thoughtformed | [Voice]

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[Voice]

Uhh... hello?

[Terra's voice is a little quiet. After a pause just long enough to be awkward, he clears his throat.]

I'm... not sure what I should be saying here. They told me I would meet other... [Another pause, where he struggles with the word "fictionals".] ... people like me. I guess I should introduce myself? I don't think I'm doing a very good job here.

[Another nervous throat-clearing.]

My name is Terra, and I--.. [He hesitates. He's not supposed to talk too much about what he is or where he's from. Those are the rules, back home, and even if those rules don't apply now, he can't bring himself to break them.]

... I have no idea what I'm doing.

[The voice feed ends a little abruptly.]

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[Aqua's been hoping for this moment, but dreading it at the same time. Where they have to talk about what happened between them, their family and what Xehanort did. She doesn't place any blame on Terra, but on herself instead. She should've done more for him and Ven. She could've done more.

It takes her a second to answer, trying to keep herself composed over the network.]

Yes, it's me. I'm in my apartment. Are you...are you okay?

... I'm fine. What about you?

[Against anyone else, he'd sound as fine as he says, but Aqua knows what's going on underneath the solid surface. He's nervous and shaken.]

[She knows him well enough to hear it in his voice how he isn't fine. How neither of them are fine. They're not the same youths who took their Mark of Mastery Exams, which seem so long ago now.]

I'm okay. [But she isn't, even though she sounds fine there's still that hesitation in her voice that says otherwise.]

I can come find you, if you like. [Would he even want to see her now? After everything?]

... Do you want to come find me?

[It's not accusatory, nor guilting. He's worried, and his voice is just a little hushed when he asks.]

Yes. [There's no hesitation on her part then. Her voice is just as hushed and there's some shuffling on her end. She's getting out of her home, readying herself to find him if...if he wants her to.]

North building, room 103.

[Now they both seem rushed to get to one another.]

I'll be there soon.

[With that Aqua shuts off her device, only answering it if she has too. Going from the East building to North isn't that hard and luckily for both of them he's on the first floor. The nervousness and anxiousness is there, she can feel it with each beat of her heart and with each step she takes. It won't be long until they're facing each other...

And she can only hope he'll forgive her.]

[Terra moves to wait out in the hall for her. He doesn't want to disturb his roommate with what he's afraid could be a big mess. His eyes are locked on the entrance to the hallway, and he's leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He's more afraid of her hating him than he could ever admit. If he lost her... Well, he just couldn't take it.]

[Aqua was coming around the corner of the same hallway. She's not rushing into the building, no that would look insane on her part. She's taking her time until she rounds that corner and looks up. He's there. Terra is standing at the other end of it. Suddenly time feels like it's stopped. Does she move forward or back?

No...get it together. She forces herself to take a step and then another and another. Her heart is beating wildly in her chest as her eyes are stinging. She wouldn't cry over this, she couldn't break just yet.]

Terra...[That's the only thing she can think of to say.]

[Terra can tell how worked up she is from here. He moves to stand upright, heart pounding in his ears and making it harder to think.]

[He hears her, though.]

Aqua.

[Terra starts moving forward to meet her.]

[They're walking towards each other, each step bringing them closer and closer to facing what happened. Aqua is still unsure if that's really her friend before her or if this is another nightmare she's trapped in. It's not until they're face to face that she knows this isn't the case.

Overwhelmed by his arrival Aqua does the only thing she can do.

Hug him.]

[In that instant, they have the same idea. He reaches forward at the same time she does, and wraps his arms securely around her to hug her close. Then, while she's still in his arms, he tries to do something about this mess.]

... I'm so sorry.

[She can feel his arms come around her, making it harder for her to blink back the tears. She has to be strong right now.]

...I'm sorry too. [Her voice is shaky. Taking in a deep breath she tries to continue.] I never wanted to lose you or Ven.

... Lose us?

[He's confused. The last thing he remembers is seeing Xehanort and Vanitas and moving to fight them...]

What are you talking about?

[There's confusion on both ends for them.]

I'm talking about the final battle...[Pause.]

...Terra, what's the last thing you remember?

[He pulls away from her just a bit to look down at her.]

We were about to fight them. We hadn't yet.

... What happened to us?

[The news is shocking and makes her want to take a step back. He doesn't know what happened. Should she even be the one to tell him? Dare to ruin their reunion by telling him Xehanort possessed him and threw them both into Darkness, where she gave up her armor and keyblade for him?

Or that Ven was in a dreamless sleep...]

We...did more than fight them.

[She bows her head, lower lip trembling but she forces herself to hold it in.] Terra...I lost you and Ven. Things happened and I wasn't able to do more...and I'm so sorry.

[Terra's heart shatters right there. Everything he worked for, everything he kept pent-up to take on Xehanort at the end... It wasn't enough. Or was he too reckless in battle? He knows he must have screwed up somehow. In any case, he knows now that he wasn't strong enough in the end.]

Aqua...

[His hands move to her shoulders, and stay firm there.]

You shouldn't have had to clean up my mistakes. I put us so much further into danger than I could see when it was happening. I don't blame you for any of this. I blame my own blindness.

[They were both strong, but Xehanort was stronger. He had a plan all along on how to break them apart. No matter what they did, or how hard they fought...they couldn't fight their own fates.

As his hands move down to her shoulders to steady her she can't bring herself to look at him.]

It was not your fault. Xehanort manipulated all of us. I can't blame you for what happened. I can only blame myself. [For letting him and Ven slip through her grasp, not doing enough to protect them.

What's plaguing her mind now is how or even if she should tell Terra everything. But, it was too soon for that. As it is she's risking a lot by holding him. She knows there's remnants of Darkness still clinging to her form from being in its Realm for so long.]

If you can't blame me, you can't blame yourself. Like you said, he manipulated us, and he--...

[Terra shakes his head.]

I did worse things than all of you. What happened to the Master was my fault. Even if he was trying to destroy Ventus, I shouldn't have been so quick to attack my own father.

[He reaches to brush his fingers along her cheek, trying to get her to look up at him.]

I know you, and I might not know what happened, but I know you would have done everything you possibly could have...

[Aqua has to bite down her tongue as her emotions well up inside of her, threatening to break her facade. She barely pulls herself back from that edge upon feeling his fingers brush her cheek. She blinks her eyes rapidly, forcing back the tears that want to come down her face.

He doesn't even know half the things she did in the hopes he would be safe, find his path again and maybe, see him one final time. But that wasn't the case here.

It takes her a long moment before she takes a deep breath to look up at her friend.]

And I wish I could've done more. [Her words are whispered in a hushed voice, trying to contain her heartache.]

[Terra's expression is apologetic, sympathetic, and colored with a determination to make things better.]

If you couldn't have, that's not your fault. And besides... you know nothing can keep us apart. You, me, and Ventus... We're a team.

[She slowly nods her head and takes another slow, controlled breath. Yes, they were a team, but she's having a hard time accepting that. She wants to protect them, keep them safe so they won't ever lose one another again.]

I know. [Another whispered reply as she starts to hug and hold him again. She's missed him so much to the point where it's hard for her to let go. Afraid if she does, he might slip through her fingers again.]

[Terra accepts and returns the gesture, going back to just holding her in his arms.]

I'm grateful to you... Even though you were mad at me, you hadn't given up on me.

[Her hold on him tightens right then, closing her eyes to hold back the tears.]

...I could never give up on you.

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