Terra paced. His stared at his hands- his shaking, shaking hands. Were they always shaking? No, no they weren't. Another taint of Xehanort left in him. Fear.

"Calm down."

Terra flinched before realizing that was Sora talking to him. Not Vanitas, not the masked boy made from the darkness of his friend. His hands curled into fists that shook even more violently. Ten years. No, twelve. Twelve years fighting and waiting for this day. Here he was getting butterflies in his stomach. Disgraceful.

Terra felt a tentative pat on his shoulder. "It's ok." Sora said again. A soft tap. Sora must have needed tiptoes to do such a gesture.

Terra went inward again. What was he afraid of? The deeper tan in his skin? The gray streaks in his hair? The guilt that hung on his neck like a noose made from chains? "What if they're afraid? Of me?" Terra whispered, questions aimed at nothing.

Sora walked around him and bent down so Terra's bowed gaze could see him. "They're your friends." He said very firmly, "They're not afraid of you." Terra turned away and held himself. Sora was kind. Too kind. Too much like...

He fiddled with his long hair. Pulled at split ends. Apparently Xehanort didn't believe in haircuts, or all this time he was reveling in having hair again. The thought was humorous. Old "Baldynort" liked having long flowing locks? The world would never truly know but the idea held darker ones at bay.

Terra wanted to look at himself in a mirror, but only for a moment because the thought was quickly shot down. He didn't want to see himself. Not until he saw what his friends thought. Sora was already uneasy (he did a marvelous job at hiding it but it was there in his hesitation and a name that was not "Terra" almost slipped past his lips more than once), who knew what they would think. He didn't want to see eyes that were bound to be the gold of betrayal and failure.

Sora still tried to soothe Terra's anxiety, "It's alright Master-"

"I am no Master." Terra cut Sora off. Guilt choked his voice for a moment, "I am no Master..."

Sora said nothing. The boy barely reached his shoulder, spikes and all. So small... "Please, give me a little space." Sora complied and scooted over. He looked back at the door again, then sat down. Even smaller. Minuscule. Such a tiny light and yet he could fill an entire room with mirth and goodwill using nothing but natural charisma and a good example.

"The floor's not that bad to sit on." Sora patted the ground next to him invitingly, but Terra only paced a little more. Eventually Sora laid down with his foot kicking in the air. He watched the ceiling, but he also sat up to watch Terra every now and then. Sora looked at the door, "Wonder what's taking them so long..."

He swung up when the door opened not long after. Aqua and Ventus walked in, eyes covered by Riku and Kairi.

"Really, what's going on?" Ventus asked, his voice ringing with a giggle and clearly continuing what was probably a lost cause, "I-I can tell Sora's involved, what is it?"

Terra had seized up at Ven's voice. He stared at the wall even more intently. He trembled and shook.

"Can't say, I keep telling you that." Kairi replied with a wink to Sora. Sora held up his thumb approvingly. Riku jerked his head to Terra. Sora shrugged, and waved his hand to indicate Terra needed space.

Aqua only sighed, "Kairi, that's a genuine question. What-"

Riku removed his hands, and Kairi did the same. "See for yourself." He answered.

Terra felt a strong urge to not turn around and look, but even more powerful was the urge to see Aqua and Ventus again. Their faces had been burned in his memory, wisps and ghosts of a happier time; it was a blessing and a curse. Did he want to tarnish his memories? What about theirs? But seeing them alive, real, actually there and breathing the same air as him...

He turned around.

Aqua looked nary a day older. No, no wait she was, just barely. Longer, lighter hair, bagged and tired eyes. Maybe an inch or two taller? Ventus was a little taller, and some of the baby fat in his features was fading, but he was also so unchanged. Aqua and Ventus did a small double take before looking at this new Terra. They were so static they didn't even think Terra could have changed so much: graying hair, even taller, face more chiseled with time. His eyes were the same blue they always were, and lined with barely noticeable wrinkles.

The three watched each other in silence.

Riku and Kairi stood next to Sora. All three of them watched the meeting with anticipation. Mickey had said so much that the three were good friends and wanted to see each other more than anything; Aqua and Ventus only reinforced that. They had taken the time to arrange the first meeting in twelve years, and insisted that Yen Sid could bring Terra back.

"Why aren't they doing something?" Kairi whispered. Sora nodded in agreement.

"Shock." Riku replied.

And indeed, Aqua and Ventus were floored. Terra wasn't moving forward. Neither were they. A standoff of nostalgia and dreams coming true.

Until Ventus took a step forward. He looked like a nervous bird with his head bobbing at such an angle with squinted eyes, one foot after the other reluctantly shuffling him to Terra, one hand held out in trepidation. Ventus's mouth moved up and down, up and down, working a name that his voice couldn't say. Ven placed his hand on Terra's cheek, having to raise his feet ever so slightly off the floor to do so.

His voice cracked, "T-Terra?"

Terra finally smiled. Tears came to his eyes and he nodded. He grabbed Ven's hand, pressing the soft warmth to his cheek and holding it there while he nodded harder and harder. It didn't matter if he was the stoic and strong one, Terra began bawling with relief and love and joy.

Ventus laughed, bringing his other hand in to hold Terra's face, "Terra!" He looked back, tear tracks on his face in an instant, "Aqua! Aqua it's him!" He let go of Terra and ran to her, grabbing her hand and dragging the stiff and disbelieving Keyblade Master to their old friend. Ventus held their hands together. It sounded like he was trying to say something, but he was blubbering too much to really say.

Aqua's face still read a mute kind of horror and surprise. She stared at Terra's face before looking down and his hand and hers. Terra's hand held her smaller fingers with surprising gentleness for such a larger and more calloused pair, and Ven's encircled them both. It finally hit Aqua what was going on when Ven's crying became something more legible.

"We're together. We're together."

Her head snapped up. Her eyes began shining more than they usually did. Her lips didn't open, but they squirmed and curled in an attempt to say something. Terra's free hand caressed her cheek. He rubbed away every tear that tried to escape. Aqua touched it delicately, afraid the dream would vanish if she did anything more. She let out a small sob, beginning to smile.

"Is it you? Really you?"

Terra pressed his forehead to hers and smiled even wider.

"I'm right here," he said, "and I'm never leaving either of you again."

FIC NUMBER 100 I HAVE NO LIFE. But these kids will soon. I might just buy KH3 to see them smiling and happy again ;3;