Aqua: Difference between revisions

Aqua meets Terra in the [[Castle of Dreams]], where she learns that Master Xehanort is looking for hearts of pure [[light]], but she is comforted to hear that Terra had learned there that believing in a dream has the power to hold back the darkness. However, her faith in Terra is shaken when she arrives in [[Enchanted Dominion]] to learn that, according to [[Maleficent]], Terra willingly helped steal [[Aurora]]'s heart for her. Aqua later catches sight of Terra in the [[Lanes Between]] and pursues him to [[Radiant Garden]], but loses track of him there.

Aqua meets [[Mickey Mouse]] and the young [[Princess of Heart]], [[Kairi]], who touched Aqua's Keyblade in fright, unintentionally performing a [[Bequeathing]]. Aqua and Mickey protect her from a group of Unversed, and in return, Kairi gives Aqua flowers, which becomes the Keyblade [[Destiny's Embrace]]. Aqua also places a protective charm on Kairi's necklace to help her in the future, believing that their meeting may not have been a coincidence. This charm would later transport Kairi to [[Destiny Islands]] where she would be with someone who would always protect her, while [[Ansem, Seeker of Darkness|Ansem]] believed it was because Kairi, as a Princess, was naturally drawn to the Keybearer.

Aqua later encounters an unconscious Mickey drifting in space and takes him to the [[Mysterious Tower]], where she hears of Eraqus's death from [[Yen Sid]] and heads to the [[Keyblade Graveyard]] to meet up with Terra and Ven.

A short conversation with Ventus takes place there, one where he states that if he does become the [[χ-blade]], he wants the two of them to "put an end to me". Aqua appears horrified, but Master Xehanort makes an appearance and tells about the history of the [[Keyblade War]]. Afterward, they attack, and a great battle takes place. Xehanort holds Ven over the edge of a cliff where Aqua can see, he freezes the boy and drops him; however, she manages to catch him. After fighting [[Braig]] and then Ventus under Vanitas's influence, the X-blade is destroyed and she is flung into the Lanes Between, unconscious. Mickey finds her and Ventus drifting there and brings them both to [[Yen Sid's Tower]], where it is revealed to her that Ventus has lost his heart. She takes Ven back to the Land of Departure and places his sleeping [[body]] in a throne. She takes [[Master's Defender|Eraqus's Keyblade]] and transforms the world into [[Castle Oblivion]] to keep Ventus safe. Afterward, she says her goodbyes to Ven, fondly stroking his hair, and leaves. She then tracks down [[Terra-Xehanort|the possessed Terra]] to Radiant Garden.  

Failing to bring Terra back to his senses, Aqua fights and defeats Xehanort; subsequently, Xehanort stabs himself in the chest with his own Keyblade in an attempt to lock Terra out as a horrified Aqua looks on. As Terra-Xehanort falls through a portal into the [[Realm of Darkness]], Aqua dives in after him but quickly realizes that she will be unable to save them both. Instead, Aqua sacrifices her [[Keyblade Armor|armor]] and Keyblade to save the dark being that had once been her dear friend, sending him back into the [[Realm of Light]] while she remains behind. Now stuck in the Realm of Darkness, Aqua is attacked by [[Darkside|several giant Heartless]] and decides to just allow them to destroy her, but is saved by Terra and Ventus's Keyblades. She is then reminded of the people she is connected to. With renewed trust in her friends, Aqua looks at her Wayfinder.

<!--this needs to be rewritten - there are a few inaccuracies. I will try to have a journal translation done this weekend-->

Aqua's Wayfinder begins to mysteriously glow. As she travels in the realm, she sees a large circle of the light from above her, only for a powerful column of darkness to shoot out of it in front of her. Her Wayfinder stops glowing. Seemingly unshaken by this, she presses forward and encounters several [[Shadow]]s, [[Neoshadow]]s, and [[Darkball]]s. After traveling deeper into the Realm of Darkness, Aqua senses something stalking her, and comes face to face with a large [[Dark Hide|Heartless]] that attacks her. To prevent it from attacking her, she uses a Fire spell, only for it to leap over her. Getting a closer look at it, Aqua determines it is not an Unversed and takes a battle stance to fight it. After destroying the Heartless, Aqua continues walking, eventually coming to a clearing and looking up. Surprised, she recognizes the [[Castle of Dreams]] surrounded by clouds of darkness.

Mickey mentions Aqua when he suggests that he help Sora and Riku inside the Sleeping Worlds by following his heart's path, as Aqua told him long ago.

When Sora arrives at The World That Never Was, he is caught by the Organization and placed within a nightmare in which he chases after memories of Riku and Kairi. When he catches up to them at the [[Contorted City]], the phantoms suddenly take the form of Terra and Aqua, while Sora himself takes on Ventus's appearance. Sora is confused, but the phantoms attempt to grasp his hand before turning back into Riku and Kairi and walking off again. As Riku attempts to wake Sora on his own side of the dream, a memory of when Aqua came to Destiny Islands is manifested, and nearly wakes Sora up.

Shortly after meeting Ansem the Wise, [[Ansem, Seeker of Darkness]] arrives on the shores of the End of Sea and demands information from Ansem the Wise regarding a girl who had undergone experimentation alongside Xehanort to unlock her forgotten memories. Aqua attempts to defend Ansem the Wise, but she is easily dispatched by Ansem's guardian without her Keyblade. Concerned for Aqua's safety, Ansem the Wise relents and leaves with Ansem, but not before the latter darkens Aqua's heart and casts her out into the sea, leading to her transformation into "[[Anti-Aqua]]".

Later, Riku and Mickey re-enter the Realm of Darkness to find Aqua, but after following her trail to the End of Sea, they find that Aqua is missing and are instead attacked by the [[Demon Tower]]. Anti-Aqua, who had been controlling the Demon Tower, reveals herself after Mickey is disarmed, picking up his Keyblade. Mickey recognizes her, but she says that he was too late and tells Mickey and Riku of the endless despair and loneliness she had endured within the Realm of Darkness. Believing herself to have been foolish for ever believing that someone would come to save her, Aqua has the Demon Tower attack Riku, but Sora intervenes, having found the Master's Defender in Destiny Islands and used it to create a path to Aqua. Sora then proceeds to fight Aqua himself, cleansing her of the Darkness and helping her to finally return to the Realm of Light.

Reunited, the five heroes head back to the Mysterious Tower, where Mickey apologizes for being unable to find Terra, but Aqua is certain that she and Ventus will be able to get him back. Riku also thanks Aqua for saving him when he was in the Realm of Darkness the first time, expressing regret for being too inexperienced to help her back then. Aqua is impressed that Riku and Mickey were both made Keyblade Masters, but also notes that Sora has not changed since they last met, leading the latter to scratch his head in confusion. When Yen Sid acknowledges Lea and Kairi as Keyblade wielders, Aqua immediately recognizes Kairi as the same girl that she cast a spell on when she visited Radiant Garden.

With their clash against the [[Seekers of Darkness]] imminent, Aqua and Ventus take time to star-gaze outside. Ventus uses this moment to admit to Aqua that while he was sleeping, he would have dreams of her, Terra, Sora, and the others. He also expressed memories of [[Dream Eaters|weird animal creatures]]. Aqua says that she's been places too, but she can't wait until things are back to normal. The two hold both of their Wayfinders to the sky, promising to share their stories with Terra after they save him.

==Abilities==

===''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep''===

Aqua is described by Tetsuya Nomura as being "tricky".<ref>[https://www.khinsider.com/news/New-Interview-in-Degeki-Wii-DS-Translated-693 KHInsider's translation of Dengeki Wii + DS magazine]</ref> In terms of physical ability, she is the most balanced out of the three main protagonists of ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'', with decent strength, speed, agility, and range. She is neither the slowest nor the fastest of the trio, but her thin frame makes her a difficult target. Unlike Terra and Ventus, she blocks using [[Barrier]], effectively giving Aqua a 360° defensive zone.