Key of Unity

Chapter 3: Light's Return

"Master Yen Sid," she began, her voice steadier now. "I need to go back. Someone is trapped there because of me—"

Yen Sid raised a hand, silencing her. "First, you must tell me everything. Who is this person who helped you escape the Realm of Darkness? How did you encounter them?"

Aqua took a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts. "His name is Andrew. Andrew Slayn. He's... a new Keyblade wielder. His world was consumed by darkness, just like mine, but somehow he found his way to the dark realm. He found me when I was at my lowest point."

She recounted their meeting, Andrew's unexpected arrival and even more unexpected return after his Awakening. She described their battles together, his quick adaptation to the Keyblade, and finally, the moment when she had nearly surrendered to darkness—and how Andrew had pulled her back from the brink.

"And then there was a portal," she continued, emotion creeping back into her voice. "A pathway to light. But it would only take one of us. He chose to stay behind so I could escape."

"You say he threw you through this portal?" Yen Sid questioned, his brow furrowed.

Aqua's hands clenched in her lap. "Yes. I didn't want to leave him there, but he... he didn't give me a choice." Her anger resurfaced briefly before giving way to something deeper—respect, tinged with guilt. "He said it wasn't goodbye. That we'd see each other again."

Yen Sid stroked his long beard thoughtfully. "This young man—you said he received his Keyblade recently? And that he argued with his guide at the Station of Awakening?"

"That's what he told me," Aqua confirmed. "He refused to follow the traditional path. Said he wasn't going to leave me alone in the darkness while he trained elsewhere."

"Most unusual," Yen Sid murmured. "The ancient guides do not typically offer choices, merely direction."

A knock at the door interrupted them. It swung open to reveal a small, round-eared figure that made Aqua's heart leap with recognition.

"Your Majesty!" she exclaimed.

King Mickey Mouse stood in the doorway, his expressive face frozen in shock as he stared at her. "A-Aqua?!" he stuttered, blinking rapidly as if unable to believe his eyes. "Is it really you?"

Before she could answer, Mickey rushed forward and took her hands in his. "We thought... I've been searching for a way to reach you! How did you escape?"

"That is what Master Aqua was just explaining," Yen Sid interjected. "It seems a new Keyblade wielder found her in the Realm of Darkness and sacrificed his chance at escape so she could return."

Mickey's eyes widened further. "Another wielder? In the Realm of Darkness?" He turned back to Aqua. "Who was it? Someone we know?"

Aqua shook her head. "His name is Andrew Slayn. His world was consumed recently. He said... he said his Keyblade is called Lightning's Legacy."

Mickey and Yen Sid exchanged significant glances.

"You know something," Aqua observed, straightening in her chair. "What is it?"

Yen Sid sighed heavily. "We have felt disturbances recently—worlds falling to darkness at an accelerated rate. One such world vanished just days ago, by our reckoning. If this young man was from that world, then time flows differently indeed between our realm and the darkness."

"That doesn't surprise me," Aqua said quietly. "It felt like I was trapped there for an eternity."

Mickey placed a sympathetic hand on her arm. "You were there for over a decade, Aqua."