Hearts Divided (A TerraXAqua Fanfiction)

Part 7: Useless

Back to the Present

Heading in the direction Terra took, Aqua had zoomed across several tree tops on her own Keyblade-glider for a few minutes before spotting him at a particular clearing. The spot where they had set up a memorial marker for Master Eraqas. Feeling her earlier annoyance give way to curiosity, she landed about half a kilometre away amidst the trees and made the rest of the way to the clearing quietly on foot. If it involved Terra visiting the master alone, she knew it must be something serious, but she still had to know.

She walked up until she could see the opening through the trees leading to the clearing when she heard Terra's cry. "OF COURSE I L-" Something was wrong. Terra sounded in pain, or even scared. Aqua continued towards the opening to the clearing cautiously until she caught sight of Terra knelt before the memorial of their fallen master. She stood there for a moment wondering whether or not she should proceed when she heard him utter aloud "What the hell am I supposed to do?" She had never heard him sound so forlorn before; so utterly devoid of hope. She made up her mind and walked towards him quietly, determined to find out what was hurting her friend. When she saw his hand tense, she stopped, realising he was now aware of her presence. Finally, she decided to speak up. "Terra"

Terra relaxed his hand, realising who now stood behind him, but didn't turn to face her. "Terra, what's going on with you? You hardly say anything to me all day and then fly off without telling anyone. Do you want me to worry myself sick?" She realised the last part may have come out more salty than she meant. She adopted a gentler tone. "Terra, if something is bothering you, please tell me. We're all a team again, just like before. You're not alone anymore." "But I am alone..." Terra rose and turned to face her. There was shadow over his eyes and a dark tone to his voice she didn't like. "You were right Aqua, all those years ago, I fell to darkness once, I would do it again. I will always fall, always keep failing.." He raised his head looking directly into her eyes and she saw his were misty, as if struggling to hold back tears, a sight which almost brought her to tears. "I failed those princesses, I failed the master, I failed to resist Xehanort's manipulation, I failed to save Ven, you, I COULDN'T EVEN SAVE MYSELF!!" His voice broke as he shouted the last part, overwhelmed by frustration and grief over his own ineptitude, over how badly he failed the people who meant everything to him. "Everything you suffered was MY fault, because I wasn't strong enough, wasn't good enough, wasn't enough! How could I ever stand beside you as a fellow Keyblade wielder, as anything, when I'm so damn useless?", "DON'T YOU DARE.." she shouted back heatedly, surprising both of them, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. She'd had just about enough of his self-pity.

"Don't you dare call yourself useless in front of me. You fought off Xehanort's control in the Graveyard to save me and Ven, after everything I'd said and done to you. You never gave up fighting him for 12 years, trying to come back to us. You kept ME going all that time trapped in darkness. There would have been nothing left of me for Sora to bring back if not for you. And for 4 years before that.." she seemed to struggle finding the right words before she continued, "you gave me a goal, a reason to grow stronger, a reason to believe in destiny... you were the first person to share with me all my laughter, tears and all my aspirations. You were the first to make me feel like I was truly special. You were my first true friend." She didn't know when exactly she got close enough or when she had taken hold of his hands, and she didn't care. "You only truly failed... to appreciate how special you are to everyone, especially to me."