Students of Light and Darkness: male reader x Aqua

1. Meteor shower

Nighttime had covered the Lands of Departure. Yet you found no sleep. You didn't feel tired enough. How could you? Tomorrow was going to be the exam for Mark of Mastery. Well, for Aqua and Terra, anyway. You and Ventus were still just in training. As you laid down, hands under your head, in your room on your bed, you started to think back to how you got here.

Master Eraqus had found you on another world. You were but a child when he found you. As a young kid who had lived in a foster home for all his life. On one sunny day he had found you wandering the forest.

He had started to speak to you. You were all alone in this forest and looked quite scared.
"Where are your guardians?", he had asked.
"They told me to wait here."
You weren't aware of any ill intent. To you, it was just a game at the time.
"And how long ago was that?"
"Three days ago."

You never truly realized why your guardians had abandoned you as they did. But Eraqus, and with time, Terra, Aqua and Ventus, more than made up for not having a family around.

You see a flash outside as you notice lights falling through the sky.
"A meteor shower. Huh.", You said to yourself.
You just enjoy the lightshow slightly before you hear a small knock on the door.
"Come in?", You respond
The door slightly opens for you to see Aqua peeking in.
"Y/N. You're still awake.", She says, a small giggle in her voice.

Aqua. There was something about her that just made you feel warm inside whenever you saw her. As you looked towards her you noticed her beautiful eyes and her bluetinted hair. The light outside sort of illuminated her skin and her battle outfit she apparently decided to wear. The view alone was enough to make you blush. That blush was luckily covered by the night sky.

"Y-yeah. I was looking at the meteor shower.", You said with a smile.
"Ventus has run outside to see it as well. Me and Terra are going to look for him. Won't you join us?"

"Sure. I'll catch right up to you. Be right out.", You said. Aqua just smiled as she gently closed the door.

You hopped out of bed and quickly put on your battle gear. Some simple purple battle shirt, which had an iron pauldron on your right shoulder. And a pair or dark, almost baggy pants with a large red belt and some kneepads attached to them. Then you put on your dark brown boots, tying them over your pants as they reached up to shin height.

You then ran out, onto the grass fields, seeing Aqua, Terra and Ventus talking to each other.

"Hey guys!", You yelled out. They all turned and waved to you with a smile on their faces.

You stopped dead in your tracks for a small second. But that second lasted like an eternity for you. You saw your family here in front of you. Terra. Aqua. Ventus. And a thought crossed your mind. 'What if something happened to them?'

A pang of pain shot through your chest, before shaking that thought off, running further towards them.

"What did I miss?", You asked.
"Terra was suggesting we do some sparring. You in?", Ventus said.
"Always! Who will I be up against this time?"
Terra turned away as he spoke up.
"You and Ven take the first bout. Then me and Aqua do one. The victors spar against each other.", He said with a smile as he and Aqua walked off.

Ventus summoned his keyblade in a backwards fashion as he held it usually.
He smirked at you, ready to go. You smirked yourself as you summoned your own two keyblades. The one in your right hand was this straight edged keyblade, black on it's handle and hilt, nearly snow white on it's blade and tips. It's teeth a bit wide spread and angled in different directions.
The one in your left hand was a near direct copy, its colours inverted.
"I forget you keep bringing two keyblades with you.", Ven said out loud.
"Don't be jealous now.", You mocked.
You rushed at each other. Strike after strike, block after block, you and Ven kept sparring for what seemed to be nearly half an hour. Then you got an idea.
"Hey, Ven! Catch!"
You yelled as you threw your left blade at him. He grabbed hold of it only to realise a strike was coming straight for his face.

"Gotcha!", You smiled as you held your blade inches from his cheek and summoned your blade back from his hand to yours.
"Hey, no fair!"
"Aw, come on, Ven. You throw your keyblade around all the time! If anything, you taught me this."
You and Ven laughed it off as you were declared the winner.
As you walked to the side, Aqua and Terra walked to the center of the grass filled space.
"Tomorrow, we'll become masters.", Aqua said.
Terra simply nodded with a smile. It was strange seeing them standing opposed to each other. Whilst Terra, at the age of 19, stood tall and hunched into his combat stance, Aqua stood firm and upright, at the age of 18, though smaller than him.
Ven was at the age of 16, whilst you yourself had already turned 20.
There was a moment of silence before they engaged. Then without warning, they lunged at each other.

Their battle was far more serious than what you and Ven had been up to. Aqua used her magic often whilst Terra used his pure strength to keep within her range. For a second, they didn't seem to be friends anymore. They looked like adversaries. But ere long, Aqua had succeeded in freezing Terra's feet in place as he was met with her keyblade pointed at his face.
"That's a win for me!", She exclaimed with joy.
Terra smiled as his head drooped.
He admitted defeat and walked to the side.
You walked up to stand opposed to Aqua. Her stance. Her figure. Everything about her warmed your core. You summoned your keyblades. Whilst your magic may not have been the best, you had some up your sleeves, with a little bit of speed and strength to back it up.

"Ready?", She asked.
"Ready.", You said.
You fought against each other with valor, as sparks flew between your keyblades and each others spells were cancelled out by the other's.
You had realised how you had felt about Aqua a while ago. Her smile. Her encouraging words. She had always been the brightest light you could've been around.

When all was said and done, Aqua again emerged victorious. It was your own fault. You had lost yourself within your thoughts as she sent a fire blast towards you. You deflected it with one of your keyblades but had been caught unawares right after, her keyblade nearly at your throat. Her cocky smile turned to abgebuine one as both of you stood there breathing rather heavily.
"Gotcha!", She mocked, just like you did earlier.
You just smiled in defeat. "Just as a Master should."

The 4 of you spent the evening watching the meteor shower. You had taken a seat next to Aqua, trying not to sit too close.

'Realise that when a heart is broken, the Darkness that emerges may be far too great to withstand. We, wielders of the Keyblade, must avert the Darkness at any cost. Or it can and will consume us.'

Master Eraqus' words rang throughout your mind as you looked down. This was your paradox. You always sensed the fear within your heart when you thought of telling Aqua how you felt about her. You looked to the side to see her smiling towards the sky above. Her smile. It was contagious. Pure. Genuine. You couldn't help but smile as you looked up as well.

"Oh, I got us something!", She exclimed as he reached into her pouch.
She pulled out four different trinkets. They seemed like necklaces. She handed one to each of you. The red one went to Terra. The green one went to Ventus. She kept the blue one. The purple one was give to you.

"They're wayfinders! I've modeled them after a fruit that's said to connect the lives of the people whoever it's shared with. I've imbued them with some magic. So now, we'll always be able to find each other, no matter how far away of each other we are."

The others exclaimed their joy and praise as you lifted yours upwards, towards the night sky. It shined softly within the moonlight
"Thanks, Aqua. That's a really great gift.", You exclaimed whilst smiling.

As the meteor shower ended, you all made your way back to your rooms.

"That would be the last night we ever spent, beneath the same stars."