slowly, tentatively slipped into his. Aqua had never felt so wanted or cared for in her life. Sure, Zack liked to joke, he loved to make her blush, but he was a model gentleman. They talked even more, about the lives they lead before they met now. Aqua didn’t remember much of her life before the Land of Departure, so it was a short conversation on her part, but Zack had plenty of stories to make up the difference. She never pegged him for a slums hoodlum, but that’s what he was.
He spoke of Cloud, his protege that never got into SOLDIER, of Sephiroth, his mentor, a legend in their world. He seemed very adamant that Sephiroth was unbeatable, even against the power of the Keyblade. He wasn’t very talkative on the subject of Sephiroth’s betrayal, so she didn’t ask about it. She was happy. She’d gotten hungry since his breakfast of assorted fruits had only placated her, so she ate all that she was given. He joked that he loved his women with an appetite.
She’d also had her first taste of wine that night. Zack had found some in the castle cellar. He didn’t pressure her into drinking it, but he offered. She was curious. She knew that Master Eraqus had a glass of wine every night with his dinner and she’d always wondered what it was like. She liked it.
Now, she was dancing slowly, leaning into his chest with her arms looped around his neck. There was no music, not really, but there was plenty for them. She did feel oddly warm and a bit giggly. Her date said it was the wine. Alcohol had that effect in large amounts and she didn’t have much tolerance for it, so he kept her from drinking very much. Three glasses was all she allowed to have.
“Zack, this is… beyond amazing. I’ve never… I’ve never been treated this way.” She said softly, nuzzling against his chest.
He smiled and chuckled a bit. “You’ve never had anyone treat you as a woman before now? You’re more than a warrior, Aqua, more than a sister, or a daughter.” He pulled away a bit, tilting her head up to look at him. He smiled gently, his hand moving from her chin to her cheek. She leaned into his palm, smiling softly. “You’re more than just about anybody, even you, would see at first glance. I’ve seen you as a warrior. I’ve seen you as a champion. I’ve seen you as a blushing, innocent girl. And I see you now. As the most beautiful young woman I’ve ever met.”
She smiled more. “Even more beautiful than Aerith?”
He chuckled again. “Just as beautiful. In a completely different way. You’re Aqua. And that’s all I want you to be.”
It wasn’t the thing most girls wanted to hear. Most girls wanted to be told they are the most beautiful, but it was the sweetest thing Aqua had ever heard because it was the truth to him. She leaned up into Zack, her arms pulling him down a bit. After what felt like minutes upon minutes, she felt his lips against hers. His arms looped around her waist, pulling her flush against him as he returned her kiss. She felt safe, warm, loved.
Time didn’t move in the Realm of Darkness. And for once, Aqua hoped it would stay that way. This moment, this memory, was the happiest she’d ever carry with her, frozen forever in the darkness of this world.
…
Aqua awoke slowly, opening her eyes to the gentle light of the candles in the master bedroom of the Castle of Dreams. She was warm. She didn’t want to move. So she nuzzled back into the warmth that had his arm around her and closed her eyes. She didn’t even care that she was nude or that she was sore, just enjoying the feeling of his presence.
“Morning.” Zack said, rubbing her bare back gently. “How much do you remember?”
She chuckled, smiling softly. “Mmm, morning.” She lifted her head, kissing his lips chastely. “Odd that we’re saying that when time doesn’t move. And,” She smiled almost deviously. “I remember everything.”
He smiled down at her, kissing her head. He had just wanted to be sure. “True, but it’s still morning to us, isn’t it?”
“I suppose.” She said, nuzzling his chest again. “How long have you been awake?”
“About an hour. You were too beautiful to wake up.”
“You really like that word, huh?”
“Would you prefer stunning? Breathtaking? Gorgeous?” He laughed as she playfully slapped his chest.
“Okay, I get it.” She nuzzled back into him, sighing happily. “I don’t wanna move. As horrible as this place is, as selfish as it sounds, I don’t wanna move. But Terra… he’s waiting for me to save him. And Ven is waiting for us to wake him up.”
“They need you.” He said, running his thumb in circles on her back.
She lifted her head again, staring into his eyes. “And I need you. Will you stay?”
He smiled and kissed her sweetly. “I wouldn’t even think of leaving. I’m yours, Aqua. Until you get tired of me, at least.”
She laughed and kissed her lover again. She had a lover. Ven and Terra would never believe it. Now, she just had to find a way to tell them.
This time in the Realm of Darkness would be a long one. But now, she had a light to shine, and a memory she’d never part with. A realm of worlds and people frozen in time, two heroes lost in the darkness, and yet even the sweetest dream could never make her happier than she was now.