Aqua looked back to Ventus, "Ven?!" She ran over and knelt next to him, "Ventus are you any more unfrozen?" Ventus barely shook his head, although he was more wet to Aqua's touch than last time, so progress had been made.

"T-Terra." Ven told her, "Help. Terra."

Aqua raised her head at the loud thump on the ground. Someone had landed behind them. She felt Ventus grab her wrist before she could look back, "Terra first." She looked at Ven, debating it. He forced a smile back, "I'm fine..." Aqua looked back and saw the boy in the mask, that utter freak- Vanitas -approaching them. But then he stopped.

"Come on now, play nice. Stay out of the way when it's not your turn." He said.

She scowled, but felt Ventus using her arm to try and sit up, "I got him...!"

Aqua turned to Ven again, "Ventus-" She paused at the resolve in his eyes.

"I've taken him on before. I can beat him."

Aqua stared at her Keyblade. She then helped Ventus all the way up, "You can move right?"

Ventus stretched, but it was slow and he looked pained and tired; his armor creaked and groaned in protest, "Yeah."

Aqua then grabbed his wrist when he began standing, "You're not-"

Ventus held her hand, "Aqua, I can do this. Go help Terra."

"If you don't make a move soon," Vanitas began again, "I won't wait to make the first move."

Ventus glared at him before turning to Aqua again, "Aqua..."

Aqua hugged him, "Please be careful." She hiccuped a little from restraining tears, "Please... don't... don't-"

Ventus suddenly shoved her away, catching a blow that landed him on the other side of their outcropping of rock. Aqua sat up, seeing Ventus readying himself for battle. He looked furious. His fury at such a low, cheating attack by Vanitas was strong enough to speed up the ice's melting.

He saw her still sitting there in shock, and waved his hand "Aqua I got this-!" He stopped himself to parry away a blow, then ran elsewhere to draw Vanitas off, "Go help Terra!"

Aqua nodded, then ran off with the sounds of battle ringing from everywhere.

...

Aqua panted, trying to hold up herself and Terra. Their armor was battered, they were extremely taxed by their triumphant fight with Xehanort, and honestly they could only barely stand as they tried rearranging their dazed heads.

Aqua turned to Terra, "We... did it."

Terra smiled, "Yeah..."

He then looked around, "But Ven..." They both felt their hearts stop.

Ventus stumbled towards them, a gigantic Keyblade- perhaps the X-Blade he had mentioned -slack in one hand and the other clutching at his head yet ignoring pained tears that rolled down from the uncovered eye. Ventus smiled- Aqua wondered if she heard an echo to his voice, "You're okay..."

Terra stumbled forward from Aqua, "Ventus...!" He fell to his knees just as Ventus collapsed into his open arms, "Oh, Ventus!"

Aqua followed after, cupping Ven's face over Terra's shoulder, "What's wrong-" She stopped when Ventus lowered his hand. One of his eyes was gold.

"I'm sorry..." Aqua and Terra realized that there wasn't an echo: Vanitas's voice was talking alongside Ven's.

Terra pulled away from his hug, and was unable to express the horror he felt upon realizing what had happened. He was only able to make his face taut sadness. He ran a hand through Ven's hair, "Ven?"

Ventus held out his hand, "We're... still friends, right?"

Terra and Aqua leapt at it, unsure of what was coming next, "Of course! Of course we are nothing can drive us apart!"

Ventus's eyes began fading; the X-Blade began cracking and shattering, "Of course..." He toppled forward, limp and lifeless.

Terra's scream of grief was only rivaled by the explosion of the X-Blade vanishing from the worlds.

Okay another really stupid AU where Xehanort's plots stopped at Birth By Sleep because of the above events. What follows next? Well we'll see next chapter as the story develops.